1938-39 Trail Smoke Eaters

This team represented Canada at the 1939 World Championship.
==History==
The Trail Smoke Eaters on their 1938-39 European tour set in the annuals of
international hockey what is likely to stand for a great many years. They
were true ambassadors to the world, and displayed a brand of hockey that 
saw
excellent stickhandling, and superb passing; and with very little body
contact.
Everywhere on the Continent, the Smoke Eaters found themselves surrounded 
by
enthusiastic crowds, who literally mobbed them in autograph-seeking fervor,
after every appearance. Easily the most colourful team to ever play abroad,
the Canadian champions were immensely popular, and their success with
foreign fans was tremendous--and at times amazing. What a contrast to the
Canadian teams touring Europe the last twenty or so years! Today, they need
police protection in most European cities.
It was generally agreed that their inspiring play did more to promote the
game throughout the nine countries they visited, than the efforts of any
other single organisation.
The Smoke Eaters made only a couple of changes from their Allan Cup team,
and made the gruelling trip with only 13 players. Coach Elmer Piper left 
the
club for a similiar post with the Turner Valley Oilers of the Alberta 
Senior
League, after only spending one season with the Smokies. His position was
taken over by Ab Cronie, who doubled as a playing-coach. Captain Dave 
Duchak
also passed up the trip by accepting a job as the playing-coach of the
Calgary Stampeders. Art Forrest, a native Trail product, returned after a
stint with a hockey team in London, England, and filled in for Duchak.
Forrest's trip was short cut, for while the Smoke Eaters were playing a two
game exhibition game series in Lethbridge against the Maple Leafs, on the
first leg of their Trans-Canada tour, he was rushed to the hospital for an
appendectomy. Benny Hayes, a slick forward with the Lethbridge Maple Leafs,
was picked up by the Trail club, and proved himself a valuable member.
The Smoke Eaters only managed one exhibition at home, before starting their
15,000 mile trip, and that was an easy 8-1 victory over the newly formed
Trail Blazers. Injuries played a big factor in the Smoke Eaters poor 
showing
across Canada, and they only managed to win eight, tied one game, and lost
six in the 15 game series--but they came on strong by winning six of their
last seven games in Eastern Canada. They outscored the Canadian teams 65
goals to 41.
The Smoke Eaters embarked from Halifax on 10 December, 1938, and arriving 
in
Scotland, made their first European showing in Glasgow on 17 December, and
won the game 4-2. It marked the beginning of a 55 game schedule, in which
they won 53 games, tied one, and lost one. From the time the Smoke Eaters
left Trail, until they returned with the World Championship, they played a
total of 71 games--they won 62, lost seven and were held to two draws. 
Trail
scored a total of 374 goals, and were scored on 177 times; their average
game scored was 5.3 goals scored and the against average 1.5--a remarkable
record which will probably never be equallled.
The ten day World Championship Tournament started on February 3, 1939, and
was held in Basel and Zurich; two of the greatest little cities perched in
the picturesque Swiss Alps. Before the tournament ended on February 12th,
the Trail Smoke Eaters had won the hearts of all the Swiss fans, and went
about the business of winning the championship in methodical style. Trail
sailed through the tournament without a single defeat, and won eight
straight games. In fact, they were only scored on once, by Czechoslovakia.
The Czechoslovaks proved the toughest team to pass, as the low score
indicated. The Smokies met the Czechs in the third round of the tourney, 
and
skated to a convincing 4-1 triumph.
Here's the way the Trail Smoke Eaters marked up their victories: First 
round
they beat the Netherlands 8-0 and Poland 4-0. In the second round they shut
out Britain 4-0, and defeated Germany 9-0. In the third and final round 
they
shut out Switzerland 7-0, before 16,000 fans, and continued their brilliant
play by stopping Czechoslovakia 4-1, and blanking the United States 4-0. In
the eight game finals the Smoke Eaters garnered 42 goals, with Bunny Dame
pacing the team with nine goals. Bunny was followed by Joe Benoit and Jimmy
Morris, seven; Dick Kowcinak, six; Johnny McCreedy four; Ab Cronie, three;
Mel Snowden and Mickey Brennen, two each; and Tom Johnston a singleton.
