Estevan Bruins

The Estevan Bruins are a hockey team playing in the Junior "A" Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). The team is based in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada, and plays at Affinity Place. They were founded in 1971, when the original franchise, also called the Estevan Bruins, which played in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League from 1957 to 1966 and then the Major Junior Western Hockey League (WHL) from 1966 to 1971, relocated to New Westminster, British Columbia.
Radio station CJSL-AM 1280 broadcasts Bruins games. The team is also covered in print on a weekly basis by the Estevan Mercury and Estevan Lifestyles.
==History (1957-71)==
Roderick “Scotty” Munro is the story of the Estevan Bruins.  He was born in Swift Current Saskatchewan in 1917. Scotty was a standout junior goalie in Moose Jaw in his early years before an accident and fire halted his playing career. Munro’s love of the game eventually found him coaching, first with midget aged players, then junior age players.  His coaching career began in Lethbridge, Alberta, then Bellevue and Crow’s Nest Pass before he found his way to Humbolt in 1951.  He coached for six years in Humbolt and managed to win the 1954-55 league championship.  The Humbolt team, for financial considerations, was forced to team-up with the city of Melfort (and be named the Humbolt/Melfort Indians) in 1955 and 1956 seasons before it became obvious that even this relationship would not survive financially.  
“Scotty Munro Needs Home for Hockey Pucksters” – Jack Cook -Saskatoon S-P
After Scotty had purchased the eleven player contracts of his Humboldt players, he made his pitch to the civic leaders of several communities.  Brandon, Rosetown, Estevan and North Battleford were said to be on Scotty’s hit list.  Insider Ernie Fedoruk, sportswriter for the Regina Leader-Post, tells us his version of Scotty’s plans. “BETWEEN   YOU N’ME BY ERNIE FEDORUK”.
(The Hyperlink above opens at page 25 of the Regina Leader-Post, “Top Rinks fall at Moose Jaw” …  Move this page to the right to find Ernie Fedoruk’s article on Scotty’s move.)
Scotty visited the oil booming town of Estevan in the summer of 1956 and made his pitch. Scotty had arrived and the timing could not have been better. Estevan featured Coal, Oil and Gas, a new city, a new rink and hockey hungry fans . Estevan would shorty welcome the new Estevan Bruins. Seven months later Scotty Munro and eleven of his players on the 1956/57 Humbolt Indians arrived in Saskatchewan’s newest city of Estevan to begin the 1957/58 season. 
== “COAL AND OIL BRING ESTEVAN TO MATURITY AS NEWEST CITY” ==
The Regina leader-Post dedicated its entire second page to the celebrations of Estevan becoming a city on March 2nd, 1957. And on page 7, of that paper more on our new city. 
“Estevan Booming Oil, Coal Centre, Now City”.
=== The Agricultural Auditorium ===
It may be true that without Roderick “Scotty” Munro the storied history of the Estevan Bruins would not have happened.  Scotty needed a prosperous community and he found that in Estevan with the oil and gas boom.  However, he also needed a hockey rink. 
The dream stated back in 1950 when a young businessman by the name of Paul Grundeen had the idea of combining an agricultural building with a sports facility.  Estevan’s current rink was showing it wear and tear and the hockey-hungry town was filling up the rink (1,000 seats) to capacity, to watch Souris Valley Miners play in the Soo-Line Intermediate League.  He floated his idea to Mr. S. Hogman who then passed the idea to Ed Rae. (The president of the Estevan Agricultural Society).  This idea was accepted by the society and many local businesses. Together they moved the ball forward … as Tom Melville, of the Regina Leader-Post, explains on the night after the Bruins first ever home game.  “Estevan Hit the Big-time in Sports”
The construction started in the latter half of 1956 and continued until opening day of the 57-58 schedule.  The community of Estevan came together with money, equipment and volunteers and was putting the finishing touches on a new hockey rink and agricultural auditorium.  
“Ribbon cut by T.A. Torgeson opens new Agricultural Auditorium – Tuesday October 22, 1957.”
The local newspaper ran a contest to name the new club and “The Estevan Bruins” was selected after considering 0ilfield related names such as The Estevan Gushers, and the Oilers.  Since the Boston Bruins would be a major sponsor of the team (even supplying uniforms) the name would certainly meet with their approval.
The local newspaper ran a contest to name the new club and “The Estevan Bruins” was selected after considering 0ilfield related names such as The Estevan Gushers, and the Oilers.  Since the Boston Bruins would be a major sponsor of the team (even supplying uniforms) the name would certainly meet with their approval.
William “Moe” George was appointed the Estevan Bruins first business manager and would split his time between the Estevan Bruins and the Beaver Bruins in North Battleford.  Ernie “Punch” McLean was recruited to assist Scotty in the training and coaching of the boys.  Other personnel that were seen in the Bruin box in the early years were trainers John Martin and John McDonald along with stick boys Dale McDonald and Marvin Symons. In later years, Rick Martin would be seen carrying the sticks for the Pats and other opposing teams.
Photo (Charlie Nicholson, Scotty and Ed Hudson)
Other key personnel involved with the Bruins that made the first seasons a success were Ed Hudson (right) business manager, who looked after the season ticket sales and program sales and advertisements. Jim Waldron and Doug Stevens aided Mr. Hudson in these matters of sales.
Abe Berday, Gordon Tenold & Paul Grundeen (public address announcers), and Dr. Robert (Bob) Inglis (team doctor) were other key members of the off-ice team.
Dick and Scott Henders and Mike Dohonick (to name only two) were original and longtime supporters of the Estevan Bruins.  There were over ninety adverts in the Bruin program those first seasons.
=== The Media ===
The fourth estate, that informs and educates the fans, was very important to our Bruins. Local reporters included Russ Dzaman, Terry Curzon, John Downs from the Estevan Sun Advertiser and Mike Dayne, Cliff Pilkey, John Evans, Jonas Weinrauch, and Norm Park from the Estevan Mercury and Fred Harmsworth ( Estevan Staff, Leader-Post), who often wrote story’s summarizing our games in the Regina Leader-Post.
The sports writers of the Regina Leader-Post (Ron Campbell) and the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix (Jack Cook) provided a great deal of information and stories about the early Bruins and the other teams in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
Without the opinions, articles and descriptions of the junior hockey games on a daily basis from the writers mentioned above, the storied history of the Estevan Bruins would have surely been forgotten.
If you were a junior hockey fan in the sixties, you will remember Ron Campbell's columns and articles.  If you are a hockey fan of this century and require proof of his skills, please read and enjoy Ron Campbell’s description of a hockey game between the Estevan Bruins and the Flin Flon Bombers on March 24, 1959. “Overtime win for Bombers”   - By Ron Campbell
Bob Hughes of the Leader-Post was his understudy in the early years and wrote this piece on Mr. Campbell two days after he passed away.“Bob Hughes on Learning from Ron Campbell”… The Hyperlink opens to the top of Page 9.  Move your cursor to the bottom of Page 9 for the story.
Radio Legend, Ken Newans from CHAB Moose Jaw called the Bruin games in the fall of 1957. Mike Dayne and Don Dupuis did the play-by-play for CFSL 1340 in 59-60 followed by Jim Lang, Dennis Hogman and John Deadlock from CFSL/CJSL.
Other sports reporters that have to be mentioned are Lorne Cooper of the North Battleford News Optimist, Linus Westburg from CKOS TV in Yorkton, and also John Badham from CKCK 620 Regina.
ON THE ICE
The ice in the Estevan Agricultural Auditorium was second to none. LERKS (Legion, Elks, Rotary, and Kinsmen) minor hockey shared this marvelous ice with our hero’s and I, for one, remember sharp skates were a must on this ice surface.  The Edmonton Gardens had nothing on our hometown ice.   The ice and rink maintenance team of Lloyd Wheatland, Shorty Dukart and Cecil Eagles did a great job in keeping our ice smooth and hard.  During games Theresa Jahn, among others, would broom the boards before the rink rats Rick Chapman, Jim Waldron and most members of the Estevan Bruin Cubs, scrapped the snow from the ice in that efficient echelon formation.  The snow was somehow maneuvered into a trap door located just under the game clock on the west end of the rink.  Shorty and Cecil would follow the rink rats, pushing the customized water-filled two-wheeled flooding contraptions, and the whole process was completed in fifteen to twenty minutes.  When the big city folk came to our rink, they thought this process very funny indeed… a time before Zamboni's in small towns.
=== Open the Big Blue and Red Doors – The Main Entrance ===
When you opened the main entrance doors you walked left or right to the ticket booths, bought your ticket and passed into the always warm, always friendly main room and meeting place where you could find the washrooms (warmest room in the house) to the left, the Bruin management main office where you might see the man (Scotty) in person, the referee’s room and of course, the large and friendly concession stand run by Charlie and Rose Nicholson. Mr. Nicholson and his crew were kept frantically busy between period one and two (and three) pumping out those popcorn and hot-dog odor’s in a vain attempt to overwhelm the smell of Black Cat, DuMaurier, and the occasional Lucky Strike. 
During games and mainly in between periods Charlie’s concession was the place to be.  The Bruin boosters, with their black and yellow hats, and hundreds of others would drink coffee, smoke cigarettes and talk about the play and the work of the referees. This wonderful warm main lobby was no place to be if you had breathing problems because in 1957, at 25 cents a pack, everyone smoked cigarettes.
Charlie Nicholson (pix above left with Ed and Scotty), and his crew of soda pop, popcorn, candy and hot-dog salesmen included George Symons, Doc and Marge Stephen, Doris Olson, Esther McKersie, Mrs. Cooley, Linda Weir, Cheryl Entwisle, Lois Embury, Annette Ward, Joan Baily, Joan Lytle, Joan Wilkinson, Donna Hagel, Donna Sinclair, Gail, Linda and Maryjane Marklinger, Doug Stevens, Gary Cooley, Murray Henderson and many others.  
The referees and linesman would enter this room from the ice, at the end of each period (before most fans arrived) and if they did a particularly bad job of calling the play the mob of fanatics would let them know as soon as they showed their faces.
Then, there were the sharply dressed usherettes (Marilyn Mitchell, Karen Cooley, Theresa Jahn, Berva Kolke, Donna Hagel, Jan Dunbar, Jan Hassard, to name just a few) who dutifully showed Scotty's guests to their seats.
Lloyd Olsen sold entry tickets in the early years and in later years Lynn Fagerheim took over and sold us our 25 cents and $1.50 admission fee. Shelly Ross guarded the side door while handing out passes so the boys could leave the rink for a smoke (everyone smoked in the '50s and ‘60s) ... As Candace Mann was singing the National Anthem, Lynn Fagerheim donned the skates and gracefully carried the Flag about the ice while standby flag bearer, Trudi Meraw did the same.
=== The Players Second Family - Billets ===
The most important supporters of the Estevan Bruins were the families who allowed the players into the comfort of their homes. They provided lodging and home cooking for these young men, who, in many cases were far from their real homes.
Rose and Albert Mann, Alan and Irene O'Handley, Ken and Arlene Anderson, Ray and Helen Hagel, and Mary Pearson billeted Scotty’s boys in the early years. The Jack Highfield home billeted Dick Meissner from 1957 to 1959.  Nettie and Victor Mitchell billeted Fred Cluff and Jim Stewart in 1958. Al Johnson and his family boarded Skip Krake and Dave Padzerski in 1961. 
Rae and Mae Breeze welcomed Terry Kerr and Morris Stefaniw… Scott and Jean Henders boarded Gary Braun in the 66-67 season and Ernie Moser in the 67-69 season. Harry & Agnes Meraw boarded Brent Taylor and Greg Polis. Olive Grieve, a wonderful lady, took care of Jim Harrison, Ted Hodgson and Barry Gibbs, to name just a few.
