FRESH off of winning the Allan Cup in the spring of 1925, the extremely coveted Port Arthur Seniors squad were in high demand as they set about in an effort to repeat as champions of the Dominion of Canada.
Travelling across the province during the pre-season in a series of exhibition match-ups, in filled-to-capacity arenas, with interested onlookers watching keenly to see the array of talent boasted by the lads from the Lakehead.
That line-up featured the likes of regulars Alex Gray; Art Chapman; Wilf L’Heureux; Albert Pudas; Gordon (Phat) Wilson; Bill Brydge; Danny Cox and Lorne Chabot.
Taking on clubs from southern Ontario in December of 1925, they would play six times within the province in such communities as Windsor, Niagara Falls and Ottawa.
Also vying for the Sportsmen’s Patriotic Association Cup in Toronto, they swamped a highly-touted Preston, Ont., senior side 9-3 to claim the trophy.
Port Arthur also crowned the Montreal Victorias 5-3 at The Forum, on December 16, 1925, led by an Alex Gray natural hat trick in the third period.
A 12-game slate against rival Fort William, along with eight further outings versus the Kenora Thistles and a number of meetings with squads from Manitoba were also contested.
As is the case on many occasions, any team’s toughest challenge en route to a championship comes from their biggest rival.
While Port Arthur won seven of the dozen get togethers throughout the year, including the final five, against that foe, this was definitely true as Port Arthur went head-to-head with Fort William in the quest for local senior hockey supremacy.
Dubbed nationally, at the time, as perhaps the most remarkable league playoff series in the history of Canadian amateur history, the two challengers certainly did not disappoint, in what was to a be a two-game, total-goal affair.
In the opener played in the north side back on March 9, 1926, with rosters of only eight aside, began an eventual fierce three-match-up battle that in all would feature 230 minutes of highly intense play.
Game 1 finished in a 2-2 draw with top scorers Frank Hacquoil and Clark Whyte giving the Forts a pair of one-goal leads, only to see Pudas and Brydge counter with tying tallies.
Moving over to the south side for Game 2 two nights later, it was equally as influential, going scoreless through two periods of play.
Connecting on the power play, with six minutes remaining in regulation, Pudas set-up Brydge for the go-ahead marker, who shoved one under goalkeeper Jack Langtry.
Going to a man advantage shortly after that, Fort William drew level thanks to a Bob Davis equalizer that eluded Lorne Chabot, manning the nets for the Ports.
Nothing could be decided the rest of the way as the squads skated through a trio of 10-minute extra time sessions before the contest was called and declared a 1-1 draw.
With a rare third game required, the clubs agreed to a coin flip to see who would host the finale, which was determined to be in Fort William, on March 14.
Once again sold out, with a horde on interested onlookers milling about outside the venue in search of a ticket, the on-ice foes resumed proceedings to decide a winner.
Yet again, the competition was fierce with neither side giving in through 60 minutes of scoreless concentration.
Heading to extra time once more, a second session was needed before Danny Cox completed a splendid individual rush and scored on Langtry from close range to give the Ports the lead, three and a half minutes in.
Some more furious action entailed the rest of OT, but in the end, Port Arthur took the game 1-0 and claimed the sensational, extended total-goal affair 4-3.
Even Bobby Hewitson, the OHA and NHL referee, brought in from Toronto to adjudicate the proceedings described the series as something he had never seen previously that surpassed it, in either the pro or amateur ranks, in terms of quality or sustained action.
The resulting triumph thus punched the defending national champs’ ticket to the western Canadian final, which they would host, against the Regina Vics.
Next week: Part II on Port Arthur’s path to the 1926 Allan Cup.