Story of the 1953 Exhibition match between the NHL Montreal Canadiens and the Jr. A St. Catharines Teepees at the Garden City Arena

Story of the 1953 Exhibition match between the NHL Montreal Canadiens and the Jr. A St. Catharines Teepees at the Garden City Arena

Sister Enid of the Sisters of St. Joseph was teaching at St. Mary's grade school at the time. She was the daughter of Frank Selke who ran the Montreal Canadians. My Father Gabriel Keogh was one of the two founders of the Hotel Dieu hospital in St. Catharines. My mother and father were friends of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Since Montreal Canadians were going to be in Toronto the day before their NHL game it was arranged by Sister Enid who contacted her father and had the team come to St. Catharines to play the fundraising game against the St. Catharines Teepees.

I was in grade school at time and Sister Enid had the whole team come over to St. Mary's School in the afternoon at lunch. I was able as a result of my parents connection with Sister Enid to get the signatures of all the Montreal Canadian players plus we had a half hour road hockey game against them on Dexter Street beside St. Mary's school which was frozen over strategically by Mr. Bonnah the school caretaker. As a result I can say that I honestly had faceoffs with Rocket Richard.

Also most important is the fact that : (a) The Montreal Canadiens team that played in the game is regarded as the most important and most successful team and most talented in NHL history (b) The St. Catharines Teepee team was the best JR. A team that has ever played in JR. A (i.e. It had the famous CBC line that set the record for the most points scored in JR. A history -Cullen; Barlow and Cullen)

William Keogh

1953

William Keogh

Items # 77 & 78: Montreal Canadians NHL versus St. Catharines Teepees

Memory

St. Catharines

St. Catharines Teepees

Montreal Canadiens

Garden City Arena

St. Joseph Catholic School