Los Angeles Ramblers

The Los Angeles Ramblers played one season (1946-47) in the Western International Hockey League.
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. 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.
Coach Kenny Stewart, a native of Lethbridge, Alberta (and a former
Lethbridge Maple Leaf-Charlie), 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.
===Season-by-season record===
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OL = Overtime Losses,, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season 	League/Competition	GP	W 	L 	T	OL	Pts	GF 	GA 	Finish	Playoffs
1946-47	WIHL 	52	31	21	0	- 	62 	208	188	2nd 	Ineligible due to being a non-Canadian team
==Ramblers who played in the NHL==
*Max Labovitch
*Jack Miller
*Ken Stewart
Category:American ice hockey teams
Category:Defunct Teams
Category:Established in 1946
Category:Disestablished in 1947
Category:Western International Hockey League teams