In Remembrance: Recounting the story of Capt. James T. Sutherland and the origin of the Memorial Cup
Today, on Remembrance Day, Canadians across the country will pause in a silent moment of reflection to recognize the men and women who have served, and continue to serve during times of war, conflict and peace.
Similarly, in the United States, Americans will observe Veterans Day in order to thank and honour all those who have served and continue to serve honourably in the military.
For the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and its three member leagues (the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League), November 11 and Remembrance Day carry significant meaning given the important bond that exists between Canadian military personnel and the Memorial Cup – the trophy that is annually awarded to the champion of the CHL.
It’s a connection that dates back for more than a century.
The story of the Memorial Cup begins with Capt. James T. Sutherland. Often referred to by his peers as the “Father of Hockey”, Sutherland was both a hockey pioneer and a life-long promoter of the game he loved, serving as a player, coach, manager, referee and an administrator with the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA).
Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Sutherland helped establish the original Kingston Frontenacs. He enjoyed tremendous success as the club’s head coach and manager, winning the Ontario junior championship in back-to-back years in 1910 and 1911.
A team photo of the 1910-1911 Kingston Frontenacs with James T. Sutherland (second row, centre, directly behind the trophy), Allan “Scotty” Davidson (second row, second from the end on the right) and George Taylor Richardson (second row, third from the end on the left)
As the First World War began in 1914, Sutherland helped move hockey to the forefront in an effort to recruit young men to sign up and join the fight. In his first official note as president of the CAHA near the end of 1915, he encouraged others to enlist, stating “I feel that I have a greater responsibility and duty to perform at this time and that is to point out to the great army of hockey players and officials scattered throughout our beloved Canada, how great and urgent the need is for men to come forward and rally to the defence of our common cause and strike a blow for liberty and justice that will re-echo around the world.”
Sutherland ultimately left the sport of hockey in 1916 to enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War, where he rose to the rank of Captain. He would survive the war, but sadly a couple of his players were not as fortunate.
It was the tragic loss in battle of two of his beloved players – Allan “Scotty” Davidson and Capt. George Taylor Richardson who both were a part of Kingston’s championship winning teams in 1910 and 1911 – that inspired Sutherland with the help of local businessman Liam Carr to create a trophy called the Memorial Cup that would pay tribute to all Canadians who died in the First World War.
With that honour in mind, starting in 1919, the Memorial Cup was born and it was awarded to the best junior hockey team in Canada. Almost a century later, the trophy was rededicated to honour all of Canada’s fallen soldiers at the 2010 Memorial Cup in Brandon, Man. Veterans from the Second World War and the Korean War took part in the trophy’s rededication by escorting the Memorial Cup into the tournament’s opening ceremony that was held at the Canadian Forces Base Shilo in the province of Manitoba.
Looking back, it makes sense that in a conflict that saw Canada come of age as a nation that hockey would be a part of the story.
Today, the CHL continues to honour that story and the special bond it has to Canadian military personnel annually at the Memorial Cup – doing so in a number of different ways. One of the manners by which the league honours those roots is through its Memorial Cup Theme Jersey Program.
Captain Logan Stankoven showcases the Kamloops Blazers’ theme jersey for the 2023 Memorial Cup which features a commemorative pin that acknowledges the efforts and sacrifices of veterans from all Indigenous communities (Photo: Candice Ward/CHL)
Specifically, since 2008, this program has seen the host club of a Memorial Cup wear commemorative jerseys in the opening game of the tournament in order to recognize servicemen and women. These game-worn jerseys are always auctioned off following that first game of the Memorial Cup, with all proceeds supporting the Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command Poppy Trust Fund, a program that supports both veterans and their families.
Over the years, since this theme jersey program first started at the 2008 Memorial Cup in Kitchener, Ont., the CHL has raised over $260,000 for the Dominion Command Poppy Trust Fund.
Every year, these commemorative sweaters also tell an important story, and most recently at the 2023 Memorial Cup in Kamloops, B.C., the Blazers wore a one-of-a-kind jersey highlighted by a commemorative pin that presents the Legion Poppy on the centre of a dreamcatcher — their coupling acknowledging the efforts and sacrifices of veterans from all Indigenous communities.
Looking ahead to the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow in Saginaw, Michigan, you can be certain that once again, at the heart of the event, military personnel from both Canada and the United States will be recognized and celebrated – honouring a tradition that dates back for over a century and one that was first started by the late Capt. Sutherland.
(FEATURE PHOTO CREDIT: HOCKEY HALL OF FAME)
