Western Canada's best university hockey team in 1949/50. Defeated US collegiate champion Colorado College and Denver University by a combined 39-12 score. First UBC hockey team to dominate university competition.
Hugh Berry, Stu Bailey, John Dechene, Jack McFarlane, Mal Hughes, Terry Nelford, Bob Lindsay, Bob Koch, Bruce Barnes, Herman Wagner, Fred Andrew, Ken Torrence, Clare Drake, Bob Saunders, Jim Rowledge, Hass Young, Don Adams, Ken Hodgert, Lloyd Torfason, Frank Fredrickson (coach), Mac Porteous (assistant coach), Al Thiessen (manager) Herm Frydenlund (publicity).
UBC has had a hockey team of the men's variety since 1915 but frankly speaking there hasn't been too many during that time that leap out at you as being great. In fact, despite the many years of superb entertainment, there are only five of our teams that really could be considered winners. A couple of Bob Hindmarch's teams from the early 70s, Father Bauer's pre-Olympic 62/63 team and our first provincial champion, the 1920/21 team, qualify as exceptions. None of these has won a Canadian championship and only two were official Western Canadian title holders.
However, there is one team that seems to stand out. A team from an era that pre-dates CIAU, Canada West and Canadian championships. An era, which at the risk of slight exaggeration, might be considered a "black hole" in UBC hockey history. Yet from this darkness arises, arguably, the most successful Blue and Gold hockey team ever. This was a band of dedicated, experienced hockey men, most of whom were hockey unknowns outside of the team's group of fervent supporters. A few on the other hand, were among the top university players in the country. This was the 1949/50 team, coached by NHL and UBC Hall of Famer, Frank Fredrickson and his assistant, Mac Porteous.
Fredrickson, who as a player experienced the thrill of both a Stanley Cup and Olympic Gold, was in his fifth season as UBC Thunderbirds coach, having cultivated his team to the point where it was playing in the Pacific Coast Senior 'A' league - the top calibre at the amateur level. He had experience and so did his key players. Bob Koch and goalie Don Adams had been entertained by the pros. In today's university hockey world of the coveted Major Junior players, these fellows would have made these "Major" guys look like kids. Herman "Wag" Wagner was the captain and player patriarch, later to coach the UBC Thunderbirds in 1951/52. The "nugget" on this squad was a hard working second year forward by way of the Regina Pats, Clare Drake. If that name sounds familiar it might be because he would graduate from UBC to coach the Alberta Golden Bears to six CIAU hockey titles, 17 Canada West championships and four Canada West Coach of the Year awards. In 1968 he even coached the Alberta football team to a Canadian championship. This is what UBC hockey teams had to contend with after he left Point Grey.
However, 1949/50 was the year of the Thunderbird, at least on the ice surfaces of western Canada and western USA. The team honed its craft in the BC Senior 'A' league before crowds of 1000 to 4000 at both the Forum and the newly built Kerrisdale Arena. Then in early January 1950, UBC Chancellor Eric Hamber issued a brand new challenge. The Hamber Cup, a series between UBC and Maury Van Vliet's Western Canadian champion University of Alberta Golden Bears, the only hockey playing schools in these two provinces at the time, was designed to determine just which program would assume annual bragging rights.
Alberta has been a hockey power since day one. The 1940s and 1950s were no exception as it was able to stock its team with several top juniors and ex-pros, guys who came back to school after playing for pay. The first two games of this best of five Hamber series were set for Edmonton. The Bears were confident. The possibility of defeat never entered their heads. The scores- 3-2 and 5-4 in favour of UBC in some of the best hockey seen in a long time sent Alberta, the self-professed king of the hill, reeling.
Meanwhile, carrying only 12 players, UBC continued its road trip south of the border to take on that year’s US collegiate champions, Colorado College. The home team, rated as good as you get in the US, stocked itself with several Canadians - scholarship recipients - the beginning of a trend that extends to this day. These possessors of a 10 game winning streak went down to our UBC Thunderbirds 8-4 and 5-3. By now the hockey fans were believers. The Thunderbirds were the real thing. Final stop on the 10 day trip, a mediocre but later to be a hockey powerhouse, Denver University. It also succumbed, the UBC Thunderbirds skating to lopsided 14-1 and 12-4 victories.
Back home at Point Grey, the Thunderbirds buoyed by a six-game winning streak had yet to finish their Hamber Cup series with Alberta. Down 2-0, the cocky Bears were amazed they could even be in this position and were wringing their hands in anticipation as to what they were about to do to the guys from the coast.
It was tough, but Alberta managed to squeak by 3-2 in overtime, handing UBC its first loss in the last seven games. The home team however, needed only one more win to take the first Hamber Cup.
Behind the goal scoring of Bob Koch and Hugh Berry and the defensive play of Terry Nelford, the UBC Thunderbirds kicked all doubt to the curb. With a 7-2 victory UBC achieved for itself a new level of hockey accomplishment. It was now possessor of the Hamber Cup and unofficial champions of all university hockey in North America (Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes not withstanding). Okay, its tough to judge without a common league or inter-league playoffs but a 7-1 record against some of the best North American university competition available including power teams such as Alberta and Colorado College has to elevate these "upstarts" from the coast to potentially peerless status, at least in the annals of UBC.
It would be another 13 years before UBC would defeat Alberta for a Hamber Cup, in fact in the 25 year history of the trophy it was won by UBC only four times putting the 1949/50 accomplishment in perspective. Also, the class of the UBC forwards, UBC Hall of Famer Bob Koch, set a new UBC standard: 27 goals, 18 assists and 45 points in 17 games.
There may have been higher profile teams in UBC hockey, albeit not many, teams with bigger names and more sophisticated leagues and venues but this 49/50 group might just have come out of nowhere to be our best.
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
The following is a letter written by former team member, Clare Drake, to Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian:
It is difficult, if not impossible, to compare teams and individuals from one era to another. I've been in the rather unique position of being connected with University hockey for most of my professional teaching and coaching career. I believe the accomplishments of the 1950 UBC Thunderbirds hockey team would rate as outstanding in any era. The team was blessed with several outstanding individual players - Don Adams was an NHL calibre goaltender, Bob Koch was one of the best all round players I've seen at any level, Hass Young another outstanding forward, and numerous other players with above average skills. Our Coach, Hall of Famer Frank Fredrickson, was, in my opinion, years ahead of his time.
Having been a member of the team I find this letter a bit difficult to write, but I felt it was important to make people aware of the contributions of Herm Frydenlund as expressed by all the team members. I know you will accept the comments in the spirit in which they are intended.
I know I don't have to elaborate on the team to you as I feel you captured its' essence in your excellent article for this website. The players at the reunion were thrilled to read it - most for the first time. They thank you for recapturing some wonderful memories.
Sincerely, Clare Drake Professor Emeritus
