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83-692: The team began play in 1961, in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League , and was named after the NHL's Detroit Red Wings . The team was one of the founding members of the Western Hockey League in 1966, but left in 1968 to return to the SJHL. Increasing travel costs of playing in the Western Hockey League was the main reason for moving back to the SJHL. The team is the most successful in

166-710: A European exhibition tour in preparation for the Olympics. Potter questioned whether future exhibition games in Czechoslovakia or the Soviet Union would be worthwhile, due to the games being used for political propaganda and to give Canada a bad reputation. Potter accused media in Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union for portraying Canada as physical and undisciplined, whereas newspapers in Germany and Switzerland lauded Canada's play as clean and disciplined. Potter accused referees at

249-470: A bench-clearing brawl. Potter ordered that the game be stopped after three match penalties, nine major penalties and three misconducts had been issued; and after Edmonton police had to restore order when fans became involved with players. Potter described the brawl as "butchery" and the most brutal he had seen. Both teams made threats not to continue and Potter recommended that the series be called off. After multiple suspensions and an increased police presence,

332-401: A committee to examine the professional-amateur agreement with the NHL, with the intent to keep players in junior hockey as long as possible instead of becoming professionals. The CAHA continued to seek an end to the NHL sponsoring of a small number of junior teams and to spread out the financial support more evenly across Canada. Alberta welcomed the return of senior hockey in 1964, to replace

415-497: A decrease in minor hockey registrations. The Edmonton Journal later reported that minor hockey groups in Alberta were opposed to the magazine and it being touted as a mandatory fee. The CAHA ended publication of Hockey Canada after nine issues, due to fewer than expected subscriptions and multiple branches complaining about the added costs. In November 1962, the CAHA sought funding from

498-582: A delay in replacing their home arena which had been damaged in a storm. Games played in Flin Flon were allotted 2.5 points each. Prince Albert played the season in Dauphin, Manitoba due to a fire at their arena. The Edmonton Oil Kings , a junior hockey team participating in the Central Alberta Hockey League for senior level teams, played an interlocking schedule of two games against each of

581-519: A director, the vice-president or the president. Potter was elected second vice-president of the CAHA on May 21, 1959. He oversaw the distribution of $ 80,000 in grants towards development of minor hockey in Canada, and the implementation of mandatory goaltender masks . In January and February 1960, he chaperoned the Soviet Union men's national ice hockey team on their tour of Western Canada. He credited

664-617: A lack of organization of hockey in Southern Alberta due to the failure to meet deadlines for provincial playoffs. Potter was named a director of the Edmonton Junior Hockey League for the 1945–46 season. He and fellow league executives hired local baseball executive John Ducey as a public relations director to promote junior hockey when senior ice hockey was growing in Edmonton. The junior league suspended operations after

747-480: A lot of passing the way Canada used to, and taking high-sticking penalties was Canada's weakness in international play. The Trail Smoke Eaters won the 1962 Allan Cup and were chosen to represent Canada at the 1963 Ice Hockey World Championships . When the Western International Hockey League did not operate during the 1962–63 season, the team appealed for exhibition games in preparation for

830-467: A national team "may sow the seed for something", and that "it could well be the pattern we adopt in the future". Potter lauded the hockey players at the 1964 Olympics for conducting themselves as true sportsmen in Europe, and had "captured the imagination of people everywhere". He recognized that the time commitment to the national team had a negative academic impact on its players, and commended them for paying

913-554: A permanent national team was preferred. Potter was named to the North American committee of the IIHF in August 1963. He presented differences in international body checking rules at the IIHF general meeting in 1963, where the federation agreed to trial usage of the North American rules to see if European players and spectators would accept a permanent change. The Canada national team played

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996-630: A sport due to their criticism. Potter lifted the ban on the two broadcasters after the conclusion of the playoffs. Potter oversaw the 1963 Memorial Cup between the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Niagara Falls Flyers , played at the Edmonton Gardens. Niagara Falls' coach Hap Emms made numerous petty complaints about the series and the CAHA, including the ice rink's dimensions and access to the other team's practices. Emms threatened that

1079-673: A team. Two former CAHA presidents offered different views on Canada's amateur eligibility at the next Olympics. Jack Roxburgh recommended not attending since he felt that Canada's practice of allowing financial compensation to amateurs for salary loss was against the Olympic Oath ; whereas Robert Lebel argued that Canada did not violate the Olympic Oath since the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) permitted an allowance. The CAHA chose to participate in ice hockey at

