RCAF Flyers

The RCAF Flyers was a senior amateur Canadian ice hockey team, based out of Ottawa. The club won the gold medal in the 1948 Winter Olympics. The club also won the Allan Cup Canadian championship in 1942.

1948 Olympics

In late 1947, the International Olympic Committee instituted strict guidelines on what would be considered amateur status for Olympic competition. As a result, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) decided it could not put together a good enough team to compete and therefore not to put forth a team for competition at the 1948 St. Moritz Olympics.

Sandy Watson, senior medical officer at Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) headquarters subsequently convinced the Association that the RCAF could assemble a team, and they agreed. After some controversy over whether to also include Army service men in the team, it was determined that the team would be strictly airmen only. When the final 17-man roster was announced, an exhibition tour began and doubts quickly emerged as the team was beaten by university and army teams.

The team also had funding challenges. Sidney Dawes, founder of the Canadian Olympic Committee called Sydney Dobson, the President of the Royal Bank of Canada, and asked for the bank's help in getting the team to the Winter Games. The bank agreed and the Flyers were able to compete. [ [http://www.rbc.com/sponsorship/olympics/60_years_of_support.html RBC Sponsorships] ]

A few last minute men were added to the roster, including some who were quickly put through medicals to become airmen in order to qualify for the team.

1948 Olympic Gold medalists

Goaltenders

*Cpl Ross King, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
*LAC Murray Dowey, Toronto.

Defence

*LAC Roy Forbes, Vancouver.
*FSgt Louie Lecompte, Ottawa
*F/O Frank Dunster, Ottawa
*André LaPerrière, Montreal

Forwards

*F/O Reg Schroeter, Ottawa
*Cpl Patsy Guzzo, Ottawa
*Cpl Irving Taylor, Ottawa
*AC1 Orville Gravelle, Aylmer, Quebec
*George Mara, Naval Reserve, Toronto
*Wally Halder, Naval Reserve, Toronto
*Sgt Andy Gilpin, Montreal
*AC1 Pete Leichnitz, Ottawa
*AC1 Ted Hibberd, Ottawa
*LAC Ab Renaud, Ottawa
*F/O Hubert Brooks, Montreal

Coach

*Sgt Frank Boucher, Ottawa

Manager

*S/L Sandy Watson, Ottawa

Trainer

*Cpl George McFaul, Ottawa

References

External links

*McLauchlin, Les. [http://www.airforce.ca/hockeystory.pdf" Good Gid, Olympic Gold!"] , "The Airforce", Spring, 1998. Accessed April 21, 2008.