WITH three come from behind series triumphs secured, the 1985 version of the Thunder Bay Twins headed to Corner Brook, Nfld., looking to become the first team to repeat as Allan Cup Canadian senior hockey champions since the Moncton Hawks accomplished the feat back in 1933-34.
It would be a rocky start, both getting to Newfoundland, and taking on a rested Corner Brook Royals side who would host the entire best-of-seven affair.
“On the flight to Gander, because Corner Brook didn’t have an airport, we had problems on the plane and flew the last hour on one engine before we bussed the rest of the way,” recalled Gary Linquist Jr., who, as a 14-year-old, traveled with the team to assist his father Gary Sr., one of the club’s trainers, and himself a member of the Twins 1975 Allan Cup-winning squad.
The waiting Royals were ready and handily defeated Thunder Bay 9-5 in a high-scoring opener.
Game 2 was much tighter, with the contest going to overtime, before the home team prevailed once more, winning 3-2.
Building on that, Corner Brook continued to press and rolled to another 9-5 victory to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series and seemingly on the verge of claiming the Cup.
However, from there, the rest as they say, is history.
“A key was having an off-day after Game 3,” said Linquist. “The rest allowed the players to get away from the rink. You need to remember the Twins’ players all had jobs and families outside of hockey to attend to as well, so playing your way to the Allan Cup was a real drain on them and that one day off was the thing they needed.”
Extremely confident, the Royals felt assured the series was over and they would soon be celebrating, but Thunder Bay had other plans.
“After Game 3, a reporter asked me what I thought and I answered half jokingly – “We got ‘em right where we want ‘em,” offered team captain Bill McDonald.
Regrouping and reinvigorated, the Twins began their stunning rally.
“We had a team meeting at the hotel prior to Game 4 and Buzzy (head coach Ron Busniuk) asked each player what seemed to be the problem beating this Corner Brook team,” stated defenceman Gerald Bolduc. “The consensus was that they should not be beating us and felt we had the better team.”
A little motivation witnessed by the club also helped fire up the Twins.
“Before Game 4, a bunch of us outside the dressing room witnessed Corner Brook management wheeling in cases of champagne and their goalie, Dave Matte, came dressed in a tuxedo.”
Finding their legs and extra motivated, Thunder Bay went on to double up the Royals 4-2 and send it to another night.
Building on that, while getting big-time offensive production from the likes Wally Presenger, Gerry Cizmar, Brant Kiessig and Norm Fullum, along with versatile veteran contributions courtesy of Dennis Owchar, Danny Gruen, Rick Adduono, McDonald and Lynn Jorgenson, the local senior side opened up offensively and swamped Corner Brook 8-3 in Game 5 to make it interesting.
“We began asking Matte on the ice if his tuxedo was starting to smell,” chuckled McDonald.
Feeling the heat from the hometown fans, the hosts were in an ill-humoured mood as their seemingly easy jaunt to the title was beginning to waver.
“During Game 6, the fans were so pissed off they were actually tossing the old-style aluminum garbage cans around and started booing the Royals players,” remembered Linquist.
Bolduc also echoed those sentiments: “I remember the Newfoundland crowd going crazy in the arena as the series kept going. They were definitely passionate about their team.”
Stalwart goaltender Andy Stoesz, who was deftly secured as a pick-up by iconic general manager Gary Cook from Morden of the CASH League after the Twins knocked them out in the playoffs, showed his worth in Game 6 as he posted a 2-0 shutout to send it to a seventh and deciding game.
Sensing yet another comeback nearing completion, the ever-shrewd Cook did some finagling with the host club.
“Cookie made a deal with Corner Brook before Game 7; if we won, we got the champagne,” boasted McDonald.
Knotted at 1-1 after one, the Twins received an inspired, passionate, yet humorous speech by coach Busniuk, with a fabled intermission speech, that set the tone in closing out the series.
“The most unforgettable thing was his talk in Game 7,” provided Bolduc. “It was the best speech I have ever heard. Forgive me for saying it, but Buzzy was so pumped that he inadvertently spit his false teeth out on the dressing room floor. The whole team laughed hysterically, but man we were fired up.”
Adduono too also fondly recalls that moment: “We were so motivated after that, as passionate and funny as it was.”
Buoyed by that, it was all Thunder Bay in the middle stanza as they used a three-goal barrage to take a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes.
The Royals countered with a couple of quick markers in the third, but in the end, the Twins prevailed 5-4 to become the first and only team in Allan Cup history to win a best-of-seven after dropping the first three games.
“We came back and won all those series because we had a team that played for each other,” explained Adduono.
“We had forwards who could score, an experienced smart-tough defence and Andy Stoesz (named Allan Cup MVP) was phenomenal in net. The most important thing though was, we had fun together, on and off the ice, but challenged each other to be better.”
After arriving home to a joyous celebration at a packed Moose Hall, the Twins got to celebrate their phenomenal comeback with the loyal Lakehead fans.
Reflecting on those no longer with us, Bolduc offered these sentiments: “I’d like make mention those who have passed on since that memorable time. Billy Hall, a tough defenceman and all-around nice guy; Gerry Cizmar the all-time leading CASH League scorer and of course, the mastermind behind our team, Gary (Cookie) Cook.”
“Gary Cook deserves a mountain of credit,” Adduono added. “Most don’t even know how hard it was for him to assemble this team and keep the players grounded, What a special, special hockey person. We should never forget his contributions.”
Accomplished by a plethora of home-grown talent, the 1984-85 Allan Cup-champion Thunder Bay Twins were a club for the ages.
“What a year; what a team,” surmised McDonald.
“It has to be one of the best stories, of any team, in hockey history – Simply incredible.”
Inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, September 30, 1995, members of the team included:
Rick Adduono; Mark Backor; Gerald Bolduc; Gerry Cizmar; Andy Clark; Norm Fullum; Danny Gruen; Billy Hall; Lynn Jorgenson; Jim Keyes; Brant Kiessig; Peter King; Rob Kruse; Joe Ladouceur; Bill McDonald; Dave Menard; Dennis Owchar; Tim Pagee; Wally Presenger; Henry Rubert; Jim Sambray; Andy Stoesz; Glen Wilson; Ron Busniuk (Head Coach); Ralph Stewart (Assistant Coach); Gary Cook (General Manager); Gary Linquist (trainer); Ron Brown (Trainer); Bill Campbell (Trainer); Darrell Clarke (Assistant Trainer).
