Below is a Jack's personal recount of the trip to Europe which culiminated with the World Cup!
Note: Jack later wrote a letter to his brother, Paul M. Pidcock, that Munich was an exception to the crowds incredible enthusisium in the hockey matches, as he remarked, "they seemed more interested in some person in the crowd, an A. Hitler."
Page 16 - THE SUN DIAL
JACK PIDCOCK COMPLETES HOCKEY TOUR OF EUROPE
Jack Pidcock, of the Mathematical Department, Head Office, recently returned from a tour of Europe.
Jack was a member of the University of Manitoba hockey team of 1928 which won the Allen Cup, emblematic of the amateur championship of Canada, and was invited to rejoin his former team-mates on a tour of the various countries of Europe last winter. He left Montreal shortly after Christmas and was in Europe nearly three months, during which time the team played over forty matches. All but two were won, the others resulting in draws.
The most important game of the trip was that against the United States in the international series at Krynica, Poland, upon which depended the championship. Both the American and Canadian teams had proved themselves superior to the European entries, and it was a toss-up who would win the crutial contest. The teams were evenly matched but the Canadians showed more finish to their play, and suceeded in wining out, 2 to 0. They were presented with the cup donated by the President of Poland, and declared amateur champions of the world.
Story Of Trip
The story of the trip, in Jack's own words, follows;
"Our team consisted of six members of the University of Manitoba Allen Cup team of 1928 with three others to take the place of Andy Blair and Jack St. John, who are playing professional."
"We began our series abroad in the huge Berlin Ice Palace, which is more like a theatre than a rink. The first three matches were against Berlin, German, and a Europa team picked from all over the continent."
"European teams are not what they used to be. In the last year or two they have been importing Canadian coaches and devoting their attention to building up winning clubs. Although they still lack finish, they all skate well and play a smart defensive game. There will be no more 30 to 0, 20 to 0 scores as Canadian teams piled up in Olympic contests a few years ago. European teams have graduated from that class."
"After Berlin, we played Prague, Vienna, Munich, and Davos. The people everywhere were greatly interested in the game, and the rinks were sold out in advance. In Prague, they even sold out the penalty box and the substitute players had to stand in the crowd."
"At the end of January we left Davos, and started across for Krynica, Poland. We were lucky to get good accommodation most of the way, for on continental trains it is pretty difficult, with dozens of transfers, to find places for ten; and one doesn't check baggage through, as is done in Canada from Montreal to Vancouver."
"We were a pleasant looking gang, making about five changes a day, with twenty-five valises and all our hockey equipment. Once or twice we had to travel third class; but I got a kick out of it - I always wondered what a horse felt like in a box car."
Krynica World's Series
"Krynica is a health resort in the mountains of southern Poland. Owing to it's high altitude it's natural ice rinks are usually in good shape; and as it contains many hotels, it was able to handle the crowds who poured in from nearly every country from Europe for the winter sports. When we arrived the town was decorated with thousands of flags and figures cut out of ice which were illuminated with varicoloured lights."
"The teams were divided into two divisions - Sweden, Poland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, America and Canada in the one; and England, France, Hungary and Roumania in the other."
"We played each team in our section once - two points for a win and one for a draw. Our game with the United States was scheduled last, as our teams looked the strongest and the officials thought that the final would be between us."
"Up until this game, the only match of which there was anything to write about was with Sweden. The Swedes were big and fast, but devoted their whole attention to playing on the defensive. These European teams didn't play their strongest against Canada and the United States. They were out for the European title more than the world's title, and they all played a style calculated to keep the score down against them. This was because in case of a tie in points the side with the least number of goals against them had the advantage."
"And so the Swedish team opened up very little. However, they deserve credit for carrying out their plan. As they reached center they'd shoot and tear back to their blue line. Whenever they were in danger they played two men in goal, and once one of us shot a puck past their goal-keeper but it was caught by another inside the goal and thrown out. And so it ended 0-0."
Click here to read more about 1931 World Cup Hockey winners from the University of Manitoba website. Jack was one of the six Allen Cup winning members of this team. The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame inducted the team in 2004.
© Copyright 2003 - 2008 Stephen J. Pidcock