CHAMPIONS SPEAK - 2019 Hall of Fame Inductee Jack Mason - Athlete
by Sandra Wright
Special Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my
honour tonight to introduce you to Jack Manson who is being
inducted as an athlete for his achievements in the sport of
hockey. As a young man Jack competed on two special hockey
teams, the 1948-49 Edmonton Flyers who were awarded the
Allan Cup for winning Canada’s National Senior Amateur Ice
Hockey Championship and the 1950 World Champion Edmonton
Waterloo Mercury’s. When Jack competed on these amateur
teams there were no professional hockey teams in Edmonton or
for that matter in western Canada. Consequently at the time,
these two championships were a “big deal” for Edmonton and
the province of Alberta. Both Jack’s mother and Jack’s
wife kept scrapbooks of Jack’s hockey career and if you get
a chance take a look, the combined scrapbook is on our
display tables and is a wonderful memento of a hockey era in
our past.
I want to
share a couple of articles from Jack’s scrapbook so you can
have an idea and picture in your mind of his goalie feats.
Playing for
the Junior Maple Leafs, in a game played against the Edmonton
Canadians, Jack was the star of the show,Here’s one of the
headlines and stories: “Goalie Manson shines in defeat.
Jack Manson, 19 year clever goalie for the Maple Leafs was
immense in goal last night, to the point where the old east
end ice palace hasn’t witnessed a better exhibition of puck
stopping in a long, long time. The acrobat in the big pads
time and time committed larceny . He turned away dozens,
he’ll never play like that again. “ Jack’s team lost 9-4
and he faced 61 shots, 26 shots in the second period.
Another reporter commenting on the same game said: “It
isn’t the team I wish to write about, it’s the goalie. Jack
Manson’s exhibition of goal tending at the arena was the
finest seen this year and it is doubtful that his
performance in the 2nd period has been bettered any time in
the history of junior net minding in this city. “ Another
quote: “ According to the grapevine, the New York Rangers
are more than interested in Jack Manson of the Maple Leafs”.
As a 21 year
old right out of junior hockey Jack was called to play for
the Edmonton Flyers when their goalie was injured. Here’s
the quote from the Edmonton Journal: Manson walked into a
tough spot here Friday night and walked right out with
colors flying. With Manson playing in grand style the
Flyers walloped the Saskatoon Quakers 5-1. “
After the
Flyers won the Allan Cup Jack moved to playing for the
Edmonton Waterloo Mercurys. The first year Jack played for
the Mercury’s the team played in a league with the
Wetaskiwin Junior Canadians, Camrose and Varsity (U of A).
Jack remembers playing in Wetaskiwin, Camrose and other
central Alberta centres, that’s where the Mercurys got their
competition.
Here’s a
Mercury quote, again from the Journal: “ From bell to bell
the vanquished Millionaires outshot the Mercury’s 46-37 but
Jack Manson in the Edmonton cage made the difference.” In
the Mercurys three month tour of Europe and the World
Championship Tournament in 1950, Jack never lost a game in
goal.
Jack married
his wife Joan in 1947 when he was 21 and playing for the
Flyers. Playing amateur hockey took time away from his job
and family so in 1952 after six years of senior men’s
hockey, Jack hung up his skates and pads. Also, the NHL
wasn’t eager to hire married men. Making a living and
raising his family of six children then became Jack’s prime
concern. It wasn’t until Jack was in his 50’s that he laced
up again and played old timer hockey until he was 79.
I’ve been
lucky enough to sit with Jack and discuss his hockey career
and life in general. At 93, with his positive attitude, his
zest for life and his community involvement Jack is
certainly a great role model for all of us, especially the
“seniors” in the room. Jack has a great memory and many
stories to tell. We are so fortunate to have people like
Jack in our community, we need to take advantage of their
memories and insights.
Jack, as a
valued member of our Wetaskiwin County community for the
past 40 years, we congratulate you for your hockey
accomplishments and are honoured to induct you into the
Wetaskiwin & County Sports Hall of Fame.
A little
history note: The Wetaskiwin Junior Canadians were
previously the Edmonton Junior Canadians, when they played
in Wetaskiwin the Wetaskiwin Colonels had been disbanded and
some former Wetaskiwin Colonels played for Camrose. In 1949
the Mercurys played Camrose in the league finals….three
Wetaskiwin men were on the Camrose roster: Malin, Grant and
Kirstein!
