Hockey History

The 1946 OHA Playoffs – Chapter 2
Tigers eliminate Pats, next meet with Toronto Staffords

Johnny Conick, Clare Shillington, and Dillion Brady, part of the OHA Hamilton Tigers who helped defeat the Hamilton Patricias in 1946. Photo courtesy of the Hamilton Spectator.

The first game of the best-of-seven OHA playoffs between the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Patricias belonged to Johnny Conick.

The Tiger right-winger scored the only two goals of the opening contest in the senior OHA semi-finals. But the heavily-favored Tigers did not show a great deal of superiority in the February 6, 1946 game, according to a report.

“While the Tigers won by the 2-0 score, they failed to demonstrate enough superiority over Patricias to warrant them being rated overwhelmingly favorites to take their half of the senior OHA playoffs.”

The account went on the praise the efforts of the Pats’ goaltender Jack Eley, who stopped numerous attempts on his net. The Pats were also handicapped with the absence of their star center Doug Fritz, who had been hospitalized earlier in the week. It was also noted that the ice surface was less than ideal.

After a 3-0 loss in the second game, Pats coach Louis Pelissier was confident his team could pull it together for the third game.

“What we did once we can do again,” said Pelissier at the time. “Tigers are confident they’re going to make it three straight tonight, but we’re just as confident it can’t be done.”

But the pre-game predictions did not come true, as the Tigers blanked the Pats for the third straight time with a 4-0 win and a solid hold on the series.

“Steaming at full speed before a near-capacity crowd at the arena, the Yellow and Black chalked up their third successive playoff shutout over Pats, registered their 18th victory of the season by a 4-0 count and set hockey bugs delving into the record books to find a parallel for a sweep though to be a new accomplishment entirely in the history of first-rank play,” said a glowing report from the Hamilton Spectator.

The report also noted the fine play of the Pats goaltender.

“The Bengals beat Eley only four times, but Eley beat them so often that difficult saves became ordinary, and sensational stops became the rule, rather than the exception.”

Conick started the Tiger’s scoring with a marker in the second period, Robertson taking making it 2-0 going into the third. Conick scored once again to open up the final period, and Dillon Brady scored late in the third.

While the Patricias showed some life in the fourth game of the series, the Tigers once again proved their superiority with a 9-2 victory to win the series in four straight.

Bill Dinning was the star of this game, scoring three for the Tigers, including the first two markers in the first period, and the final goal with about 90 seconds to play in the third. Other goals went to Conick, Brady, and Mason and Clare Shillington with a pair each. The Tigers could now rest up for the next session round in the OHA senior series, as noted in a newspaper report:

“Tigers can rest on their laurels until next Monday, at least, for they would up their unfinished business with Patricias last night at the igloo (Barton Street Arena), taking the fourth and final game by a count of 9 to 2 to annex first-round honors and the right to meet Staffords or Stratford for the John Ross Robertson trophy.

“There was never any doubt about the outcome of last night’s affair after the initial period,” the report continued, “for in this stanza, Tigers, with big Bill Dinning spearheading the attack, ran in three goals to assure themselves of victory and round honors.”

The Tigers would rest up for a few days, then go on to the next level to meet the Toronto Staffords.

Next: Conick paces Tigers through the next series with the Staffords.

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