The eastern scribes took one look at the Winnipeg Monarchs and wondered if these little guys could play their way out of wet paper bags. How the Monarchs had won the West was a mystery to the Toronto press, but, as they would discover, an even bigger and more pressing problem was finding a way to beat them in the Memorial Cup. “We were small, but we could really skate and throw a puck around,” said Pete Langelle, a key figure in the Monarchs’ Memorial Cup victory in 1936-37. “Nobody weighed over 175 pounds. No goons, either.”

Forty-six years have elapsed since that winter spectacle in the throes of the Great Depression. The Monarchs won the best-of-five Memorial Cup final in four games in Maple Leaf Gardens, whipping Sudbury Copper Cliffs 7-0 in the clinching victory with Johnny McCreedy scoring four goals. Favours were bestowed upon the players. Upon the team’s arrival in Toronto, their former manager, Pat Quinn of Kiewel’s Brewery, took the boys to Tip Top Tailors and had everyone fitted with a suit, including two pairs of pants and a vest. The cost of garbing each player was $25.00.

According to reports, one of the best series in the playoffs was the South Division final between the Monarchs and Portage Terriers. The Monarchs won 3-2 in games. They eliminated St. Boniface Seals in two games and rolled over Port Arthur. In the Western final for the Abbott Cup, they defeated Sid Abel and the Saskatoon Wesleys in three games.

Three members of the team would achieve fame in the NHL. McCreedy and Langelle played for the Maple Leafs in Toronto’s remarkable rebound from a 3-0 deficit with four consecutive victories in the 1942 Stanley Cup against Detroit Red Wings. Langelle scored the winning goal in the seventh game with McCreedy drawing an assist. Alf Pike went on to an illustrious career with New York Rangers.

Team Roster: Harry Neil (Coach), Bill Webber (Manager), Bert Pelletier (Trainer), Jack Atchison, Harvey Field, Dick Kowcinak, Lucien Martel, Johnny McCreedy, Alf Pike, Paul Rheault, Denny Robinson, Ted Dent, Jack Fox, Pete Langelle, Remi Van Dale, Ami Clement, Zeke Farley, Bobby Summers (StickBoy).