=== The 1957-58 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League ===
The other teams in the SJHL, that year, would include the 1956-57 Memorial Cup champion Flin Flon Bombers, Regina Pats, Prince Albert Minto's, Saskatoon Quakers, and the Melville Millionaires. 
Eight players would find their way to the NHL including: Dick Meissner (E), Terry Harper, Red Berenson, Billy Hicke, (R) Dave Balon (P.A.), Ed Van Impe (S), John Ferguson (M$$) and Duane Rupp, FF.
Referees & Linesmen in the SJHL in 1957: Vic Davidson, D. Abel, Clarence Hetterly, Einer Fagerheim, George Parker, Gordon Wilson, Chick Little, Willy Papp, Gordon Walters, Don Inglis, Bill Lamb, Nester Hryciuk, Jim Grant, J. Kotzma, R. Rogowski,  D.Philips, Jules Swick, P. Schroeder, Vic Davidson and Nasie Schnell.
=== Key Players in the SJHL - 1957-58 ===
Regina Pats  - Bill Hicke, Red Berenson, Terry Harper and Ken Walters (G) 
Prince Albert Mintos - Chic Balon, Dave Balon, Cliff Krivak, Ken Kuntz (G) 
Flin Flon Bombers   - Cliff Pennington, Vic Petrychko, J. Baird, Norm Waslowski 
Estevan Bruins   - Dick Meissner, Barney Krake (C), John Rogers, Fred Cluff (G) 
Saskatoon Quakers   - Jerry Esch, Cliff Schmautz (C), Jerry Duffus 
Melville Millionaires   - Moe McKinnon, Fred Zasadny, John Ferguson
== 1957/58 Estevan Bruins SJHL Inaugural Season ==
==Notable Events:==
Estevan’s new entry into the SJHL was Saskatchewan's most southerly team in the SJHL and would have had to travel 804 kilometers for a two game series with Flin Flon.  They would leave Estevan along highway 47 North, through Melville, Yorkton, Kamsack, Swan River, The Pas and finally in the mining centre of Flin Flon Manitoba. This year they would play the Bombers six times in Flin Flon and win only two of those games against the 1956-57 Memorial Cup winners.  It is, and always was, tough to win in the Whitney Forum.
The pre-season began with the news that Pete Panagabko, a right wing star, who scored 178 goals in five seasons, for the Humbolt Indians junior team, would not be joining Scotty in Estevan’s inaugural season.  He would be part of a trade with the Barrie Flyers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League that would send 18 year old John/Jack Rogers to Estevan.  Rogers would fit in well with two other Humbolt players, Dick Meissner and Barney Krake.  Other former Humbolt players that would contribute in the Bruins first season would be Ernie Dyda, Jerry Service, Bill Thieman, Don Anderson, Bill Drew, Red Bosscha, Jim Stewart,Chuck Passmore, Ralph Walker, Fred Knippel, Herb McMillan and Jim Munro.  New players this year would be goalie Fred Cluff from Meadow Lake and Danny Muloin from the Winnipeg Monarchs.  Filling in for injured players during the year would be Ron Erne, Ed Potts, Brian Parker, Herb Martell, Al Collins, Duane Fagerheim and Don Drummond.
Fifty-one thousand fans attended the 25 home games in 1957. They were led by The Bruin Booster club with their funny, colorful hats. This attendance figure made Estevan the most successful junior hockey club in Canada. They would average 2,040 fans per game.
Thus began many years of highly entertaining hockey for the citizens of the newest city in Saskatchewan.
=== First Games - October 17, 20 and 22, 1957 ===
On Thursday, October 17th, 1957, 1,321 fans witnessed the Estevan Bruins first hockey game, where they defeated the Winnipeg Rangers, 8-4 in an Exhibition game. There were many firsts to this game: First junior age game played in Estevan; First in new rink; First game on artificial ice in Estevan and first hockey game played in Estevan in the month of October. Two days later the Bruins play their first SJHL regular season hockey game in their , history. They travel to Melville and defeat the Millionaires 7-3.
Then on Tuesday, October 22, the Bruins played their first SJHL league game in the Estevan Agricultural Auditorium. The Bruins edged the Regina Pats 5-4 in overtime before 1,800 fans. That night the local Bruin Boosters witness future NHL stars in Bill Hicke, Terry Harper and Red Berenson playing for the Regina Pats while Dick Meisner was the game-winning hero for the Bruins.
The 1957-58 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey league season started on October  19th with all six teams playing.  Estevan Bruins would play their first game in Melville against the Millionaires. The Regina Pats would face-off against the Bombers in Flin Flon and Saskatoon Quakers would be in Prince Albert to take on the Mintos.  “Wide 0pen Race for Bombers Crown”.
October  -  The first game the Bruins would play in the SJHL in their inaugural season would be a 7-3 win in Melville.  This game would paint a picture of things to come for the Bruins in the next fourteen years.  There would be seven goals and seven assists and twelve penalties including two fighting majors.  Dick Meissner would score two goals and add one assist. The high scoring, fast skating, hard fore checking, rough and rowdy, big bad Bruins of  Mr. Roderick “Scotty” Munro would be born.
Two nights later, Scotty’s boys would “Beat the Pats in overtime”, in their first ever SJHL home game in the new $250,000 Agricultural Auditorium.  A late fall snowstorm would hit southern Saskatchewan , so the opening night would be one of the coldest October evenings in Saskatchewan’s history (25F,-4C).  The heated and insulated rink would seem warm and cozy for the first hockey game to be played in Estevan in the month of October.  The rink featured  artificial ice, plexi glass around the end boards and no pillars to block your view. Dick Meissner would again rifle two goals and the Bruins would gamely participate in seven fights.  “Beat the Pats Night” was born and Bruin winger, Red Bosscha was the talk of the town.
In the first five games of the season, the Bruins would win four and lose once.  Dick Meissner starts off with a torrid pace and pots nine goals in those first five games of October. His hat-trick in an overtime 6-3 win in game five against the Flin Flon Bombers is described by the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix.  “Bruin Hot in Overtime”.
November -  The Bruins would win only five games this month and lose nine and would be out scored 61-48.  Again, Dick Meissner was the only bright spot scoring 13 goals in 14 games.  The last game of November saw Coach Moe George and  Manger Scotty Munro ejected from a game in Saskatoon.  Dick Meissner would score his 21st and 22nd in a hard fought 5-4 loss.
December  - begins with a 4-3 loss to the Melville Millionaires.  League scoring to date,  “Dick Meissner Effective”,  has the Bruin assistant Captain in second spot three points back of Chic Balon of the Prince Albert Minto’s.  The Bruins finish the month of December with only one win and ten losses.
November and December of 1957 would be the most disastrous months of hockey in the Bruins 1957-71 history.  They would lose 19 of 25 games and be outscored 109 to 78.
January – The Bruins would win six and lose seven. They played the Regina Pats three times and won two 8-5 and 3-1 and “lost big” by the score of 10-2. They end January in fifth spot eleven points up on the last place Millionaires and six points back of the Flin Flon Bombers.
February – Estevan would come alive in February winning five and losing two.  They would beat Melville and Flin Flon twice and Crush Saskatoon 8-4. The Bruins would squeak into the playoffs one point ahead of the Saskatoon Quakers who had a 10 point lead as late as mid-January.
In Summary - The Bruins shook off a long-drawn-out slump that saw them lose 11 in a row and 17 out of 18 game to edge the Saskatoon Quakers by executing a seven game winning streak in the last ten games of the year.  The Bruins completed the regular season as they had begun by rallying in the last few games to slip into the playoffs by one point.  The Bruins, led by Dick Meissner, finished fourth and faced the heavily favored Regina Pats.
==THE 1957/58 SJHL PLAYOFFS==
===Estevan Bruins Vs Regina Pats===
Game 1 “Walters Blanks Bruins”.  The Pats scored two first period goals and then put out a stout defensive stand for the rest of the game to blank the Bruins 2-0 before 2,084 at the Regina stadium. Bruin goalie, Fred Cluff played brilliantly but only made only 18 saves for the evening.
Game 2 Future NHL’ers  Bill Hicke, Terry Harper and Red Berenson score four of the Pats six goals while Barney Krake scored two for Estevan. Final score Pats 6 Bruins 3.  Scotty says “They just beat us”. “Bruins absorb a 6-3 loss on home ice”.
Game 3 … “Meissner Clicks”…Dick Meissner set up first goal by Barney Krake and scored the winner in a Bruin 2-1 victory. The Pats held a good margin in play, but goaltender Fred Cluff and the Bruin defense played magnificent hockey to keep the free-wheeling Pats in check. Bruin goalie Fred Cluff stopped 22 shots while Pat goalie Ken Walters blocked 16.
Game 4  “Pats Bruins tie 2-2 after overtime”. Dick Meissner and Jerry Service scored goals for the Bruins. Red Berenson and Billy LeCaine scored for the Pats.
Game 5     “Hicke Rough on Bruins - Leader-Post”…Bill Hicke (future NHL star with the Montreal Canadiens and Oakland Seals) was the story for the Pats this night.  He scored two goals and had two assists in a convincing 5-0 shut-out win.
Game 6      “Seven straight Goals ruin Bruin Hopes”…The Bruins take a 2-0 lead in the first period but the Pats score seven unanswered goals to take the game and series.  3,100 fans jammed the Agricultural Auditorium as they witnessed goalie Fred Cluff stop four home-free breakaways.
The Regina Pats would pick-up defenseman, Jerry Service of the Bruins and the Pats will make it to the Memorial Cup final. They would lose four games to two to the Ottawa-Hull Canadiens.
In the Bruins first season, Scotty’s boys would score 199 goals against their foes and allow 206 goals against. Fred Cluff would be the starting goalie and the line of Dick Meissner, Ernie Dyda and Barney Krake would lead the Bruins.  As was customary during the fifty's and early sixties, the Bruins and most other junior teams, would dress only three defensemen.  This year those three would be Jerry Service, Don Anderson and Fred Knipple.
The 1957-58 Estevan Bruins lost six young men from their inaugural season due to graduation from the junior ranks.  Playing their last game for the Bruins were Danny Muloin, Chuck Passmore, Bill Drew, Herb McMillian, Jerry Service and Bill Thieman.
In the 1957-58 season Billy Hicke (League MVP) , Red Berenson and Dave Balon would be the top point getters in the SJHL.  Dick Meissner would finish fourth in SJHL scoring with 48 goals and 26 assists for 74 points. He would win the most gentlemanly player award carding only 9 minutes in penalties. Bruin Captain, Barney Krake would finish in ninth spot with 27 goals and 37 assists with 90 PIM.
== The Estevan Bruins 1958-59 ==
The Estevan Bruins 1958-59 Season
=== Key Players in the SJHL in 1958-59 ===
Flin Flon Bombers   -  Cliff Pennington, (NHL) Wayne Hall, Vic Petrychko Estevan Bruins  ...  Dick Meissner (NHL), Barney Krake, Ernie Dyda, Eric Reid (G) Regina Pats ... Terry Harper (NHL), Larry Fischer and Ken Walters (G) Saskatoon Quakers  ... Ed Van Impe (NHL), Jerry Esch, Gary Waugh (G) Melville Millionaires   ... Al McLean, John Ferguson (NHL), Bill Pirie Prince Albert Mintos ...  Chic Balon, Bill Wilkes   ... Moose Jaw/Weyburn - Cliff Schmautz, Hugh Scobie, Morris Pacula
=== Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League - 1958-59 ===
==== Referees & Linesmen in the SJHL in 1958/59: ====
W. Prystai, D. Abel, Clarence Hetterly, Einer Fagerheim, George Parker, Ted Yarnton, Gordon Wilson, John Norman, Chick Little, Willy Papp, Gordon Walters, B. Morgan, Don Inglis, Bill Lamb, Nester Hryciuk, Jim Grant, Phil Scarrow, D. Phillips, Jules Swick, P. Schroeder, Vic Davidson, G Erhardt, Dale Wetsch and Nasie Schnell.
