The Little NHL and Gordon Alcott
The Little NHL and Gordon Alcott
“Flash! Pro hockey for Georgetown. Big League team! Big League Players. Toronto Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Maroons, Americans, Black Hawks and Boston Bruins will play Georgetown Arena this year. See your favourite – Conacher, Jackson, Shore, Horner and the rest. Details Later.”
With that bulletin in a sports column in the December 23rd, 1936, issue of the Herald the Georgetown public first learned of the brainchild of one of their fellow citizens – a seed of an idea that grew into a better break for young sportsmen all over Ontario.
Gordon Alcott figured that with a little effort and organization there was no reason in the world why the Georgetown arena couldn’t be used by the kids of the district in a well-run league patterned after the big one – the National Hockey League.
Here’s how it would work. Kids of the Georgetown area, who up until now had confined their hockey efforts to frozen-over ponds and rivers, would registrar to play in a scale model version of the NHL. They would wear the names of the big leaguers on the backs of their sweaters and wear the colours of the majors.
But to get the right to be part of the Midget NHL, the young hopefuls would first be required to sign their names to a strict moral code, straying from which would mean suspension for one or more games.
The 10 promises a player had to make are as valid now as they were then. 1. I will not smoke. 2. I will not neglect schoolwork. 3. I will get plenty of sleep. 4. I will be on time for practices and games. 5. I will play hard and clean. 6. I will be a good winner and loser. 7. I will work in harmony with my coach and team. 8. I will not wear my sweater except during league games. 9. I will be a credit to the Midget NHL at all times. 10. I will conduct myself in a gentlemanly way on and off the ice and will respect all property.
The first Midget NHL executive was made up of, Honorary president Ernest Thompson, President Gordon Alcott, Vice-President R. McMenemy Sr, Secretary- treasurer Arnold Brill, Advisory board Dr. R. T. Paul, A Maclaren, Col. G. Brown.
A crowd of 500 watched the first game played in Georgetown Arena, Saturday, January 9th, 1937. The referee was Frank “King” Clancy, who a few weeks earlier had announced his retirement from the playing ranks of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Prior to his officiating duties, the “King”, was guest of honour at a banquet at Hunters Inn. His was the first of a number of visits by hockey starts, whose presence as referees gave the initial popularity of the new wrinkle on the local hockey scene a tremendous boost.
PRO HOCKEY FOR GEORGETOWN….
December 30th, 1936,
“It’s here folks! Pro hockey for Georgetown! All your favourite NHL stars in action!
Georgetown will have the privilege of being the first place in Ontario to sponsor Midget NHL hockey this year if plans go through to arrange organized hockey for all youngsters of the age under fourteen and over ten.
There will be six teams in the group, namely: Toronto Maple leafs, Maroons, Americans, Chicago Black Hawks and Boston Bruins. Each team will have sweaters the same as the above teams and on the back of each sweater will be the name of the big-league players, that that you may have the chance of seeing “red” Horner as some slight youngster scarcely able to skate, let alone toss ‘em over the boards.
The idea of this league is to start the boys playing organized hockey at the age of ten and then when he has had five years of experience, he is ready at the age of fifteen to play five years of junior hockey. There will be almost 80 boys playing in the league so that in a few years it will end all importation of the OHA players.
The League will be governed exactly as NHL teams and will play under the same rules. The nets will be moved in closer, and the penalty shot area marked out. Teams will play for the Stanley Cup and team and player averages will be recorded and published.
The Georgetown Hockey Club, Arena Board, the Lions Club, the Canadian Legion, the Provincial and Alliance Paper Mills and Smith and Stone Ltd, have pledged their support to this worthy cause for it means a wonderful development of hockey talent for our OHA teams besides offering Georgetown a spot in the hockey world.
Gordon Sinclair of the Toronto Daily Star has shown a great interest in the scheme and below is published a letter which was received by Gordon Alcott.
Toronto, December 23rd, 1936
Dear Gordon,
I think you a first-class idea in that Midget Hockey. When it worked in the west it was a sensation.
It would take a lot of organizing no doubt, but I think it would be well worth it.
Let me know if you do the stunt.
Signed Gordon Sinclair.
The expenses are great, and we are asking that you help the youngsters by buying Booster Tickets for their sweaters. The sweaters will be turned in after each game so that it will be possible to keep them for years. It also opens a splendid field for advertising, as merchants may have their names written on one or more of the sweaters.
Help the boys!
Every boy was taken to the Maple Leaf Gardens to see an NHL game during the season. Some teams were taken into the dressing rooms to meet the NHL players before the “big” game.
The Little NHL, then was organized in Copper Cliff and it soon spread rapidly through Ontario.
All thanks to Gordon Alcott.
Conn Smythe thought so highly of the Little NHL, that he told Alcott that he could have the Maple Leaf Gardens once a year from Noon till Midnight for Minor Hockey Tournaments. Thus, was born the Minor Tournaments that are so still popular today. The Little NHL has provided untold enjoyment for thousands of young hockey players.
Gordon Alcott died suddenly in April 1974 after returning from a trip to Spain. While in Madrid he helped rescue several people from a hotel fire where he was staying. The tragedy of that happening was that it appeared that he inhaled a great deal of smoke gases, which affected his heart so that shortly after his return to Canada he died very suddenly in Erin. As a tribute to Gordon Alcott, the community of Halton Hills dedicated the new arena in the summer of 1975 to serve the Georgetown area. It was Called the Gordon Alcott Memorial Arena. Now Mold Masters Sportsplex. One of the rinks is now named after Alcott along with the Gordon Alcott Heritage Hall that houses the Halton Hills Sports Museum.
