Contingent travels to Montreal to celebrate Floyd Curry Night at The Forum as Chapleau born National Hockey League player honoured

A Chapleau contingent took the overnight Canadian Pacific Railway passenger train to "do their bit" at a celebration for Floyd 'Busher' Curry of the Montreal Canadiens, according to a story in the Sudbury Star.

It was Floyd Curry Night at The Forum in Montreal, honouring the Chapleau born player who the article noted was "a staunch supporter of Chapleau and environs." He played in the National Hockey League all with the Canadiens from 1947 to 1958.

Curry was born in Chapleau on August 11, 1925, but lived in Nicholson during his early years. He did have relatives in Chapleau.

The Sudbury Star noted that Curry was "well deserving of the support and acclaim of those who knew him personally and of Chapleau hockey fans who knew him as an outstanding player."

The newspaper added that "clean sport" had always been his standard "and had won him the support of his team-mates and opponents."

The Montreal trip was organized by Olive and Don Card, both of whom were greatly involved in Chapleau hockey for many years. In fact Mrs. Card was known as 'Mrs. Minor Hockey' for her 25 years service as secretary-treasurer of the Chapleau Minor Hockey Association. Don coached minor hockey teams and played for the Chapleau  Huskies and the Legion team in the town league.

The Sudbury Star story says 30 Chapleau people made the trip but only includes 17 who were Mr. and Mrs. Milton Schroeder, Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Turner, Albert Bignucolo, Roger Longchamps, Mike Mione, Reggie Sonego, Alison and David McMillan, Raymond Brunette, Romeo Levesque, Eugene Fortin. Keith 'Sonny' Chambers and Baisel Collings plus Mr and Mrs Card.

David McMillan and I chatted about this trip when he visited me in Cranbrook several years ago and he advised that Alcide Brunette and Don 'Flappy' Jardine were also there. David has since died.

 I have included photos of teams which had some  players on them who went to Montreal and to provide a glimpse of some local hockey players from the Floyd Curry era in the NHL

If any others have details on this trip or were there please let me know.

Layton Goodwin who had lived in Nicholson when Curry did told the newspaper  "that at the age of four or five young Curry was busy on the ice (Lake Windermere) practising his shots with a broken down stick and an old tin can."

The Curry family moved to Kirkland Lake where Floyd started his organized hockey career.

After six years with the Oshawa Generals and a Memorial Cup win the Montreal Canadiens realized his potential and signed him. He had also become a member of the Canadian armed forces near the end pf World War II.

He played for the Montreal Royals before being brought up to the Canadiens. Playing his his entire NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens it started in 1947 and ended in 1958. During his time with Montreal, Floyd won four Stanley Cups 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958. In his NHL career he played in 601 games, scored 105 goals and earned 99 assists for 204 points.

After retiring as a player, he coached the Montreal Royals, then went on to work for the Canadiens front office for over 40 years as director of sales and travel secretary. In summer of 1968 he was promoted to Assistant General manager. He remained in that position until 1978. During his time in Montreal the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup 6 more times.

Writing on his blog Greatest Hockey Legends, Joe Pelletier noted that for most of his hockey life Curry was a modest player happy to stay in the shadows of hockey's spotlight. Most nights, except one.

"On Oct 29, 1951 -- with then Princesss Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of Ediburgh in attendance, " Pelletier wrote, "Curry scored three goals in a 6-1 victory over the New York Rangers. The Princess (who became Queen in 1952) was in the midst of her first royal tour left The Forum under the impression Busher Curry was the best hockey player in the world." 

"It was Curry's greatest moment," Pelletier added.

Floyd 'Busher' Curry died on September 16, 2006 at age 81. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Names for photos

Chapleau High School team 1956-57-- 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.

 Chapleau Junior Team 1949 --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

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

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MM

Floyd "Busher" Curry, Chapleau born, considered best hockey player in world by Queen Elizabeth II after notching 'Royal' hat trick for Montreal Canadiens in 1951

Michael Farber, who writes for Sports Illustrated, noted in a column that the personal connection he had to the Montreal Canadiens and to hockey in general, led him to his one contribution to the sociology of hockey: the Canadian one-degree-of-separation rule.

"Through anecdotal evidence gathered in the almost 30 years since I moved from New Jersey to Montreal, it has occurred to me that pretty much everybody in Canada is only one person away from someone who has ties to hockey, specifically the NHL," Farber wrote in a 2009 column.

