Chapleau hockey moments from the McEwen Cup to Junior 'B" title plus "Heart of My Heart" by The Four Aces

"Heart of my Heart, when friends were dearer then, too bad we had to part.." lines from one of the top songs of 1953 by The Four Aces may well be the theme song for Chapleau hockey teams throughout the community's history. The Bantam hockey team of the day sure sang it over and over again on a road trip to Sudbury in their own passenger car.

Shown here in the Sudbury Arena are coach Garth 'Tee' Chambers, arguably one the best players in Chapleau's history with Harry 'Butch' Pellow and Aldee Martel.

The following is a glimpse of hockey in Chapleau from 1910 to 1967. Chapleau had a hockey team in 1893, likely earlier, but we know that the team made a trip on the Canadian Pacific Railway to play Sudbury that year. I hope you will look at family connections in hockey over the years and depending on your age be able to  relate to some of the teams, players and your relatives.

In 1966-67 hockey season their first year of competition, the Junior 'B' Huskies won the International Junior 'B' League and Northern Ontario Hockey Association championships coached by Lorne Riley and Keith 'Buddy' Swanson.  Back from l: Andre Rioux, Lorne Riley, Merrick Goldstein, John Babin, Ray Larcher, Mickey Jurynec, Greg Vaughan, Robert Morin, Reg Bouillon, Gerry Boucher, Jamie Broomhead; Front: Corky Bucci, Jean- Claude Cyr, George Swanson, Richard Morin, John Loyst, John Laframboise, Ted Swanson, Bud Swanson and missing Bruce Pellow, Bruce Fortin. Thanks Buddy!!!

High school hockey was very popular in Chapleau and teams played in the town league and against outside competition. Here is the 1965 team. Back from left: Peter Grey, John Babin, Jim Lapp, Richard Morin, Bruce Pellow, Jim St. Amand, David Stevens, Mike Tangie, J. Parker (coach), Brian Corston, Darryl Downey, Keith Corston, Merrick Goldstein (and thanks to Merrick for his phone call providing names and all on facebook who also contributed). Kneeling: Larry Joyce, Albert Bignucolo, David Futhey, Reg Bouillon, Gerry Boucher, Ted Swanson. Note that several played for the Jr. 'B' Huskies the next year. Ten years later Jim St. Amand was a member of the Int. 'A' Huskies and Ted Swanson never missed a game in that team's four year history in the Northland Intermediate Hockey League. Mike Tangie went on to coach in Chapleau.

The CHS team of 1956 is below.A highlight of the year for the Chapleau High School team of 1956 was a trip to Terrace Bay. Back row from left: David McMillan, Doug Sleivert, Stan Barty,Thane Crozier, Clarence Fiaschetti (teacher and coach), George Lemon (principal) Second row: Doug Espaniel, Roger Mizuguchi, Bill Cachagee . Front are Jim Hong, Bert Lemon, Harry Pellow, Ken Schroeder, Robbie Pellow (Mascot) Marc Boulard, Harry Hong, Jim Machan, Ron Morris. Note that Clarence was playing on the 1949 Junior team, and was also first CHS student to return as teacher.

Here are the 1953-54 Chapleau Bantam champions who won the Algoma Dairy Trophy.. Back row from left: Basil Collings (coach), Michael McMullen, Mrs. Broomhead, David McMillan, Richard Pilon, Tim Goodwin. Front are Charlie White, Ken Schroeder and Harry 'Boo' Hong.

 Ian Macdonald has provided photo of the losing Bantam team -- 5-4 in a thrilling overtime with Mike McMullen finally notching the winner. Back row from left Tee Chambers, Jim Machan, Jim Evans, Jack Poynter, Ian Macdonald, Bill McFarlane Front: Wayne Faught, Bill McLeod, Roger Mizuguchi, Aldee Martel

The 1949 Trappers were an Intermediate team sponsored by Mrs. A.W. Moore with many players who had returned home after serving in Canada's armed forces in World War II.

Also, in !949, Chapleau iced a Junior team. I recall going to watch the Juniors play and they were good. Chapleau had an awesome town league at that time. Back row are from left Orville Robinson, Doug Swanson, Lorne Riley, Greg Lucas, Tee Chambers, Fred Goheen, Keith Strapp, Toddy Collinson, Ernest 'Sonny' Bignucolo, D.O. Payette (manager), Pat Serre, Ross Hamlin, George Payette. Front from left, Yen Hong, Bob Evans, Reggie Sonego, Ross Thornton (coach), Tom Jardine, Angelo Mione, Johnny Morin, Mike Mione, Clarence Fiaschetti.

Below, coached by John McClellan, who for 30 years defined Chapleau High School as teacher and principal are the  Juvenile Flyers from the 1930s. This was my father's generation of hockey players in Chapleau, born between 1913 and 1916. My father, Jim Morris is second from left.

In 1919, Bob Turner, a legendary goaltender over the years was playing for a Chapleau team. In back are Clothier (could be different spelling and first name not given), Fred Kelland, Alex McAulay, Frank Boucher, Buster McAdam, Bob Turner, Amon Saylors, Ken Sheppard.  These were the days of seven man hockey and no subs.

Here is a local team from 1910, and if you look closely you can see each photo is numbered: 1, Robert McEwen; 2, Richard Brownlee; 3, Gordon Sheppard; 4, Adelard Lafrance; 5, George Collinson; 6, Tommy Thompson; 7, Tom Godfrey; 8, Ovide Payette; 9. Wilfred Wolfe and 10, Ernest Cressey.

Robert McEwen donated the McEwen Cup, emblematic of hockey supremacy in Chapleau. Here is the first winning team in 1911. Photos are numbered: 1, Peter Moran; 2, Gordon Sheppard; 3, Simon Kruger; 4, Harry Morris (my grandfather); 5, Omer Lahay; 6, Oscar Tremblay; 7, Ken McFadden ;8, Charles Mulligan (my great uncle); 9, Herb Merrick and 10, Robert McEwen.

My thanks to www.chapleau.com and Hugh Kuttner for the wonderful collection of Chapleau photos.

I welcome comments, stories and photos from all on Chapleau hockey. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Now for your added pleasure enjoy Heart of My Heart by The Four Aces, dedicated to all who were in any way involved in hockey in Chapleau, especially the Bantams on the Sudbury trips in the Fifties..