1162-474: A universal draft of players who had graduated from the junior hockey level. The NHL did not want to abandon the sponsorship system since it was unknown what would replace it, and favoured to keep the structure of the NHL Amateur Draft for a few years before considering another system. The CAHA continued to seek for all players eligible for the draft and not just 16-year-olds. Potter oversaw scheduling for

1245-606: The 1950 Ice Hockey World Championships , and the Lethbridge Maple Leafs who won the 1951 Ice Hockey World Championships . Potter chaired the committee that organized the victory parade in Edmonton for the Mercurys. Alberta had been without top-tier senior hockey since 1950, after its two Western Canada Senior Hockey League teams joined the Alexander Cup Major Series, then became professional. Potter blamed

1328-736: The 1962 Ice Hockey World Championships in Colorado where Canada placed a disappointing second, which led to calls for a new method of selecting the national team. Potter was elected president of the CAHA to succeed Jack Roxburgh on May 25, 1962. Potter and the CAHA introduced the magazine Hockey Canada in September 1962, to be published about amateur hockey in Canada, and made available by subscription to all registered players and organizations. Potter denied reports in The Canadian Press that Quebec hockey officials were upset about increased fees and

1411-462: The 1964 Allan Cup champions Winnipeg Maroons to form the nucleus of a national team, then add the best available players from across Canada. The Maroons gave up their identity and became the permanent Canada national team. Potter was succeeded by Lionel Fleury of Quebec City as president on May 23, 1964. Potter was named chairman of a committee for an internal audit of the finances of the CAHA branches and their affiliated groups. He also chaired

1494-582: The 1964 Memorial Cup played in Toronto, and disagreed with the management of Maple Leaf Gardens on the radio broadcast rights for games. The Gardens' management demanded more money from the stations and refused entry to some broadcasters. Potter stated that the CAHA reserved all rights, but that there was little he could do since the CAHA had a different contract with the Gardens. After the Toronto Marlboros won

1577-572: The Abbott Cup as the junior champions of Western Canada, and the Flin Flon Bombers won the Memorial Cup as the national junior champion of Canada in 1957. Frank Boucher served as commissioner of the league from 1959 to 1966. The league disbanded when five of its eight teams joined the newly formed Canadian Major Junior Hockey League . The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) began play as

1660-577: The Canadian Centennial . Potter advised to host only the top tier of competition which would generate the most ticket sales and felt that the IIHF would be willing to host the lower tiers of competition elsewhere. In March 1965, the IIHF declined the CAHA's bid in favour of hosting all tiers of the 1967 World Championships in Austria. Potter questioned whether it was worthwhile for the CAHA to participate in future World Championships if its relationship with

1743-905: The Canadian Centennial Medal in 1967, was inducted into the builder category of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1968, and was part of the inaugural class of inductees into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982. Arthur Thomas Potter was born on August 8, 1909, in Ramsgate , Kent, England. He was the youngest of five children to Annie and George Potter, the latter who worked as a blacksmith . They departed Liverpool aboard SS Laurentic on April 30, immigrated to Canada at Quebec City on May 8, 1910, then settled in Edmonton , Alberta. As an 18-year-old in 1927, Potter began coaching

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1826-538: The Government of Canada via the National Advisory Council of Physical Fitness and Amateur Sports, to establish a national training program for coaches and managers who volunteered for an amateur hockey team. Potter felt university instructors would be best suited for training volunteers on how to teach hockey fundamentals to minor hockey players, and that the government would contribute since hockey aligned with

1909-506: The 1964 Winter Olympics , and Potter deferred making the decision on which team would be sent until the next executive meeting. Potter met with the CAHA executive in August 1962, when Father David Bauer presented his concept for a truly amateur team at the Olympics. The CAHA approved Bauer's plan to establish a team of student athletes who would train and study at the University of British Columbia , and be supplemented by seniors players for

1992-734: The Allan Cup if they participated in a Canadian-based senior league, after the British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association and the Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association argued in favour of including the Spokane Jets and the Warroad Lakers . Potter declined to answer whether an American-based team could win the Allan Cup and represent Canada at international events, and felt that the formation of

