1952 MEMORIAL CUP
Regina Pats vs. Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters
at Guelph (Arena) and Toronto (Maple Leaf Gardens)
Coach Murray Armstrong's Regina Pats advanced to the Memorial Cup final on April 19 with a 2-1 victory over the Fort William Hurricanes.
The Pats won the best-of-seven series 4-2.
The hero in the deciding game was Eddie Litzenberger, who played the final home game of his junior career in front of 4,586 fans. He gave them their money's worth as he scored both of Regina's goals.
Regina's opposition in the Memorial Cup would be supplied by the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters of coach Alf Pike, a former NHL player who had appeared in the 1937 Memorial Cup as a centre with the champion Winnipeg Monarchs.
The Biltmores were owned by local businessmen Roy Mason (he was the team's general manager), Evan Brill, Jack Chambers, Bob Dawson, Vic Dennis, George Lasby, Dayt Marsh, Norm McMillan, Arnold Somerville and Eddie Williams.
Guelph's roster featured eight players who would go on to play in the NHL. Two of them -- team captain Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell -- would end up in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Lou Fontinato, Dean Prentice, Ron Murphy, Bill McCreary, Ron Stewart and Aldo Guidolin would also play in the NHL.
Pike would also end up in the NHL, coaching the New York Rangers.
Also on their roster was Pete Conacher, whose father, Charley, was playing in the NHL. Their top scorer, however, was Ken Laufman, who totalled 53 goals and 86 assists as he set what was then an Ontario junior scoring record with 139 points in the regular season.
The Pats were led by Litzenberger, Doug Killoh and defenceman Bob Turner, who would go on to win five consecutive Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens.
The series opened in Guelph's new 4,247-seat arena -- tickets went for what was then the steep price of $3 so that the host committee could meet the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association's guarantee. In Game 1, on April 25, the Biltmores posted an 8-2 victory.
"Regina lacked the smooth team play of the Biltmores,” reported The Canadian Press. "They relied mostly on individual efforts and a great deal of the time they were overhauled by the flying Bilts.”
Ned Powers, writing in the Regina Leader-Post, put it like this: "Biltmores' edge on the scoreboard, 8-2, was a good indication of the play and the number of shots on goal told a much more detailed story. Guelph peppered Bob Tyler with 14 shots in the first period, 16 in the second and another 16 in the third for a grand total of 46. It took the Reginans all night to amass a total of 10 shots.”
Stewart, a defenceman who had been added to Guelph's lineup from the Barrie Flyers in a late-season cash transaction, scored the only goal of the first period and Guelph then outscored Regina 3-1 in the second. Stewart finished up with two goals, as did Laufman. Murphy, Prentice, Jim Connelly and Chuck Henderson added one each. Regina's goals came from Harvey Schmidt and Litzenberger.
For the remainder of the series, the teams moved to Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens.
There were 7,333 fans in the pews on April 27 for Guelph's 4-2 victory in Game 2, a game in which Regina had two first-period goals disallowed.
According to CP: "Litzenberger got a breakaway near the nine-minute mark and streaked in to beat goalie Marv Brewer on a pretty effort but the officials ruled that the play had been stopped near the Regina blueline, nullifying the shifty right winger's goal.
"The other disallowed counter came in the closing moments of the period. Doug Killoh drilled a close-in drive past Brewer just as the frame ended and the officials ruled the closing bell had sounded a fraction of a second earlier.”
On the first disallowed goal, referee Lorne (Windy) Linden of Winnipeg ruled that he had called a penalty on Fontinato just as Litzenberger took off. Pats supporters were left to wonder why Linden hadn't called a delayed penalty.
Bathgate scored Guelph's first and last goals, with Murphy and McCreary, who had two assists, adding one each. Ted Yarnton and Litzenberger scored for Regina.
McCreary, a 16-year-old, was playing on a line with Bathgate, a three-year veteran, and Prentice. All three would go on to play in the NHL.
The Pats spent the next night in Maple Leaf Gardens -- watching Barbara Ann Scott's ice show.
The relaxation didn't help the westerners because, on April 30, they were bounced 8-2 before 4,270 fans to fall behind 3-0 in the series.
Powers wrote: "Currently in the process of presenting the Guelph Biltmores with their first Memorial Cup in history, Ron Murphy and Andy Bathgate are writing a glorious end to their junior hockey days before taking the expected big jump to National Hockey League warfare next winter.”
Murphy and Bathgate each scored three times as Guelph led 4-1 and 5-2 at the intermissions. Henderson and Laufman also scored.
Johnny Reeve and Brian McDonald scored for the Pats.
"With all the experienced men on this club, you wouldn't think they would turn sour like that,” Armstrong said. "I honestly feel that every man is trying as hard as he can but things just aren't working for us. Then we make those mistakes and get ourselves into deeper trouble.
"It is a tall order to win four straight from a good hockey club like Guelph but stranger things have happened.”
It wasn't to be. Guelph won 10-2 on May 2 to complete the sweep in front of 3,447 fans.
Prentice and Connelly each scored twice for Guelph which outscored Regina 30-8 over the four games. Stewart, Bill Chalmers, Bathgate, McCreary, Henderson and Howell added a goal each. Litzenberger and Gordon Cowan replied for Regina.
The Memorial Cup-winning goal, Guelph's third of the game, came from Bathgate at 18:16 of the first period.
"Boy, am I glad that's over,” Pike said. "Now I can go fishing.”
His team had won 18 of 23 playoff games.
NEXT: 1953 (St. Boniface Canadiens vs. Barrie Flyers)