==== Coaches in the SJHL in 1958 ====
Fred Shero (Moose Jaw), Emmanuel McLean, (Flin Flon) Frank Mario, (Regina) 
Doug Bentley (Saskatoon Quakers) Paul Bozak, (Melville) Vic Lynn (P.A. Mintos) 
Scotty Munro & Howie Milford in Estevan.
=== Notable Events: ===
"Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Get Underway" … Scotty picks his team to reach the Memorial Cup finals.
The "Prince Albert Minto’s crush the Moose Jaw Canucks 21-6" as Chick Balon scores eleven (11) points for a new SJHL record. His line mate Ken Turlik has ten (10) points
The 1958-59 Estevan Bruins saw five young men join their team including Jack Boehm, Jim Beckman, Jerry Bulitz and defenseman Dallas Smith.  Goaltender Vaughan Hensrud was acquired from the Regina Pats after 19 games into the season.
October - “Junior opener goes to the Bruins”. The Bruins win game one of the 1958-59 SJHL season in Estevan before 2,000 fans… and would finish the month with a 3-1 record.
November - would see the Bruins play .500 hockey going six wins, six loses and one tie.  One of those wins was against the Regina Pats in Regina. Ron Campbell of the Regina Leader-Post… “Pats victims as Bruins roll along”.  The Bruins first line of Dick Meissner-Barney Krake-Jim Stewart would score 23 goals during this month. Estevan would be in second place, nine points behind the Flin Flon Bombers and one point up on the Prince Albert Mintos.
December - begins with the Bruins in turmoil as owner, general manager and Coach Scotty Munro is suspended for allegedly striking an official in a game in Estevan.  “Rosy, She’s Estevan’s Posey”… As Munro seeks a coach for his Bruins, Scotty’s wife, Rose, fills in as coach and the boys respond with a 8-2 thrashing of the Melville Millionaires.  It was later noted that while she was in the box, trainer Ernie McLean was actually making the moves, perhaps taking clues from Scotty sitting close by.
“Howie Milford Replaces Scotty”  Howie Milford, a former defenseman with the Saskatoon Quakers  senior hockey club will replace Scotty as coach of the Estevan Bruins.
The Bruins would play well under their new coach and would end the month with a 5-3 win/lose record. They would use newly acquired, and former Pats goalie Vaughn Hensrud to “Beat the Pats” 9-1 in Estevan before 2,310 fans.  Dick Meissner would score 8 goals in this month, while Ernie Dyda would and Ralph Walker would fire 6.  Jim Stewart and Barney Krake would chip in for 5 goals each.  The would finish the month of December in second place 12 points back of the league leading Flin Flon Bombers.
In January the Estevan Bruins would catch fire and win 9 games, lose only two and tie one.  They “Beat the Pats” 5-0 to start off the month before 1,800 fans who braved a new year’s blizzard.
Dick Meissner, the stocky "Bruin right winger went on a rampage" scoring five goals and assisting on a goal by John Rogers as the Bruin hammered the Weyburn/Moose Jaw Canuck 8-4 in Estevan before 2,500 fans.  Jim Stewart and Jim Beckman scored the other Bruin goals.
The next night the “Bruins whip league leading Bombers” in Estevan before 3,000 fans at the Agricultural Auditorium. Dick Meissner scores two goals to run his total to 24 goals after 17 games.
“Bruins continue to Climb”   … Meissner scores his 25th and 26th goal as the Bruins beat the slumping Prince Albert Mintos 5-1.
“Estevan beats Mintos” for the second straight time…8-6 in Prince Albert.
In the middle of the month the Bruins lose two, win two and tie the Regina Pats 2-2.  “Ernie Dyda scores both goals for Estevan”.
The Bruins finish off the month with two wins against Weyburn/Moose Jaw Canucks and the Saskatoon Quakers.  "Mr. Meissner scores two goals in each game".
February - The Bruins win/lose record in the last month of the schedule would be 7 wins and 4 loses. They would “Beat the Pats” 3-1 once more in Estevan before 2,100 Bruin fanatics.   They would also beat Melville, Weyburn/Moose Jaw, Saskatoon (twice) and Prince Albert (twice). 
The Bruins made one last regular season visit to Flin Flon to finish off the schedule.  It would be a bad omen.  They would lose 4-1 and 4-2.  Dick Meissner, Jim Beckman and Ralph Walker would score for Estevan while Flin Flon center, Cliff Pennington the league scoring champion, would score one goal and add one assist and would miss tying the league record by one point. Ted Hampson, of the 1955-56 Bombers, holds the SJHL scoring record with 113 points. "Pennington short of scoring record"
LEAGUE PLAY ENDS…Deck cleared for Playoffs
=== THE PLAYOFFS ===
The 1958-59 SJHL playoffs would begin on Feb. 26 with Flin Flon playing Saskatoon, Estevan playing Melville and the Regina Pats squaring off against the P.A. Minto’s.
The Bruins ended the regular season in second place and would play the Melville Millionaire’s in the quarter final. They easily handled the Millionaire’s, winning the best of five series 3 games to one. "Ernie Dyda scored four goals" in game one as the Bruins easily won 7-4. Game two went to the Millionaires in Melville 2-3 but the Bruins won the next two by scores of 7-4 and 4-1
This series was dominated again by Dick Meissner and Ernie Dyda with the latter scoring 6 times and Meissner scoring 5 times in the four game series.
==== THE BRUINS FACE REGINA PATS IN SEMI-FINAL ROUND ====
Game 1 the first game went to the Bruin’s after Ernie Dyda scored with 48 seconds left in overtime. The final score 5-4.  “Dyda’s goal nips Pats”
Game 2 was another one goal affair as Dick Meissner and Barney Krake scored for the Bruins while Gary Butler scored the only goal for the Pats in a 2-1 win.  “Bruins edge Pats”
Game 3 in front of a packed house in Estevan, the Pats held off the Bruins with fantastic fore-checking to stall the Bruins 1-0, getting back into the series.    “Rival Goalies in Form”
Game 4 was a different story; the Bruins took it to the Pats as Dick Meissner scored four goals to lead Estevan to a 6-2 win. Bruins win the best of five series 3 games to 1.  “Bruins Blast Pats” - by Leader-Post Sports editor Ron Campbell 
==== THE BRUINS FACE THE FLIN FLON BOMBERS IN A BEST OF SEVEN FINAL SERIES ====
“SJHL FINAL UNDERWAY TONIGHT”  - By Ron Campbell
The schedule: First two games in Estevan, then the next four games in Flin Flon (travel considerations)…A seventh game, if necessary, would be played in Estevan. 
Game 1 “Bruins Blitz Bombers”: The Bruins opened this series in Estevan with a convincing 9-1 victory. Leading the way for the Bruins was Jim Stewart with 3 goals and Dallas Smith with two goals.  Dick Meissner collected three assists.
Game 2   saw the Bruins come back from a two goal deficit in the first period to win the game 5-3.  Dick Meissner and Jim Stewart scored a pair for the Bruin’s.  The SJHL’s MVP, Cliff Pennington of the Bomber’s was kept off the score sheet for the second straight game.  Father Athol Murray of Notre Dame College had this to say after the game...   “Bombers blow two-goal lead”
Game three in Flin Flon was won by the Bombers 4-0. Cliff Pennington scored three goals to lead the Bombers in a game that erupted into a game ending brawl started by a stick swinging fan.  “Bruin Tussle ends in Brawl”
Game four … The Bombers blasted five goals in six minutes in the first period to up-end the Bruins 7-2. Dick Meissner and Jack Boehm scored for the Bruins. “Bruin falters in the First”
Game five … The sports writer for the "Regina Leader-Post, Ron Campbell", describes this game so brilliantly in his article, it must be included in this writing. He was a master at his craft.   The game ended with an 8-6 win in overtime for Flin Flon.  Dick Meissner had three for the Bruins as did Cliff Pennington for the Bombers. 
In the Final game… The Bombers win 6-2 over the Estevan Bruins in the sixth and final game of the series. Dallas Smith and Jim Stewart would score the final two goals for the Estevan Bruins in the 1957-58 seasons.
It would be the last junior game for eight members of the Bruins.  Goalie Vaughn Hensrud, Captain Barney Krake, Fred Knippel, Don Anderson, Jim Stewart, Jack Rogers and Jerry Bulitz would graduate the junior ranks.  “Meissner Turns Pro With the Bruins”. Dick Meissner would not be back for his last year of junior eligibility.
 
The Flin Flon Bombers would pick up Dick Meissner of the Bruins and Red Berenson of the Regina Pats.  Meissner would play on a line with Red Berenson and both would be major contributors to the Bombers defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings in four straight games. However, Flin Flon would lose to the Winnipeg Braves in six games in the Abbot Cup finals.
== The Estevan Bruins 1959-60 ==
The 1959-60 Season
Flin Flon, Estevan, Regina, Saskatoon, Melville and Prince Albert and Moose Jaw rounded out the SJHL in 1959-60. 
===== Key Players in the SJHL in 1959/60 – Team Order indicates Final Standing =====
Flin Flon Bombers ... Dick Vincent, Marcel Rochon, Gus Gillies, Jim Baird, Phil Headly (G) ... Regina Pats - Art Koberinski (G), Terry Harper (NHL), Norm Beaudin, Gord Wilkie, W. Kartusch ... Prince Albert Mintos – Chic Balon, Bill Wilkes, Gord Turlik, Jim Nielson (NHL), Bob Thorpe ... Saskatoon Quakers - Jerry Esch, Kerry Klein, Bert Fizzell, Don Wilson, Ed Van Impe (NHL) ... Melville Millionaires - Lorne Baron, Ron Larson, Lorne Baron, Ed Babiuk (G) ... Estevan Bruins - Ernie Dyda, Terry Burns, Jack Boehm, Ralph Walker, Eric Read(G) Moose Jaw Canucks - Al Willis (D), Gene Lambert, George Swarbrick, Brian Waters,
===== Coaches in the SJHL in 1958 =====
Wares McNamee (Moose Jaw), Bobby Kirk, (Flin Flon), Frank Mario, (Regina), Doug Bentley (Saskatoon Quakers), Paul Bozak, (Melville), William Fraser (P.A. Mintos) and Scotty Munro & Howie Milford in Estevan.
===== Referees & Linesmen in the SJHL in 1959/60: =====
Hugh Johnston, W. Prystal, D. Abel, Einer Fagerheim, George Parker, Ted Yarnton, Gordon Wilson, John Norman, Chick Little, Bob McLean, D Jackson, Willy Papp, Gordon Walters, B. Morgan, Don Inglis, D. Phillips, Jules Swick, P. Schroeder, Bud Besse, Vic Davidson, G Erhardt, E. Famulak, R. Mack, Dale Wetsch and Nasie Schnell.
==== Notable Events: ====
Scotty Munro, the owner and coach of the Bruins had some serious recruiting to do after the end of the 1958-59 season.  The Bruins lost eight players to graduation including Dick Meissner (who turned pro at 18 yrs. old) and the top defense partners of Fred Knipple and Don Anderson along with their goalie Vaughn Hensrud.
Newcomers would include defenseman Ivan Prediger, George Boychuck and Dave Padzerski and forwards Terry Burns, Roger Vermette and Bill Dyck.  Two 17 year olds that would play a minor role this year would be Jim Kozie and Ron Willy.
The 1959-60 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey league season started on October, 14th with four of the seven teams playing. Estevan Bruins would play in Melville against the Millionaires. The Prince Albert Mintos would face-off against the Quakers in Saskatoon... “Junior’s Start Tonight”…with record 204 game schedule.