2075-607: The CAHA to enter teams, rather than only the senior teams in Ontario in British Columbia. As of the 1958 Allan Cup , the CAHA allowed intermediate level teams outside of Ontario in British Columbia to add six players to their rosters to enter the national playoffs. Potter stepped down as president in November 1958, and had continuously served on the AAHA executive from 1943 to 1959 as either

2158-594: The Canadian team. They always stab us in the back here". Canada placed fourth at the 1963 World Championships, its worst result at the time. Potter stated, "Something has to be done to stimulate more national hockey pride in Canada". He felt that Canada would not win the World Championships again unless it sent its best players and gave them enough time to develop as a team. The CAHA and the Smoke Eaters disagreed on

2241-708: The Edmonton Elites junior ice hockey team. He also volunteered as a convenor for the Edmonton Junior Hockey League in which the team played. During three seasons in the league, the Elites won the city's playoffs championship in 1928, and were playoffs finalists in 1927 and 1929. For five seasons from 1929 to 1933, Potter managed the Edmonton Poolers while Barney Stanley coached the team. Their team included future National Hockey League (NHL) players Mac Colville , Neil Colville , Louis Trudel and Art Wiebe ; and won

2324-630: The Edmonton Oil Kings", since they had the pick of all the players from Alberta and used loopholes in rules to import stronger players. After a playoffs game between the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Estevan Bruins in April 1963, Potter announced that broadcast rights for CAHA games by Ken Newmans of CHAB in Moose Jaw, and Linus Westerbeg of CKOS-TV in Yorkton, had been indefinitely suspended. Potter stated that

2407-562: The Edmonton Sports Writers' Association dinner. The Canadian Press described the series as an "all-out war", the play of Edmonton to be "almost brutal", and that Edmonton seemed intent to end Eastern Canada's opinion that Western Canadian teams played "pantsy-waist hockey". After Edmonton won the 1963 Memorial Cup in six games, the CAHA debated the incidents in the series and approved a motion to deplore "the actions of any club official which degrade our game". Potter agreed that Emms

2490-495: The Flyers would quit the 1963 Memorial Cup and accused Potter of being "strictly a homer" and dictatorial. Emms charged that his team was denied access to treatment for a player's broken leg, and that spectators and sportswriters in Edmonton treated his team poorly, and complained about a general lack of hospitality. Potter dismissed the charges and stated that the treatment of the Flyers matched their lack of courtesy and refusal to attend

2573-509: The IIHF could not improve and be financially sustainable. Potter oversaw the 1965 Memorial Cup played at the Edmonton Gardens, a rematch of the final between the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Niagara Falls Flyers. The 1965 series was also physical in mature and included further disagreements between Potter and Hap Emms. During game three of the series, Niagara Falls' Derek Sanderson attacked Edmonton's Bob Falkenberg which resulted in

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2656-763: The Memorial Cup competition against the Montreal Junior Canadiens . The team won the Royal Bank Cup , representative of national Canadian Junior A Hockey League supremacy, in 2005. They won the Cup on home ice, defeating the Camrose Kodiaks 3–2 in front of 2,152 fans in the championship game. They also won the trophy in 1984, defeating the Orillia Travelways 3–0 in the seventh game in front of 2,375 fans at

2739-544: The Memorial Cup in 1957, as the national junior champion of Canada. Frank Boucher served as commissioner of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League from 1959 to 1966. He proposed to establish a junior hockey league of the best twelve teams in Canada sponsored by the National Hockey League (NHL), and to compete for a trophy at a higher tier than the Memorial Cup. CAHA president Art Potter and

2822-578: The NHL. He had multiple disagreements with coach Hap Emms during two Memorial Cup finals, suspended radio announcers for comments that he felt were detrimental to the game, sought rules to sanction teams and individuals who abused on-ice officials or the CAHA, and advocated using a three-man officiating system to reduce incidents. Potter was an executive for the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association from 1943 to 1959, including seven years as vice-president and four years as president. He

2905-756: The North Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League for the 1948–49 season, and was formed in response to teams in South Saskatchewan and Alberta combining to establish the Western Canada Junior Hockey League . The North Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League renamed itself to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League for the 1950–51 season. The league operated under the jurisdiction of the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association , and its teams were eligible for