Cronie was the leading player in the assist department with nine; followed
by McCreedy with seven. Joe Benoit was the overall point leader with 13.
Duke Scodellaro received real praise for his outstanding goaltending, and
the European fans said, "They never saw his equal." Duke had a powerhouse
defence playing in front of him: in Jimmy Haight, Tom Johnston and Mel
Snowden. Joe Benoit, Ab Cronie and Bunny Dame were Trail's number one line;
the Smoke Eaters other forward line consisted of McCreedy, Kowcinak and
Brennen. Benny Hayes was used as the utility forward; Buck Buchanan (a
former North Battleford Beavers) was the backup goalie to Duke Scodellaro.
Buchanan turned in a number of sparkling performances.
O.H. Nelson, President of the Smoke Eaters, made the overseas tour, and
acted a manager--and proved himself a most popular man.
The Smoke Eaters certainly advertised the city of Trail. Throughout Europe
and by not wearing the customary Canadian white uniform, the club decided 
to
go with their famous, and colourful, orange and black jerseys. Sports
writers all over the country were intrigued by the symbols of the Smoke
Eater name, and the stacks belching out a stream of smoke, high above the
CM&S (Cominco Mining & Smelting) Smelter.
==Cross Canada Tour==
Date 	Winning Team 	Losing Team
November 11	Trail 4 	Lethbridge Maple Leafs 3
November 12	Lethbridge Maple Leafs 6	Trail 2
November 14	Trail 6 	Calgary Stampeders 2
November 15	Trail 3 	Edmonton Eskimos 3
November 17	Saskatoon Quakers 2 	Trail 1
November 19	Flin Flon Bombers 5 	Trail 4
November 20	Flin Flon Bombers 4 	Trail 1
November 25	Kirkland Lake 2 	Trail 1
November 28	Trail 9 	Oshawa G-Men 5
December 1 	Trail 7 	Ottawa Senators 4
December 2 	Trail 8 	Cornwall Flyers 2
December 3 	Trail 8 	Cornwall Flyers 1
December 5 	Quebec Aces 3 	Trail 2
December 7 	Trail 9 	Saint John Beavers 1
December 8 	Trail 5 	Halifax Wolverines 2
==European Tour==
 Dec 17		4-2 Scotland All Stars @ Glasgow
 Dec 21		4-1 (1:0, 2:1, 1:0) Canadians in Europe @ The Hague
 Dec 22		4-1 (1:0, 2:0, 1:1) Canadians in Europe @ The Hague
 Dec 25		5-1 (2:1, 1:0, 2:0) Germany All Stars @ Berlin
 Dec 26		9-1 (4:0, 3:0, 2:1) Germany All Stars @ Berlin
 Dec 28		8-0 (5:0, 1:0, 2:0) Germany All Stars @ Hamburg
 Jan 2		9-1 (2:1, 2:0, 5:0) Germany All Stars @ Cologne
 Jan 3		2-0 (0:0, 1:0, 1:0) Rhineland All Stars @ Krefeld
 Jan 4		4-2 (1:0, 3:1, 0:1) Riesersee @ Munich
 Jan 5		8-0 (2:0, 3.0, 3:0) Riesersee @ Munich
 Jan 9		6-0 (1:0, 2:0, 3:0) Vienna
 Jan 10		10-1 (2:0, 1:1, 7:0) Vienna
 Jan 12		3-0 (1:0, 2:0, 0:0) Czechoslovakia @ Prague