“Estevan Set for Opener”… Melville Millionaires win their first game in three years in Estevan. It is a bad omen.  “Melville Club Nips Bruins”  
The Bruins would win only two games in the month of October and would finish with a record of 2-6-1.  They would beat the Canucks from Moose Jaw and the Money-Men from Melville and tie the Regina Pats.  “Bruin battle to Draw”.
The last game of October saw the Bruin lose 6-1 in Prince Albert.  Referee Hugh Johnstone handed out 23 penalties, 18 to the Bruins.  A scuffle broke out in between the second and third periods featuring referee Hugh Johnstone and Bruin manager Scotty Munro. Scotty was still serving his one year suspension.   “Munro, referee, scuffle in room”
The month of November, 1959 saw the Bruins win six games, lose eight games and tie once.  One of those wins was at home before 1,800 fans against the despised Regina Pats featuring future NHL star Terry Harper.  The Bruins “Beat the Pats” 2-1.  Ernie Dyda scores four goals on November 4th and finds himself in third place in the scoring with 31 points behind Chick Balon of the Mintos and Gord Wilke of the Regina Pats.   “Referee-Munro Case Closed”… below
There were no surprises in Estevan that by Christmas of this year the Bruins were in in sixth spot with only 11 wins and 22 losses. Only the Moose Jaw Canucks (3 wins) were not as good as than the Bruins.  Once again, the Bruins would beat the Pats 2-1, this time in Regina as Jim Munro would score the winner and Eric Reid would lose his shut-out bid with only twenty three seconds remaining in the 3rd.
The Estevan Bruins would split their last two games of December with the Melville Money-Men, winning 7-5 “Boehm got Winner” and losing the return match in Melville 3-4. Dyda and Boehm would be the key players in these games.
Prior to the SJHL All-Star game which was to be played in Estevan on Jan 10th, the Bruins would win two games and lose one. The first win would be the last game for goaltender Eric Reid in a Bruin uniform.  He would give up five goals but still beat the Moose Jaw Canucks 6-5. The second game, one day later, would be the introduction game into the SJHL for a young Jack Norris.  Norris, seventeen years old, would win his first game playing in the SJHL by blocking 31 shots and beat the Moose Jaw Canucks 5-4. He would be the undisputed leader of the Bruins for the next three years.
The next game, a 5-3 loss, would also be the beginning of centre Jim Kozie’s junior career. He would score his first SJHL goal against the Flin Flon Bombers on the night before the SJHL All-Star game.
Scotty Munro, Ed Hudson and the city of Estevan would host the 1960 SJHL all-star game.  Ron Campbell of the Regina Leader-Post would write “Scotty Munro and Ed Hudson can take a bow for the many hours of planning that went into the most successful all-star game in SJHL history”.
Below are the line-ups for the all-star game in Estevan. “South All-Stars comeback Fails”.  North 8 South 7.
After the all-star break the Bruins would finish January with four wins and five losses. The highlight of the month was a one-to- nil shut-out victory by the Bruins and rookie goalie Jack Norris.  “Bruin Blank Millionaires”.  It was his first shut-out in the eleven games that he has started.  Norris stopped 35 shots. Jim Munro scored the only goal of the game … giving him thirteen for the year.
"Bruin eye Final Playoff Spot”  … Veteran right-winger, Jim Munro scored three goals including the winner to spark the Estevan Bruins to a 6-3 win over the Saskatoon Quakers in a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey league game in Estevan before 1,200 fans.  The line of Jim Munro, rookie Jim Kozie and Veteran winger Jack Boehm scored six points on the night.  It is Munro’s and third and final year of junior hockey and currently has 12 goals and 7 assists.  Jim Nellis scores the first goal of the game and his first junior hockey goal for the Bruins.
On January 25th the SJHL all-stars would play an exhibition game with a touring Russian squad made up of players aged twenty to twenty three years of age.  Ernie Dyda, Dallas Smith and Ivan Prediger of the Bruins would play in this game. “Russians Impress” … Junior All-stars drop 4-2 decision.
February began with yet another “Beat the Pats” victory in Estevan. Dallas Smith, future NHL defensive partner with Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins, would fire two goals while Ernie Dyda, Terry Burns and rookie Jim Nellis would add singles.
In 1960 Bobby Orr was eleven years old and his future NHL partner Dallas Smith was seventeen and playing his final year as a junior in Estevan.
The Bruins would win five and lose four this final month and end the season with a record of 23-33-3. 
The year 1959 was a rebuilding year from start to finish and it would be the only year the Bruins from Estevan (1957 - 1971) would fail to make the playoffs.  However, a great crop of young seventeen year olds Jack Norris, Jim Kozie, Ron Willy, Dave Padzerski and George Boychuck would make the next few years something to look forward to.
“Prince Albert Pair Set New SJHL Scoring Marks”. Chic Balon, the league scoring leader playing for the Prince Albert Minto’s, would make SJHL history as he picks up eleven points in the blow-out 21-6 win against the Moose Jaw Canucks.  His line-mate Gord Turlik would get ten points that night.  Chic Balon would finish the season in first place in the scoring race with 55 goals and 64 assists.  Ernie Dyda would be the highest scoring Bruins and finish in fourteenth spot with 44 goals and 28 assists.
The Flin Flon Bombers would be the league playoff champions in 1960.  They would beat the Regina Pats four games to one with one game tied.  However, the Edmonton Oil Kings would eliminate the Bombers 4 games to 2 and go on to eliminate the Brandon Wheat Kings 4 games to 3 to win the Abbott Cup. The Oil Kings would travel east and face the St. Catherine Tee Pees. The Tee Pees would win the Memorial Cup by winning four games and losing two.
Nine members of the 1959-60 Estevan Bruins would play their last games as junior age hockey players. 
Captain Ernie Dyda, Jack Boehm, Ralph Walker, Jim Munro, Brian Williams and Ralph Boychuck, Jim Nellis, Harvey Roy and Dallas Smith would graduate the junior ranks. and move on to Senior or Semi-Pro, or as in the case of Dallas Smith end up winning the Stanley Cup as a member of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League.
== The Estevan Bruins 1960-61 Junior Hockey Season ==
The Legendary “Ken Newans” … writes in our 1960-61 Program
The SJHL Commissioner, Frank Boucher predicts the 1960-61 SJHL season will be one of the best in the League’s fifteen year history.  Between You “N” Me - by Ron Campbell. 
The Flin Flon Bombers, Estevan Bruins, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Quakers, Melville Millionaires, Prince Albert Mintos and Moose Jaw Canucks round out the SJHL .
Key Players in the SJHL in 1960 – Team Order indicates Final Standing
: Regina Pats            - Norm Beaudin, Doug Piper, Gary Peters, Art Koberinski (G),
: Estevan Bruins         - John Roger, Terry Burns, Bill Dyck and Jack Norris (G)
: Melville Millionaires - Barry Trapp, Ed Lawson, Les Calder, Harvey Lerfold (G),
: Moose Jaw Canucks - Gary Kilpatrick, George Swarbrick, Jim Wiste, Joe Lech (G)
: Flin Flon Bombers   - John Manchester, Gord Gillies, Tracy Pratt, Gary Doggett (G) 
: Saskatoon Quakers   - Lyle Bentley, Marv Henning, Gary Waugh (G)
: P.A.  Mintos        - Darrell Lubiniecki, Pat Donnelly, Jim Neilson, Ken Baum (G)
 
Referees & Linesmen in the SJHL - 1960-61:
Harold Mortenson, Einar Fagerheim (Estevan), Dale Wetsch (E), and Nasie Schnell (E), R McLean, Clarence Hetterly, Jules Swick, Vic Davidson (R), Ted Yarnton (Regina), B. Schneider, Cliff Orth, John. Kotzma, B. Morgan, G. Erhardt (Melville), Chick Little, Jim Grant, J. Gillstromm, Ross Stewart, Red McRae, Jack Clark, Alex Huston, Len Sullivan, George Parker (Regina), Hugh Johnson (P.A), R. Duncan,  Tony Schneider (Yorkton), H. Weitzel, Alex Houston, Nester Hryciuk, Gordon Wilson.
Coaches in the SJHL in 1960:
Metro Prystai (Moose Jaw), Bobby Kirk, (Flin Flon), Frank Mario, (Regina), Doug Bentley (Saskatoon Quakers), Don Abel, (Melville), Johnny Chad  replaces Bill (Legs) Fraser in November, (Prince Albert Mintos), Howie Milford and Scotty Munro in Estevan.
Six players find their way to the NHL including: Terry Simpson (E) Coach NY Islanders, Jack Norris (E) (Boston, Chicago, L.A. Kings, and Edmonton Oilers), Jim Neilson, (PA) (New York Rangers, California Golden Seals), Tracy Pratt (FF), Buffalo, Vancouver, Gary Peters (R) (Canadiens, Rangers, Flyers), Norm Beaudin, (R) (St. Louis, Minnesota, Winnipeg Jets - WHA)
“Nifty Fact”…Norm Beaudin (Pats) was the first player to sign with the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association..
Notable Events:     Major News Stories 1960
Training Camp News…
Prince Albert Mintos Camp  Oct 4th Barry (Legs) Fraser happy…Mintos Look Big!
“Millionaire workout Attracts Many” … Rookie coach Don Abel, taking over from Paul Bozak, has 75 hopefuls in camp.
Canucks Impress in Early Workouts… Coach Metro Prystai Optimistic
Quaker Juniors hard at Drills…Coach Doug Bentley loses star player Bert Fizzell
Frank Mario summed up the Regina Pat training Camp… “Several Pleasant Surprises”  Pats coach eying rookies.
October 1960 - “JUNIORS IN ACTION”… SJHL under Way
The Bruins start fast with a 6-0 shut-out over the Moose Jaw Canucks.  Ivan Prediger scores two goals with singles going to Terry Burns, John Roger, Mike Dimmich and Roger Vermette. Referee Einar Fagerheim keeps the game in hand and calls 14 penalties…Jack Norris stops 24 shots for his first shut-out.
Oct. 15, one game into the season, Ron Campbell’s “Between You N Me” nails it…Predicts what the near future might be for Bruin’s Captain John Roger.
The next two games saw the Bruins beat the Prince Albert Mintos and Moose Jaw Canucks by scores of 5-3 and 4-1.  Captain John Roger and former North Battleford Beaver Bruin, winger Owen Rogers, would score two goals against P.A.  Mike Dimmich would get the single.  (It seems that Mike Dimmich went through his whole career without any hockey media or historian spelling his name correctly).  John Roger also scores two goals in the Moose Jaw game… a sign of things to come.  Bill Dyke and newcomer Don White scored the others. “Bruins Take Loop Lead” (Pix of John Roger in Article)
In yet another “Beat the Pats” night in Estevan, the Bruins showed their form and came away with a 7-4 victory in Estevan before 2,000 ecstatic fans. The Bruins lead the league with three straight victories. Seven different players shared the scoring.
The Bruins would continue their winning ways beating the Flin Flon Bombers twice in six days. “Bruins beat Bombers 5-1 in Estevan before 2,000 fans”. Then, six days later, Bruin defenseman Ray McNaught would score his first junior hockey career goal “Beating the Bombers 5-4”. The Black and Gold would then crush the Prince Albert Mintos by the score of 13-1.  “Jim Kozie Sparks Bruins” with four goals, while John Roger, Owen Rogers and Mike Dimmich scored two apiece. Bill Dyck, Skip Arntsen and Terry Simpson added singles. Jack Norris faced 14 shots while the Bruins fired 36 at P.A.’s Ken Baum.  Jim Kozie and Bill Dyck carded six points in the game while Ivan Prediger added 4 assists.