2988-485: The Olympics of calling petty penalties and ruining the games for all countries, and credited Bauer for keeping his cool despite the inept officiating. Potter felt that Canada should not participate in future international competitions unless four North American referees were used. During a game versus the Sweden national team , Bauer was struck in the face with a broken hockey stick thrown aside by Carl-Göran Öberg . Potter felt

3071-407: The Olympics. After the decision was announced, Potter denied misconceptions by University of Alberta physical education director Maury Van Vliet that all national team members would be students or that the team would participate in a Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union hockey league. Potter later met with Bauer and University of British Columbia officials and reached a financial agreement for

3154-519: The SJHL from the Memorial Cup playoffs, due to the "unfair domination of western junior hockey by the Edmonton Oil Kings", since they had the pick of all the players from Alberta and used loopholes in rules to import stronger players. After a playoffs game between the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Estevan Bruins in April 1963, Potter announced that broadcast rights for CAHA games by Ken Newmans of CHAB in Moose Jaw, and Linus Westerbeg of CKOS-TV in Yorkton, had been indefinitely suspended. Potter stated that

3237-569: The Swedish player should have been assessed a 10-minute penalty and a game misconduct, and implied that it was typical behaviour by the Sweden national team. Canada, Sweden and Czechoslovakia completed the Olympic tournament with similar records of five wins and two losses. Canada believed it had won the bronze medal, but the IIHF placed Canada fourth overall. Potter appealed the decision and contested that only

3320-514: The Weyburn Colosseum. 10th of 12 SJHL 11th of 12 SJHL 12th of 12 SJHL 8th of 12 SJHL Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (1948%E2%80%931966) The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League was a junior ice hockey based in Saskatchewan and Manitoba from 1948 until 1966. It operated under the jurisdiction of the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association . Two of its teams won

3403-516: The World Championships. Potter and the CAHA noted that reports of the Smoke Eaters asking for money had not come from team executives, and that the CAHA had not planned for the team to be in financial difficulty. In March 1963, the IIHF threatened to withdraw ice hockey from the 1964 Winter Olympics due to disagreements with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Potter felt that hockey should participate despite concerns about

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3486-503: The athlete had the right to choose, and would be supported by the AAHA and the CAHA. Alberta was without any senior hockey level teams in 1956. The AAHA then divided its intermediate hockey level into tiers to allow for the inclusion of teams from smaller towns and leagues composed entirely of industrial employees. In August 1957, Potter appealed to the CAHA that Allan Cup competition be opened up to intermediate level teams strengthened by additional players. He wanted to see more branches of

3569-461: The bantam, midget, juvenile age groups in minor hockey. The AAHA sought to increase registration in minor hockey and began paying the travel costs for teams during provincial playoffs, and reached its greatest number of players registered by the 1952–53 season. At the 1949 general meeting, the AAHA contemplated combining the best players from the Edmonton Junior Hockey League into a Western Canada Junior Hockey League (WCJHL) team. An Edmonton team

3652-408: The change and felt that junior hockey had become too fast for the two-referee system without linesmen. The CAHA agreed that the reigning Allan Cup champion was the best choice to represent Canada in international hockey, but debated future participation due to financial struggles and the perceived lack of co-operation from ice hockey promoters in accessing profits from European tours. Potter attended

3735-504: The committee to have the facility designed and built. He retired as EDHA president in September 1948 to focus on organizing hockey at the provincial level. Potter was elected vice-president of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association (AAHA) in May 1948. He served seven one-year terms until 1955; and oversaw the Northern Alberta playoffs each season for intermediate level senior hockey, and

3818-461: The council's objectives of promoting citizenship, character and physical fitness. Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) commissioner Frank Boucher proposed to establish a junior hockey league of the best twelve teams in Canada sponsored by the NHL, and to compete for a trophy at a higher tier than the Memorial Cup. Potter and the CAHA resolutions committee were against increasing NHL influence into amateur hockey in Canada and declined to present

3901-703: The financial arrangements for television broadcast rights. The Canadian Press speculated that Potter's remarks reflected that Canada wanted to remain on good terms with the IOC since it had bid to host the 1968 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Journalist Mordecai Richler reported that the Canada national team was given second class hotel accommodations and cold pork chops for breakfast at the 1963 Ice Hockey World Championships in Sweden, and that Swedish newspaper headlines stated that "The Canadians want to see blood". Richler quoted Potter as saying, "These are Cold War tactics to demoralize

