Hockey History

Hamilton Bees 1962

One of the standouts for the Bees was goalie Larry Harrop Courtesy of the Hamilton Spectator.

Junior B club of 1962 out of playoffs after playing two sudden-death series

While the Hamilton Red Wings were receiving the lion’s share of press in March of 1962 as the club headed towards the Memorial Cup, there was another Hamilton team that was also heading into playoff contention.

The Hamilton Bees, the city’s OHA Junior B club, had risen from virtual obscurity to vie for a berth in the OHA Central Ontario Junior B finals in March of 1962.
The team had a stellar year, thanks to a great group effort, and the play of goalie Larry Harrop.

After playing with the Kitchener Greenshirts in a best-of-seven series, both teams had one six games and tied the seventh game. In a sudden death eighth game, Hamilton won, and was considered to be advancing to the next round.

But there was a mandate in the OHA constitution that stated a new series must be played in the event two teams are tied after seven games and the governing body order a new best-of-three series.

Both Hamilton and Kitchener won a game in the new final series, with the deciding match slated for March 14 at the Forum. The eighth game in the first series, won by Hamilton, was awarded as a win in the new series. Kitchener won the opening round in this final series.

“We had three or four individuals in the spotlight during the regular schedule,” said Hamilton Coach Bill Sherry before the final game in the best-of-three series. “Now it’s a team effort. Larry (Harrop) is improving every time out and he is one of the reasons we have gone so far.”

Sherry was noted in Hamilton hockey, and played defense with the Hamilton Tigers when the club went to the finals of the 1946 Allan Cup.

Hamilton scored three times in the final game, but Kitchener doubled that tally, winning the match 6-3 and the right to play the Central Ontario Junior B Group finals against the Waterloo Siskins.

Jim McLellan opened the scoring for the Bees in the first, and Pat Quinn, who would go on to become Hamilton’s most prominent hockey personality, scored early in the second period. Ernie Banyal scored the final Hamilton marker in the second, and the team watched net minder Harrop try to stave off a goodly amount of Kitchener shots, including three that got by him in the third period.

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