The Bruins finish the month of October with their first loss of the season.  Melville “Millionaires clipped the Bruins 8-5”.  Don Abel, the brother of Detroit ace Sid Able, and the Money-Men from Melville outplayed the Bruins from start to finish. Jack Norris faces 38 shots as the Bruins defense witness the deadly “first Line” of the Millionaires. Ed Lawson, Les Calder and Jack Koshey piled up 14 points in the game. “Millionaires Tame Bruins”
November 1960
The Bruins are scheduled to play 14 games this month and start it all off with a come from behind effort to tie the Pats in the energy capital.
Nov.3 “Bruins Tie Pats”  4-4 … The Black and Gold score three consecutive power-play goals in the third period to come back from a 4-1 deficit to tie the Pats in a hard fought game in Estevan. Captain John Roger has a goal and two assists. Ivan Prediger, Terry Burns and Bill Dyck scored the others.
Nov. 5 Estevan goes on a northern road trip and up first is the Prince Albert Mintos. They beat the Mintos 4-2 and take sole possession of first place.  Terry Burns scores a hat-trick and John Roger nets one.  Bruin outshot Mintos 30-25…“Roger, Burns Spark Bruins”.
Nov. 7 Saskatoon Quakers can’t stop the rampaging Bruins. “Bruins Shade Jr. Quakers”. Terry Burns scores 22 seconds into the game. Ron Willy, Bill Dyck and defenseman George Boychuck add singles.
Nov. 9 “Bruins Dominate SJHL scoring Race” LP - “Bruin Ace stays on Top”
Nov. 10 “Late Brawl at Estevan” … The Front-running Bruins come from behind to score three goals and win 4-2. Roger Vermette, Ralph Boychuck, Ron Willy and John Rogers score for the winners.  At the 7:32 minute mark of the third period major penalties for fighting were given to Terry Burns, John Roger, Jim Kozie, Dave Padzerski, Ivan Prediger and even Jack Norris.  The Bruins scored three times after the Brawl to win the game.
Nov. 12 … “Pats beat Bruins” 4-6 in Regina and now find themselves three points back of the Bruins.  Terry Burns scores two and singles go to Roger and Kozie.  Alex Hood has a hat-trick for the Pats. Gary Peters, Gary Schall and Red Stevens ad singles.
Nov 14. “Bruins Tie Canucks”  Metro Prystai’s Canucks send 2,000 Moose Jaw fan home with smiles.  Mike Dimmich scores two goals and Owen Rogers’s scores one for the Bruins.
Nov. 16. Estevan strengthened their hold on first place in the SJHL will a hard-fought battle before 1,401 fans in BruinVille.  Terry Burns scores Four Goals and Captain John Roger nets the other.   Bruins 5 Melville 4
Nov. 17 “Bruins take 12th win In Sixteen Starts”  Howie Milford says “Sometimes it’s hard to get worked up in this rink… There’s not much enthusiasm except for the same boo-bird who used to ride me when I played for the senior Quakers”.  Doug Waugh stops 24 … Jack Norris blocks 21.  Bruins 3 Quakers 1.
Nov. 19 “Bruins Hammer Minto’s 7-3” before 2,200 fans in Estevan.  Jim Kozie scores three and ads one assist. Don White and Mike Dimmich score singles along with Bill Dyck and Terry Burns.
Nov. 24 “Norris Snares 2nd Shut-out” … Mr. Jack Norris stops 28 Moose Jaw shots and the team wins 4-0.  Ron Willy fires two goals.
Nov. 26 “Melville edges Bruins”  … 4-3, before 2500 fans in Estevan.
Nov. 28 “Brawl Ruins Canuck-Bruin Game” and “Prediger scuffles with Fans”  Estevan Bruins shut-out 5-0…Jack Norris handles 32 shots – Scotty picks up Jim Letcher from the Pats but loses Skip Arntsen in a special league dispersions draft.
Nov. 29 “Bruins edge Flin Flon” before only 800 fans…It’s -25C in the outdoors.
   
… Romie Steiger’s first insurance office was located at Walter and Bill Ropchan’s International Hotel…This prime location would later become the crop shop in Estevan for a men’s/kids haircut . This was featuring the sharp clippers of Tommy Abraham and skilled scissor hands of Bob Stendall.  If you were lucky, one of the Bruins would show up … orders of the Scotsman. The boys were always neatly coiffured and sharply dressed.
         
Regina Leader-Post … Ron Campbell … “Disgusting melee mars junior tilt” …“Bruins Lose to Pats 6-2”  .  Howie Milford and his boys headed into the stands to duke-it-out with a big city heckler. In the game, Norm Beaudin scores three goals and sets up another for the Pats win.
  December 1960 
The Bruins made two regular season visits to Flin Flon to start and finish the month of December.  On the Bruin bus radio, Captain, John Roger would tune in the radio station CFSL in Estevan and listen to the #1 song of 1960, “Theme from A Summer Place”.  The boys at the back would then tell Big John to find the #1 country hit of that year, "He'll Have to Go", by Jim Reeves.  "Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone/Let's pretend that we're together all alone/I'll tell the man to turn the juke box way down low/And you can tell your friend there with you he'll have to go."
The Bruins would make their regular scheduled stop in The Pas for a cheeseburger, chips and a chocolate shake, and continue into the mining capital of Flin Flon.
A 4-3 win would be followed by a humiliating 6-0 loss.  Four goals for and nine against would be the result on this first visit to the Whitney Forum.  “Bruins Nip Bombers”… and game two would see “Lofty Estevan Tumble”.
In between these two trips to BomberVille, the Bruins would clobber Moose Jaw 7-3 with Ron Willy leading the scoring with a hat trick.  Terry Burns pots two and Mike Dimmich and John Roger add singles….Two nights’ later our Black & Golden boys would hammer the Melville Millionaires 7-2.  Captain John Roger would light-the-lamp for three goals on this night while Ron Willy would rifle two pucks into the netting.  Single markers go to Jim Kozie and Terry Burns.
On December 13th in Regina “Knipleberg’s Late Goal Shades Estevan” 4-3.  Jack Norris turns in a sparkling display stopping 29 shots.  The following evening the “Bruins and Canucks battle to a 4-4 Draw”.  Jim Kozie notches two goals. Terry Burns and John Roger also find net. Tom Melville of the Leader-Post has an opinion about Scotty’s style of play.
December 14th – “Three way battle Takes Shape”…Ed Lawson (M), John Roger (E), Les Calder (M) and Terry Burns (E) are the top four in the scoring race.  Up to the 29th game of the season the Bruins have three players in the top seven in scoring, with all three combining for 65 goals in total.
Gary Peters, Jim Makow and Estevan’s Jim Kozie are all tied in fifth spot with 36 points. Norm Beaudin, from the Pats, Gene Lambert from Moose Jaw and rookie Jack Koshey from the Millionaires round out the top ten.
Art Koberinski, of the first place Regina Pats, leads the league in the puck stopping department. He carries 2.67 goals against average. Garry Doggett of Flin Flon is second with a 2.92 GAA.  Harvey Lerfold Melville (3.03), Joe Lech Moose Jaw (3.08) Jack Norris Estevan (3.10) round out the contenders.  Joe Lech of the Moose Jaw Canucks leads the SJHL with three shut-outs.
In the bad boy department, which has headquarters in the ‘Sin Bin”, non-other than Estevan all-star defenseman, Ivan Prediger leads the league with 108 minutes in penalties.  Gary Kilpatrick of Moose Jaw has amassed 96 PIM while Bernie Gould of the Quakers sat for 89 minutes in the Sin Bin.
Folks and fans, by the hundreds, went to the rink and the theatre to watch their movie idols and hockey stars. In 1960 the undisputed stars were Jack Norris, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Robert Ryan and Elvis Presley.
The Bruins played four games before getting a six day Christmas break.
Dec. 17 - A throng of 2,100 fans were on hand in Estevan to see the “Bruins Trim Prince Albert to Keep Pace with Leaders”.  John Roger and Jim Kozie blast two goals each and Bill Dyck added a single tally. Bruins win 5-2
Using a one way radio setup, Scotty Munro passed on spotting information to Coach Howie Milford.  To say that Scotty was an innovator would be an understatement and the furor that this experiment caused when right to the top of the hockey world. Two days later the Saskatoon Star Phoenix says “Munro’s radio system not practical” as Commissioner and coach’s comment.
On the Bruins second trip to Flin Flon they would lose the 1st game 5-2 and win the 2nd game by the score of 3-2.  “Bruins Edge Bombers”.  After this weekend the Bruins would move within four points of the league leading Regina Pats.
On Christmas Eve, the Bruins tied the Saskatoon Quakers 2-2. Scotty protests the game as referee Ted Yarnton ruled the clock ran out in the second of the game.  The protest was to no avail.   “Bruins Manager protesting Game”.
On that same day Estevan announce a player trade with the Edmonton Oil Kings. “Player Trade”. Roger Lehr to Estevan and Paul Sexsmith to the Oil Kings. In five months Paul Sexsmith would find himself in the 1961 Memorial Cup finals. He would be the goalie of choice for the Oil Kings, winning fourteen games on route to the Memorial Cup Finals.  The Kings lose 4 games to 2 to Toronto St. Mikes.                
On the last game of December the “Bruins take a Shellacking” in Melville. The Money Men win 5-1.  Other news this day saw the Prince Albert Mintos fail in their bid to sell off their top players. Jim Neilson to Brandon of the MJHL and defenseman Darrell Lubiniecki to Estevan fell through as League Commissioner Frank Boucher suspended P.A. and vetoed the deal. “Mintos get back in Junior Circuit”.
                      
   January 1961 
The first game of January saw the appearance of 17 year old Phil “Skip” Krake, brought up to play for the Bruins from the North Battleford Beaver-Bruins.  In the game won by Estevan, Skip scored his first two goals in his junior career. However, over shadowing him in this 13-3 blow-out of the Melville Millionaires was the play of Captain John Roger.  Roger picked up eight points with four goals and four assists. The game summary below tells the story.
Two nights later The Bruin are “involved” in a game in Saskatoon.  The result was a Bruin 4-2 loss with fines and suspensions aplenty.  Jack Cook of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix has his say, as doe’s commissioner Frank Boucher. “Boucher hands out eleven suspensions” Both Coaches and Dave Padzerski, Ivan Prediger, Ray McNaught and Owen Rogers were also suspended for the next Saskatoon game, which would be played January 23rd.
The Bruins schedule saw them play eight games before the All-Star game on January 23rd of 1961. The Black and Gold played .500 hockey during this time with three wins, three loses and two ties.
The first tie game they played came on Jan. 9th when they played Prince Albert Mintos to a 2-2 draw.  “A very unusual game” in junior hockey because there were no penalties called.  Estevan outshot P.A. 35-26. Terry Burns and Ron Willy scored.
“Garry Doggett of the Flin Flon Bombers stops Estevan Cold” Jan. 11th… Flin Flon goalkeeper stops twice as many shots as Bruin Jack Norris as the Bombers scalp the Bruins 6-2 in Estevan. John Manchester, who will wear the Bruin colors in two years, scored for the Maroon Bombers while Bill Dyke scored both Estevan goals.
Bill Dyke fires 2 more goals as his team “Tie the MoneyMen” from Melville 3-3.
“Gary Butler Triggers Winner” against the Bruins on January 14th. “Pats undefeated in Eleven” … Bill Dyke scores his fifth goal in three games and John Roger cards three points for the losers.  Norm Beaudin, Doug Piper, Gary Schall and Gary Butler score for the Pats.
On Jan. 17th… “Pats Move Ahead” … Ron Campbell says “Captain George (Nipper) Knipelberg scores nifty goal” … While “Estevan Beaten” by the lowly Saskatoon Quakers 4-6.