3984-401: The game for fun, advocated for shorter schedules, and felt that the game in general had become too physical. He wanted to see more temporary outdoor ice rinks constructed to meet the seasonal demands of minor hockey and recommended that rinks be located at schools if public parks had no available space. Potter felt that "professional money [had] ruined amateur hockey", and that the NHL changed

4067-456: The game into a big business. He wanted to spread out junior hockey talent and see fewer players controlled by professional interests concentrated on a small group of teams. He also urged for smaller towns to focus on producing their own talent through minor hockey, instead of trying to import better players by offering money. Potter aired several grievances of the AAHA at the 1956 Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) general meeting. He

4150-411: The games involving the top four teams mattered when using goals for and against in tie-breaking, instead of including all games in the tournament. The IIHF held a meeting to confirm its interpretation of the tie-breaking procedure and denied the appeal. IIHF president Bunny Ahearne stated that Canada misunderstood the rules and how the standings were calculated. The Canada national team did not attend

4233-618: The imbalance in competition caused lack of spectator interest and less prestige for the event. At the next CAHA meeting in January 1955, the request for three additional players for the Abbott Cup representative was approved. Two teams from the SJHL won the Abbott Cup as the junior champions of Western Canada; which included the Flin Flon Bombers in 1957, and the Regina Pats in 1958. Flin Flon also won

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4316-428: The increase of minor league professional hockey for the decline the senior hockey in Alberta. In October 1951, he and the AAHA upgraded the intermediate teams to A-level and B-level senior teams, which allowed the A-level teams to compete in the national Allan Cup playoffs. Potter was elected president of the AAHA on November 14, 1955. and served four seasons in the position. He wanted to see more children playing

4399-402: The international level. He felt that the talent level on the national team had to be on par with the American Hockey League to regain the World Championship, and that sending the reigning Allan Cup champion was no longer the answer. He advocated using the nucleus of the 1964 Olympics team and adding senior players until it became a truly national team by the 1968 Winter Olympics. The CAHA chose

4482-424: The juvenile age group championship for minor ice hockey in Alberta in 1930. Potter remained involved as the director for the midget and juvenile age groups in Edmonton, and served continuously in the role until the 1942–43 season. The age groups played all of their games on outdoor ice rinks , had grown to exceed 200 players by 1941, and Potter hoped to further expand the groups be encouraging participation from

4565-413: The league in terms of league championships won. They have won 8 SJHL championships in their history. They won it in 1970, 1971, 1984, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001. The Red Wings won the Abbott Cup in 1970, making them the Junior "A" Champion for Western Canada and earning a playoff against the George Richardson Memorial Trophy winning Eastern Champion for the Memorial Cup . The Red Wings lost

4648-432: The medal ceremonies. Potter, Bauer and the team trainer were the only three Canadians present. Potter was quoted in The Canadian Press by an unnamed source as saying that Canada would never play in the Olympics again. He admitted that he might have said it out of frustration, but later denied the quote and still felt that Canada had been double-crossed in the standings. Potter felt that the system used by Bauer to select

4731-417: The national junior hockey playoffs as organized by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). The SJHL and other junior teams in Western Canada addressed the imbalance in Memorial Cup competition in a meeting with CAHA president W. B. George in August 1954. The teams sought permission for any league champion to add three players in the inter-provincial playoffs for the Memorial Cup, and contended that

4814-416: The national team program to begin in August 1963. Potter commented on the Soviet Union national team tour of Canada in 1962, and felt that despite losses to them, Canada would regain its position as the world's top hockey nation since it produced the best players. He felt that as a part of Canada teaching hockey to the world, pupils could become better than the teacher. He noted that the Europeans played with

4897-473: The owner of the Medicine Hat Tigers . Potter disagreed that any junior team owned its players, nor had the right to sell them to another team, and compared it to slavery. He warned that proper transfers must be completed to change teams, and that players could be suspended if an agreement was not honoured to play for a team. He was also opposed to any amateur sport club which attempted to restrict its athletes from playing an additional amateur sport. He stated that

4980-429: The players returned, Potter announced the team would be known as the Edmonton Oil Kings and play an exhibition schedule versus WCJHL teams. Potter led initiatives to organize the Northern Alberta Intermediate Hockey League in 1948, and became secretary of the Western Canada intermediate hockey committee to organize inter-provincial playoffs. Intermediate hockey teams in Alberta included the Edmonton Mercurys who won

