Hockey History

The Tigers and the CCMs meet up for an exhibition match
Hamilton tunes up for the 1931 Allan Cup

One player who helped with Hamilton’s success of the 1930-31 season was defenseman Red Farrell, shown here in a Robert A. Davis rendition. Courtesy of the Hamilton Spectator.

There was much do-to about an exhibition hockey game scheduled in January of 1931 between the Hamilton Tigers and the Canada Cycle and Motor squad of Toronto.

At the height of the Depression, and with the city having lost its NHL club after 1925, the OHA Senior Tigers were a good team in the 1930-31 season, and helped the fans forget about their financial woes.

The Tigers were second in their division, next to Port Colborne in the Senior standings, and while getting ready to take on their opponents as the first leg of the Allan Cup, the team warmed up with this exhibition game against CCM.

The game would be part of a double-header at the Barton Street Arena, and the Junior Tigers were matched up against Grimsby in an intermediate league contest.

Both Tiger teams did their hometown proud, as the Juniors walloped Grimsby 7-1, and the Senior team put away the Toronto squad with a 6-3 decision.

The CCMs had just finished a European trip with great success, winning 15 games and losing only once.

But Toronto was no match for the Tigers.

“Taking full advantage of the opportunity to brush up for the more important contests to come, Hamilton’s Senior OHA representatives crammed a lot of experimentation work into their exhibition game with the Canada Cycle and Motor team, of Toronto at the Arena last night, but they didn’t forget for one moment what they were on the ice for, the result being another victory to their growing string,” said a Hamilton Spectator account of the game.

Hamilton opened the scoring with a Gordon McKay goal in the first. Toronto then took a pair, but Bill Louch picked up his first of the evening for the Bengals to tie the score. The only second period goal came from the stick of Harry Kane for Hamilton. McGowan. Louch, and Kane scored in the third for Hamilton, and Richie of Toronto took his third goal in the final marker, the only CCM player to score in the game.

“Although Toronto showed a clever squad of hockeyists, the defense of Marsh (Hawse Marsh) in goal, McKay, Farrell, and Worthy, proved too much for them, and it was seldom Marsh was called upon to handle drives from close in.”

The report praised the whole team, but singled out several Tiger players:

“The work of the entire Hamilton team was clever and sure, but McGowan and Kane were especially brilliant. Both showed themselves complete masters over their opponents.”

While the OHA playoffs would not begin for another month, the die appeared to be cast as far as the teams involved. Not only was Hamilton in the hunt, but also Toronto, Kitchener, and Port Colborne. It was said that the Tigers win over CCM gave the fans a positive outlook for the near future.

“In last night’s contest, the yellow and black squad did considerable brushing-up, affecting some might nice combination play and demonstrating that few teams have a more polished attack when they start to click with their best efforts,” summed up Spec Sports Editor Walter McMullen.

“Del Hannigan’s men have shown vast improvement since the opening of the group season, and they need it.”

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