Farber mentions many examples of the one-degree-of-separation rule around the street where he lived and the Montreal Canadiens, including Former coach Jacques Demers' father who was the superintendent of an apartment building, where as a boy Jacques used to shovel coal for Canadiens player Floyd "Busher" Curry.

I had been researching a column on Floyd Curry who was born in Chapleau on August 11, 1925 and discovered Farber's column. I thought I would apply his observation that Canadians are only one person away from someone who has ties to the NHL to Floyd Curry and Chapleau. I never knew Curry but some of his relatives lived on Aberdeen Street beside the Goldstein family just down the back lane from my house.

I do not recall anyone ever mentioning that he played hockey in Chapleau, but if he did I hope someone will let me know. He was playing Junior hcokey in Kirkland Lake when he was 15 which first brought him to the attention of the Montreal Canadiens.

Read more of Farber's column at: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/michael_farber/01/22/montreal.welcome/#ixzz10BMtrxlE


Knowing that Alison (McMIllan) McMullen was a great fan of the Montreal Canadiens, I contacted her to see if she had any memories of him. Within an hour or so, her brother David was in touch with the following: "I had several pieces of memorabilia including newspaper write-ups of Floyd Curry Night at the Forum which I and several other Chapleauites attended. I can remember Mike Mione being down at ice level taking photos although I have no idea what accreditation he had or how/
where he'd attained it. Alcide Brunette and Donald "Flappy" Jardine ( both now gone ) were also in attendance."

In 2002 when as Queen Elizabeth II made history as the first monarch to drop the ceremonial opening faceoff puck at an NHL game in Vancouver, CTV News reported that the last time Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were known to have attended a hockey game was in 1951 at the Montreal Forum, during their first visit to Canada. She was only 25 and still a princess when she watched the Canadiens crush the New York Rangers 6-1 and Floyd Curry was credited with the "Royal" hat trick. It turned out to be his only NHL hat trick.

Writing on his blog Greatest Hockey Legends, Joe Pelletier noted that for most of his hockey life Curry was a modest player happy to stay in the shadows of hockey's spotlight. Most nights, except one.

"On Oct 29, 1951 -- with then Princesss Elizabeth and her husband, the Duke of Ediburgh in attendance, " Pelletier wrote, "Curry scored three goals ina 6-1 victory over the New York Rangers. The Princess (who became Queen in 1952) was in the midst of her first royal tour left The Forum under the impression Busher Curry was the best hockey player in the world."

"It was Curry's greatest moment," Pelletier added.

Apparently the Queen recalled Curry many years later on another visit to Canada.

Read more by Joe Pelletier at http://habslegends.blogspot.com/2008/07/floyd-busher-curry.html


After six years with the Oshawa Generals and Memorial Cup win the Montreal Canadiens realized his potential and signed him. he had also become a member of the Canadian armed forces near the end pf World War II. He played for the Montreal Royals before being brought up to the Canadiens. Playing his his entire NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens it started in 1947 and ended in 1958. During his time with Montreal, Floyd won four Stanley Cups 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958. In his NHL career he played in 601 games, scored 105 goals and earned 99 assists for 204 points.

After retiring as a player, he coached the Montreal Royals, then went on to work for the Canadiens front office for over 40 years as director of sales and travel secretary. In summer of 1968 he was promoted to Assistant General manager. He remained in that position until 1978. During his time in Montreal the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup 6 more times. Curry's name was added to the cup in 1977, 1978.

Additional information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Curry


Floyd Curry even got a mention in "Barney's Version" by the distinguished Canadian author, Mordecai Richler. "Ah, 1950. That was the last year Bill Durnan, five times winner of the Vezina trophy, best goalie in the National Hockey League, would mind the nets for my beloved Montreal Canadiens. In 1950, nos glorieux could already deploy a formidable defense corps, its mainstay young Doug Harvey. The Punch Line was then only two thirds intact: in the absence of Hector "Toe" Blake, who retired in 1948, Maurice "The Rocket" Richard and Elmer Lach were skating on a line with Floyd "Busher" Curry. They finished second to bloody Detroit in the regular season and, to their everlasting shame, went down four games to one to the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup semifinals. At least The Rocket enjoyed a decent year, finishing the regular season second in the individual scoring race with forty-three goals and twenty-two assists."

He died on September 16, 2006 at age 81.

As hockey season gets underway Canadians everywhere are applying Michael Farber's one-degree-of-separation rule again. If you have any information you can add to Floyd Curry's Chapleau connection, please let me know. My email is mj.morris@live.ca