The Ottawa RCAF Flyers were a Canadian senior ice hockey team from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) base in Ottawa. The team was made up of active and former RCAF members and Canadian Army personnel. The team won the gold medal in the 1948 Winter Olympics and the 1942 Allan Cup championship. The team was inducted into the Canadian Armed Forces Sports Hall of Fame in 1971. In 2001, the 1948 team was honoured by the Canadian Forces when it was selected as Canada's greatest military athletes of the 20th century.[1]
After the Ottawa RCAF Flyers lost by a 7–0 score to the McGill University men's team, the Ottawa Citizen reported that multiple Canadian sports journalists called for a university team to represent Canada at the Olympics.[2] When the RCAF team lost its next game by a 6–2 score to the Ottawa Canadian Army hockey team, Norman Dawe held an emergency meeting and committed to retaining the team's management and coach, Frank Boucher.[2] Dawe also announced that the RCAF team would be bolstered from the best available players,[5] and retain the RCAF identity after six civilian players were added from the Ottawa Senior Hockey League.[6] Dawe recruited defenceman Henri-André Laperrière from the Université de Montréal, in addition to two more players from Toronto recruited by George Dudley.[7] The efforts to bolster the Ottawa RCAF Flyers resulted in the team winning every game at the Olympics and the gold medal.[2]
Team members
1948 Ottawa RCAF Flyers
RCAF lapel pin
Players
The IOC lists that all players, including reserves, were given an Olympic Gold Medal.
The book Gold Medal Misfits (Pat MacAdam, Manor House Publishing, 2008) chronicles the team's history with original articles from the area and interviews with surviving team members.
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The Ottawa RCAF Flyers were a Canadian senior ice hockey team from the Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF base in Ottawa The team was made up of active and former RCAF members and Canadian Army personnel The team won the gold medal in the 1948 Winter Olympics and the 1942 Allan Cup championship The team was inducted into the Canadian Armed Forces Sports Hall of Fame in 1971 In 2001 the 1948 team was honoured by the Canadian Forces when it was selected as Canada s greatest military athletes of the 20th century 1 Olympic medal recordMen s ice hockeyRepresenting Canada1948 St Moritz Team competition Contents 1 1948 Winter Olympics 1 1 Team members 2 Legacy 3 See also 4 References 5 Bibliography1948 Winter Olympics Edit Ottawa RCAF Flyers at the 1948 Winter Olympics In October 1947 the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association CAHA announced that the senior ice hockey team from the Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF base in Ottawa would represent the Canadian national team in ice hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics 2 At the time the CAHA had ongoing disagreements with the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace and the International Olympic Committee on the definition of an amateur and the RCAF team was a compromise to meet the amateur eligibility requirements of the Olympics 3 CAHA vice president Norman Dawe and secretary George Dudley liaised with the Canadian Olympic Committee and gain approval for the choice 4 After the Ottawa RCAF Flyers lost by a 7 0 score to the McGill University men s team the Ottawa Citizen reported that multiple Canadian sports journalists called for a university team to represent Canada at the Olympics 2 When the RCAF team lost its next game by a 6 2 score to the Ottawa Canadian Army hockey team Norman Dawe held an emergency meeting and committed to retaining the team s management and coach Frank Boucher 2 Dawe also announced that the RCAF team would be bolstered from the best available players 5 and retain the RCAF identity after six civilian players were added from the Ottawa Senior Hockey League 6 Dawe recruited defenceman Henri Andre Laperriere from the Universite de Montreal in addition to two more players from Toronto recruited by George Dudley 7 The efforts to bolster the Ottawa RCAF Flyers resulted in the team winning every game at the Olympics and the gold medal 2 Team members Edit 1948 Ottawa RCAF Flyers RCAF lapel pin PlayersThe IOC lists that all players including reserves were given an Olympic Gold Medal Hubert Brooks Portage la Prairie Manitoba 1 reserve Murray Dowey Toronto goaltender 1 Frank Dunster Montreal defenceman 1 Roy Forbes Vancouver defenceman 1 reserve Andy Gilpin Montreal forward 1 8 reserve Jean Gravelle 1 Aylmer Quebec Patsy Guzzo 1 Ottawa Wally Halder 1 Toronto Ted Hibberd 1 Ottawa Ross King Portage la Prairie goaltender 1 8 reserve Henri Andre Laperriere Ottawa defenceman 1 John Lecompte Ottawa defenceman 1 Pete Leichnitz reserve 1 Brechin Ontario George Mara 1 Toronto Albert Renaud 1 Ottawa Reginald Schroeter 1 Ottawa Irving Taylor 1 OttawaStaffCoach Sgt Frank Boucher Ottawa nephew of Frank Boucher 9 10 Manager S L Sandy Watson Ottawa Trainer Cpl George McFaul OttawaLegacy EditThe book Gold Medal Misfits Pat MacAdam Manor House Publishing 2008 chronicles the team s history with original articles from the area and interviews with surviving team members See also EditIce hockey in Ottawa List of Canadian national ice hockey team rostersReferences Edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Athletes Of The Century Chosen By The Military Legion Magazine 2001 01 01 Retrieved 2010 07 03 a b c d Koffman Jack April 7 1948 Olympic Hockey Team Is The Toast Of All Canada Today Ottawa Citizen Ottawa Ontario p 17 Canada Six May Miss Olympics Winnipeg Free Press Winnipeg Manitoba February 26 1947 p 17 Dawe C A H A Man At Olympic Meeting The Gazette Montreal Quebec December 4 1947 p 18 Will Bolster RCAF Six for Olympics The Gazette Montreal Quebec December 17 1947 p 16 Air Force Drops Six Players From Its Olympics Bound Team The Gazette Montreal Quebec December 19 1947 p 19 3 New Players For Olympics Ottawa Citizen Ottawa Ontario December 29 1947 p 1 a b The Hougen Group of Companies A Yukon Tradition Hougengroup com Archived from the original on 2011 07 12 Retrieved 2010 07 03 Frank Boucher s Minor League Photograph Collection Classicauctions net 2005 05 31 Retrieved 2010 07 13 History 1948 Winter Tsn ca 1948 02 09 Retrieved 2010 07 13 Bibliography EditList of 1948 Canadian Olympic Medal Winners GreatestHockeyLegends com McLauchlin Les Good God Olympic Gold The Airforce Spring 1998 Retrieved April 21 2008 Iorfida Chris Canada s quiet hockey heroes CBC ca February 7 2008 The Life and Times of Hubert Brooks M C C D A Canadian Hero R C A F Flyers at 1948 Olympics Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF Flyers Wrote Olympic History Retrieved February 8 2015Preceded byPort Arthur Bearcats Canada men s Olympic ice hockey team1948 Succeeded byEdmonton Mercurys Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ottawa RCAF Flyers amp oldid 1134953875, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
