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Sport Static ssss M. -- ^== By BRITT JESSUP THE CITY lay stunned and writhing at the feet o£ THE HAMLET today. Sundridge Beavers, who, we'll wager, play POSITIONAL hockey as well as any team in the country, today are worthy, repeat worthy, champions of the North Bay and District Hockey Association. They "whupped" the Black Hawks last night 9-5, and the better team won on the night's play. Away back last fall, when BUCKO McDONALD was using his oratory to persuade the NB and DHA to accept the Sundridge entry into the league, he knew what he was doing. It has been a grand hockey season for Sundridge. First the Beavers finished in front in both leagues in which they were entered. They topped the DHA final standing, and they also finished on top of the OHA group in which they played with Powassan, Bracebridge, and Bala. In the OHA they went on to win their group playoffs and continued right through to the intermediate "B" championship of the whole association. Then they returned to fight it out with the North Bay Black Hawks in the DHA finals, and they proved that their record of 14 wins and two losses in league competition was no fluke. They're probably still celebrating in Sundridge. This summer, when the blackflies are bad and things are dull in general, the folks down there will be able to forget the heat and the flies by recalling the cool April evening their beloved Beavers humbled the "Big City" Black Hawks and snatched the championship before the biggest crowd ever to populate the North Bay rink-- some 2,700 persons. In the first 10 minutes of last night's game, the Black Hawks might just as well have been equipped with butterfly nets, the way they were handling their hockey sticks. They soon found themselves staring at a 3-0 Sunridge lead. Then the boys hit their stride and roared from behind to tie the score and assume a 4-3 lead. But the strain was too much. And with Vince Cussion knocked out of the game with a broken wrist, Pete Palangio had to move up on right wing to give the Black Hawks two forward lines. They could have used a third line. Heck, they could have used a FOURTH LINE for that matter. Incidentally, if there is a ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR award, we are going to nominate PETE PALANGIO for it. Getting back to those 2,700 people who paid the shot for last night's game, it seems that more and more, the fans--without whom the game would starve--are getting less and less considera- tion. For instance, there should have been an advance sale of tickets and RESERVED SEATS, for that matter, for these final games. And WHY WAS THE CUP NOT PRESENTED ON THE ICE? A lot of fans from Sundridge, Powassan, and other points south on Highway No. 11--to say nothing of those from Temiskaming--would like to have seen the trophy presented ON THE ICE immediately after the game. They were bitterly disappointed when it was not. As we say, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Fan, who pay the freight, are getting less and less consideration. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Fan some day will get sick and tired of being inconvenienced and disappointed. BUCKO McDONALD has done a great chore for hockey. If the majority of his constituents are hockey fans, the Liberal MP should be good for several more terms in Parliament. In fact, he may , wind up a Senator. As we watched the teams tearing into each other last night in hard, but clean fashion, we felt a glow of pride that this is CANADA'S game. It's a game of hard bodily contact, a game that calls for guts and the ability to take it and come back for more. It's a game that helps make Canada the strong and virile nation that she is. And when the boys *all shook hands afterwards--and don't forget, these two teams engaged in a couple of the wildest slugging matches seen on North Bay ice--that was the best part of all. It proved once again that sport, though it may produce fisticuffs in the heat of the battle, does not breed lasting ill-feeling, does not spawn grudges which are carried on forever. Rather, it breeds healthy respect and admiration among its competitors, who are willing to shake hands after the smoke of battle clears, and admit they were defeated by a better team or take their victory modestly. The North Bay and District Hockey Association, richer than it has ever been, will entertain executives, referees, coaches, managers, etc., at a "do" next Tuesday night at the Marine Room. The DHA got a cheque yesterday for more than $800 with which to launch its injured players' fund. The fund will have to be carefully administered, and we'd suggest a three- committee be appointed to look after it. Each request for financial assistance will have to be carefully reviewed. Well, once again, our sincere congratulations to Sundridge, Beavers, and to the Black Hawks for making a battle of it up to the last 10 minutes. Sure, we've rooted for the Black Hawks in the playoffs, but we can't help being a North Bay fan any more than Sundridge residents can help being Sundridge fans. It's been a great hockey season, and whoever thought we'd ever be writing those words on the 22nd of APRIL? \ APRIL 21, 1948 fh .he ad- Sport Static ^ |P By BRITT JESSUP WEDNESDAY, APRIL %%, 1948,, will go down in the history of to North Bay. It is also the first time the ice has gone out of the guarding the twine all by himself. He is ^to"«J *» Burlv Bucko McDonald stop at least a good Percentage of toe shots on goal. Cletus had to do it all by himself ,n the second If they expect them to go around Bucko into the cage. The white-hot feud between these two club has served to make th^^ckey season one of the most-talked-about match up between North Bay Macdonalds and Powassan Hawks 3Ck VVe^lack Hawks know they'll have to l**^ « wav if thev are to prevent the Beavers from putting the bite on the Black Hawks can't afford to make any mistakes against the Sundridge team, especially if Bucko is The North Bay team will have to skate both ways, and COVER THEIR MEN in front of Harry Lalande. In fact the Black Hawks will have to turn Supermen, almost, for one night in order to whip the Beavers swallow All right men, now that you've had your pep talk, swano* those vitamin pills and let's hit the ice AND MAY THE BEST TEAM WIN. AY, MAY 19, 1948 Sport Static By BRITT JESSUP PARD.°N U+S ™ W€ Uke time off today t0 make ovA our last will and testament. We have just accepted an invijation, couched in gracious terms and in the flowing handwriting of SAM RENNIE schoolteacher, orchestra leader, and (in his spare time) defenceman for the Sundridge Beavers. The invite is to the Beavers' big do Thursday night m Sundridge. During hookey season, when we motored through Beaverville, we always got down on the floor in the back seat and covered ourselves with a motor rug. We remained out of sight until we were at least three miles past Sundridge. In those winter months, the hockey feud between North Bay and Sundridge was so hot, the folks in both places didn't have to buy coal. The only fuel that was purchased was oil for the troubled waters. All the oil in the Leduc field wouldn't have done any good, though. The feud reached its peak when the Beavers and the North Bay Black Hawks staged two "team wrestling matches" that would have made Maple Leaf Promoter Frank Tunney gnash his teeth with envy. Harsh words were exchanged on both sides, but when the sound and the fury died away, there were handshakes all around. It was acknowledged that the better team had won. Our typewriter took three weeks to cool off. We take some comfort in the fact that Mr. A. Thomas Smith, the prexy of the NB and DHA, is to accompany us to sunny Sundridge. Mr. Smith tells us he exchanged some pretty hot correspondence with the Beavers during the season, so that he, too, was in their doghouse for a while. Seriously, the Beavers are planning themselves quite a do. There's even a possibility that famous puckchasers like Apps, Watson, Mortson and Broda will be on hand. George Panter, president of the OHA and one of the most i important hockey executives in Canada today, will also be present. It is a well-deserved tribute to one of the finest hockey teams ever to play in the DHA. Later, we understand Maestro Rennie will wield his baton and lead his orchestra for a roundelay or two. We intend to ask Bucko McDonald for the first waltz.