1953-54 WIHL Season

This is the 1953-54 season of the Western International Hockey League:

Standings
Played interlocking with the Okanagan Senior League.

Semi Finals
Best of 5

Kimberley Dynamiters beat Spokane Flyers 3 wins to 2.

Nelson Maple Leafs beat Trail Smoke Eaters 3 wins to 1.

Final
Best of 5

Nelson Maple Leafs beat Kimberley Dynamiters 3 wins to 1.

Nelson Maple Leafs advanced to the 1953-54 British Columbia Senior Playoffs.

Nelson Maple Leafs
From: The Nelson Daily News Wednesday, May 5, 1954

200 Air Views at Hockey Meeting; Leafs End Season in the Black

(Nelson, B.C.)--Hockey interest reached an all time high Tuesday night in Nelson when 200 or more ardent fans filled the Capitol Theatre for the annual meeting of the annual hockey club meeting.

An almost complete new group of representatives were elected by the fans, to voice their hockey affairs for the upcoming season. With the resignation of Archie Stewart, who had one more term to serve along side four members who were elected to work alongside Dr. R. McCullough and Len Bicknell. Named to two-year terms were E.A. Mann, Dr. J.C. Carpenter, Carl Linden; the fourth man was Bill Haldane, will serve for the players.

Although 14 men were nominated to the positions, only six were allowed nominations to stand, with R.B. McCullough and Earl Warren filling the list.

The meeting stretched out to a two and a half hour affair, as the fans fired questions at President Vincent Fink, and his retiring report on events of the past season, and hockey's future here. Of special interest to the fans was the statement that the club remained solvent in the black this season, with a bank balance of $603.15. The club showed gross receipts of around $59,000. After deducting the amusement tax, BCAHA and Civic Centre Arena costs, the take was $43,070,81. Donations from private sources and a gift given them by the Nelson Rotary Club, sent the figure to $53,000. Costs for the season were $52,000 and the club a net operating surplus of $1423.89. An overdraft at the bank brought this down to the reported bank balance.

President Vincent Fink in his opening remarks to the gathering of fans, was that he hoped they were continuing for the interest of next year's hockey, and not what happened in the year past.

Red Flag Archie Stewart referred to "the horrible fiasco" during the Savage Cup playoffs, saying that from the start of the series feelings of bias on the choice of a referee in Nelson, the decision just was showing a red flag to the fans. "Too much power was given to the individual to run the office," he said.

This meeting, said Mr. Stewart, was going on record indicating its importance, and seeing to it that no reoccurances of such actions such as removing officials as in the sixth game. Fans pointed out that Dr. Mel Butler, president of the BCAHA, has the power to appoint one man in a series, and that the Nelson representative had already sent in a petition, stating that neutral referees should be used in the Savage Cup playoffs. It was the feeling of the executitive, said Mr. Fink, that in using neutral referees all hard feelings could be abolished.

Mrs. C.E. Bradshaw asked why one man should be given such power, and asked, "what would have happened if our officials refused to be kicked out of the game? Why didn't our Nelson representative stand up to them or him?" Mr. Fink pointed out that "Eddie Benson, in a fit of temper, tossed out the whole works" and when he himself tried to stand up to him (Benson), he was almost "tossed out" of the rink by Mr. Benson."

Duke Hyssop drew heavy applause when he pointed out instances where the man handling the series did things incorrectly, and emphasized several times that it was time the Nelson executitive "quit towing to the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company."

Mr. Fink said he agreed with Hyssop, and on hearing this, Hyssop immediately asked, "Then why did you not do something about it?" Giving his own reason, Mr. Hyssop said it was because of greed from the tieup with the National Hockey League, all the way down to the executitve. He referred to the lengthy best-of-seven playoff series set up.

The meeting decided to tell the BCAHA that they were dissatisfied with the way Mr. Benson had acted and also protested that the officiating was not neutral as "they were definately behind Penticton." It was also decided to send a wire to the Penticton V's who, the meeting felt, were a great team, and wish them all the success in the Allan Cup drive. This wire will also go to the sports editor of the Penticton Herald (Sid Godber--Charlie) for publication, in view of a writeup which criticized the city of Nelson, the Leafs, fans and Len Walker, sports writer.

It was moved that all playoff games be best-of-five sets, for it was felt that a seven game series, which stretches into eight, not only drains the pocketbooks of the fans, but drains the stamina of the players. The question of playing an equal number of games in the WIHL also came up for discussion, with the general feeling being that if Spokane's Flyers can play for the Allan Cup, then they should receive no extra favours.

Each new executitive member said a few words, thanking the public for their support.

E.A. Mann thanked Mr. Fink for conducting a "fine meeting which could very easily have been a difficult one to handle." Mr. Mann stated that neither the booster club, which had nominated him, nor Earl Warren, who was against it, nor the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company, would have any bearing on any decision he would have to make while serving on the executitive.

Dr. J.C. Carpenter said he would do everything he could to supply Nelson with a winning hockey club.

Carl Linden stated he was "just a hockey fan" like the rest of the people, and he liked to see a winner and would work toward that end.

Bill Haldane stated, "If we can do half as well as the men who ran it last year, we will be all right. The executitive last season did a great job and we should have gone further, but we were robbed."

A vote of thanks was given the members of the team who "never gave up and fought down to the final whistle."