Valleyfield Braves



''This article is about the senior, intermediate, and major teams. For the article about the junior team, please see Valleyfield Braves (Junior).''

HIstory
The Valleyfield Braves were a team in Valleyfield, Quebec. They started out in the 1930's as an intermediate team playing in local leagues.

They joined the newly formed Provincial Senior League in 1937-38 and won the league title the following season.

The league folded in 1940 and the Braves returned to intermediate play.

The Provincial Senior League started up again in 1944-45 and the Braves were again in it. They did try to get into the Quebec Senior Hockey League but could not raise a guarantee. Instead they won the Provincial League title.

The Quebec Senior Hockey League was impressed enough with Valleyfield to admit them for the 1945-46 season.

The Braves spent five seasons as a somewhat below average team in this league.

Then they pulled out all the stops in 1950-51, improbably, went all the way that they could. They won the Quebec Senior Hockey League (Major) title and then went on to beat the Toronto St Michaels Monarchs in the 1950-51 Alexander Cup final. Their coach that season was former Montreal Canadiens superstar and future Montreal Canadiens supercoach Toe Blake.

The Braves returned to normal the next season. They went along with the league when it became the minor pro Quebec Hockey League in 1953. But the team could only last two seasons in the pros - a victim of the small size of Valleyfield compared to the other cities. The team folded in 1955.

Braves who played in the NHL

 * Toe Blake
 * Tom Brennan
 * Connie Brown
 * Tod Campeau
 * Bruce Cline
 * Bert Connelly
 * Andre Corriveau
 * Tony Demers
 * Jacques Deslauriers
 * Gordie Drillon
 * Eddie Emberg
 * Claude Evans
 * Mario Faubert
 * Aldo Guidolin
 * Jim Haggarty
 * Walter Harnott
 * Gord Haworth
 * Ott Heller
 * Vic Howe
 * Rosario Joanette
 * Buck Jones
 * Larry Kwong
 * Guy Labrie
 * Patrick Lalime
 * Albert Leduc
 * Fern Majeau
 * Shep Mayer
 * Pat McReavy
 * Jimmy Orlando
 * Bert Peer
 * Gerry Plamondon
 * Tony Poeta
 * Jackie Schmidt
 * Cully Simon
 * Gaye Stewart
 * Neil Strain
 * Josh Tordjman
 * Jacques Toupin
 * Moe White