George Dudley

Dudley's role as secretary-manager of the CAHA made him influential in Canadian hockey since he served as the regular delegate to IIHF meetings, and was in charge of selecting the Canada men's national team.

He was opposed to governments funding or controlling amateur sports associations, and supported the continuation of hockey and incorporating Royal Canadian Air Force teams into the CAHA as a morale boost during World War II.

[5] Dudley oversaw construction of the Midland Arena Gardens by autumn 1931 during the Great Depression, and it became the only artificial ice rink between Toronto and Winnipeg at the time.

To gain the financial concessions, the CAHA conceded to allow body checking in the neutral zone, and use the same ice hockey rules as the professional league.

[15] At the CAHA general meeting in 1935, Dudley stated it was important to keep younger players amateurs as long as possible, and prevent professionalism at a young age which excluded them from the OHA.

Dudley and CAHA second vice-president W. G. Hardy negotiated agreements with the NHL, and the British Ice Hockey Association (BIHA) to govern the transfer of players and prevent the raiding of Canadian rosters.

[24] Dudley stated that the CAHA should face realities, and that the Canadian public was sympathetic to compensating and supporting its Olympic ice hockey players while overseas.

[46] In November 1939, he expected changes would be made in the playoff structure and compensation of teams for travel, since the financial situations of the CAHA and OHA had improved since the Great Depression.

[49] The new organization replaced the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace (LIHG) which was inactive due to World War II.

The CAHA chose to continue operations as usual to maintain the morale of Canadians during the war, and would offer any assistance needed for military sports teams.

[63] Dudley reiterated that the CAHA would assist the Canadian government where possible, and would bend the agreement with the NHL to allow for younger players to be signed who were not subject to travel restrictions or military service.

[68] He urged for clubs in Canada to have special games to raise funds for war organizations, and for the CAHA branches to incorporate military teams into schedules where possible.

[77] In April 1943, Dudley recommended that payments from the NHL for signing amateurs be deferred until players lost due to the wartime enlistments return to professional hockey.

[79] In June 1943, Dudley and Frank Sargent met with the Canadian armed services to discuss future organization of military ice hockey teams in Canada.

The CAHA arranged to give 25 per cent of its annual proceeds towards building a facility for the Original Hockey Hall of Fame, and Dudley expected that amount to be $4,000 to $5,000.

[101] The Edmonton Junior Canadians declined the offer due to financial concerns that the proposed European tour would be insufficient to cover travel costs.

[124] After the Olympics, Dudley arranged for the Ottawa RCAF Flyers to complete an exhibition game schedule to raise funds to cover travel expenses.

On January 12, 1953, CAHA president W. B. George stated that, "Every year we spend $10,000 to send a Canadian hockey team to Europe to play 40 exhibition games.

[144] The QAHA was reinstated, and Dudley urged for the CAHA executive to follow the rules consistently when it came to player replacements in playoffs, instead of making arbitrary decisions.

[146] In February 1954, he sent reinforcements from higher-level senior teams to strengthen the roster, including Don Lockhart, Eric Unger, Tom Jamieson, and Bill Shill.

[150] In July 1954, Dudley was confident the criticism of choosing the national team would end, after he announced that the 1954 Allan Cup champion Penticton Vees were chosen to represent Canada at the 1955 Ice Hockey World Championships.

[158] In August 1955, Dudley announced that the 1955 Allan Cup champions Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen were selected to represent Canada in ice hockey at the 1956 Winter Olympics.

[160] The Dutchmen won six games during the Olympic hockey tournament, but losses to the Soviet Union and the United States earned a bronze medal for Canada.

[164] An agreement was reached in principle to send an all-star team to the 1957 World Championships, based on a core of players from the 1956 Allan Cup champion Vernon Canadians.

[170] Dudley made the announcement in November 1956, that Canada would not send its national team to the 1957 Ice Hockey World Championships due to recent changes in international affairs.

[174] Dudley announced the tour would be seven games played under international rules,[175] and only include cities in Ontario and Quebec due to limits on the Soviet's available travel time.

[180] The CAHA chose to participate in the 1958 Ice Hockey World Championships, and Dudley announced that the 1957 Allan Cup champions Whitby Dunlops would represent Canada and play a European exhibition schedule.

CAHA president Gordon Juckes stated, "to sportsmen national and internationally, his death will mean the personal loss of an experienced, impartial and able administrator".

[215] Canadian journalist and hockey historian Scott Young mentioned Dudley frequently in the book, 100 Years of Dropping the Puck: A History of the OHA.

[9][216] Young further stated that Dudley was a forward thinker,[217] a man who always had a solution to problems in hockey,[218] and had the ability to listen to a conversation and find a compromise without forcing anyone to change his mind.

Osgoode Hall building
Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto
Canada men's national ice hockey team photo
Dudley pushed for a new definition of amateur, in the wake of Canada not winning the gold medal in ice hockey at the 1936 Winter Olympics hosted in Garmisch-Partenkirchen .
Exterior of Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens hosted many hockey matches scheduled by Dudley.
Black and white photo of the drawing Room at the Royal Alexandra Hotel, Winnipeg
The CAHA's silver jubilee in 1939, was hosted at the Royal Alexandra Hotel (drawing room pictured) in Winnipeg.
Ladies in a warehouse assembling care packages for soldiers
Canadian Red Cross volunteers during World War II.
Silver bowl trophy with two large handles, mounted on a black plinth
Dudley donated a portion of profits from the Allan Cup playoffs ( trophy pictured ) to the Government of Canada for the war effort.
Silver bowl trophy with two large handles, mounted on a wide black plinth engraved with team names on silver plates
Dudley served as a trustee of the Memorial Cup after he was CAHA president. [ 1 ]
Original Hockey Hall of Fame building
In 1945, Dudley announced CAHA contributions towards the construction of a facility for the Original Hockey Hall of Fame. [ 89 ] The building (pictured) opened in 1965, in Kingston, Ontario . [ 90 ]
1948 Ottawa RCAF Flyers team photo
The Ottawa RCAF Flyers team was the CAHA's answer to the IOC's definition of amateur for ice hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics.
Olympic ice rink in St. Moritz
Outdoor stadium used for ice hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz
Hockey card with in-game action photo of Lewicki playing for the New York Rangers
Danny Lewicki
Edmonton Mercurys hockey jersey
The Edmonton Mercurys (team jersey pictured) represented Canada in ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics.
Hockey action photo
Canada versus the Soviet Union at the 1954 Ice Hockey World Championships
World Championship trophy
Trophy awarded for winning the Ice Hockey World Championships during the 1950s
Soviet tanks in Budapest
Soviet invasion of Hungary in October 1956
Belleville Memorial Arena facade
The Belleville Memorial Arena ( pictured ) was home to the McFarlands, and its facade displays the 1958 Allan Cup and 1959 World Championship teams.
Blyth Arena
Blyth Arena at the Squaw Valley Ski Resort
Dudley's gravestone
Dudley family gravestone at Lakeview Cemetery in Midland
Dudley Hewitt Cup trophy
Dudley Hewitt Cup