Honoured Members

1954/55 BRANDON WHEAT KINGS

In the 1954/55 season, the winner of the  Big Six Hockey League (BSHL) entered Provincials, playing in the Intermediate 'A' semi finals. Starting with the 1954/55 season, the Big Six Champions advanced directly to the Intermediate 'A' final. The Intermediate 'A' Champs received the McDiarmid Shield.  The road out of Manitoba didn't start there however, as the Intermediate 'A' Champs played the Intermediate 'B' Champs, for the Intermediate Provincial crown and the right to advance to the CAHA Playoffs.

Brandon had finished in 1st place in the Big Six Hockey League and would meet the defending champion Dauphin Kings in the first round of the play-offs. Brandon took the first game 3-1 followed by Dauphin taking Game Two 5-3. Dauphin came from behind twice in Game three to win 3-2 and were on the verge of taking the series and advancing to the league final for the sixth straight year when the Wheaties roared back to take Game Four 4-3. In the deciding Game Five, the Wheaties were in charge from the opening puck drop, eliminating Dauphin with a 6-0 trouncing.

 

Brandon opened the Big Six final against Killarney with a 4-2 victory. Killarney would take Game Two 5-2 before Brandon took Games Three and Four by scores 5-2 and 4-2. In Game Five Brandon's Bob Harper notched a clutch goal with less than two minutes to play earning the Wheat Kings a 4-4 tie. In a game that featured outstanding goaltending Mac Beaton's goal at the 6:47 mark of overtime in Game Six would give the Wheat Kings the Big Six title.

 

Brandon would now meet Pine Falls Paper Kings for the Manitoba Intermediate 'A' Best-of-Three final. In Game One, the Paper Kings needed only 1:57 into OT to take Game One 4-3. Re-grouping, Brandon would take the next two games 4-3 and 9-3 to capture the Manitoba Intermediate 'A' title.

 

Taking on the Intermediate 'B' champion Pilot Mound Pilots in a Best-of-Three for the right to represent Manitoba in the CAHA Inter-Provincial playdowns, Brandon would eliminate the Pilots in two straight, 3-1 and 11-1.
Lloydminster Jets would be next up for the Manitoba champion Wheat Kings in the Western Canada Intermediate Quarter-finals. After hammering the Jets 8-1 in Game One followed by a Game Two 4-4 tie, the Wheaties would claim the Manitoba/Saskatchewan title, by finishing the Jets off with two straight wins, 10-3 and 5-1.
Facing Kenora Thistles in the Western semis for the right to advance to the Western final, Kenora won Game One 6-3 before Brandon responded with a 3-0 win. Kenora came right back to take Game Three 4-1 and a 2-1 series lead. Brandon would bounce back with two straight victories winning the series 3-2 and the right to meet Ponoka Stampeders for the Western Canada title.

 

Due to job commitments the Brandon squad was only able to ice 12 players when they ventured west to Ponoka to take on the Ponoka Stampeders. Brandon would take Games One and Two, 6-3, 4-3,  before the series moved to Brandon and the Stampeders responded with a 5-3 win. Brandon bounced back winning Game Four 8-3, but the Stamps would not lay down, responding with a hard-fought 2-1 win. Brandon would claim the Western Canada Intermediate hockey crown with a Game Six 3-1 victory.

1955 Edmonton Journal Trophy Champions

Roster: Bob Harper, Mac Beaton (C), Mike Daski, Jim Nichol, Ron Castelane, Bill Maslanko, Ron Maxwell (A), Doug Baldwin, Ross Jones, John Warren, Hec Bourgeois (A), Church Russell, Bill Juzda, Bill Shadlock, Julian Klymkiw, Coach - Bing Juckes