The Pat game on Jan. 21, was yet another “Beat the Pats Night” in Estevan before an estimated 3,000 fans. Jim Kozie fires his 3rd hat-trick while Ivan (the Terrible) Prediger ads his fifth goal of the season. Kozie and Norm Beaudin are tied with three hat-tricks each.  Ivan Prediger still leads the league in penalty minutes.
“John Roger’s” hat-trick beats the Mintos 4-2 in Prince Albert. Only 575 fans are on hand. Ron Willy fires the other marker while Jim Kozie assists on all four goals.
Howie and the suspended players got their “Revenge against the Saskatoon Quakers” by edging them 6-5 in Saskatoon.  Padzerski, Prediger Owen Rogers and Ray McNaught sat out this game which opened the door for three Beaver-Bruins (Skip Krake, Don Nolin and Lyle Bradley) to experience a game in the juniors... Skip Krake promptly scored the first goal of the game…a sign of things to come.
     
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League All-Star Game
                  
Frank Selke, boss of the Montreal Canadiens, was the guest speaker of the 1960-61 SJHL “All-Star game Dinner” in Regina.  The Head table featured many local, provincial and national sport celebrity’s including Regina Mayor Henry Baker (remember him?), William (Moe) George from North Battleford, Father Athol Murray from Wilcox and future provincial Premier of Saskatchewan Allan Blakeney.
Ron Campbell of the Regina Leader-Post writes about the “Storied history of the Regina Pats” on the eve of the SJHL All-Star game in Regina on Jan. 21, 1961.
The All-Star game itself featured the White team coached by Estevan’s Howie Milford and the Blue team coached by Frank Mario of the league leading Regina Pats.  Eight members of the Estevan Bruins were playing in this game.  All of the winning team’s goals were scored by Bruins… Bill Dyke and John Roger with two goals and Jim Kozie added the single.  Terry Burns, the only Bruin on the Blue team scored one of the Blue’s three goals. Final score White 5 Blue 3.
Estevan ended the month of January with a pair of victories.  “Bruins Thrash Mintos” 9-2 … and two nights later the “Moose Jaw Canucks are hammered” 7 - 1. The usual suspects…John Roger, Bill Dyck and Terry Burns would garner 11 points in the two wins and Jim Kozie, Owen Rogers and Ron Willy would combine for a total of 16 points in those two games.
February 1961
Howie Milford and his boys would go 11-2-2 in the last month of regular season
Melville 2 Estevan 2 … Jack Norris and Harvey Lerfold outstanding performance.   
Estevan 4 Prince Albert 3  Owen Rogers with two; John Roger and Don White add singles.  Future Bruin Pat Donnelly would score one for the Mintos. Floyd Skilliter. (6’.0 – 175#) from Big River SK. would duke it out with George Boychuck (5’.9 – 165#) from Kelowna B.C. for the only major of the game.
Feb. 3 – The licking was the worst for the Bruins this year. Estevan net minder, Jack Norris, was under constant pressure as the Saskatoon Quakers need this one badly to get back into the playoff hunt.  Don Makow and Ron Bahr had three goals apiece to lead the way in the 11-3 win for the home team.  John Roger chips and slaps in two goals and Ron Willy ads another. Scotty Munro took over the coaching reins for this game due to the suspensions handed out to both Howie Milford of the Bruins and Doug Bentley of the Quakers for failing to control their players in a game back on January 6th.  . It was not a good coaching debut for the Scotsman. “Quakers Hammer Bruins 11-3”
Feb. 6 – Jim Kozie scored twice to lead Estevan to a 5-1 win over Saskatoon. Dave Padzerski, John Roger and Terry Simpson added the other Bruin markers. Jim Scissons scored for the Quakers. “Boucher, Munro wants Weyburn In”. Scotty Munro and Frank Boucher discuss logistics and finances with Weyburn executives should Weyburn apply for membership in the best junior hockey league in Canada.
Feb. 7 – Estevan increases its lead over Melville MoneyMen by defeating them 6-3 in Estevan. Jim Kozie slaps home two goals and singles went to Ivan Prediger, Bill Dyck, Owen Rogers and Captain John Roger.
Feb 8 – Estevan travel to Moose Jaw and lose 3- 1. John Roger scores the only goal for Estevan.  The Bruins drew eight of fourteen penalties handed out by Referee John Kotzma of Melville.
Feb 11 - Things brighten up as the Estevan Bruins “Beat the Pats” on another “Beat the Pat Night” in Estevan.  “Bruins Click & Spank Pats” before 2900 fans in Estevan. John Roger records one goals and two assists in Estevan’s 30th win of the season. Brian Harper scores for the Pats… assisted by Gary Butler.
From February 13th to the 18th the Bruins will score 32 goals in four games. They will blow out the Bombers 10-0.  They will whoop the Canucks 7-1 and spank Melville $$ 8-2 and then thrash the league leading Regina Pats 7-0.  “Bruins Smother Pats”.  It has been a very successful “Beat the Pats Night” campaign this year as 1,800 Bruin Boosters went home happy.  This was the Bruins fifth straight victory and took them to within three point of the Pats.
Three nights later the same two teams battled it out in Regina and the result was a 3-3 tie.  On this night Bruin Captain John Roger equals a league record by former league scoring champ Dave Balon of the Prince Albert Mintos. Roger scored one goal and added one assist to give him 52 goals and 67 assists for 119 points. Balon had 55 goals and 64 assist when he set the record last year. “Roger Equals Record”
“Point Mark for Roger’  Estevan routs Saskatoon 11-0 as John Roger scores three times (and adds two assists) to become the SJHL’s all-time scoring leader. He now has 124 points and is five points ahead of veteran Millionaire center Eddie Lawson.  Lawson has two games (P.A. and Regina) to play while John Roger has one remaining game to play. Jim Letcher of the Bruins gets his 3rd shut-out.
Melville scores big against the lowly Mintos and Eddie Lawson picks up eight points to edge into the SJHL scoring lead. “Ed Lawson 3G5A”… for 128 points.
Friday, February 24th was the last game of the season for both the Bruins and Millionaires.  Captain Eddie Lawson of the Melville Millionaires has a three point lead over Captain John Roger of the Estevan Bruins.  Melville is in Regina to play the Pats and Prince Albert limps into Estevan to play the Bruins.
What happens this night has everyone shaking their heads for years to come.  The Money-Men from Melville “Hammer the Pats” in Regina by the score of 8-5. Bill (Cowboy) Flett scores a hat-trick for Melville and Ed Lawson nets a goal and an assist to finish the season with 55 goals and 75 assist for 130 points.  John Roger of the Bruins had 124 points going into his last game against the Mintos. 
The Estevan Bruins would crush the Prince Albert Mintos 9-0.  John Roger would score six times and add one assist. His last goal, at the 18:43 mark of the third period would give him 131 points and the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League scoring title. His 61 goals and 70 assists would also be a new SJHL record, bettering Dave Balon’s tally of 52 goals and 67 assists set the year before. “Roger Pockets Point Crown…John Roger Finishes with six goals and one assist”   
When the season ended on February 25, Howie Milford’s boys had just completed their last ten games with a record of 9-1 and finished second (by one point) behind Regina Pats.
==== THE PLAYOFFS - The 1960-61 SJHL playoffs would feature the League winning Regina Pats take on the fourth place Moose Jaw Canucks while the second place Bruins would have the home team advantage on the third place Melville Millionaires. ====
The center page from Game One of the Estevan/Melville playoff series (N.B. goals and assists and total points for John Rogers “Bruins” and Ed Lawson “Millionaires”
Melville would win the first two games and the Bruins would come back to win the third and fourth games.
Game 1 - Feb. 28 … “Bruins Drop Playoff Opener” by the score of 9-7.  Jack Cook of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix talks about Weyburn entering the league and Prince Albert’s woes with their rink. “Jack Cook predicts Melville to win Series” over Estevan if Harvey Lerfold “stands up”.  Harvey lets seven slip by him in game one while the Bruin net minder, Jim Letcher gets sun burnt by the red light behind him, letting nine goals get behind him. Merv Famulak, a defenseman and native of Melville slaps home three goals for the Millionaires.  Jim Kozie, Ron Willy and Owen Rogers combine for six goals and four assists for the losing Bruins.
Game 2 … “Estevan trimmed 8-3”  With Jack Norris guarding the net, the Bruins fair no better as the MoneyMen score at will. Bill Flett, future Stanley Cup winner on the Philadelphia Flyers, scores two of the eight goals for Melville$.  
Game 3 … “Bruins Solve Melville - Win 6-4”.  With their backs to the proverbial wall, Howie’s boys pull up their socks and put six goals behind Harvey Lerfold.  A young 17 year old Skip Krake and Doug Dayman made their presence known in this game. Owen Rogers, Terry Simpson, John Roger, Jim Kozie, Ron Willy and Dave Padzerski scored for the B’s.  Jack Norris blocked 15 shots and Harvey Lerfold stopped 17 shots in this close checking game played before 3,100 fans.
A four minute, silent 8mm color film has endured 63 yrs. It was shot by Scott Henders for Paul Grundeen and focuses mainly on the Bruins top two lines… however; it does manage to catch the first & last goals of this game three. “Film by Scott Henders & Kindly Shared by Brian Grundeen”… (Open hyperlink above, click). It was shot from the press box and from among the 3,100 fans.
Owen Rogers pots the first goal, assisted by Jim Kozie, at 13:58 of the first period. (1:58-2:06) in the film. Watch Owen Rogers’ move on #17 Merv Famulak…Ouch. 
Terry Simpson scores the last goal of the game, from Doug Dayman at 8:39 of the third period (3:34 - 3:38) in the film. 
Note the scrum at the 16-22 second mark at the beginning of this film.  Two SJHL super stars John Roger and Ed Lawson get five for scrapping.  The YouTube video is not as clear as the Zapruder film but it’s still 8 mm and fan-tastic Bruin history.
Game 4 - March 6 … “Roger Sparks Bruins”    John Roger, the league’s leading scorer led the Bruin attack with three goals while Owen Rogers added the other.  Jim Letcher kicked out 24 shots while Harvey Lerford handled 21 shots for the Money-men. Bruins 4 Melville 2
‘It’s Final… “Bruin Center is Scoring Champ & Estevan Most Penalized Team”
Game five would see the Millionaire’s surprise the Bruins with a come-from –behind 5-4 win in Estevan in front of 3,000 fans in the Agricultural Auditorium. Bill “Cowboy” Flett, a future NHL’er would score the first of four straight to put the Money-men ahead 4-2 in the second period.  The teams would trade goals in the third to finish out the game.  … “Millionaires in Front”
Game six on March 10th, would be a do or die games for the Bruins in Melville. Most of the twenty-seven hundred fans (2,700) were disappointed as the Bruins came away the winners by the score of 7-2.  John Roger, the league scoring champ, scored two goals, as did rookie Ron Willy.   Jim Kozie, Brian Collison and Bill Dyck scored the others.  “Bruins Force Game Seven” … Brian Collison scores winner.   “Estevan Evens Playoffs”   
Game seven March 13th in Estevan …The Bruins would overpower the Millionaires 5-1 in the seventh and deciding game.  Bill Dyck would score two goals while Owen Rogers, George Boychuck and Ivan Prediger would add singles. “Dyck sets Pace with Pair”
The final game would be witnessed by thirty-three hundred (3,300) fans sitting in their seats and in the aisles, standing two deep on the top rails and hanging from the rafters. The four games played in Estevan would attract 11,400 fans in a city with a population of 7,728 soles. “Estevan, Regina Reach Finals”  
             Ads appearing in the Bruin program …Pop, Chicks, Clothes and Pool  
 
                                
 Vs.   Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Finals 1960-61
The Bruins would now move on to play the league regular season champion Regina Pats, who made easy work of the Moose Jaw Canucks. Estevan goaltenders Jim Letcher and Jack Norris will face Regina’s goalie, Art Koberinski, in the 1960-61 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoff best-of-seven final series.
