1960-61 Trail Smoke Eaters

This team represented Canada at the 1961 World Ice Hockey Championships.
==Tour==
 Jan 31		8-3 (2:1, 2:0, 4:2) Norway @ Oslo
 Feb 2		0-4 (0:2, 0:0, 0:2) Sweden @ Stockholm
 Feb 3		4-1 (1:0, 3:1, 0:0) Sweden @ Stockholm
 Feb 5		3-1 (2:1, 0:0, 1:0) Sweden National B @ Leksand
 Feb 6		4-1 (1:1, 3:0, 0:0) Sweden National B @ Gavle
 Feb 8		10-5 (1:1, 1:1, 8:3) Finland @ Tampere
 Feb 11 		3-3 (1:0, 1:2, 1:1) Moscow Selects @ Moscow
 Feb 12		2-3 (0:2, 0:1, 2:0) Moscow Dynamo @ Moscow
 Feb 14		4-1 (2:0, 0:0, 2:1) Soviet Juniors @ Moscow
 Feb 16		6-3 (4:3, 2:0, 0:0) Brno Red Star @ Brno
 Feb 18		7-6 (1:2, 4:3, 2:1) Czechoslovakia @ Prague
 Feb 19		5-3 (2:0, 1:1, 2:2) Czechoslovakia B @ Kladno
 Feb 20		5-2 (0:1, 2:0, 3:1) Czechoslovakia All Stars @ Prague
 Feb 21		7-1 (0:0, 4:0, 3:1) Czechoslovakia Juniors @ Pelman (Plzen)
 Feb 22		11-3 (3:1, 4:0, 4:2) Czechoslovakia B Team @ Kolin
 Feb 24		8-2 (3:0, 3:0, 2:2) East Germany @ Weisswasser
 Feb 26		8-3 (4:1, 2:2, 2:0) West Germany @ Fuessen
 Feb 28		9-2 (3:1, 0:1, 6:0) Italy @ Cortina d'Ampezzo
 Mar 2		6-1 (3:1, 0:0, 3:0) Sweden @ Genf (WCh)
 Mar 4		9-1 (1:1, 3:0, 5:0) West Germany @ Lausanne (WCh)
 Mar 5		7-4 (4:2, 2:0, 1:2) United States @ Genf (Wch)
 Mar 7		5-2 (0:0, 0:0, 5:2) East Germany @ Lausanne (WCh)
 Mar 9		1-1 (0:1, 1:0, 0:0) Czechoslovakia @ Lausanne (WCh)
 Mar 11		12-1 (7:1, 1:0, 4:0) Finland @ Lausanne (WCh)
 Mar 12		5-1 (1:0, 2:0, 2:1) Soviet Union @ Genf (WCh)
 Mar 15		8-3 (2:0, 4:2, 2:1) United States @ Paris
 Mar 17		19-1 Canadian Army @ Soest (Germany)
==History==
From: The WIHL League News January 5, 1973
Volume I, Seventh Edition
The 1961 Smoke Eaters--World Champions
By Jack "Buck" Kavanaugh
There's the saying, "If you want the best, send the west." How true this
statement was back in 1960-61 when the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
named the Trail Smoke Eaters to represent Canada at the World Hockey
Championship in Switzerland. The Smoke Eaters were the runners-up to the
champion Chatham Maroons for the Allan Cup in 1959-60. Chatham defeated
Trail in five games, but turned down the offer to participate in the World
Championship, in favour of an earlier tour of Russia that year. It turned
out to be a disastrous trip for the Maroons, who won one one game and tied
one, while losing five in their seven game series behind the Iron Curtain.
The Maroons upon their return to Canada made the statement that the Smoke
Eaters would have to be fifty percent stronger than the previous year, to
defeat the Russians. One thing the Maroons forgot was that Trail had a firey
coach in Bobby Kromm, and a crew of determined hockey players who never game
up.
The CAHA ordered the Smoke Eaters to strengthen their roster with five
players--and Kromm went out and picked up five of the best players in
Canada. His first move was to Penticton, where he hired Walt Peacosh--who
was the hottest player in the Okanagan League. Next came Jackie McLeod, a
recent reinstated pro from Swift Current. Darryl Sly from Galt's Terriers,
was added to the list--and many fans will remember him as coach of the
Barrie Flyers in the Allan Cup finals last year. Claude Cyr, a 21 year old
goaltender from the Montreal Royals, was selected as back up to regular
goalie Seth Martin. Mike Legace, from Quebec City, joined the club at a
later date. Earlier in the season (actually in the summer--Charlie) the
Smoke Eaters had picked up Dave Rusnell from the Yorkton Terriers, who had
previous overseas experience in the English League.
The Smoke Eaters knew they had a big job facing them, for the last British
Columbia team to win the World Championship was the fabulous Penticton V's
in 1955. Kromm said, "We will show the fans that a true amateur club can
win, and we don't need to be paid high wages to do so."
With this spirit apparent in the team's attitude, the entire City of Trail,
and surrounding centres, pitched in to help raise the $23,000 needed to make
the trip. Students in Trail staged blitz campaigns for funds: businesses
were persuaded to pay full salaries to the players' families while the team
was away. Trail raised over $14,000 of the amount, with many other Kootenay
cities kicking in--especially the City of Nelson--and the Maple Leafs were
having their own money problems that year.
