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Hockey HistoryHamilton and the 1931 Allan Cup – Chapter 4 After the Hamilton Tigers defeated the Sudbury Wolves, it was on to the next chapter of the 1931 Allan Cup, as Hamilton was to meet the Ottawa Rideaus for the semi-final round of eastern Canada. With the advantage of hometown ice, the Rideaus won the initial game 2-1 in a penalty-filled affair that tallied 48 minutes in lost ice time. McGowan opened the scoring for the Tigers in the first period, but Gord Peterkin of Ottawa scored in the second and third frames to give his team the victory. Both Ottawa goals were scored while Hamilton was short-handed due to penalties. A news account of the game said the Tigers were humbled, and that the team had a tough nut to crack if it planned to continue in the series: “Ruggedness of stature, aggressive of purpose and every man a speedy skater, the Capital City pucksters went about their chord of humbling the Bengals in a real business-like fashion.” The next game, also in Ottawa, would be a do-or-die one for Hamilton: “On the strength of Saturday night’s display, this assignment looks like a Herculean task. The truth of the matter is that the winning aggregation looked altogether the better team.” Well, for the next game, held March 24, 1931, Bill Louch was the Tigers’ hero, scoring the game’s only goal and keeping the Tigers in the hunt, and forcing a third game in the total-goal series. “Struggling through three overtime periods in a vain effort to augment a single goal scored halfway through the second period of regulation time, Hamilton would up their long battle in possession of a 1-to-0 score last night, tying the round at two goals all, and they played a great part in offering some eight thousand fans one of the tightest struggles seen here in years.” Now an extra game would have to be played as the regulation two contests did not decide a winner with the teams tied at two goals apiece. So the stage was set at the Montreal Forum March 25. And the game was a nail-biter. While Hamilton scored first, courtesy of Red Farrell, Ottawa tied the game, and the series, in the second. And while the Tigers scored twice in the third period, thanks to McGowan and Jackie Kane, they could not rest sitting on a two-goal lead. And while Ottawa did indeed score in the third, they fell short, and Hamilton won the game 3-2 and the series 5-4. According to press reports, the Tigers had a terrific workout in the final period. “Off to a one-goal lead in the first period, the Bengals shattered a tie in the final frame with two counters in succession, but history was made as the courageous Jungle Cats fought with their backs to the wall for practically the full 20 minutes to turn back the concentrated efforts of an almost unbeatable opponent.” The victory gave Hamilton the right to go to the eastern Canada senior finals against the Truro Bearcats. While plaudits were given to the Tigers, the Rideaus also received accolades: “Hamilton’s edge warranted victory, but too much credit cannot be given the defeated team. Rideaus would not accept a loss until the final bell ended hostilities, and it was very seldom, in the final period, that the puck was far away from their sticks.” And there was this from the Canada Press: “The class of the Tigers is well known throughout the east. Much stronger than last season, the Bengals from the Mountain City have the happy faculty of coming through in the pinches in great style. They beat some fine teams to win the Ontario Hockey Association crown and they trounced another fine squad (Ottawa) last night.” Hamilton and Truro would meet in Toronto for game one of the Eastern finals. Next: The battle of the felines, but the Tigers have the bigger
claws.
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