5063-466: The price to represent the country without complaining. Potter met with Bauer to discuss prevention of academic impacts, after it was revealed that seven of the players dropped out of their courses, and nine others completed less than half of their courses. The 1964 CAHA general meeting debated the future of the national team. Potter defended Bauer's system and disagreed with suggestions to use junior-aged players who he felt were not mature enough to play at

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5146-431: The proposal at the semi-annual meeting. Potter also wanted more study into programs to support continued junior hockey growth and the Memorial Cup. Boucher and team owners in Saskatchewan and Manitoba accused Potter and the CAHA of disregarding their concerns and favouring the Edmonton Oil Kings. Boucher threatened to withdraw the SJHL from the Memorial Cup playoffs, due to the "unfair domination of western junior hockey by

5229-410: The reigning Allan Cup champion to international competitions was no longer the answer. He felt that Canada needed discipline to handle Cold War tactics and propaganda at the Ice Hockey World Championships , sought to give its best players to develop as a team, and supported a plan by Father David Bauer to assemble a team of amateur student athletes to complete at the 1964 Winter Olympics . Potter

5312-452: The resolutions committee were against increasing NHL influence into amateur hockey in Canada and declined to present the proposal at the semi-annual meeting. Potter also wanted more study into programs to support continued junior hockey growth and the Memorial Cup. Boucher and team owners in Saskatchewan and Manitoba accused Potter and the CAHA of disregarding their concerns and favouring the Edmonton Oil Kings . Boucher threatened to withdraw

5395-457: The season, and the EDHA established a new city league including a combination of senior, intermediate and junior hockey teams. Potter sat on a committee to establish a sports and recreation council for Edmonton, and felt the proposed body should aim to support and promote sports organizations rather than be simply a neutral administration. The council supported a proposal for a C$ 100,000 artificial ice rink for minor ice hockey, and Potter sat on

5478-440: The series continued and Niagara Falls won in five games. Emms made multiple complaints about the scheduling and inferred that Potter had a financial benefit from games at the Edmonton Gardens. Potter implied that Emms felt he knew everything, and declined the "cloak of genius" label given to him by Emms. Potter and Ontario Hockey Association president Matt Leyden spoke at the 1965 Memorial Cup banquet and gave similar views on

5561-401: The series in four games, Potter said it was a financial failure since Gardens' management priced the tickets too high. He recommended that future Memorial Cup finals alternate between the arenas of the participating teams, and that playoffs be shortened for the final to be played in April rather than in May. In May 1964, the CAHA decided to allow teams based in the United States to compete for

5644-496: The series. He scheduled the championship series at the Edmonton Gardens , which became the first time that Edmonton hosted the Memorial Cup finals. Potter served as chairman of the resolutions committee which handled recommendations to update the ice hockey rules and CAHA by-laws. The CAHA chose consistent usage of a three-man officiating system including a referee and two linesmen for inter-provincial playoffs, instead of each branch choosing its preferred system. Potter favoured

5727-400: The seven teams in the SJHL during the 1963–64 season. Art Potter Arthur Thomas Potter (August 8, 1909 – January 19, 1998) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator. He was president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) from 1962 to 1964, and oversaw the establishment of a permanent Canada men's national ice hockey team after he decided that sending

5810-466: The suspensions resulted from "continuously and severely criticizing officials, thereby giving an erroneous picture of the game as played". The SJHL disbanded following the 1965–66 season, when five of its eight teams joined the newly formed Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (CMJHL). The two Manitoba-based teams joined the Manitoba Junior Hockey League , and the Melville Millionaires suspended operations. The Saskatchewan Amateur Junior Hockey League

5893-464: The suspensions resulted from "continuously and severely criticizing officials, thereby giving an erroneous picture of the game as played"; and that "this type of broadcast is a definite detriment to sport and cannot be tolerated". The Canadian Press argued the need for a full-time position within the CAHA to oversee on-ice officiating, charged Potter of censorship and going beyond his power, and expressed concerns that sportscasters can decrease interest in

5976-513: The team for being able to beat Canada in hockey and described the players as, "smart, clean-living and interested in finding out more about Canada". He oversaw scheduling for the 1960 Allan Cup in Western Canada, ruled that Saskatchewan too late in declaring a champion to participate in the playoffs, then changed his mind and scheduled an abbreviated series. Potter was elected first vice-president in May 1960, and served two one-year terms. He

