Hockey was never a demonstration sport at the 1920 Olympics.

The demonstration sport mistake was committed by an Olympic historian many years ago when he mistakenly decided, all on his own, that hockey was an "adjunct" to the 1920 Games, since the ice sports were not held with the "real" games in July. Unfortunately the rest of the world also believed this until recently. This mistake pushed the Falcons out of their proper place in Olympic hockey history, relegating them to a "demonstration sport" team with no particular fame or glory attached. That's what happens when historians don't bother to check the proper historical documents such as newspaper archives and everyone else believes them.
Anyone familiar with games played on 1920 arena ice would know that the Olympic Ice Sports had to be held in the spring evenings, when the temperature was cool, rather than in the heat of summer afternoons.

The Olympic Games program and several newspaper articles state very clearly that hockey and figure skating began the 1920 Olympics and that prize medals were awarded at an awards ceremony.

For further verification check the Canadian Olympic Committee

As part of its "Olympians" series, in 2000 the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation produced a half-hour program about the Falcons, entitled "Vikings on ice". Unfortunately, references to it seem to have vanished from the CBC website.

   

   
Pictures copyright Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has created new 10 part Canadian TV series, "Hockey - A People's History".
The Falcons were featured in parts 3 and 10. For a summary of episode 3 about the Falcons,click here.

On February 15th 2006 the C.O.C. announced that the Falcons would be inducted into Canada's Olympic Hall of Fame on April 29th, 2006. The induction ceremony took place in the Theatre Capitole de Quebec in Quebec City on Saturday April 29th. Pictures of the proceedings and the excellent entertainment which was part of it are on the COC website here. Three of the Falcons' children were at the ceremony. Slim Halderson's daughter, Alan Woodman's daughter and Konnie Johannesson's son accepted the Olympic plaque, with Sylvie Frechette, Curt Harnett and Michael Chambers.

A letter from the Fondation Nordiques about the induction weekend is shown here.

The Official Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame Plaque awarded to the Falcons is shown here.

Falcons Exhibit at the MTS Center in Winnipeg

In preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympics, Hockey Canada mistakenly decided in the fall of 2001 to honour the 1924 Toronto Granites as Canada's first Olympic Gold Medal Hockey team, perhaps caused by belief in the "demonstration sport" fallacy. The Icelandic Community in Canada rose up in arms, protested vigourously and proved their point very clearly, the "Falcons were first".

The Falcons Forever campaign was organized to create a permanent public memorial to the Falcons in Winnipeg, their home. On Sunday April 17th, 2005 the official opening of that exhibit at the MTS Center was held in Winnipeg. There are several pictures of the opening and the program here. The MTS Center press release about this occasion is here.

Pepsi-Cola produced a series of Canadian Olympic Hockey championship containers.
The colour of the Falcons' jersey on these cans is the best match yet to Konnie's jersey.

On December 20th, 2004 the Canadian Junior World team played an exhibition game against Finland in Winnipeg. Team Canada wore the new Nike Falcons jerseys in honour of the club.

• Falcons Gold - Canada's First Olympic Hockey Heroes.
  
  
  
• Long Shot - How the Winnipeg Falcons won the first Olympic hockey gold.
  
  
  
• When Falcons Fly - The story of the world's first Olympic gold hockey team.