1922 MEMORIAL CUP
Regina Patricias vs. Fort William War Veterans
at Winnipeg (the Auditorium)
On March 15, 1922, the Regina Leader reported: "For style and class the famed Vancouver Millionaires had nothing on the Regina Patricias as they left for Winnipeg last night where on Thursday and Saturday they battle the Manitoba champions in a pair of games for the Abbott Cup. All told, there were 13 in the party, but this jinx number did not bother the athletes one iota.”
Coached by Graham Reid, the Patricias lost the opener of the two-game, total-goal series 4-1 to the University of Manitoba.
Things looked bleak for the Patricias but two nights later, on March 18, they played one for the ages.
Going into the game three goals down, the Patricias tied the series. They led 3-0 after three periods and then struck for two overtime goals, by Harry Naismith and Sylvester (Sil) Acaster, to win the series 6-4.
Naismith and Acaster played on a line centred by Howie Milne, who would in time become one of the best-known hockey figures on the Prairies. He would also become well known on western gridirons.
The Patricias stayed in Winnipeg where they played the Fort William War Veterans -- they had ousted the Toronto-based Aura Lees in the Eastern final -- in a two-game, total-goal series for the Memorial Cup.
The series opened on March 20 with Fort William posting a 5-4 victory. Fort William led 3-1 after the first period but trailed 4-3 going into the third after Acaster struck for three consecutive goals to end the second.
But Clark Whyte, a speedy winger, provided Fort William with the victory by scoring the tying and winning goals, his second and third of the game. Walter Adams and Fred Thornes also scored for the winners, while Naismith had Regina's other goal.
Regina actually thought it had scored a tying goal late in the third period. The goal umpire ruled the puck had entered the Fort William goal; however, the referee overruled him. In hindsight, that would turn into a huge ruling.
Two nights later, the War Veterans played the Patricias to a 3-3 draw. That was enough to give Fort William an 8-7 series victory.
The Leader reported: "It was one of the most heartbreaking finishes ever seen in a cup final. The Thunder Bay champions had a difficult time holding the Westerners to an even break for two-thirds of the way ... Though the Fort Williams were returned the victors they were not the better team tonight. They did not look nearly so good as in the first combat.''
Whyte, again, proved Regina's undoing as he scored all three of his club's goals. Acaster scored twice for Regina, with Naismith getting the other.
In the end it was a second-period goal by Whyte that stood up as the Memorial Cup-winning score. It gave Fort William a 3-2 lead in the game (8-6 in the series) but turned into the winner a few minutes later when Naismith scored to tie the game 3-3.
"Regina went down to defeat with colors flying,'' reported The Leader. "There was a big demonstration at the finish, the Forts being carried off the ice.”
NEXT: 1923 (University of Manitoba Bisons vs. Kitchener Greenshirt
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