Thursday, September 21, 2017
Notes from Mr. Wilson's Basement
Notes
From Mr. Wilson's Basement
A couple of months ago,
I was invited to attend a hockey function in Toronto. It took place
in a basement in a very nice part of town, but it was no ordinary
basement. For hockey memorabilia fans, particularly Leaf fans, it was
an extraordinary cellar.
Mike Wilson used almost
one thousand square feet of space to display his collection. Since
that time, he has sold the bulk of the collection to the Canadian
Museum of History in Ottawa. Wilson spent many years amassing the
material. Each item that he obtained had a history, sometimes an
emotional attachment. He wanted to share his knowledge of the game,
keeping the history alive. With that in mind, he often hosted
different groups to his basement. A series of “Hot Stove League”
chats.
The evening I attended
was devoted to hockey history from the early 1930s. The Toronto
Marlboroughs won the Memorial Cup at that time, and the Leafs won the
Stanley Cup a short time later. Descendants of the players were on
hand to share a memory or two of their famous relatives. I was
invited to the event by Pete Conacher, who played for the Belleville
McFarlands when they won the World Championship.
Pete, in a recent photo in Mr. Wilson's Basement
Pete represented
arguably the most famous family in Toronto sports history. His dad
was Charlie. His uncle was Lionel. His cousin was Murray Henderson,
whom Pete calls the “unsung hero of the Conacher family”. His
Uncle Roy played several years in the NHL. Then there are several
other grandsons and nephews who played at higher levels of hockey.
Mike Wilson, in his basement
Pete told the group
assembled that his father “never talked about the games” when he
got home form the Gardens. His dad played on one of the first lines
in hockey to receive a nickname-the Kid Line. Other players on that
line were Joe Primeau, and Harvey “Busher” Jackson. Pete
remembered that his dad was not a fan of the “dump the puck”
style of hockey. His dad said that it slowed the game down to the
extent that “they could have played the game in galoshes”.
Pete got called up to
the Black Hawks from his Junior team in Guelph. His Uncle Roy was
retiring that season, and Pete got a chance to skate with him. Pete
played on a line with Bill Mosienko and Jim McFadden, against the
leafs. He remembered that the Hawks won, 1-0. Pete was credited with
an assist on the goal. He maintains that he did not touch the puck.
Charlie's son Brad took
the floor for a few questions and answers. He said that he followed
the game listening to Foster Hewitt. Naturally, the Leafs were
revered by most Torontonians. That reverence went back to those early
1930s days, when the Kid Line dominated play, and won Stanley Cups.
Remember?
Pete was also asked
about Nicholson Island, of all things. He told the group that his dad
sent their dog down to the island to be trained. His Uncle Lionel
often went to the island to hunt pheasant. There is a strong Toronto
Maple Leafs connection to the island, which I will research in days
to come.
Mike Wilson reported
that the last of the items he sold left his place about a month ago.
But he has an agreement with the Museum, indicating that he has
“curatorial control, naming rights, and an emphasis on preserving
and displaying his collection's history”.
September 18, 2017.
# posted by James Hurst @ 9:29 AM 