“Flash! Pro hockey for Georgetown. Big League team! Big League Players. Toronto Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Maroons, Americans, Black Hawks and Boston Bruins will play Georgetown Arena this year. See your favourite – Conacher, Jackson, Shore, Horner and the rest. Details Later.”
With that bulletin in a sports column in the December 23rd, 1936, issue of the Herald the Georgetown public first learned of the brainchild of one of their fellow citizens – a seed of an idea that grew into a better break for young sportsmen all over Ontario.
Gordon Alcott figured that with a little effort and organization there was no reason in the world why the Georgetown arena couldn’t be used by the kids of the district in a well-run league patterned after the big one – the National Hockey League.
Here’s how it would work. Kids of the Georgetown area, who up until now had confined their hockey efforts to frozen-over ponds and rivers, would registrar to play in a scale model version of the NHL. They would wear the names of the big leaguers on the backs of their sweaters and wear the colours of the majors.
But to get the right to be part of the Midget NHL, the young hopefuls would first be required to sign their names to a strict moral code, straying from which would mean suspension for one or more games.
The 10 promises a player had to make are as valid now as they were then. 1. I will not smoke. 2. I will not neglect schoolwork. 3. I will get plenty of sleep. 4. I will be on time for practices and games. 5. I will play hard and clean. 6. I will be a good winner and loser. 7. I will work in harmony with my coach and team. 8. I will not wear my sweater except during league games. 9. I will be a credit to the Midget NHL at all times. 10. I will conduct myself in a gentlemanly way on and off the ice and will respect all property.
The first Midget NHL executive was made up of, Honorary president Ernest Thompson, President Gordon Alcott, Vice-President R. McMenemy Sr, Secretary- treasurer Arnold Brill, Advisory board Dr. R. T. Paul, A Maclaren, Col. G. Brown.
A crowd of 500 watched the first game played in Georgetown Arena, Saturday, January 9th, 1937. The referee was Frank “King” Clancy, who a few weeks earlier had announced his retirement from the playing ranks of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Prior to his officiating duties, the “King”, was guest of honour at a banquet at Hunters Inn. His was the first of a number of visits by hockey starts, whose presence as referees gave the initial popularity of the new wrinkle on the local hockey scene a tremendous boost.
PRO HOCKEY FOR GEORGETOWN….
December 30th, 1936,
“It’s here folks! Pro hockey for Georgetown! All your favourite NHL stars in action!
Georgetown will have the privilege of being the first place in Ontario to sponsor Midget NHL hockey this year if plans go through to arrange organized hockey for all youngsters of the age under fourteen and over ten.
There will be six teams in the group, namely: Toronto Maple leafs, Maroons, Americans, Chicago Black Hawks and Boston Bruins. Each team will have sweaters the same as the above teams and on the back of each sweater will be the name of the big-league players, that that you may have the chance of seeing “red” Horner as some slight youngster scarcely able to skate, let alone toss ‘em over the boards.
The idea of this league is to start the boys playing organized hockey at the age of ten and then when he has had five years of experience, he is ready at the age of fifteen to play five years of junior hockey. There will be almost 80 boys playing in the league so that in a few years it will end all importation of the OHA players.
The League will be governed exactly as NHL teams and will play under the same rules. The nets will be moved in closer, and the penalty shot area marked out. Teams will play for the Stanley Cup and team and player averages will be recorded and published.
The Georgetown Hockey Club, Arena Board, the Lions Club, the Canadian Legion, the Provincial and Alliance Paper Mills and Smith and Stone Ltd, have pledged their support to this worthy cause for it means a wonderful development of hockey talent for our OHA teams besides offering Georgetown a spot in the hockey world.
Gordon Sinclair of the Toronto Daily Star has shown a great interest in the scheme and below is published a letter which was received by Gordon Alcott.
Toronto, December 23rd, 1936
Dear Gordon,
I think you a first-class idea in that Midget Hockey. When it worked in the west it was a sensation.
It would take a lot of organizing no doubt, but I think it would be well worth it.
Let me know if you do the stunt.
Signed Gordon Sinclair.
The expenses are great, and we are asking that you help the youngsters by buying Booster Tickets for their sweaters. The sweaters will be turned in after each game so that it will be possible to keep them for years. It also opens a splendid field for advertising, as merchants may have their names written on one or more of the sweaters.
Help the boys!
Every boy was taken to the Maple Leaf Gardens to see an NHL game during the season. Some teams were taken into the dressing rooms to meet the NHL players before the “big” game.
The Little NHL, then was organized in Copper Cliff and it soon spread rapidly through Ontario.
All thanks to Gordon Alcott.
Conn Smythe thought so highly of the Little NHL, that he told Alcott that he could have the Maple Leaf Gardens once a year from Noon till Midnight for Minor Hockey Tournaments. Thus, was born the Minor Tournaments that are so still popular today. The Little NHL has provided untold enjoyment for thousands of young hockey players.
Gordon Alcott died suddenly in April 1974 after returning from a trip to Spain. While in Madrid he helped rescue several people from a hotel fire where he was staying. The tragedy of that happening was that it appeared that he inhaled a great deal of smoke gases, which affected his heart so that shortly after his return to Canada he died very suddenly in Erin. As a tribute to Gordon Alcott, the community of Halton Hills dedicated the new arena in the summer of 1975 to serve the Georgetown area. It was Called the Gordon Alcott Memorial Arena. Now Mold Masters Sportsplex. One of the rinks is now named after Alcott along with the Gordon Alcott Heritage Hall that houses the Halton Hills Sports Museum.