6059-453: The team's financial statement of the European tour, and coach Bobby Kromm faulted the CAHA for lack of financial assistance and additional players to strengthen the team. Potter felt that the CAHA had done nothing wrong and accused Kromm of poor judgment in choosing players. The team perceived Potter's statement as censuring the coach and was criticized as "unfair and unsportsmanlike". Potter

6142-540: The towns surrounding Edmonton. Potter was elected vice-president of the Edmonton and District Hockey Association (EDHA) in October 1943, then served as its president for four seasons beginning in October 1944. The EDHA grew to include teams from Red Deer in junior hockey, and expanded its minor hockey program to include a bantam age group. Potter and the EDHA sought to have a greater influence on hockey in Alberta, and perceived

6225-456: The void left by the departed Western Hockey League teams. Potter cautioned teams to avoid a financial bidding war for players, which had caused the previous decline of senior hockey in Alberta. He felt that the Allan Cup would regain its prestige within a year or two if teams kept expenses low and minimized travel costs to share the wealth. The CAHA submitted a bid to host the top tier of the 1967 Ice Hockey World Championships to coincide with

6308-586: Was a good coach but that "his actions were childlike". The CAHA general meeting in 1962 debated alternate methods of selecting the Canada men's national ice hockey team instead of sending the reigning Allan Cup champion to international events. The AAHA submitted a proposal for the Canadian Army to train the athletes and operate the team. The Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association suggested each CAHA branch send its best players to an all-star playoffs series to select

6391-428: Was against the increasing influence of the National Hockey League (NHL) into amateur hockey, and blamed minor league professional teams for the decline of senior ice hockey and loss of prestige for the Allan Cup. He wanted to keep players in junior ice hockey as long as possible, and favoured the revised NHL Amateur Draft agreement to financially support junior hockey which ended the direct sponsorship of teams by

6474-703: Was established in 1968, and included teams which formerly played in the SJHL and the CMJHL. List of teams that played in the SJHL: Standings include one-point games between Humboldt and Prince Albert. The 1951–52 season scheduled included games against the Western Canada Junior Hockey League . Al Pickard was elected to be the league's governor. Al Pickard was re-elected to be the league's governor. Flin Flon won ten games valued at one point instead of two points. Moose Jaw played most of its games in Weyburn due to

6557-496: Was formed for the 1950–51 season, but was denied entry since the WCJHL had already made its schedule. In response, the AAHA threatened not to sanction the other four Alberta-based teams in the league, but recanted and sought exhibition games for the Edmonton team. When players from Edmonton were added to the rosters of WCJHL teams, Potter stated that the players had not been released and faced suspension for not honouring commitments. After

6640-605: Was in change of the 1961 Memorial Cup playoffs in Western Canada and the final championship series. During the Western Canada final between the Winnipeg Rangers and the Edmonton Oil Kings, Potter assessed 10-minute misconduct penalties to five players and ordered them to begin the third game of the series in the penalty box . The Winnipeg Free Press described the decision as "an unusual scene" and that it had resulted from an on-ice stick-swinging brawl during game two of

6723-615: Was known as "Mr. Hockey" in Edmonton , where he was a lifelong volunteer to organize minor ice hockey , which included serving as president of the Edmonton and District Hockey Association. He was elected to four terms as chairman of the Edmonton Recreation Board, assisted in the planning and construction of the South Edmonton Sports Centre, and was inducted into the Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame. He received

6806-435: Was opposed to the NHL making professionals out of players who were still eligible for junior ice hockey. He argued that the loss of best players in Western Canada exacerbated the imbalance of Memorial Cup competition against stronger Eastern Canada teams, and that fewer talented players led to decreased attendance and ticket revenues in Alberta. In September 1956, Bill Hunter claimed that he could rightfully sell players as

6889-559: Was re-elected president on May 24, 1963. He welcomed reports that the Edmonton Flyers and the Calgary Stampeders would withdraw from the professional minor league hockey. He felt that since the NHL could no longer claim territorial rights without professional teams in Alberta, it would stimulate NHL sponsorship of junior teams instead. The CAHA debated a proposal to end the direct NHL sponsorship of junior teams and replace it with

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