The Dominions—Packing Them In

The "Dominions" name is intertwined in the history of Edmonton hockey. Named for the Dominion Furriers that sponsored the club before the outbreak of the First World War, the senior men’s amateur team was key in developing the game in Alberta’s capital.

On Christmas Day, 1913, the Dominions played the former Stanley Cup-finalist Edmonton Eskimos in the first-ever game at what became known as the Edmonton Gardens. The Dominions were also key members of the Big-4 League, a controversial Alberta association that saw former pros playing as amateurs, along with the Eskimos and two Calgary teams.

In 1936-37, the Dominions enjoyed their finest-ever season and made a run for the Allan Cup championship, which continues to live on in the memories of Edmontonians. The Dominions, thanks to stars like playing coach "Lefty" Grove and goaltender Albert "Scotty" Munro, brought record crowds to their home games at the Edmonton Gardens. Approximately 2,000 people showed up to see the Dominions and Eskimos open the Gardens. In 1936-37, the Dominions were drawing packed houses of 5,000 or more in the building.

That magical 5,000 number was in attendance when the Dominions edged the Drumheller Miners by a 3-2 count to earn the right to play the Coleman Canadians for the Alberta amateur championship. The winner of the Dominions/Canadians series would go on to represent Alberta at the Western Canadian Allan Cup playdowns. The Dominions travelled south to Calgary for the third and deciding game of the provincial championship series.  Munro shined in goal, leading the Edmontonians to a 4-0 win.

The old hockey adage is that for a team to be successful in the playoffs, it needs to get great goaltending. Munro would continue his stellar play as the Dominions went on to the Western Allan Cup playdowns. The Dominions began their quest for the Allan Cup by taking on the British Columbia champs from Nelson. Munro was outstanding in the first game of the series, holding Nelson off the score sheet for three full periods and 30 minutes of overtime. Unfortunately, the Dominions could not score a goal for him, and the game was declared a 0-0 tie.

The teams returned to Edmonton for Games 2 and 3, and once again the Gardens was packed—there was an atmosphere for playoff hockey like the city had never seen before. The Dominions obliged the fans by taking two thrilling one-goal victories, putting them just one step away from the Allan Cup final. All they had to was beat the Saskatchewan champs from Battleford and they would be off to the Allan Cup.

Alas, it was not to be. The Battleford club, at the time recognized as the best amateur team in Western Canada, swamped the Dominions, winning games by double-digit margins.

While the Dominions had not achieved their goal, they had created a new level of euphoria for hockey in the city—a spirit that would help build hockey in Edmonton after the Second World War. The 1948 Allan Cup champion Edmonton Flyers owe a lot to that old Dominions team—because it was the Dominions who got Edmontonians believing in a dream.

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