 Jan 13		2-1 (1:1, 1:0, 0:0) LTC Prague @ Prague
 Jan 15		10-1 (4:0, 1:0, 5:1) Dab Katowice 
 Jan 16		5-2 (4:1, 1:1, 0:0) Poland All Stars @ Katowice
 Jan 18		4-1 (1:0, 2:1, 1:0) LTC Prague @ Prague
 Jan 19		9-1 (4:0, 1:1, 4:0) Prague 
 Jan 21		7-0 (1:0, 5:0, 1:0) Germany All Stars @ Garmisch-Partenkirchen
 Jan 22		7-2 (1:1, 2:1, 4:0) Germany All Stars @ Garmisch-Partenkirchen
 Jan 24		5-4 (1:1, 1:0, 3:3) Canadians in Europe @ Haag
 Jan 25		10-1 (2:1, 3:0, 5:0) Canadians in Europe @ Amsterdam
 Jan 27		14-1 (3:0, 4:1, 7:0) Brussels Etoile du Nord @ Brussel
 Jan 29		7-0 Antwerp Brado
 Feb 3		8-0 (1:0, 4:0, 3:0) Netherlands @ Basel (Wch)
 Feb 5		4-0 (2:0, 1:0, 1:0) Poland @ Basel (Wch)
 Feb 7		4-0 (0:0, 0:0, 4:0) Great Britain @ Zürich (Wch)
 Feb 8		2-1 (0:1, 0:0, 2:0) Czechoslovakia @ Basel (Wch)
 Feb 9		9-0 (2:0, 5:0, 2:0) Germany @ Zürich (Wch)
 Feb 10		7-0 (2:0, 4:0, 1:0) Switzerland @ Basel (Wch)
 Feb 11		4-0 (0:0, 1:0, 3:0) Czechoslovakia @ Basel (Wch)
 Feb 12		4-0 (3:0, 1:0, 0:0) United States @ Basel (Wch)
 Feb 14		8-0 (1:0, 5:0, 2:0) Switzerland B @ Neuchatel
 Feb 15		3-2 (1:1, 1:1, 1:0) SC Berne
 Feb 16		6-1 (2:1, 4:0, 0:0) Zurich Hockey Club
 Feb 17		3-2 (1:0, 1:1, 1:1) EHC Arosa @ Arosa
 Feb 18		11-0 (2:0, 5:0, 4:0) St. Moritz
 Feb 19		2-0 (0:0, 1:0, 1:0) HC Davos @ Davos
 Feb 22		5-1 (0:1, 3:0, 2:0) United States @ The Hague
 Feb 23		3-1 Canadians in Europe @ Amsterdam
 Feb 24		2-1 United States @ Tilborg
 Feb 27		5-1 (3:0, 0:0, 2:1) United States @ Brussels
 Feb 28		3-0 United States @ Antwerp
 Mar 3		7-5 () Falkirk Lions
 Mar 4		4-0 () Dundee Tigers
 Mar 7		4-0 (2:0, 1:0, 1:0) England All Stars @ London
 Mar 8		5-2 England All Stars @ London
 Mar 9		10-6 England All Stars @ London
 Mar 11		5-3 (0:0, 2:2, 3:1) England All Stars @ London
 Mar 14		2-2 Harringay Combines @ London
 Mar 16		1-4 Wembley Combines @ London
 Mar 18		2-1 Earls Court Rangers @ London
 Mar 20		5-0 Fife Flyers @ Kincardy
 Mar 22		4-2 Scotland All Stars @ Ayr
 Mar 24		3-2 Falkirk Lions @ Falkirk
==Game Ads==
38-39TrailNov14CalgaryGameAd.jpg|November 14 @ Calgary
38-39Nov17TrailSaskatoonGameAd.jpg|November 17 @ Saskatoon
38-39TrailDec1OttawaGameAd.jpg|December 1 @ Ottawa
38-39TrailDec5QuebecGameAd.jpg|December 5 @ Quebec City
ZürcherIllustrirte-19390210-Nr3.jpg|Zürcher Illustrierte Nr.6, 10.2.1939
DGScodellaro.jpg|Dulio G. Scodellaro, Zürcher Illustrierte Nr.6, 10.2.1939
NP-19390114-LTC-TSE.jpg|Narodni politika, 14.1.1939
==See Also==
Canadian Team Overseas Exhibition Tours
Category:International Hockey Tours
Category:1938 in hockey
Category:1939 in hockey