1946 - 47 WIHL Season This is the 1946 - 47 season of the Western International Hockey League : History . This was the first season of this league . The West Kootenay League expanded to Los Angeles and Spokane and changed its name . Back in 1946 - 47 , a group of Los Angeles businessmen came up with the bright idea of entering a team in the WIHL . After operating the team for one year and losing well over $ 100 , 000 they threw in the towel . The cards were stacked against the Los Angeles group , for they had to guarantee teams from Kimberley , Nelson , Trail and Spokane all expenses to sunny California , with each club making four trips and playing a doubleheader . During the week the Los Angeles Ramblers would fly up to the Kootenay for return games . It was a big gamble for the Los Angeles group to undertake , for Los Angeles had a second team with Vancouver , Seattle , Portland and San Francisco in the Pacific Coast Hockey League . Many thought the calibre of hockey in the WIHL was far more superior than in the other league , but they forgot that Kimberley , Nelson and Trail were only small spots on the map , and the tuxedo crowd didn ' t appreciate a good brand of hockey . To add colour to the league , the Los Angeles Ramblers ' executitive came up with the George Montgomery - Dinah Shore Cup , a beautiful trophy donated by the film - famed pair from Hollywood . The trophy went to the league champions , with the Kimberley Dynamiters the first team to have their name carved on the cup . It was very doubtful if the Kimberley Dynamiters had an outside chance to win the WIHL title in 1946 - 47 - - for Kimberley was the only city in the league with natural ice , and never had a home game until December 10th , and by that time they were buried deep in the WIHL basement . The Dynamiters ' coach , Ralph Redding , had real problems that fall , for the East Kootenays were enjoying an exceptionally mild fall , and the Dynamiters were depending on nearby frozen lakes and sloughs , to hold their practices . With no ice , and the hockey season soon to open , the Dynamiters were forced to set up camp in Nelson for one week , and it turned out to be a costly project . The Dynamiters were forced to play their first six games away from home , and only managed one win , before ice was available in Kimberley . It was a hard climb for the Dynamiters - - from deep in the WIHL basement suite to the penthouse - - and it climaxed one of the greatest comebacks in the annals of the Kootenay League . If anyone anyone made the statement on December 31st that the Dynamiters would win the WIHL championship - - they would be considered insane . The Dynamiters won the league championship in the final weekend of play , and in order to do so , had to defeat the Los Angeles Ramblers twice , in a doubleheader played in Kimberley . The Ramblers had led the league right from the start of the season , and needed only one tie in Kimberley to be declared champions . Coach Ralph Redding had a surprise waiting for the Ramblers , with the Dynamiters closing the gap with a close 6 - 4 win in the first game . The Dynamiters left little doubt who was the best team , by lacing the Ramblers 14 - 1 in the final game of the regular season - - with Jack Forsey collecting four goals . Benny Redisky scored the hat trick in that game , with Gordie Wilson gathering six assists . The Dynamiters started to jell after the new year , and finished the season with 18 straight home victories ; and despite their disastrous start only lost 12 games the entire season , while winning 24 . The league played an unbalanced schedule , with the Dynamiters playing 36 games , the same as Nelson and Trail . Los Angeles participated in 32 games , with Spokane performing in 40 matches . The Kimberley Dynamiters finished with a . 667 winning percentage ; Los Angeles . 657 percent ; Trail . 514 percent ; Nelson . 458 percent ; and the Spokane Spartans . 250 percent . The Spartans managed only ten wins , while losing 30 games . The Dynamiters showed plenty of scoring punch , and ended the regular season with 203 goals , while holding the opposition to 112 : thanks to the great goaltending of Arthur " Jakie " Nash , and Sammy Quigley . In a game played at Trail on December 28th , 1946 , the Dynamiters were leading the Smoke Eaters 15 - 2 , when Lyle " Butch " Swaney unloaded a long shot at the Smokies netminder , Duke Scodellaro : and after stopping the shot , in disguist , he tossed the puck into his own net to make the score 16 - 2 . It must have been a nightmare for the fabulous Duke Scodellaro , who in my opinion was the best goaltender to ever perform in amateur hockey . Los Angeles Ramblers Coach Kenny Stewart , a native of Lethbridge , Alberta ( and a former Lethbridge Maple Leaf ) , was the playing - coach of the Ramblers , and he moulded together