“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”.
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.
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 which was experiencing the beginning of the oil and gas boom. However, he also needed a hockey rink.
The dream of a new hockey rink started 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. The team these fans “cheered on” was the Souris Valley Miners playing in the Soo-Line Intermediate League.
Mr. Grundeen floated his idea to Mr. S. Hogman who then discussed the notion with the president of the Estevan Agricultural Society, Mr. Ed Rae. This idea was accepted by the society and many local businesses and together they moved the ball forward … as Tom Melville, of the Regina Leader-Post, explains on the day after the Bruins first ever home game. “Estevan Hit the Bigtime 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.
“McLean Construction Builds Agricultural Auditorium – January1957” - Video “SJHL accepts Estevan’s Entry”. On June 23rd of 1957, the city of Estevan and Scotty Munro’s team were accepted into the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. At this time Scotty also became the head of the rink committee and saw to it that the new rink incorporated the latest design in arenas. “Estevan makes plans for auditorium opening” - Regina L.P. – Oct 22, 1957…“The rink is beautiful,” he glowed. “It will be heated and insulated, has Plexiglas screens at each end and has no pillars.”
“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.
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 below (Charlie Nicholson, Scotty and Ed Hudson)
Other key personnel involved with the Bruins that made the first seasons a success were Ed Hudson (above 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. (See below)
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.
Paul Grundeen and Gordon Tenold (public address announcers), and Dr. Robert (Bob) Inglis (team doctor) and Abe Berday, were other key members of the off-ice team.
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 his columns. 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.
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 curser to the bottom of Page 9 for the story.
“Overtime
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 Laing, Dennis Hogman and John Deadlock from CFSL/CJSL.
Other sports reporters that have to be mentioned are Lorne (Scoop) 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 Zambonis 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 hotdog 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 this was the place to be. The Bruin Boosters 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. The referees 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.
Charlie Nicholson (pix above left with Ed and Scotty), and his crew of pop, popcorn, and candy salesmen that included Doc and Marge Stephen, Annette Ward, Joan Baily, Joan Lytle, Joan Wilkinson, Donna Hagel, Donna Sinclair, Gail and Maryjane Marklinger, Murray Henderson and many others.
And then there were the 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 $1.00 admission fee, and 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 flagbearer, 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 SJHL
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 in 1957 – Team Order indicates Final Standing
75 - Regina Pats - Bill Hicke, Red Berenson, Terry Harper and Ken Walters (G) 68 - Prince Albert Mintos - Chic Balon, Dave Balon, Cliff Krivak, Ken Kuntz (G) 48 - Flin Flon Bombers - Cliff Pennington, Vic Petrychko, J. Baird, Norm Waslowski
44 - Estevan Bruins - Dick Meissner, Barney Krake (C), John Rogers, Fred Cluff (G) 43 - Saskatoon Quakers - Jerry Esch, Cliff Schmautz (C), Jerry Duffus 22 - Melville Millioniares - Moe McKinnon, Fred Zasadny, John Ferguson
Notable Events: World News Stories of 1957
Estevan’s new entry into the SJHL was Saskatchewan's most southerly team 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.
The Season Begins
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 forechecking, 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 (23F,-5C). 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 Red Bosscha was the talk of the town.
The day after that first game, Tom Melville (Sports writer, Regina Leader-Post ) wrote about the new Agricultural Auditorium, the spirit of the Estevan community in order to get the rink built and about the game itself. “Estevan Hit the Bigtime in Sports”
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”
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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 disasterous months of hockey in the Bruins fourteen year 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 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 squeek 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
LINEUPS FOR THE FIRST PLAYOFF GAME IN ESTEVAN BRUIN HISTORY
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 fiftys 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.
BY-THE-WAY
In North Battleford, fourteen year old Skip Krake scores 3 times in a losing effort in the northern bantam provincial finals in1957. Little Lyle Bradley also scores for N.B. Don Nolin adds an assist. In the next decade all three youngsters would play for the Beaver Bruins in North Battleford and then move on to play starring roles for the Estevan Bruins.
Estevan Bruins - Regular Season and Playoff Statistics
