Hi this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire “.
We talked last week about the Harold Sutherland Construction Peewee Attack & the Kunkel Bus Lines Bantam Attack who competed at the International Silver Stick at Port Huron, Michigan- the Peewees winning the Championship.
Meanwhile, the Owen Sound Leeder & Associates Atom Attack competed at the International Silver Stick in Sarnia.
I have no doubt these tournaments will have a massive impact now, and certainly in the future, for those participating.
Trust me.
In 1975, the Midland Jr Civitan Bantams went to Port Huron & were eliminated in the semifinals by Sarnia.
Sarnia lost the Championship Final the next day to the Bowmanville Toros whose lineup included long time OPP Officer Dean Rutherford .
Once Dean & I discovered that we were at the same tournament, at the same time in our lives, we ALWAYS talked about Bowmanville’s semifinal win in that tournament, a 3-2 win over Forest in a game that went 6 overtime periods.
Funny thing too, Midland won the opening game of the Bantam Tournament 5-0 over Akron, Ohio as defenceman Kelly Larmand had a hat trick.
Kelly, or ” Crabs ” as he was known, was a very good player, but not a big scorer.
Two years later at Sarnia, the Midland Legion Midgets won the 1977 Midget Silver Stick.
While the Championship Game was memorable, a 3-2 overtime win over Windsor Shoreline, another remarkable moment was in the tournament opener, a 6-5 overtime win over Toledo, Ohio…with Kelly Larmand getting another hat trick.
I wonder if the Sutherland Peewees, Kunkel Bantams or Leeder & Associate Atoms will talk about their Silver Stick experiences 40 years from now……I know the Midland Bantams & Midgets of the 1970’s still do.
I’m Fred Wallace