Book Feature A Confluence of Destinies: The Saga of the Winnipeg Falcons' 1920 Olympic Gold Medal Victory (by David Grebstad)

[Dave Grebstad]

I'm happy to share this Book Feature thread concerning my recently self published book A Confluence of Destinies: The Saga of the Winnipeg Falcons' 1920 Olympic Gold Medal Victory now available on Amazon.

Any group of hockey historians is likely familiar with the story of the Falcons, for no other reason than the recent Heritage Minute starring Letterkenny's Jared Keeso. Some may even be aware that in 2019, their victory was named a National Historic Event by the Canadian Government. Through these and other means this group's membership is probably acquainted with the story of the young men of predominantly Icelandic descent who won the 1920 Allan Cup and earned the right to represent Canada at the 1920 Olympics where, for the first time, Ice Hockey was included as a sport. It's well known that their historic victory was the first ever Gold Medal awarded for Ice Hockey. It's less well known that the tournament doubled as the first event World Hockey Championship, organized by the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace (LIHG) the precursor to the IIHF. These are the results. The story of how the Falcons, Winnipeg and Canada got there, is the focus of this book.

I have endeavored in A Confluence of Destinies to illustrate the grit, determination and perseverance of the Falcons in the maelstrom that was the second decade of the twentieth century. When the Falcons won the Gold Medal, Canada had just emerged from the most devastating war the world had ever seen; indeed, many of the Falcons were veterans and two of the pre-war team members were killed in action. As the war came to its sanguine conclusion, in addition to the horrific casualties the world had endured, the Spanish Flu pandemic swept the globe, taking more lives than even the killing fields of Europe. Additionally, in their home town of Winnipeg, the shrinking economy that accompanied end of the war boom, and the return of thousands of emotionally scarred young men from Europe to few jobs and poor pay contributed to the Winnipeg General Strike, itself an acute symptom of chronic social unrest racking Canada. To win the Gold Medal in Ice Hockey in 1920, the Falcons had to overcome these and many other challenges. To survive the tumult of the time, Winnipeggers and Canadians had to overcome them too: the destinies of the Falcons, their city and their country all converged on an ice surface in Antwerp in 1920.

A Confluence of Destines tells the saga of the Falcons contextualized to the society and environment of the time, but doesn't neglect the element of hockey. Quite the contrary, I have also charted the evolution of ice hockey in general, with a specific focus on its growth in Manitoba where, the later years of the nineteenth century, the as-yet small and sparsely populated province became a hockey superpower in the Dominion of Canada. I've included a sampling of the book below, namely the brief introductory chapter. I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to discussing this and other aspects of Canada's hockey history.

Excerpt:

Excerpt as PDF:

Click to read more...

 

[Theokritos]

Thanks for joining us! When I came across this recently released* book (*apparently to little fanfare), I thought it would be a perfect fit for our book feature. I've edited the excerpt into the post so that people can read it right away without downloading the PDF, hope you don't mind.

First thought: Quite clever to put the "saga" in the book title, considering the Icelandic ancestry of the Winnipeg Falcons players, kudos.

 

[Dave Grebstad]

Thanks! Glad to be here! Looking forward to a interesting discussion.

 

[Theokritos]

Prior to coming across Winnipeg Falcons, I had not been aware that there was such a thing as Icelandic emigration to Canada, let alone would I have guessed it was significant enough to produce something like Icelandic communities in Canadian cities. David, what can you tell us about this phenomenon? And which kind of resentements did Icelanders have to experience in early 20th century Canada?

 

[Dave Grebstad]

Prior to coming across Winnipeg Falcons, I had not been aware that there was such a thing as Icelandic emigration to Canada, let alone would I have guessed it was significant enough to produce something like Icelandic communities in Canadian cities. David, what can you tell us about this phenomenon? And which kind of resentements did Icelanders have to experience in early 20th century Canada?

