I grew up inthe 50's at 1211 Brown Blvd and I remember selling books of tickets (10) I think) in order to play hockey in the above association. I would like to know more of this organization as I recall, I had to visit a private home and turn in my money and in return was slotted to a team, provided the sweater and leggings and can only recall having a wonderful time.
All hockey games were played on outdoor rinks, but we all had one game also at the Verdun Auditorum It was a magical time when parents used to stand over the boards and watch their kids play. I was goalie on the Verdun Beavers and we won the championship that year (7-8 rys old maybe?) and had a banquent at a chicken restaurant (maybe the old Chicken Coup?) .
Anyway, anyone have any background on this terrific organization run by two "older married" people as I recall.?
Keith Harrison
44 comments:
HIYA KEITH, YES NORMAN DAWE HOCKEY WAS RUN BY A COUPLE OF OLD FOLKS,MY GRANDPARENTS.IF YOU LOOK IN THE PICS YOU FIND A 1959 PIC OF MARTHA LIDDELL AND SEVRAL OF NORMAN DAWE HOCKEY PLAYERS,TAKE A LOOK YOU MAY KNOW SOMEONE.THE LITTLE GUY IS ME BTW.THERE ARE ALSO SOME OTHER NORMAN DAWE ITEMS IN THE SPORTS MEMORABILIA FOLDER TOO.ENJOY. MILES BIM LIDDELL
Here's a trivia question about Norman Dawe. What particular event motivated the league to have the goalies to start wearing masks? I'll bet Bhim, you won't even know the answer to that one. Johnny O
Jaques Plante motavated The wearing of masks.
Cause the two years I played goalie in Mosqito I didn't wear any masks(1956-1958).
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Yes certainly Jake the Snake ( Jaques Plante) was the true motivator for goalie masks in general. However when the Norman Dawe league adopted them it was during the playoffs in the Auditorium somewhere around 1959 give or take. One of the players, I won't mention his name, who had the most feared shot in the "mosquito" level hit the goalie in the face. There blood was all over the ice. The game was postponed for some time. When the players came back onto the ice to finish the game, both goalies were wearing masks. These were the masks that were made of a clear sheet of curved plastic. Since then Norman Dawe league made it compulsory for the goalies to wear masks. Not sure if the helmets for players came after or before that but it was around the same eara when they also became magnatory. Johnny O
I played two years as a goalie in Mosqitto of Noman Dawe
I stopped many shots from Gary Butler & Gary Webster.
It was my second year Bantamn when helmuts came in,
I was playinh for Police Juvenile.
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i'm pretty sure was the goalie on the police juvenile, during that time
shayne o'neill
i remeber those masks.
they were damn heavy and constantly fogging up
i meant to say...i'm pretty sure i was the goaltender for police juvenile during the time you speak of. shayne
Steve..... are you any relation to Jimmy Redmond? We were battling for the scoring championship in our last year of bantam... Gary Butler is a name that I recall but was a year or two ahead of me. Generally in mosquito not too many could even get the puck off the ice on a consistent basis.. but Wayne Heinz had the best shot durning my years in mosquito. Shayne: As far as I know the Police didnt even exist in late 50s early 60s.. I think they came as a result of so many graduating from Norman Dawe bantam.. They were definately a high calibre prestidous team.. I played my midget with the Verdun Grads.. we had a great lineup .. but too many individuals not enough team play if I recall. JohnnyO
Could have been Shayne,I don't remember him
ever been cut.He also was our goalie At V.C.H.S.
along with Terry Bethume.
