WHILE an abundance of local teams went on to attain championship glory at the national level, many others came within striking distance of doing likewise.
One such club was the 1926-27 version of the Fort William Forts, who finished just one agonizing victory shy of becoming the third-straight side from the Lakehead to capture the Allan Cup as national senior champions within the Dominion of Canada.
Sporting blue and white jerseys, and dubbed the ‘Thundering Herd’ by western Canadian scribes for their fast-paced, relentless attack instilled by the strategies put forth by the club’s head coach, Stan Burgoyne, Fort William’s style of play resonated well with those who witnessed them compete.
In a pair of epic on-ice battles the previous couple of campaigns against the rival Port Arthur Seniors, who were the two-time defending Allan Cup title holders, the Forts looked to change the course of history with their own improved exertions.
Playing in a 20-game regular season with Port Arthur and the Kenora Thistles, it was Fort William who finished first in the league, going 12-7-1, and ending up four points clear of the 10-9-1 Ports, while Kenora was third with a 7-13-0 mark.
Featuring a formidable forward trio of future NHLers Jimmy Ward, Tommy Cook and Eric Pettinger up front, the Herd looked to finally solve their cross-town foes and national powers.
Winners of back-to-back Allan Cups, the Ports boasted star players like Alex Gray, Art Chapman, future Hockey Hall of Fame Honoured Member Gordon (Phat) Wilson, and were in search of a three-peat.
Icing only a line-up of eight, the Forts were also made up of goaltender Fred Kearney; defencemen Don McLeod and Harry Tuckwell, along additional skaters up front in Bob Davis and Frank Hacquoil.
The two local teams met in the sold-out opening contest of a best-of-three affair with the defending champs having home ice back on March 1, 1927.
Dubbed by local reporters back in the day, being as close and as bitterly contested as any of the historical clashes between the two cities, it was a battle that was evenly matched.
After a close-checking and scoreless opening frame, Port Arthur defenceman Marty Burke opening the scoring midway through the proceedings, by dashing down the left side and unleashing a terrific blast by goaltender Fred Kearney that rattled the back of the twine with extreme force.
Fort William answered with an equalizer, three and a half minutes into the third period, off the stick of McLeod.
They then persevered with a late man advantage marker supplied by Pettinger to surprise the reigning title holders of the Dominion.
Heading to Fort William a couple of nights later, in what proved to be the finale, the Lakehead hockey faithful stuffed themselves into the Prince of Wales Arena and witnessed the Forts skate away with the local crown.
Competing desperately through 40 minutes of action, with nary a tally, it was Cook who collected the eventual game-winner in the third, by swiping the puck off a defender and whipping it past a surprised Ports netminder Archie Bell.
Capping off the victory in the latter stages was Pettinger, who broke free down the ice on a rush and lifted in an impressive backhand.
Port Arthur did press to try and get back in it, holding a 37-24 edge in shots on the night, but could not solve the shutout goalkeeping of Kearney to aid the Forts in finally defeating their adversaries and give the Thundering Herd local supremacy.
Awaiting the club was a trip down the western playdown trail in search of the elusive national senior crown.
Next week: Part II on the Fort William Thundering Herd’s quest to win its first-ever Allan Cup.