Icelanders first started coming to Canada in the late nineteenth century, originally settling in the Muskoka region. With the opening of the North West, a small party from this community established a colony in Manitoba in the interlake region, establishing the town of Gimli, which is Icelandic for paradise. The community struggled economically and was laid low by a smallpox pandemic in the 1870s, but community and ethnic bonds were strong. Some of the party that had moved to Manitoba decided to settle in Winnipeg rather than move to the Interlake, and as economic fortunes weren't robust in the Icelandic colony, some families moved out into the city. Winnipeg in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century was divided along social and ethnic lines: while the Canadian government had tried hard to encourage anglo-protestant immigration to Manitoba and the North West, it never reached the numbers aspired to. Other ethnic groups, like the Icelanders, formed their own communities and societies within the social construct of the province, but in general the anglo-protestant upper class set the social and economic direction of the province. Icelanders lived mostly in the West End of Winnipeg and were often derided due to their struggles with language - Icelandic was the language in use in the colony. Icelanders were derisively referred to as "goolies" a pejorative term thought to derive from the Icleandic word for "Icelander." In 1919, the Falcons found themselves discriminated against within Manitoba Senior Hockey and even contemporary hockey followers noted that it seemed strange that the "powers that be" in the Manitoba Senior Hockey League seemed determined to keep the Falcons out of the league in favor of the "big three" hockey teams from the City of Winnipeg. Eventually this was overcome but the Falcons were relegated to the "Manitoba League" along with Brandon and Selkirk. To be fair, the purported reason for freezing out the Falcons was a lack of ice time, and in truth Winnipeg didn't have many ice rinks in 1919 - and those it did have were very busy in the hockey-mad town. Fortunately, however, whether for lack of ice time or discrimination - or perhaps both - the challenges were overcome and the Falcons went on to become world champions.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Dave, great to have you here!

 

[Theokritos]

Icelanders first started coming to Canada in the late nineteenth century, originally settling in the Muskoka region. With the opening of the North West, a small party from this community established a colony in Manitoba in the interlake region, establishing the town of Gimli, which is Icelandic for paradise. The community struggled economically and was laid low by a smallpox pandemic in the 1870s, but community and ethnic bonds were strong. Some of the party that had moved to Manitoba decided to settle in Winnipeg rather than move to the Interlake, and as economic fortunes weren't robust in the Icelandic colony, some families moved out into the city. Winnipeg in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century was divided along social and ethnic lines: while the Canadian government had tried hard to encourage anglo-protestant immigration to Manitoba and the North West, it never reached the numbers aspired to. Other ethnic groups, like the Icelanders, formed their own communities and societies within the social construct of the province, but in general the anglo-protestant upper class set the social and economic direction of the province. Icelanders lived mostly in the West End of Winnipeg and were often derided due to their struggles with language - Icelandic was the language in use in the colony. Icelanders were derisively referred to as "goolies" a pejorative term thought to derive from the Icleandic word for "Icelander." In 1919, the Falcons found themselves discriminated against within Manitoba Senior Hockey and even contemporary hockey followers noted that it seemed strange that the "powers that be" in the Manitoba Senior Hockey League seemed determined to keep the Falcons out of the league in favor of the "big three" hockey teams from the City of Winnipeg. Eventually this was overcome but the Falcons were relegated to the "Manitoba League" along with Brandon and Selkirk. To be fair, the purported reason for freezing out the Falcons was a lack of ice time, and in truth Winnipeg didn't have many ice rinks in 1919 - and those it did have were very busy in the hockey-mad town. Fortunately, however, whether for lack of ice time or discrimination - or perhaps both - the challenges were overcome and the Falcons went on to become world champions.

Thanks for the detailed reply.

So Winnipeg Falcons found themselves in the second tier of Manitoba hockey in 1919... and one year later they won the Allan Cup. Can you tell us a little bit about the club? Where there any earlier signs the team had greater potential? Their Allan Cup win was a surprise, but how did they get that far in the first place?

 

[Finnflash]

Thanks for this.

Grew up hearing about this team. A few icelandic settlements around the interlake called their teams after the falcons.

Something to be proud of for all us Icelanders

 

[Dave Grebstad]

Thanks for the detailed reply.