Top Shape
Kromm, who emphasised conditioning, had his team in excellent shape, playing
a total of 36 ames in British Columbia, before starting their long journey.
They won 32 games while losing four; with Nelson giving them the most
trouble. The Smoke Eaters played only two exhibition games out of the
province, before flying out of Montreal on January 31. The Smoke Eaters
defeated the Moose Jaw Pla-Mors 4-1, before 3,300 fans--with future
Dynamiter star Bill Steenson a stand out for Moose Jaw. Next, they trounced
the Yorkton Terriers 14-1, with 2,125 fans giving the smooth skating Trail
team a rousing send off. The Smoke Eaters realised the sum of $2,850 for
their two prairie encounters.
Landed In Norway
The Smoke Eaters landed at Oslo, Norway, and opened an 18 game exhibition
tour, with a 8-3 victory over the Norwegian National team--but lost the
services of playing-coach Bobby Kromm, who suffered a broken nose. The Smoke
Eaters moved on to Stockholm, Sweden and lost a 4-0 verdict to the Swedish
National team. Kromm didn't press the panic button, despite the poor press
reports. Trail got revenge by knocking over the Swedes 4-1 before 13,000 sad
fans. The Smokies managed to win three out of their four games in Sweden.
It was on to Finland for one game, with the Smoke Eaters winning 10-5 over
the Finnish National team, before 12,000 fans, who cheered the Trail team
for their smooth passing and end-to-end rushes.
The Smoke Eaters invaded Moscow for a three game series that drew capcity
crowds of 17,000 for each contest. The first game finished in a 3-3
deadlock, with the Russians taking the second fixture 3-2--but only to have
Trail come fighting back to conquer the third game, 4-1.
The Smoke Eaters were red hot in Czechoslovakia, winning all five of their
games, before sellout crowds of over 16,000 fans. The Smoke Eaters rounded
out their exhibition swing with easy wins in Germany and Italy. Trail won a
total of 15 games, lost two, and tied one--and outscored their opposition
104 goals to 47.
Finals
The World Championship finals were played in Switzerland, from March 2 to
12, with the Russians rated strong favourites to win. The experts were
wrong, with Canada and the Czechs finishing in a tie for top honours, with
each having a record of six wins and one tie--with Trail declared champions,
having a better "goals for and goals against" record than the Czechs. Canada
scored a total of 45 goals and allowed eleven, with the Czechs picking up 33
goals and had nine scored against them.
Trail met Sweden in their opening game and won easily, by a 6-1 score. Next
they defeated West Germany 9-1, and then took the American squad out, 7-4.
Canada had their hands full in defeating East Germany 5-2, with all the
scoring coming in the final period. The Czechs defeated Russia 6-4 in the
biggest upset of the finals, and it set the scene for the important game
between Canada and the Czechs. The game ended in a 1-1 tie, with the Czechs
going ahead in the first period. Hugh "Pinoke" McIntyre played the hero role
for Canada by taking a pass from Jackie McLeod and scoring the equalizer
late in the second period. Seth Martin was a standout in the net for Canada,
with the Smoke Eaters playing short handed most of the game.
Trail then made short order of Finland 12-1, and now faced Russia in their
final game. A sellout of over 12,500 fans were happy indeed, when the Smoke
Eaters blasted the Russians 5-1. Jackie McLeod paced the club with two
goals, with singletons going to Harry Smith, Harold Jones and Norm Lenardon.
The game was such a close checking contest, that Seth Martin was called on
to make only twelve saves, and Tchinov in the Russian net, nine. Russian
coach Chernyshev later said Trail was a great team, and their win was
absolutely deserved.
Seth Martin was picked the outstanding netminder in the tournament. Jackie
McLeod was the Smoke Eaters' leading point getter in the series, with 12
points, followed closely by Harold Jones with 11, and Dave Rusnell with ten.
One unique note of the finals was that Walt Peacosh was Trail's bad boy in
the penalty parade with sixteen minutes, followed by Don Fletcher, with nine
minutes.
Home Welcoming
Never in the history of the Kootenays has such a crowd turned out to welcome
home their heros, and the last team to ever win a World Amateur Championship
for Canada. Over 5,000 people greeted the team at the Castlegar Airport, and
an estimated crowd of 20,000 fans jammed the streets of Trail to serenade
the team.
Mayor Les Read, in welcoming home the players, said it was a wonderful day
for Trail, and all of Canada.
Members of the champions were: Seth Martin and Claude Cyr; Bobby Kromm,
Harry Smith, Don Fletcher, Darryl Sly, George Ferguson, Ed Cristofoli,
Jackie McLeod, Hughie "Pinoke" McIntyre, Harold Jones, Norm Lenardon, Dave
Rusnell, Ad Tambellini, Walt Peacosh, Cal Hockley (team captain), Gerry
Penner and Mike Lagace. The trainer was Joe Garay, Ugo DeBiasio was general
manager, and James Cameron was President of the club.
==See also==
*Canadian Overseas Exhibition Tours
Category:International Hockey Tours