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All these fond memories and familiar names. I played NDMA hockey from 1954 to 1962. I started at 7 years old at the Egan small rink then to Melrose Park. and then Grad midget league. Also ref'd in NDMA and coached. It was a fun time. My father got convinced by Johnny Holden at the Egan rink to help run some of the games at Melrose. They became great friends. My father eventually started the Bantams at Melrose by convincing some local business (BP, Sunoco, ESSO and a couple of other) to pony up about fifty bucks for sweaters and other equipment and have their logo on the sweater. He then convinced Bryce MacKassey to give him great prices for the sweaters. Bryce and Blair were always a soft touch when it came to local sports and the league prosperred. He spent a lot of long cold nights at Melrose. as I remember. He was instumental in setting up the first international kids games with some team in Lake Placid in the old Olympic stadium (Brrr). I am a few years a head of you Johnny O' . I played with and against some great players. Dave
johnny o
well i played with the police starting in 61. bantam, midget, juvenile.
i played in midget with butler, webster, brian boyle...and all the years i was with police i played with guy charron who became an NHL'er and now coach with the Habs, i played goaltender.
i had a relative who played with the police in the late 50's. so they did exist.
and as far as a reputable organization we won the championship in every division each we played.
shayne
I played my second year Bantam with Guy Charron for Police.
My first year Midget Police had two teams I played on the other. Second year I played for Marcel Gereau the Red Wings.
and played many games for their Jeuvenile team.
Steve
Hey Dave: I remember going to Melrose Park around 1965 or '66 to watch you ref a game on the outdoor rink. It was a very cold night and no other officials showed up. You conned me into being the penalty timekeeper - damn near froze to death standing there. After the game we picked up Frank and went for a couple of drafts in the point. Saturday morning Frank, Gary and I (and the girls, of course) are saying goodbye to the cold and heading to a St Martin villa for a week. No hockey there, and the only ice will be in our drinks around our private pool. Bill
Hey rainy_day_man_44.... If your mmeber info is correct those years playing Bantam, Midget etc at Willibroad Park with Butler, Webster and Boyle you must have been about 3 or 4 years old. What a feat. I presume you have the wrong 5st digit in your profile age......????? I ref'd with Brian (he used to live almost next door on 4th Ave) and played football with the rest. All good athletes in their day. Hey Bill (banjo4141) I heard that Loiuse's mom is having a tough time. Maybe you will have to suffer the warm and wonderful St Martins w/o brother Frank. How come I wasn't invited. Oh yeah it's 69 deg here today and VERY SUNNY..........
Hey banjo4141 When did you live on Claude. I know you liked that area because of the closeness to the Church st taverne and the club on Butler (?) in the first street in the point. The rest of you did you know that Verdun WAS in the old Guiness Book of World Records... Anyone know why???
No Bars ..No Hotels .....No Railway tracks......and I've also heard that it has streets starting with Saint.......................(however I think there is a street on Nuns Island ,named saint .....blahblahblah) but i'm not sure about that one
Also No Nite Clubs, Bus Terminals, Train Stations, No highways, Liquor Sales in general (LCB excluded) No smokestacks... I always wondered about the last one as I thought there was one at the VGH where they incinerated their many errors... Boy those were the days... Had to leave town to have a cheap beer and of course those $1.24 taverne lunches....with a couple of "petite Mols".
Hey; dflood64;
Sure Do. During the 40's & 50's Verdun was the 3rd largest City in Quebec,
behind Montreal & Quebec City.
Tony
If that was ment for me , I was born on March the second in the year 1949.
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Steve >If that was ment for me , I was born on March the second in the year 1949.< Ha Another good Pisces (Mar 5th '47 here) Nope it was ment for rainy_day_man_44....