So Winnipeg Falcons found themselves in the second tier of Manitoba hockey in 1919... and one year later they won the Allan Cup. Can you tell us a little bit about the club? Where there any earlier signs the team had greater potential? Their Allan Cup win was a surprise, but how did they get that far in the first place?

Well, slight correction. The struggle for acceptance in Manitoba Senior Hockey League started in fall 1919, but it was the 1919-1920 season that culminated in winning the Allan Cup and the Olympic Gold medal/Inaugural World Hockey Championship. The club had been strong, and some newspaper hockey writers of the day actually thought they were the favorites. In fact, a few even opined that on top of racial discrimination based on their Icelandic origin, the Manitoba hockey authorities who were trying to block the Falcons also did so because they were a strong team - but this wasn't necessarily a widely held opinion. One common refrain amongst the writers was the speed of the Falcons - a very important aspect when the rules of the day are considered. In 1919-20 there was no icing and no forward pass, so dump and chase was a common tactic and the speediest team could usually beat their opponent to the puck. Moreover, without a rearward pass, the ability to carry the puck quickly was likewise valuable. One of the Falcons, Mike Goodman, was a renowned speed skater and, when not playing hockey, would compete in speed skating at a very high level. After one of the team's practice sessions in Belgium during the Olympics, a local came up to him afterwards and asked to see where he kept the engine in his skates. Also, although the team had lost two teammates during the war, the remainder of the team roster stayed in place, so when the league kicked off again after the armistice, the Falcons were very close to being the same team they were prior to the start of hostilities. I don't think every team was so lucky. Finally, I don't think the Allan Cup victory was actually a surprise: it was generally well known that the Falcons were competitive at least amongst the sports writers although it must be conceded that many of them expressed their foresight after the Falcons dominated the league. Here's a great quote from the Winnipeg Tribune, 13 March 1920 under the headline Falcons Prove Class: "Falcons have demonstrated that the men governing hockey here came close to making a great 'boner.' Had Falcons been forced out of senior play, Manitoba would not have had its best team for this year's Allan cup finals. The Icelanders have proven that they are the best team in the province by going through their league fixtures with eight victories and only two defeats...Falcons then severely trounced the Winnipegs, the Winnipeg league champions, 15-1 in two games. They won the right to represent the west against the east by walloping Fort William 16 goals to 3 in their two-game series." However, here the author adds an interesting aspect: "The Falcon record goes to show that when it comes to picking teams that must be dropped, that the personnel should be considered and not what teams have done in the past." And it must be said that prior to the War, the Falcons weren't necessarily a really strong team, and sometimes even had trouble organizing a club for league play. I conclude then, that many observers noticed the strength of the Falcons and their potential for victory, but some dismissed them based on the team they remembered from the pre-war era.

 

[Dave Grebstad]

Thanks for this.

Grew up hearing about this team. A few icelandic settlements around the interlake called their teams after the falcons.

Something to be proud of for all us Icelanders

Indeed! I'm involved with the team that's working to organize the official celebration of the designation of the Falcons' victory as an Event of National Historic Significance, and the Icelandic community is heavily involved, particularly the First Lutheran Church, where all the Falcons worshipped.

 

[Theokritos]

