For the Icehouse Hockey League, the “Red Scare” of the 1920’s was a reference to the dominant play of the Montreal Reds. From 1925 to 1928, the Reds set the bar for repeated wins of the IHHL Ice Bucket. Previously, the Saskatoon Sasquatches held the IHHL record for consecutive Ice Bucket wins with their back-to-back win in 1922 and 1923. With the Reds four consecutive championships, the 1920s became known as the golden decade of Canadian hockey in the IHHL.
Throughout their winning seasons, the Reds combined hard hitting defense with a soft and deft touch of their forwards. Jacques Le’Lain, the Reds’ premier winger, racked up over 100 points in three of the four championship years. Le’Lain, known as an intense competitor, would stop at nothing to win and would often crash the net in an effort to unnerve opposing goalies. In 1926, Le’Lain was suspended for 5 games after boarding Boston Shamrocks goalie Bill McGuire, knocking him unconscious and ending his season.
The Reds also had the best defensive pairing of the era in Max Wheeler and John Lach. Known around the league as the Red Wall, Wheeler and Lach were considered the most physical defensemen in the league, racking up over 600 hits between them in the 1926 season. Despite the physicality of their play, the pair always made clean hits; resulting in some of the lowest PIMs in the league.
Harnessing and directing all of this skill and raw power was the job of head coach Tommy Creglorn. Creglorn, a no nonsense taskmaster, accepted nothing but perfection and discipline from his team. Training camps were known as “Creglorn’s Crucible”, and led to more than one player quitting the league before the official start of his career. Held in the Canadian Rockies, the training camps were grueling affairs for the players in the summer months. Creglorn touted his training camps as the key to the Reds’ success, conditioning the players to be ready for any physical challenge.
Throughout their winning seasons, the Reds combined hard hitting defense with a soft and deft touch of their forwards. Jacques Le’Lain, the Reds’ premier winger, racked up over 100 points in three of the four championship years. Le’Lain, known as an intense competitor, would stop at nothing to win and would often crash the net in an effort to unnerve opposing goalies. In 1926, Le’Lain was suspended for 5 games after boarding Boston Shamrocks goalie Bill McGuire, knocking him unconscious and ending his season.
The Reds also had the best defensive pairing of the era in Max Wheeler and John Lach. Known around the league as the Red Wall, Wheeler and Lach were considered the most physical defensemen in the league, racking up over 600 hits between them in the 1926 season. Despite the physicality of their play, the pair always made clean hits; resulting in some of the lowest PIMs in the league.
Harnessing and directing all of this skill and raw power was the job of head coach Tommy Creglorn. Creglorn, a no nonsense taskmaster, accepted nothing but perfection and discipline from his team. Training camps were known as “Creglorn’s Crucible”, and led to more than one player quitting the league before the official start of his career. Held in the Canadian Rockies, the training camps were grueling affairs for the players in the summer months. Creglorn touted his training camps as the key to the Reds’ success, conditioning the players to be ready for any physical challenge.
The combination of soft hands, hard hits, and disciplined play elevated the Reds to legendary heights in the league. Players like Le’Lain, Wheeler, Lach, and others, forged in the crucible of Creglon’s training camp, dominated the league. It would take half a century before another team could be compared the Reds; making the Reds the IHHL’s first true dynasty.
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