Hi Dave: I was born in the Verdun General Hospital and until age 7, we lived either with my maternal grandmother in St John's, Newfoundland or with my paternal grandparents on the south side of Verdun Ave between Church and Hickson (opposite a coal & oil dealer on the north side of Verdun Ave). We then moved to 4113 Claude (between Church and Galt) until 1958, when we moved to Sixth Ave. Frank, Gary and I will think of you as we drink our rum punches on the terrace of our St Martin villa all next week. Weather permitting, we leave at 6:10 AM tomorrow. Bill
Hi Bill, So you lived not far from Campbell & Cameron, Volkswagen Dealer (same place for more than 50 years, I don’t know exactly how long, still in business). I bought my first car (Volkswagen 1959) from them in 1965 (the first car in the family on Ethel St). Campbell & Cameron Volkswagen, Montreal, QC
4050 Verdun Avenue
Montreal, QC H4G 1K9
http://www.campbellandcameron.com/en_CA/ Also, the coal & oil dealer on the north side of Verdun Ave was Fortin Frères (wasn’t it ?) They had some bad fires there. I remember an old couple living in an very old rusty house next to the coal & oil dealer. Have a nice week at your St Martin villa. JMH
Hi Jean-Marie: Campbell & Cameron: would they be on the north side of Verdun Ave almost at Church? I seem to remember a ramp which went up to the second floor where the service area was. I also remember the lot next door on the north-east corner of Church and Verdun was empty around 1950 - most likely whatever was there was destroyed by fire. Yes, the coal & oil dealer was named Fortin et Freres. Where my grandparents house used to be (well, not actually theirs - it was rented), it became a GoodYear dealership sometime in the late 60s. I've got to run home now and pack...no phone calls, no emails, no clients, no meetings, no nothing for a whole week... Bill
Shayne: Sorry for my misunderstanding regarding the police. I guess I only became aware of them after I finished with Norman Dawe so didnt think they existed before that. Any yes the Police always had a great reputation for great hockey players. JohnnyO
I remember Norman Dawe Hockey well. The Banquet, as I recall, was at LaBelle Bar-B-Q. I played for a number of years Age 6 - 12 or 13. Man that brings back some memories. no helmets. And the toques were well over our ears to stay warm at Demarchais Park, or Willibroad Park. i played both because I moved from 3rd Ave to LaSalle & Rielle. We changed in the "Box" and had to put our frozen boots back on at the end of the game.
steve
if you played for police when you say, you know me.
i was the goalie, shayne.
Shayne O'neal
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No Cemeteries! Verdun has never had a cemetery.
That's very true MaggieMck......but I suspect that alot Verdunites have been very instrumental in supporting them..............hahahahah MaggieMck where were you last night ? Even I was on the Chat..........hahahahaha
Right No "Cementaries" although there was a rumour that 3rd to 5th around Verdun to Wellington was used as an old (very old) church cemetery. Probably a tale something to scare us kids....... Do you all remember what time the Habs game came on the TV and when the game actually started. Also, Does anyone remember watching the Ploufe Family TV done in both languagers on separate nights. Was a treat......
I Remember the games starting at 8 pm on Saturday, but for a while some games were joined in progress and we would miss most of te first period... then later I think they started at 7:35 pm..........Good thing it didn't matter in those days as to who was going to win , but more like by how much........Win or Tie we loved the Habs........hahahah I think we had games on a Wednesday Night for awhile, and for some reason those were the delayed airing games , and I think they used to be on a channel from Cornwall .....?? I not sure.......What's your recollection dflood64 ??
Wasn't "La Lutte" (wrestling) on Friday nites? I remember being able to stay up to watch it, just not sure what nite it was....old timer's disease, I guess!!!
Back in the fifties the Saturday nite
games started at 9.00 P.M.
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As I recollect I think "game time" was 8:05 and the TV guys contracturaly joinerd the Saturday HIC game (first on CBC Chan 2 en Fancais then eventually on the Anglais chan 6) at 9:00PM as give_me_one_1 pointed out. I remember us turning off the TV sound and listening to Doug Smith on the radio in English. Eventually the whole game was televised. Later CFCF Chan 12 televised full games on Wednesdays. All in B&W. Hard times back then no color. CBC or CFCF was the first to use slo-mo replys and the first in No. America to use color slo-mo from what I believe was Ampex proto system that was "tesated" on HIC for use in the US for the next NFL season...... Boy those were the days. Rarely missed a game. PS John Ferguson is the "special Assistan to the GM" for my new favorite San Jose Sharks. When I go to see the Habs play "our" Sharks I wear my Habs Jersey for the first period then switch to my new allegiance. Upsets the locals here at first. Good hockey fans here though. They LOVE the Habs when they play here at "The Shark Tank" He He......
