Halifax Kingfishers



The Halifax Kingfishers were an independent Major Junior A team that played out of the Halifax Forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The team was put together only for the 1961/62 season. The Kingfishers played against Maritime University hockey teams (throughout Nova Scotia) and Senior A hockey teams in preparation for the Junior Hockey Playoffs. At this period in time there was no officially sanctioned major junior hockey league in the Maritimes.

The team toured Newfoundland during December 1961, playing only a single Junior A team in St. John's, tying them 4-4. While the other games were played against Newfoundland Senior A league teams. One historic game during the Newfoundland tour was against the Conception Bay Cee Bees (Newfoundland Senior Hockey Herder Memorial Trophy Champions 1959/60 and 1960/61), in which the Kingfishers kept the famous Faulkner brothers ( Alex and George ) off of the scoresheet, enroute to a 7-3 victory.

The players for this team included, Goaltender, Terry Matthews, Defensemen, Bernie Bishop, Keith Blenkhorn, David Cunningham, Howie Fish, Denny Gates and Lloyd (Toy Toy) Gallant. Forwards were Donald Bauld, David Boyd, Ron Hanna, Ray Keizer, Joey MacNeil, Willard Moore, Richard Redden, John Roach and Win Wright. The team was coached by John (Pud) Roach and Managed by Alfie Hollingsworth.

The team won the 1961-62 Maritimes Junior Playoffs as an independent (non-league) team. After winning the 1961-62 Maritime Junior Playoffs, the team picked up George Croucher (F), Oscar Gaudet (F) (later played in Buffalo (AHL)), Alfie Flanagan (F) and Lyle Carter (G) ( AHL ) who were junior age players playing in the Maritime Senior A hockey league. The players were picked up with the intention of strengthening the team for the Eastern Canadian Memorial Cup Semi-Finals against The Ottawa Montangards. They ultimately lost the semi-final in the [1961-62 Eastern Canada Memorial Cup Playoffs]. The series with Ottawa was a lot closer than the 3 to 1 loss might indicate, as three of the games were one goal games, of which two were decided in double overtime. Three of the players David Boyd (F), Howie Fish (D) and Richard Redden (F), along with David Andrews (G) the President of the American Hockey League, were inducted into the Hockey Heritage Hall of Fame in Windsor, Nova Scotia ( 2002 ). Subsequently, ( 2015) the Kingfishers Hockey Team was inducted into the Maritime Sports Hall of Fame, located in the BMO Centre, Bedford, Nova Scotia.