By Tom Annelin / HockeyThunderBay.com
WHILE it has been some ninety years on now, senior hockey in the Dominion of Canada provided plenty of steam back in the day.
One such club that brought it on the ice, on a continual basis, were the 1933-34 Fort William Forts, who went on to finish just one agonizingly game short of their quest for the country’s ultimate crown – the Allan Cup.
Playing in the three-team Thunder Bay Senior Hockey League that campaign, with rival Port Arthur and a Fort William-based squad called the Woodmen of the World, the Forts showed they had the talent to succeed.
Often dubbed ‘The Blueshirts’ to match their jersey colours, or ‘The Thundering Herd’ as the organization was referred to by western scribes, that depicted their style of play, Fort William had plenty to offer.
Neck-and-neck with Port Arthur throughout the regular season, only one point separated them in the standings, with three games remaining on the slate.
However, as they had both already assured themselves a place in the final versus each other, it was decided by the league to call off the last trio of tilts, that were to have seen the Woodmen play the Ports twice, and once more against the Forts.
As was the case with many a Fort William – Port Arthur playoff battles over the decades, this postseason final would prove to be no different.
Beginning in the north side of the Lakehead, the Blueshirts gained the early edge in the best-of-five affair with a 4-2 victory.
Heading to the other end of town for Game 2, the Ports rebounded with a 3-2 double overtime triumph.
Next came the road team winning once more as Fort William prevailed in another meeting that required OT before a winner was decided.
Then, in what proved to be the series-ending contest, Hugh O’Leary banged in both goals for the Forts, in a 2-1 extra time triumph over the rival Ports, while Bert Cummings notched the lone tally for his side in defeat.
This marked a third straight TBSHL title for the Bob Davis-coached club.
A date in the western semifinal with the Winnipeg Monarchs came next and home ice proved pivotal as Fort William crowned their opponents 6-2 to commence the two-game, total-goal, event.
Defenceman Ross Knowles started things off offensively for the Lakehead champions with a first period goal, then assisted on an Ossie Hacquoil effort early in the middle stanza.
After Winnipeg got one back, Ed (Jazzy) Manahan; Gord Houston and Hacquoil put their side comfortably ahead.
Following another Monarchs’ marker in the latter half of the third, Billy Hogarth gave the club a four-goal advantage heading into Game 2.
There, Winnipeg got a late tally to win the contest 5-4, but it was the Forts who took series 10-7.
O’Leary with a pair, along with singles off the sticks of Hacquoil and Bob (Gobbie) McCranor accounted for the Fort William pucks put into the net.
Remaining in Manitoba to commence the western final with the Kimberley Dynamiters from British Columbia, the club would rely on some stalwart goaltending to succeed.
By all accounts, the Dynamiters blasted away at Fort William netminder Gordon Hacquoil in the opener, but his stellar efforts between the pipes kept his team in it.
Kimberley took a 2-1 lead into the third period, only to see Ossie Hacquoil tie it 38 seconds in.
After the B.C. hopefuls went back in front, some late heroics salvaged a tie when Houston slammed in the equalizer with 30 seconds remaining to end it at 3-3.
Returning home to conclude the total-goal affair, Gordon Hacquoil was unbeatable in posting a 5-0 shutout to give the Forts the western Canadian banner.
As for the other Hacquoil, Ossie was the offensive star by scoring twice and assisting on two others.
Hogarth also collected two markers, and a helper, with O’Leary also contributing.
Looking to bring a fourth Allan Cup to the Lakehead in a span of a decade, to do so, they would have to knock off the defending national title holders, the Moncton Hawks, of New Brunswick.
A best-of-three set held at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto had the majority of pundits claiming Moncton would be extremely difficult to beat.
Of note, one of the officials assigned to referee the series was Clarence Campbell, out of Edmonton, who would later serve as president of the National Hockey League from 1946 through ‘77.
The opener saw the Forts gain the early edge on a pair of first period goals from Houston.
After Hogarth made it 3-0 early in the middle stanza, the Hawks took flight with a pair of their own to make it interesting.
From there though, Hacquoil slammed the door shut to back stop the Lakehead contingent to a Game 1 victory.
Showing their mettle, the reigning senior hockey champions rebounded, and despite the continued brilliant play of their goalkeeper and team captain, Hacquoil, it was Moncton who skated away with a 4-2 triumph to send it to a third and deciding match-up.
O’Leary and Houston had late markers in the final frame in that one, to make it close before the Hawks closed out the win.
In the end, the Maritimers displayed their overall talent by staking themselves to a 3-0 cushion before going on to secure their repeat as Allan Cup champions with a 5-1 result.
Manahan provided the lone offensive effort for the Forts, whose bid for national senior hockey supremacy ended just short of completion.
Etched in the local annals as one of the many elite and distinguished teams to ever come out of the Lakehead, the 1933-34 western Canadian senior hockey champion and Allan Cup finalist Fort William Forts featured a roster of:
Coach: Bob Davis
Goaltender: Gordon Hacquoil
Defence: Ross Knowles; Bob (Gobbie) McCrainor; Barry Robillard; Don (Porky) McLeod
Forwards: Ossie Hacquoil; Billy Hogarth; Hugh O’Leary; Gordon Houston; Ed (Jazzy) Manahan; Joe MacArthur