There have been many highlights for an old reporter to remember over a half century of involvement with provincial hockey, but none quite match the precious memories of the 1948-49 Sydney Millionaires. For a couple of reasons: One would be that there were probably better Millionaire teams before 1948-49 (the Allan Cup finalists of 1941 and earlier Sydney teams that challenged for the Stanley Cup at the turn of the last century) and probably later (1950 and ’51 Millionaire teams that lost to Sherbrooke and Valleyfield in Eastern Allan Cup finals), but none overachieved in the manner of the 1948-49 Sydney Millionaires. 

Another reason, of more personal nature, was that this team provided the vehicle for a young radio rookie to make his debut as a play-by-play hockey broadcaster. He was carried on the wings of the team’s successes from the small broadcast booth at Sydney’s old Forum, to the sacred gondola of Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, sole domain of the immortal Foster Hewitt, before the magnificent adventure ended.

It all began modestly enough, when the rookie was invited to audition for play-by-play duties in the Cape Breton Senior Hockey League finals between Sydney and Glace Bay Miners on CJCB. The audition developed into something more when the Millionaires caught fire, defeated the Miners, followed by winning the provincial title over Antigonish Bulldogs, added the Maritime championship by beating Halifax St. Mary’s and swept into the Allan Cup playoffs. This was a well-seasoned hockey team with a lot of well travelled veterans, a few rookies and an outstanding goaltender, Jack Gibson, who had backstopped Winnipeg Monarchs to the Memorial Cup three seasons earlier, in 1946. An experienced defence corps of Johnny Myketyn, Joe Watts, Johnny Arundel and Doug Fritz provided solid support for three well- balanced lines, Cliff Roach between Maurice (Mousie) Dowling and Lou Medynski, Alex Birukow pivoting for Ron Nelson and Bruce Gallagher and Don (Red) MacRae with Paul Platz and Don (Whip) Whalen with Bernie (Bessie) MacDonald in reserve, along with sub-goaltender James (Shame) MacInnis. The coach was Jack Fritz, a rock-ribbed rearguard with Sydney, Truro and HMCS Cornwallis teams in his playing career.

After knocking over St. Mary’s, led by 2000 inductee Billy Hannon, the Millionaires advanced against the Pembroke Lumber Kings, winning their Eastern quarter-final series that concluded in Ottawa, then moved against the mighty Toronto Marlboros who were overwhelming favourites to brush past the Millionaires with ease. But in a best-of-five series played entirely in Maple Leaf Gardens, Sydney shocked the experts by tying the Marlies of Harold Ballard and Joe Primeau 1-1 after 10 minutes of overtime. Toronto won the second game 5-3 and the Millionaires tied the series with a dramatic 5-4 overtime win in game three as the MLG crowds began to swell beyond 14,000 per game. Marlies, with the likes of future NHL’ers George Armstrong, Danny Lewicki, Johnny MacLellan, Johnny MacCormick and others, won game four by a 4-2 score and then finished off the Millionaires with another 5-4 win in overtime to take the series 3-1 with one game tied, or seven points to three.

It was a remarkable performance by a Sydney team that wasn’t expected to be a serious Allan Cup contender that year, but came within a couple of near misses in overtime games of pulling off one of the major upsets of the era. Fifty-one years later, they take their rightful place in the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame, with a moment of prayer for deceased members Bernie MacDonald, Doug Fritz, Joe Watts, Red MacRae and Johnny Myketyn.

Members of the 1948-49 team: Johnny Arundel, Alex Birukow, Maurice Dowling, Doug Fritz, Jack Fritz (coach), Bruce Gallagher, Jackie Gibson, Bernie MacDonald, C.A. MacDonald (club president), Ray MacDonald (equipment manager), Jim MacInnis, George McCabe, George McDougall, Don McRae, Lou Medynski, Ernie Moore, Johnny Myketyn, Ron Nelson, Joe Petit, Paul Platz (captain), Cliff Roach, Ed Tucker, Joe Watts, Don Whalen.

Bio courtesy of Pat Connolly