Unfortunately for them, in those days the teams played sets of best-of-seven series to determine the national champion.
Many successful Tier II clubs like the Red Deer Rustlers, the Guelph Platers, and the Vernon Vipers franchises were well rooted in their communities when they were victorious, with warchests of cash from major sponsors and massive fan support awaiting long playoff runs.
The CAHA answered back a few seasons later with the formation of round-robin championship tournaments.
The Nationals then took on the Lac-Megantic Royals, the champions of the Quebec Provincial Junior A Hockey League.
In the Eastern Canadian championship, the Nationals drew the Island Junior Hockey League's Charlottetown Colonels.
The cost of the venture left the team in financial turmoil and led to them folding a year later.