I just now noticed your avatar.........................the Maroons Rock !!!!
Or at least they used to 20 years ago when I grew up in Chatham. Although we used to be more into the Sr A Maroons, I remember when they made a couple of runs at the Allan Cup in the 70's, the whole city was abuzz with Maroon-a-mania. Now that I no longer live in a small town I kinda miss how amateur or minor hockey can captivate an entire city.
Of course the Junior B Maroons were pretty good back in the day. Brian Wiseman's #9 (W/ the Mic Macs) still hangs in the rafters at Memorial Arena. I still have family in Chatham and I read up about the Maroons when I go back there.......the Maroons were dominant for a stretch (league winners something like 7 of the past 9 years) but my brother tells me that this season is a bit of a struggle.
It's too bad that city council didn't support the Hunters when they were looking to set up shop in Chatham and build a new arena a few years back. After being rejected in The Maple City, they had to take their money up the 401 and settle on developing one of the most successful (and lucrative) Junior franchises in the country today!!!!!!!
Hey that's cool. A fellow Chathamite! I haven't lived there for several years, but my folks and a brother still live there. Yeah, I remember my first hockey game was old Senior Maroons playing the Strathroy Blades (?) I think. I was really young and I remember thinking it was so cool. It was like the NHL. My first NHL game was at the old Olympiad in Detroit. Buffalo vs. Detroit in Danny Gare's rookie year.
Anyway, my favourite Chatham Maroons story has to be from 1960. They won the Allan Cup that year with Cesar Maniago in goal. They swept the final over the Trail Smoke Eaters (ironically for the Smoke Eaters, Maniago was a native of Trail, B.C.). Anyway, instead of going to the world championships as was their right, the Maroons opted for a barnstorming tour of Sweden and Russia, allowing Trail to go in their place. As many hockey buffs know, the Smoke Eaters earned the legacy of being the last Canadian team to win a world championship until Canada snapped the jinx 34 years later on Luc Robitaille's shootout goal.
But who are we to criticize? Given a choice between Swedish babes and vodka or hockey glory, which would you choose?