Well, slight correction. The struggle for acceptance in Manitoba Senior Hockey League started in fall 1919, but it was the 1919-1920 season that culminated in winning the Allan Cup and the Olympic Gold medal/Inaugural World Hockey Championship. The club had been strong, and some newspaper hockey writers of the day actually thought they were the favorites. In fact, a few even opined that on top of racial discrimination based on their Icelandic origin, the Manitoba hockey authorities who were trying to block the Falcons also did so because they were a strong team - but this wasn't necessarily a widely held opinion. One common refrain amongst the writers was the speed of the Falcons - a very important aspect when the rules of the day are considered. In 1919-20 there was no icing and no forward pass, so dump and chase was a common tactic and the speediest team could usually beat their opponent to the puck. Moreover, without a rearward pass, the ability to carry the puck quickly was likewise valuable. One of the Falcons, Mike Goodman, was a renowned speed skater and, when not playing hockey, would compete in speed skating at a very high level. After one of the team's practice sessions in Belgium during the Olympics, a local came up to him afterwards and asked to see where he kept the engine in his skates. Also, although the team had lost two teammates during the war, the remainder of the team roster stayed in place, so when the league kicked off again after the armistice, the Falcons were very close to being the same team they were prior to the start of hostilities. I don't think every team was so lucky. Finally, I don't think the Allan Cup victory was actually a surprise: it was generally well known that the Falcons were competitive at least amongst the sports writers although it must be conceded that many of them expressed their foresight after the Falcons dominated the league. Here's a great quote from the Winnipeg Tribune, 13 March 1920 under the headline Falcons Prove Class: "Falcons have demonstrated that the men governing hockey here came close to making a great 'boner.' Had Falcons been forced out of senior play, Manitoba would not have had its best team for this year's Allan cup finals. The Icelanders have proven that they are the best team in the province by going through their league fixtures with eight victories and only two defeats...Falcons then severely trounced the Winnipegs, the Winnipeg league champions, 15-1 in two games. They won the right to represent the west against the east by walloping Fort William 16 goals to 3 in their two-game series." However, here the author adds an interesting aspect: "The Falcon record goes to show that when it comes to picking teams that must be dropped, that the personnel should be considered and not what teams have done in the past." And it must be said that prior to the War, the Falcons weren't necessarily a really strong team, and sometimes even had trouble organizing a club for league play. I conclude then, that many observers noticed the strength of the Falcons and their potential for victory, but some dismissed them based on the team they remembered from the pre-war era.

That's interesting. Somehow I had been under the impression that dump & chase only emerged in the 1940s. But with no icing rule in place, it makes sense that dumping the puck was already a viable tactic, as long as the player getting to it wasn't ahead of the puck carrier in the moment the puck was sent in.

So the Falcons were a fast team with an intact core and established chemistry. But if they were that much better than in the pre-war days, they must have added a few key players by 1919.

 

[Finnflash]

Indeed! I'm involved with the team that's working to organize the official celebration of the designation of the Falcons' victory as an Event of National Historic Significance, and the Icelandic community is heavily involved, particularly the First Lutheran Church, where all the Falcons worshipped.

Awesome. I’ll be there to celebrate

 

[Dave Grebstad]

That's interesting. Somehow I had been under the impression that dump & chase only emerged in the 1940s. But with no icing rule in place, it makes sense that dumping the puck was already a viable tactic, as long as the player getting to it wasn't ahead of the puck carrier in the moment the puck was sent in.

So the Falcons were a fast team with an intact core and established chemistry. But if they were that much better than in the pre-war days, they must have added a few key players by 1919.

The Falcons team that won the Alan Cup and the Gold Medal was a little different that the team before the war. Five men played on the team before and after the war: Frank Fredrickson, Bobby and Harvey Benson, Jacob Walter “Wally” Byron and Konnie Johannesson. Two of the pre-war members, Frank Thorsteinson and Ernest Cumbers, made the ultimate sacrifice in the killing fields of Europe. They served in two very different units but were killed within two weeks of each other. Thorsteinson served with the 10th Battalion CEF, and was killed after getting gassed during a raid in mid-March 1918. Cumbers served in No. 13 Canadian Light Railway Operating Company. On 28 March, during Germany's last-ditch offensive called Operation Michael, a shell landed in middle of the unit's camp, killing 24 men and wounding 26 others. Cumbers was one of the fatalities. To replace the fallen members, two men were added after the war: Haldor Halderson, also known as “Hallie” or “Slim” and Magnus “Mike” Goodman. In addition, left-winger Chris Fridfinnson was added as a substitute.

 

[Theokritos]

The Falcons team that won the Alan Cup and the Gold Medal was a little different that the team before the war. Five men played on the team before and after the war: Frank Fredrickson, Bobby and Harvey Benson, Jacob Walter “Wally” Byron and Konnie Johannesson.

Certainly the biggest name on this club. He went on to have a distinguished career in the PCHA/WHCL and NHL and was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame as one of the best players of the 1920s.

