SIMILAR IMAGES
IMAGE INFORMATION
EditGuelph Biltmore Mad Hatters
Memorial Cup Champions 1952
J. Ross Robertson Cup Champions 1952
George Richardson Memorial Trophy Champions 1952
Team Roster
Doug Ashley, Andy Bathgate, Frank Bettiol, Marvin Brewer, Lou Fontinato, Ken Graham, Aldo Guidolin, Terry Hagan, Chuck Henderson, Harry Howell, Ken Laufman, Doug Lesser, Bill McCreary, Ron Murphy, Ron Pirie, Dean Prentice, Ray Ross, Ron Stewart, Ken Uniac, Ted Brady, Jim Connelly.
Coach - Alf Pike
General Manager - Roy Mason
Trainer - Joe Veroni
The Biltmores were owned by local businessmen Roy Mason (he was the team's general manager), Evan Brill, Jack Chambers, Bob Dawson, Vic Dennis, George Lasby, Dayt Marsh, Norm McMillan, Arnold Somerville and Eddie Williams.
Guelph's roster featured eight players who would go on to play in the NHL. Two of them -- team captain Andy Bathgate and Harry Howell -- would end up in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Lou Fontinato, Dean Prentice, Ron Murphy, Bill McCreary, Ron Stewart and Aldo Guidolin would also play in the NHL.
Pike would also end up in the NHL, coaching the New York Rangers.
Also on their roster was Pete Conacher, whose father, Charley, was playing in the NHL. Their top scorer, however, was Ken Laufman, who totalled 53 goals and 86 assists as he set what was then an Ontario junior scoring record with 139 points in the regular season.
The series opened in Guelph's new 4,247-seat arena -- tickets went for what was then the steep price of $3 so that the host committee could meet the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association's guarantee. In Game 1, on April 25, the Biltmores posted an 8-2 victory. Guelph peppered Bob Tyler with 14 shots in the first period, 16 in the second and another 16 in the third for a grand total of 46. It took the Reginans all night to amass a total of 10 shots.”
Stewart, a defenceman who had been added to Guelph's lineup from the Barrie Flyers in a late-season cash transaction, scored the only goal of the first period and Guelph then outscored Regina 3-1 in the second. Stewart finished up with two goals, as did Laufman. Murphy, Prentice, Jim Connelly and Chuck Henderson added one each. Regina's goals came from Harvey Schmidt and Litzenberger.
For the remainder of the series, the teams moved to Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens. There were 7,333 fans in the pews on April 27 for Guelph's 4-2 victory in Game 2. Bathgate scored Guelph's first and last goals, with Murphy and McCreary, who had two assists, adding one each. Ted Yarnton and Litzenberger scored for Regina.
Game 3 on April 30, Regina lost 8-2 before 4,270 fans to fall behind 3-0 in the series. Murphy and Bathgate each scored three times as Guelph led 4-1 and 5-2 at the intermissions. Henderson and Laufman also scored.
Johnny Reeve and Brian McDonald scored for the Pats.
Guelph won 10-2 on May 2 to complete the sweep in front of 3,447 fans.
Prentice and Connelly each scored twice for Guelph which outscored Regina 30-8 over the four games. Stewart, Bill Chalmers, Bathgate, McCreary, Henderson and Howell added a goal each. Litzenberger and Gordon Cowan replied for Regina.
The Memorial Cup-winning goal, Guelph's third of the game, came from Bathgate at 18:16 of the first period.
The Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters were a brief note in junior Hockey history, but left an impression on the game during 13 years of operation. The team that was sponsored by a local manufacturer in the Royal City would capture a National Championship, several provincial titles, and send four men onto the Hockey Hall of Fame