They are facing a solid Pat team with two great lines. The line of Beaudin-Peters-Butler will be hard to stop. Ron Campbell of the Regina Leader-Post says, “Peters and Beaudin are two of the finest two-way players in the SJHL”. Second line of Knipelberg, Hood and Dechaine are tough to play against while Brian Harper, Reed and Dick Wiest fill out a great top nine. Art Koberinski is tops in the SJHL at stopping rubber so things will be tough for the Bruins. Even their stick boy, Ernie Hicke carries his load well.
The Bruins Production Kids, (John Roger, Bill Dyke and Terry Burns) will have it tough against the Pats big line.  The Hustlers (Kozie, Willy and Rogers) and the Rookies (Terry Simpson, Mike Dimmich & Ray McNaught) will have to be sharp.
         … The Hustlers (Jim Kozie, Ron Willy and Owen Rogers)
… The Production Kids (Captain John Roger, Bill Dyke and Terry Burns#7)
                                     The Regina Pats 1960-61
  Brian Harper          Gary Peters                  Marty Reed    Bob Rieger  Pierre Dechaine   Gary Schall    Alex Hood
March 14 … “Pats Win Squeaker” … Bruin rally falls short in overtime 5-6
March 16 … “Pats Post 2nd Win” 4-1 Gary Peters scores twice and assists on the winning goal.  John Roger scores for the Bruins but gives 3,000 Bruin fans little to cheer about.  “Gary Peters and Norm Beaudin are two of the best two-way players I’ve seen” says Ranger scout Al Ritchie.
March 18 … “Bruins Suffer Third Straight Setback”. Scotty Munro… “We haven’t had a break in the entire series”. The Pats number one line of Gary Peters, Gary Butler and Norm Beaudin shone brightly, sparking the Pats to a 6-4 win before 5,344 fans at the Regina Stadium. The trio figured in on five of the six goals. Ivan Prediger and Dave Padzerski played well for the Bruins and Jim Kozie, Ron Willy and Owen Rogers did an excellent job killing penalties for the Black and Gold.
March 20 … “Pats Rule SJHL Roost” and win hard fought game 2-1.  Hustle, desire and Art Koberinski shut the door and closed out the season for the Estevan. Norm Beaudin scores the winner at the 5:05 mark of the third period with Bill Dyke in the penalty box.
The Bruins would lose the final series to the Pats in four straight games. They would be outscored 18 goals to 11.  Six thousand one hundred fans (6,100) would watch the two final games in Estevan. The Pat goalie, Art Koberinski, was the star for the Pats in this series.  Regina moves on to face the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Bruins Center John Roger, who set a league scoring record with 131 points this season, center Jim Kozie, a 41-goal man, and defenseman Dave Padzerski were named to join the Pats in their quest for the Memorial Cup.
          
    RESULTS OF THE 1960-61 MEMORIAL CUP PLAYOFFS
  
The Coveted Memorial Cup – Emblematic of the Top Junior Hockey Club in Canada
      
John Roger, Terry Burns, Bill Dyck and Ivan Prediger                                    played their last game for the Estevan Bruins in their junior hockey career.
John Roger would move on to play for the Ottawa-Hull Canadiens in 1961-62 and would play with fellow westerners Bill Masterton, Terry Harper, Ernie Wakely and Dallas Smith. Barclay Plager, Willie O’Ree and Jacques Laperriere were his other teammates that year.
Terry Burns played for the Omaha Knights of the International League in 1961-62 scoring 23 goals and adding 20 assists.
Bill Dyck played in the United States Hockey League in 61-62 for the Des Moines Oak Leafs.
Ivan Prediger played for the Seattle Totems, Omaha Knights, and Fort Wayne Komets and spent seven years with the Des Moines Oak Leafs. His Coaching career saw him in several junior cities including Battleford, Kamloops, Weyburn and Fort McMurray.  He coached professionally in Iowa for the Des Moines Buccaneers from 1980 to 1985. Ivan Prediger passed away in Edmonton, Alberta in 2015. 
SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT - TWO EXCEPTIONAL BRUIN SUPPORTERS
…Jack Ing and his family invite you and the Bruins to the Princess Café.  We have the Finest Chinese cuisine, along with European style veal cutlets and western steaks and hamburgers. 
…George Green and his brother Bill … We supply the Bruins with the finest hockey equipment and the best wooden baseball bats made… and if music is your wish, “instruments to beat the band”.
Jack Ing had a close relationship with George and Bill Green. Their mother and uncle had built the Café in 1925.  The Green brothers worked at the café in their youth up until they volunteered to go to the war in Europe in 1940.  One year after they returned from the war the family sold the Princess Café to Jack Ing. Jack, his wife, and daughters Margaret, Marjorie and Marian dutifully worked the café until their schooling ended. Jack Ing died in 1977 and the Princess Café served its last meal in 1979.    Story by Beryl Southernwood…Estevan Mercury
North Battleford Beaver Bruins
The North Battleford the Beaver Bruins started their season in early December in the Big Four League.  Below find write-ups of some of their exploits. Future Estevan Bruin stars Skip Krake, Ron Boehm, Lyle Bradley, Doug Dayman, Don Nolin, Butch Morris and Joe Watson would star for the N.B. Beaver-Bruins.
==      Estevan Bruin Statistics compiled directly from the Regina Leader-Post game summaries ==
     
 
== Next Chapter 61 … The Year of the Round Robin … 1961-62 ==
==== The Estevan Bruins played in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League until the end of 1965 when the Canadian Major Junior Hockey league was formed ( currently Western Hockey League ). This new league included The Calgary Buffalo's, The Edmonton Oil Kings, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades, Moose Jaw Canucks and the Weyburn Red Wings. ====
Two years after the formation of this new league, the Bruins won the President's Cup in 1967–68. In 1971 the WHL Bruins moved to New Westminster, British Columbia, where they became the New Westminster Bruins. Today that franchise is the Kamloops Blazers.Until the National Hockey League changed its policy in 1967, the Bruins were a farm team of the Boston Bruins.
;WHL Franchise history
:Estevan Bruins 1966–71
:New Westminster Bruins 1971–81
:Kamloops Junior Oilers 1981–84
:Kamloops Blazers 1984-Present
With the departure of the major junior Bruins, a new Bruins team was founded in Estevan that same year, which has played in the SJHL ever since. The Estevan Bruins have been Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League champions on two occasions, in 1985 and 1999.
==Season-by-Season results==
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
===SJHL years (1957-66)===
Season 	GP	W 	L 	T 	OTL	GF 	GA 	P 	Results	Playoffs
1957-58	51	22	29	0 	- 	199	206	44	5th 	Lost Semi Final
1958-59	48	30	16	2 	- 	207	163	62	2nd 	Lost Final
1959-60	59	23	33	3 	- 	187	257	29	5th 	out of playoffs
1960-61	60	36	16	8 	- 	279	176	80	2nd 	Lost Final
1961-62	56	34	10	12	- 	234	127	80	1st 	Lost Semi Final
1962-63	54	32	18	4 	- 	186	139	68	1st 	Won Final. Lost West Semi Final
1963-64	62	35	19	8 	- 	259	196	78	1st 	Won Final, Lost West Final
1964-65	56	27	26	3 	- 	245	211	57	4th 	Lost Semi Final
1965-66	60	44	11	5 	- 	373	155	93	1st 	Won Final, Lost West Final
===WCHL years (1966–71)===
Season 	GP	W 	L 	T	GF 	GA 	Points	Finish 	Playoffs
1966–67	56	33	18	5	273	197	71 	2nd Overall	Lost semi-final
1967–68	60	45	13	2	262	169	90 	2nd Overall	Won Final, Won West Final, Lost Memorial Cup
1968–69	60	40	28	0	294	195	80 	2nd East 	Lost semi-final
1969–70	60	28	31	1	237	255	57 	2nd East 	Lost quarter-final
1970–71	66	41	20	5	283	201	87 	1st East 	Lost quarter-final
===SJHL years (1971-present) ===
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Season 	GP	Wins	Losses	Ties	OL	Goals For	Goals Against	Points	Final Results for the year	Playoffs
1971–72	46	26 	20 	0 	- 	272 	184 	40 	5th SJHL 	Lost first round to Humbolt
1972–73	48	34 	14 	0 	- 	243 	163 	68 	2nd SJHL South 	
1973–74	50	34 	14 	2 	- 	233 	150 	70 	1st SJHL 	
1974–75	58	41 	17 	0 	- 	302 	202 	82 	2nd SJHL 	
1975–76	58	29 	28 	1 	- 	300 	291 	59 	3rd SJHL South 	
1976–77	60	20 	40 	0 	- 	237 	358 	40 	5th SJHL South 	
1977–78	60	32 	26 	2 	- 	309 	265 	66 	3rd SJHL South 	
1978–79	60	14 	45 	1 	- 	211 	339 	29 	6th SJHL South 	
1979–80	60	34 	26 	0 	- 	318 	273 	68 	2nd SJHL South 	Lost 2nd Round
1980–81	60	34 	24 	2 	- 	326 	272 	70 	2nd SJHL South 	DNQ
1981–82	60	17 	40 	3 	- 	246 	332 	37 	5th SJHL South 	DNQ
1982–83	64	23 	41 	0 	- 	294 	353 	46 	7th SJHL 	Lost 1st Round
1983–84	64	30 	33 	1 	- 	301 	341 	61 	6th SJHL 	Lost 1st Round
1984–85	64	44 	18 	2 	- 	382 	275 	90 	2nd SJHL 	Won League, Won 
Anavet Cup
1985–86	60	47 	11 	2 	- 	461 	242 	96 	2nd SJHL 	
1986–87	64	25 	36 	3 	- 	301 	340 	53 	6th SJHL 	Lost 1st Round
1987–88	60	29 	29 	2 	- 	289 	305 	60 	5th SJHL 	
1988–89	64	30 	33 	1 	- 	347 	357 	61 	4th SJHL South 	
1989–90	68	30 	30 	8 	- 	239 	261 	68 	3rd SJHL South 	Lost 1st Round
1990–91	68	26 	37 	5 	- 	260 	330 	57 	5th SJHL South 	DNQ
1991–92	64	45 	16 	3 	- 	328 	224 	94 	1st SJHL 	Lost Final
1992–93	64	32 	26 	2 	- 	256 	232 	70 	3rd SJHL South 	Lost Semi-final
1993–94	68	27 	32 	9 	- 	245 	252 	63 	4th SJHL South 	Lost 1st Round
1994–95	64	29 	29 	6 	- 	259 	271 	64 	4th SJHL South 	Lost Quarter-final
1995–96	64	38 	17 	9 	- 	273 	202 	85 	2nd SJHL South 	Lost Semi-final
1996–97	64	19 	37 	8 	- 	230 	282 	46 	5th SJHL South 	Lost Quarter-final
1997–98	64	28 	29 	7 	- 	220 	234 	63 	3rd SJHL South 	Lost Quarter-final
1998–99	66	44 	14 	8 	- 	288 	191 	96 	1st SJHL 	Won League, Won 
Anavet Cup
1999–00	60	20 	32 	8 	- 	190 	246 	48 	5th SJHL South 	Lost Quarter-final
2000–01	62	20 	38 	3 	1 	225 	299 	44 	6th SJHL South 	DNQ
2001–02	64	29 	25 	4 	6 	243 	259 	68 	3rd SJHL Sherwood 	Lost Quarter-final
2002–03	60	19 	32 	5 	4 	212 	262 	47 	5th SJHL Sherwood 	DNQ
2003–04	60	21 	23 	8 	8 	188 	209 	58 	5th SJHL Sherwood 	DNQ
2004–05	55	34 	14 	6 	1 	195 	143 	75 	1st SJHL 	Lost Semi-final