Dave, did any players of the Allan Cup and Gold Medal winning Winnipeg Falcons other than Fredrickson turn pro later on?

Two of the pre-war members, Frank Thorsteinson and Ernest Cumbers, made the ultimate sacrifice in the killing fields of Europe. They served in two very different units but were killed within two weeks of each other.

Side-note. Perhaps you are already aware of the following book, but if not you will certainly find it interesting: Alan L. MacLeod has presented "From Rinks to Regiments: Hockey Hall-of-Famers and the Great War" here some time ago.

 

[nabby12]

Certainly the biggest name on this club. He went on to have a distinguished career in the PCHA/WHCL and NHL and was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame as one of the best players of the 1920s.

Dave, did any players of the Allan Cup and Gold Medal winning Winnipeg Falcons other than Fredrickson turn pro later on?

Slim Halderson had the second best career of the Falcons. He went on to win a Stanley Cup with the Victoria Cougars and played a little in the NHL with the Detroit Cougars and Toronto St. Pats/Maple Leafs.

 

[Theokritos]

Slim Halderson had the second best career of the Falcons. He went on to win a Stanley Cup with the Victoria Cougars and played a little in the NHL with the Detroit Cougars and Toronto St. Pats/Maple Leafs.

Thanks, that name does ring a bell.

@Dave Grebstad: I assume Canada went into the 1920 Olympic hockey tournament with confidence. But if I'm not ill-informed, it was the first time a Canadian hockey team went over to Europe at all. What did Canada know about the state of hockey in Europe back in 1920 and what were the expectations when Winnipeg Falcons set sails?

 

[Dave Grebstad]

Thanks, that name does ring a bell.

@Dave Grebstad: I assume Canada went into the 1920 Olympic hockey tournament with confidence. But if I'm not ill-informed, it was the first time a Canadian hockey team went over to Europe at all. What did Canada know about the state of hockey in Europe back in 1920 and what were the expectations when Winnipeg Falcons set sails?

Apologies for the tardy reply. While the Antwerp Olympics were the first time that a Canadian team had competed in a World Championship in Europe, the LIHG had hosted several hockey championships in the years previous. England, France and Belgium all had their own hockey championships and there was, if I'm not mistaken, a European championship as well. Prominent in most if not all of these tournaments were the Oxford Canadians - a hockey team made up of Canadian Rhodes scholars at Oxford. They usually dominated the tourneys, even though in some, such as the European championship, they were only allowed to play "for fun" and despite thoroughly outclassing their opponents they were not allowed to win the tournament. Consequently, the state of European hockey was well known and it was understood going into the Olympics that the heavy favorites were the Canadians, although there were a large number of American sports writers who opined that the US would be the dominant team. Oddly, the biggest hurdle for the Falcons, with respect to on-ice play, was the road to the Allan Cup. Once they had secured their berth in the Olympics with the Allan Cup victory, due to the embryonic state of European ice hockey, there was no real fear that they wouldn't win, or at least finish very high in the standings.

 

[Theokritos]

While the Antwerp Olympics were the first time that a Canadian team had competed in a World Championship in Europe, the LIHG had hosted several hockey championships in the years previous. England, France and Belgium all had their own hockey championships and there was, if I'm not mistaken, a European championship as well. Prominent in most if not all of these tournaments were the Oxford Canadians - a hockey team made up of Canadian Rhodes scholars at Oxford. They usually dominated the tourneys, even though in some, such as the European championship, they were only allowed to play "for fun" and despite thoroughly outclassing their opponents they were not allowed to win the tournament. Consequently, the state of European hockey was well known and it was understood going into the Olympics that the heavy favorites were the Canadians...

Right. The Oxford Canadians and their impressive feats in Europe are familiar to me, but I didn't know how much awareness there was back in the home country. (And "the home country" is not referring to the United Kingdom here – even though Canada still very much viewed itself as a British Canada back in 1920 – but to Canada.)

Somewhere in the back of my mind I seem to remember that one of the reason the Americans were expected to be competitive (and in fact were sometimes competitive indeed) in some of the early LIHG and Olympic tournaments was that they used quite a few players from Canada who had become American citizens. Do you know whether this already the case in 1920?

