The Winnipeg Falcons

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The Road to Victory

How did "the team that nobody wanted"
become the world's first Olympic hockey champions?

To get to Antwerp, they had to defeat 3 equally powerful Canadian teams:

The Selkirk Fishermen, to win the Manitoba League Championship 11 goals to 6 in 2 games, the second game a double overtime cliff-hanger.
The Fort William Maple Leafs, to win the Western Hockey Championship 16 goals to 3 in 2 games.
and the University of Toronto, assumed by Eastern Canadians to be the best in the country. The Falcons trounced them 11 goals to 5 in 2 games.

Then the money for the overseas trip had to be raised:

And finally, in Antwerp:

In the first Olympic game, Czechoslovakia, 15 goals to nil.
then the United States, 2 goals to nil even with several expatriate Canadians on that team.
and in the final Olympic game, Sweden.
Switzerland also participated. Unfortunately I have only one clipping and no headlines about their games.

They also had a remarkably enthusiastic group of fans and press supporters:

Giving up your place in line for a pretty girl.
Even a Winnipeg winter couldn't stop the fans from getting play-off tickets.
Waiting for tickets in the January winter.
Glowing press reports..

Much to everyone's surprise and pleasure, they succeeded, delighting Canadians,
Winnipegers and especially Icelandic fans everywhere.

Here's the story in headlines.

<< Previous Return to start Next >>

The Road to Victory

To get to Antwerp, they had to defeat 3 equally powerful Canadian teams:

Then the money for the overseas trip had to be raised:

And finally, in Antwerp:

They also had a remarkably enthusiastic group of fans and press supporters:

Much to everyone's surprise and pleasure, they succeeded, delighting Canadians, Winnipegers and especially Icelandic fans everywhere.

Here's the story in headlines.

Much to everyone's surprise and pleasure, they succeeded, delighting Canadians,
Winnipegers and especially Icelandic fans everywhere.