2005–06	55	13 	36 	3 	3 	140 	223 	32 	6th SJHL Sherwood 	DNQ
Season 	GP	W 	L 	OL 	SL	GF 	GA 	P 	Results 	Playoffs
2006–07	58	31 	21 	- 	6 	203 	203 	68 	1st SJHL Sherwood 	Lost Quarter-final
2007–08	58	29 	25 	2 	2 	197 	184 	62 	4th SJHL Sherwood 	Lost Survivor Series
2008-09	56	24 	25 	3 	4 	203 	185 	55 	5th SJHL Sherwood 	Lost Survivor Series
2009-10	58	18 	36 	2 	2 	160 	209 	40 	6th SJHL Sherwood 	DNQ
2010-11	58	29 	23 	4 	2 	228 	229 	64 	7th SJHL 	Lost Quarter-final
2011-12	58	28 	28 	0 	2 	208 	211 	58 	9th SJHL 	Lost Quarter-final
2012-13	54	21 	29 	4 	0 	153 	199 	46 	9th SJHL 	Lost Quarter-final
2013-14	54	27 	20 	3 	6 	164 	173 	63 	3rd of 4 Viterra Div6th SJHL 	Lost Quarter-final
2014-15	56	22 	27 	1 	6 	146 	203 	51 	3rd of 4 Viterra Div10th of 12 SJHL 	Lost Wild Card, 2-3 (North Stars)
2015-16	58	35 	20 	0 	3 	231 	203 	73 	2nd of 4 Viterra Div5th of 12 SJHL 	Lost Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Hawks)Western Canada Cup as Hosts
2016-17	58	37 	18 	2 	1 	225 	201 	77 	1st of 4 Viterra Div4th of 12 SJHL 	W, Quarterfinals 4-0 (Terriers)L, Semifinals, 3-4 (Bombers)
2017-18	58	34 	19 	3 	2 	239 	184 	73 	1st of 4 Viterra Div4th of 12 SJHL 	W, Quarterfinals 4-1 (Klippers)W, Semifinals, 4-1 (North Stars)L, Final 3-4 (Hawks)
2018-19	58	31 	22 	3 	2 	210 	171 	67 	1st of 4 Viterra Div7th of 12 SJHL 	W, Quarterfinals 4-3 (Broncos)L, SF 2-4 (Mustangs)
2019-20	58	31 	23 	3 	1 	211 	192 	62 	2nd of 4 Viterra Div6th of 12 SJHL 	Trailing quarterfinal series 3 games to 1 when playoffs are cancelled
2020-21	6 	4 	1 	1 	0 	26 	19 	9 	N/A 	Season cancelled
2021-22	58	43 	10 	2 	3 	262 	124 	91 	1 of 4 Viterra Div1st of 12 SJHL 	Won quarterfinals 4–1 (Hounds)Won semifinals 4–0 (Terriers)Won SJHL 4-3 (Bombers)
2022-23	56	28 	23 	3 	2 	187 	186 	61 	1 of 4 Viterra Div6th of 12 SJHL 	Lost quarterfinals 4–3 (Bombers)
2023-24	56	26 	26 	2 	2 	190 	212 	56 	3rd of 4 Viterra Div8th of 12 SJHL 	Lost Quarterfinals
|}
== Western Canada Cup==
Western Canada Championships ** BCHL - OJHL - AJHL- SJHL - MJHL - Host **
Round robin play with 1st vs 2nd - winner advance to National Championship & loser to Runner Up Game3rd vs 4th in 2nd semi-final winner to Runner Up game loser eliminated.Runner Up game determines 2nd representative to National Championship.Competition began 2013 season.
Year	Round Robin	Record	Standing	SemiFinal 	Gold Medal Game 	Runner Up Game
2016	L, West Kelowna Warriors 0-3L, [[P
ortage Terriers]] 2-3L, Melfort Mustangs 1-2?, Brooks Bandits 4-6	0-4-0 	5th of 5	eliminated from playoffs	eliminated from playoffs	eliminated from playoffs
===Playoffs===
* 1972 Lost Quarter-final
:Humboldt Broncos defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-none
*1973 Lost Final
:Estevan Bruins defeated Regina Blues 4-games-to-2
:Estevan Bruins defeated Weyburn Red Wings 4-games-to-1
:Humboldt Broncos defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-2
*1974 Lost Final
:Estevan Bruins defeated Moose Jaw Canucks 4-games-to-none
:Estevan Bruins defeated Weyburn Red Wings 4-games-to-1
:Prince Albert Raiders defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-1
*1975 Lost Quarter-final
:Weyburn Red Wings defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-3
*1976 Lost Quarter-final
:Melville Millionaires defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-3
*1977 DNQ
*1978 Lost Quarter-final
:Regina Blues defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-1
*1979 DNQ
*1980 Lost Semi-final
:Estevan Bruins defeated Regina Blues 4-games-to-none
:Moose Jaw Canucks defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-2
*1981 Lost Semi-final
:Estevan Bruins defeated Yorkton Terriers 4-games-to-3
:Moose Jaw Canucks defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-none
*1982 DNQ
*1983 Lost Quarter-final 
:Yorkton Terriers defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-none
*1984 Lost Quarter-final
:Melville Millionaires defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-1
*1985 Won League, Won Anavet Cup, Lost Abbott Cup
:Estevan Bruins defeated Lloydminster Lancers 4-games-to-none
:Estevan Bruins defeated Battlefords North Stars 4-games-to-1
:Estevan Bruins defeated Weyburn Red Wings 4-games-to-3 SAJHL CHAMPIONS
:Estevan Bruins defeated Selkirk Steelers (MJHL) 4-games-to-1 ANAVET CUP CHAMPIONS
:Penticton Knights (BCJHL) defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-none
*1986 Lost Final
:Estevan Bruins defeated Melville Millionaires 4-games-to-none
:Estevan Bruins defeated Weyburn Red Wings 4-games-to-none
:Humboldt Broncos defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-3
*1987 Lost Quarter-final
:Lloydminster Lancers defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-1
*1988 Lost Quarter-final
:Humboldt Broncos defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-1
*1989 Lost Quarter-final
:Humboldt Broncos defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-none
*1990 Lost Quarter-final
:Weyburn Red Wings defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-2
*1991 DNQ
*1992 Lost Final
:Estevan Bruins defeated Yorkton Terriers 4-games-to-none
:Estevan Bruins defeated Melville Millionaires 4-games-to-1
:Melfort Mustangs defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-1
*1993 Lost Semi-final
:Estevan Bruins defeated Yorkton Terriers 4-games-to-2
:Melville Millionaires defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-1
*1994 Lost Preliminary
:Notre Dame Hounds defeated Estevan Bruins 3-games-to-1
*1995 Lost Quarter-final
:Estevan Bruins defeated Melville Millionaires 2-games-to-none
:Lebret Eagles defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-1
*1996 Lost Semi-final
:Estevan Bruins defeated Lebret Eagles 4-games-to-2
:Yorkton Terriers defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-3
*1997 Lost Quarter-final
:Estevan Bruins defeated Minot Top Guns 2-games-to-none
:Weyburn Red Wings defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-none
*1998 Lost Quarter-final
:Weyburn Red Wings defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-1
*1999 Won League, Won Anavet Cup, Eliminated from 1999 Royal Bank Cup round robin
:Estevan Bruins defeated Melville Millionaires 4-games-to-none
:Estevan Bruins defeated Notre Dame Hounds 4-games-to-1
:Estevan Bruins defeated Humboldt Broncos 4-games-to-none SJHL CHAMPIONS
:Estevan Bruins defeated OCN Blizzard (MJHL) 4-games-to-2 ANAVET CUP CHAMPIONS
:Fifth in 1999 Royal Bank Cup round robin (1-3)
*2000 Lost Quarter-final
:First in round robin (2-2) vs. Weyburn Red Wings and Yorkton Terriers
:Melville Millionaires defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-1
*2001 DNQ
*2002 Lost Quarter-final
:Humboldt Broncos defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-1
*2003 DNQ
*2004 DNQ
*2005 Lost Semi-final
:Third in round robin (1-3) vs. Yorkton Terriers and Notre Dame Hounds
:Estevan Bruins defeated Humboldt Broncos 4-games-to-none
:Yorkton Terriers defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-3
*2006 DNQ
*2007 Lost Quarter-final
:Second in round robin (1-2-1) vs. Melville Millionaires and Yorkton Terriers
:Yorkton Terriers defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-2
*2008 Lost Preliminary
:Yorkton Terriers defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-2
*2009 Lost Preliminary
:Kindersley Klippers defeated Estevan Bruins 3-games-to-2
*2010 DNQ
*2011 Lost Quarter-final
:Estevan Bruins defeated Melville Millionaires 3-games-to-2
:Yorkton Terriers defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-none
*2012
:Qualifying Round Estevan Bruins defeated Notre Dame Hounds 3-games-to-0
:Quarter Final Weyburn Red Wings defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-none
*2013
:Qualifying Round Estevan Bruins defeated Kindersley Klippers 3-games-to-1
:Quarter Final Yorkton Terriers defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-1
*2014
:Qualifying Round Estevan Bruins defeated Flin Flon Bombers 3-games-to-2
:Quarter Final Battlefords North Stars defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-1
*2015
:Survivor Series Battlefords North Stars defeated Estevan Bruins 3 games to 2
*2016
:Quarter-final Nipawin Hawks defeated Estevan Bruins 4 games to 2
*2017
:Semi-final Estevan Bruins defeated Yorkton Terriers 4 games to 1
:Quarter-final Battlefords North Stars defeated Estevan Bruins 4 games to 0
*2018
:Quarter-final Estevan Bruins defeated Kindersley Klippers 4 games to 0
:Semi-final Estevan Bruins defeated Battlefords North Stars 4 games to 1
:Final Nipawin Hawks defeated Estevan Bruins 4 games to 3
*2019
:Quarter-final Estevan Bruins defeated Humboldt Broncos 4 games to 3
:Quarter-final Melfort Mustangs defeated Estevan Bruins 4 games to 2
*2020
:Quarter-final Melfort Mustangs leading Estevan Bruins 3 games to 1
: Playoffs cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
*2021 Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
*2022
:Quarter-final Estevan Bruins defeated Notre Dame Hounds 4 games to 1
:Semi-final Estevan Bruins defeated Yorkton Terriers 4 games to 0
:Final Estevan Bruins defeated Flin Flon Bombers 4 games to 3 SJHL CHAMPIONS
*2023
:Quarter-final Flin Flon Bombers defeated Estevan Bruins 4 games to 3
==Alumni who went into the NHL==
*Jim Agnew
*Ken Baird
*Mike Bales
*Frank Bialowas
*Ron Boehm
*Lyle Bradley
*Ken Brown
*Don Caley
*Ed Cooper
*Ed Dyck
*Grant Erickson
*Bill Flett
*Barry Gibbs
*Stan Gilbertson
*Jim Harrison
*Lorne Henning
*Brian Hill
*Ted Hodgson
*Dale Hoganson
*Fran Huck
*Randy Ireland
*Kerry Ketter
*Skip Krake
*Bill Lesuk
*Chris Lindberg
*Neil Little
*Ross Lonsberry
*Bernie Lukowich
*Don Martineau
*Mike Matteucci
*Alan May
*Dick Meissner
*Larry Mickey
*Jack Norris
*Garry Peters
*Greg Polis
*Florent Robidoux
*Prestin Ryan
*Danny Schock
*Gregg Sheppard
*Dallas Smith
*Dennis Sobchuk
*Brian Spencer
*Morris Stefaniw
*Bob Stumpf
*Joe Watson
*Brian Young
*Joe Zanussi
Category:Canadian ice hockey teams
Category:Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League teams
Category:Established in 1957