 

[Dave Grebstad]

Right. The Oxford Canadians and their impressive feats in Europe are familiar to me, but I didn't know how much awareness there was back in the home country. (And "the home country" is not referring to the United Kingdom here – even though Canada still very much viewed itself as a British Canada back in 1920 – but to Canada.)

Somewhere in the back of my mind I seem to remember that one of the reason the Americans were expected to be competitive (and in fact were sometimes competitive indeed) in some of the early LIHG and Olympic tournaments was that they used quite a few players from Canada who had become American citizens. Do you know whether this already the case in 1920?

It was indeed. Several of the players on the US team were Canadian born and attending university in the US. Moreover, there were regular cr0ss-border games between American and Canadian teams - in fact, a professional league of teams in the US and Canada had already been established by 1920. In that wise, it's unsurprising that the Americans were also seen as contenders.

 

[Theokritos]

It was indeed. Several of the players on the US team were Canadian born and attending university in the US. Moreover, there were regular cr0ss-border games between American and Canadian teams - in fact, a professional league of teams in the US and Canada had already been established by 1920. In that wise, it's unsurprising that the Americans were also seen as contenders.

Makes sense, as does the suggestion that securing the Allan Cup was indeed the biggest hurdle on the way to the first-ever Olympic gold medal in hockey.

Dave, were the hockey rules for the 1920 Olympics any different than the rules used in Canada? Did the Winnipeg Falcons have to adapt? Apart from the rules, ice size in Antwerp would be another consideration here.

 

[Dave Grebstad]

Makes sense, as does the suggestion that securing the Allan Cup was indeed the biggest hurdle on the way to the first-ever Olympic gold medal in hockey.

Dave, were the hockey rules for the 1920 Olympics any different than the rules used in Canada? Did the Winnipeg Falcons have to adapt? Apart from the rules, ice size in Antwerp would be another consideration here.

Yes, quite a bit of difference. As mentioned previously there was no icing so dump and chase was a big tactic. No forward passes...the LIHG hadn't adopted the Canadian Rules (OHA rules) yet, so the teams still had an extra skater - a rover. Of interest, at the LIHG convention held at the end of the tournament, the LIHG voted to adopt the "Canadian" Rules as the official rules of the Ligue. There were no official referees, so each team provided a "volunteer" to referee, usually the coach or the trainer. They would referee games in which their countries weren't playing.

 

[Theokritos]

Yes, quite a bit of difference. As mentioned previously there was no icing so dump and chase was a big tactic. No forward passes...the LIHG hadn't adopted the Canadian Rules (OHA rules) yet, so the teams still had an extra skater - a rover. Of interest, at the LIHG convention held at the end of the tournament, the LIHG voted to adopt the "Canadian" Rules as the official rules of the Ligue. There were no official referees, so each team provided a "volunteer" to referee, usually the coach or the trainer. They would referee games in which their countries weren't playing.

Thanks. So the Canadian amateur circuit had already dropped the rover by 1920, just like the NHA/NHL, but as opposed to the PCHA.

In your presentation to mention that the Olympic tournament also doubled as LIHG world championship. I'm curious which sources talk about this.

 

[Dave Grebstad]

Thanks. So the Canadian amateur circuit had already dropped the rover by 1920, just like the NHA/NHL, but as opposed to the PCHA.

In your presentation to mention that the Olympic tournament also doubled as LIHG world championship. I'm curious which sources talk about this.

More apologies for a tardy reply. I found that tidbit on the IIHF website, if I recall correctly. The Olympics in 1920 were the first time the competing teams included teams outside of Europe. I imagine that an argument can be made that a tournament that only had European and North American teams can't truly be considered a "world" championship, but that's how the hockey leadership saw the situation in 1920.

 

[Theokritos]

More apologies for a tardy reply. I found that tidbit on the IIHF website, if I recall correctly.

Thanks. And thank you for your time and effort over the last two weeks!

 

[Dave Grebstad]

Thanks. And thank you for your time and effort over the last two weeks!

My pleasure!