a big , rough team ; with plenty of experience . Vern Kneeshaw was their number one goalie , with Fred Holger doubling as spare netminder and general mangaer . Mayer Flett , Lou Labovich , Jack Lambrecht and Harvey Barnes formed the Ramblers ' defence . Up front they had Joe Levine , Benny Hayes , Max Labovich , Kenny Stewart , Jack Miller , Hassie Young , Terry Cavanaugh and Jim Fleming . Eric Bishop announced the Ramblers games ( on radio ) , both at home and away . Spokane Weak Spokane ' s Spartans , coached by Joe Benoit , had a disappointing season , and despite their poor showing , still drew capacity crowds at home . Al Laface , an ex - Dynamiter , was the Spartans ' netminder , and received very little support from his defencemen , allowing a league high of 255 goals . Playing for Spokane were Jack Kirk , Louis Corrado , Bob Proulx , Sonny Barchyn , Lorne Nadeau , Dick Hammond , Len McCartney , Wilf Cook , Bill Haldane , Jake McLeod , Bob Gibson and Steve Pawlecko . Smoke Eaters Finish Third Coach Jimmy Morris had his Smoke Eaters sailing along nicely , until they met a red - hot Nelson team in the semi - finals . Duke Scodellaro and Bill Waddell guarded the Smokies net , with Les Christensen , Sandy Shearer , Jimmy Anderson and Norm DePaolis looking after the blueline duties . The rest of the team were Ab Cronie , Mike Buckna , Emil Kwasney , Ken Stanton , Ron Gardner , Dave Nicol , Bob " Zeke " Clements , Gordie Robertson , and Hedley Marshall . Dynamiters Go All The Way The Kimberley team received a bye into the WIHL finals , by virtue of winning the league regular season ; and locked horns with the Nelson Maple Leafs for the Savage Cup . The Dynamiters finished the Leafs off in five games in their best - of - five series , winning three , losing one ; and one game ended in a tie . The 1946 - 47 edition of the Kimberley Dynamiters will have to go down in the record book as one of the most gallant Dynamiter hockey teams . Coach Redding elected that year to go along with a rookie defenceman named Bill Jones , a small but determined player from Canmore . Many thought Jones couldn ' t stand the rough WIHL play , but what they didn ' t know was that what he lacked in size , he more than made up for it in guts . What a good investment it was : for Bill Jones stayed around for years and season - after - season , was one of the Dynamiters ' top performers . The Dynamiters , paced by the two - goal efforts of Frank " Sully " Sullivan and Sammy Calles , trounced the Leafs 7 - 3 in the opening game of the finals in Kimberley ; before 2 , 200 fans . Kimberley took the second tilt 6 - 1 , thanks to Sammy Calles ' hat trick , and Jack Forsey ' s two - goal performance . The scene switched to Nelson for the remainder of the series , with the first game ending in a tie . The Maple Leafs held on to a 3 - 2 victory in the next game , for their only win . The Dynamiters wrapped up the Savage Cup with a thrilling 3 - 2 win , before a capacity Nelson crowd . The Dynamiters had to do it the hard way , with only a skeleton crew . Sammy Calles , Lloyd " Sandy " Sanderson and Gordie Wilson were sidelined with the flu . Jack " Buck " Kavanaugh played , despite the fact he was running an exceptionally high temperature from the same malady . Harry Brown played with a cast on , due to a broken wrist ; and Sully Sullivan had a foot injury , with Jack Forsey working under a distinct handicap being banged twice on the same ankle . Redding was forced to juggle his lines , and came up with a combination of Sullivan , Kavanaugh and Forsey . Benny Redisky , Pete Clements and defenceman Harry Brown formed the other forward unit ; with Red Dezall the utility forward . Bill Jones , Bill " Tank " Johnston and Lyle " Butch " Swaney were a tower of strength in front of Jake Nash . Jack Forsey , Buck Kavanaugh and Bill Jones scored one goal each for the Dynamiters , all coming in the second period ; and Jakie Nash kept the pressing Leafs at bay in the third frame . Nelson Maple Leafs The Maple Leafs , coached by Len Bicknell , went down fighting and received excellent goaltending from Jess Seaby . Others on the Leafs ' roster were George Barefoot , Steve Krizan , Bill Vickers , Roy Allen , Doug Winlaw , Jack Kilpatrick , Spence Tatchell , Red Koehle , John Fargher , John Arichuk and John Hyrciuk ( who is no relation to Bill Hyrciuk of Kimberley and Kamloops fame ) . Standings . " Note : Spokane Spartans & Los Angeles Ramblers were not eligible for the Allan Cup . " Semi Final . " Best of 5 " Nelson Maple Leafs beat Trail Smoke Eaters 3 wins to none . Final . " Best of 5 " Kimberley Dynamiters beat Nelson Maple Leafs 3 wins to 1 , 1 tie . Since this was the only senior league in the province , the Kimberley Dynamiters advanced to the 1946 - 47 Western Canada Allan Cup Playoffs . See Also . List of WIHL Seasons