Oh Yeah First NDMA team I played for was the Leafs (ugh) then the HAwks. Then the Pee Wee Royals. Then the Bantam Comets Then in the Grads Midgets organization with ?????? .. Opps Don't remember.Damn...... Doe anyone know what the initials VSMFA are.....???
Verdun Smallfry Football Association.
I played for the Stampeders,changed next year to Shamcats
I played Shamcats for three years.
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Well nearly 8 pm on a cold wednesday night, little snow last night here in Montreal, remembering when we used to tear down to outdoor rinks and shovel the snow off of the rink to get in a little game of shinney , come home with feet forzen, but happy, take off skates and put up with the frozen feet , I used to play for the Archie Wilcox Bucks,a nd yes once a year we played in the Auditorium, remember we used to walk with our skates on to the outdoor rinks, what a blast Jimmy
The first team I played for in Norman Dawe was also the Leafs in Mosquito coached by Mr Pierce the Cheifs in Pee Wee my father coached the Comets in Bantam Mr. Hamilton coached and the Grads in Midget. Ross Dawe coached Some of the levels there were different coaches for some of the years but those are the ones I recall the most. Verdun grads pic Verdun auditorium
JohnnyO What years did you play I started in 1954 in mosquito Talk about strange It was my brother's b'day today/yesterday (26th). I called to wish him well and ask if he still had the many articles about the NDMA and VSFFA that my dad had kept He had just had dinner with my first football coach (1956) Ray Langstaff (married to Jim Bradley's daughter) and had shown him the pictures and articles from that ers.. Ray was a family friend for a long time and was connected to the Canadian Legion Branch that both my Brother and Father were members in Greenfield Park. I had played with one of the Bradleys my first couple years. Unfortunately he was lost with Bobby Snow in the rapids accident talked about here on previous threads.
Hi Dave, I started playing in Norman Dawe when I turned six, if memory serves me correctly, so that would put my first year of playing somewhere around 1957-1958. I was born in Jan 1952. I played three years in mosquito, two in Pee Wee, two in Bantam and a couple in Midget. I think my last year of competative play for the Grads when I was 16 or 17. That pic of the hockey player wearing the grads sweater is me. Then I played a season or two on a team sponsored by Miss Dollards in Lasalle. I was in my early 20s. I coached Norman Dawe for a season in 1975 then left Quebec along with the English Exodus of the mid to late 70s. That is really an interesting co incidence that your bro was showing those football articles just the other night. I remember hearing about that drowning accident, particularly about Clifford Bradley as he was a friend of Frank Hopwood-Jones and Duggie Gunhouse's. Do those names ring a bell with you? I was closest friends with Franks younger brother Gary so I heard about that accident. I also went to VHS and knew Debbie Bradley who was around my age... I believe she was Cliff's sister. JohnnyO
Johnny O I was a couple of years ahead of you. Born Mar 1947. Played 2 years Mosquito 54-55, 55-56, Then 4 years Peewee at Melrose until 59-60. two years Bantam at Melrose and two years Grads Midget at Wilson park. Gave it all up when I discovered that wine, women and jazz were a lot warmer and more fun by then. Coached PeeWee in 64-66 and referee'd also. I may have referee you bantam games. Hoppy and Gunhouse names are familiar but did not know them well. I know it was a rough time for the Bradley family especially his father Jim. He and my Dad remained friiends for many years. I left the Quebec madness in early 1973 when an opportunity to go to California came up. Immigration, family, personal affairs and eventually business brought me back often in the 70s, eighties and nineties. Haven't been back since Dec 2002 (Father's funeral). Maybe this year. Family still there and in Calgary.
Hi Mom 1945- Linda, Just getting caught up in reading old messages and this one is dated Jan.25,2005. It was Wednesday Night Wrestling from the Forum in Montreal which was terrific. On Friday night it was boxing The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports and on Saturday night Wrestling from Chicago. What great memories these were. Reggie Paine
Iplayed in 6 0f those games home and i remember we used to play in the Aud never lost to the yanks i played goal as well
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