Did you know that former Greenwood athlete Eugene Peacosh (1966) was part of the famous Edmonton Oil Kings in the mid-60s, the same team that won the Memorial Cup twice along with famous players like Pat Quinn (’63), Glen Sather (’63) and Jim Harrison (’66)?
He played for the Johnstown Jets where all the donnybrook happened – thus, the movie Slap Shot was born. In 1977, Peacosh signed with the WHA (World Hockey Association) Edmonton Oilers but he was traded soon after to Indianapolis Racers for Bryan Campbell.
Did you know that in 1908 the Boundary Hockey League (BHL) was the first league formed in B.C.?
Did you know that the Phoenix (B.C.) Hockey Club challenged for the Stanley Cup in 1911, when the team won the McBride Cup, plus the B.C. and International championship. The reply came too late!
Did you know that the famous brothers Lester and Frank Patrick started a league on the west coast that was called the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) in 1911 and the BHL teams like Greenwood, Grand Forks, and Phoenix were the unofficial farm teams of the PCHA?
In 1942, many Nikkei families were sent to ghost towns in the Boundary-Kootenay district.
Young men found a new passion for hockey as they only played basketball and baseball on the west coast. Sacred Heart School and Greenwood High School formed three teams called the Hep Cats, Bruins and Tigers.
In the ‘50s, the senior team was first called the Monarchs but they later became the Dynamiters. One diminutive player who was captain of the Monarchs, Martin Aura, was given a tryout with the Penticton Vees. One of the Warwick brothers handed him a Russian leather helmet and said, “Hey kid, you’ll need this.”
Why do Paul, Steve and Martin Kariya, Dusty Imoo, Dustin Byfuglien, Jim Harrison, Grant Rezansoff and, as mentioned, Eugene Peacosh all have a Greenwood connection?
Visit the Greenwood Museum in May and view the Greenwood Hockey History display for all the answers!
A mannequin will be outfitted with the old team jersey and equipment.
Greenwood Museum is located on 214 Copper Street and the phone number is 1-250-445-6355.
– Submitted by Chuck Tasaka