The Engleson Files

At the turn of the century, hockey in general, started to make great changes. The game itself was officially cemented into the collective conscience of the Canadian people, and with that, hockey began to grow into big business. Great players now became super-stars who had their faces forever immortalized on hockey cards and giant billboard posts. The game had been roofed and ruled, and the hierarchy of excellence, trophies, and teams truly began to develop – for this was the era of professionalism in hockey.

For the Barkerville Goldpanners, this was both good news and bad. It was good in the sense that it brought even more attention to the game, which, in turn, greatly elevated the level of competition. The William’s Creek Hockey League expanded into other communities in the central interior and was then renamed the Western Interior Hockey League, with the Goldpanners now being the only team from Barkerville competing. Gone were the days when any team could challenge for Lord Stanley’s prize, now teams had to be officially registered to qualify for the opportunity to compete. So with that, the Goldpanners seized this opportunity and became the powerhouse team in the newly developed league. In the first five years of the WIHL, the Goldpanners were champions five times, ironically, defeating a team from Bella Coola, who were then called the Northern Crosses, to claim their impressive fifth straight title in 1913. In many ways at this time, life was simply too good for the Barkerville Goldpanners.

But then Lester Patrick moved west and began cementing his plans for a new rival league down south – the Pacific Coast Hockey League. Teams such as the Victoria Aristocrats, the New Westminster Royals and Vancouver Millionaires began taking shape; and with that the big money now began to flow. Victoria housed the first indoor artificial rink in the Dominion that seated fifteen-thousand people. This luxury greatly damaged the fate of the WIHL, and the Barkerville Goldpanners, simply because the contracts signed up north could not compete with those offered down south. Therefore, many players from the WIHL traveled south to cash in on their fame and fortune and to have the opportunity to compete along side such icons as Fred “Cyclone” Taylor, thus killing hockey in the interior and dismantling the Barkerville Goldpanners professionally. Barkerville tried everything possible to join ranks with Patrick’s new league, but geographical logistics killed the negotiations before they had even begun. There would be many winters without professional hockey in Barkerville - until that one event, that one event when everything changed…

Continuing on my graphic novel kick, I just recently finished reading V for Vendetta by Alan Moore. Not much to say except that it is an absolute classic! The storyline is most intense (Guy Fawkes lovers beware!) and the artwork is fantastic. Get your copy today!

“I want to compile the best Barkerville has to offer and put them up against the best there is in hockey today. There is no doubt in my mind our boys here in Barkerville can go to Montreal and bring this cup back.” The Montreal Victorias were one of early hockey’s first dynasties, winning the Stanley Cup five times between 1893 and 1898, and, attempting to take the cup away from them was going to be an extremely tall order – but that did not sway Bain, in fact, it only made him more determined.

Now in his early sixties, Bain still had the same fire and passion for hockey as he did all those years ago on the Rideau Canal, and he meticulously molded the first ever “all-star elite” Barkerville Goldpanners into championship form. Then finally, on January 22nd, 1899, the Goldpanners set a trail to Montreal to play for Lord Stanley’s Dominion Challenge Cup. The team’s five week journey saw them travel by stagecoach down to New Westminster and then across Canada on the newly created Canadian Pacific Railway. But, tragically, just outside of Yale, the fate of the Goldpanners Stanley Cup run was changed forever. Inflicted with a dreaded bout of tuberculosis for quite some time (but never telling anyone), Bain’s lungs finally gave out and he died at the age of sixty-two. “We have lost our coach, mentor and father,” expressed a tearful “Newsy” Lacroix, “but we have to continue our journey – our goal isn’t done yet.”

So it was with weary bones and heavy hearts the Goldpanners set path to Montreal to play the powerhouse Victorias. Bain’s last words to his team were, “do this for me and for Barkerville.” And that they did. Once in Montreal, the Goldpanners played hard for the opening half of the first match, and were only trailing 3-1 at halftime. But in the second half all hell broke loose, with a stick swinging duel between Barkerville’s “Sureshot” Kennedy and Montreal’s Alf Moore, earning them each a fifteen minute banishment to cool down. That incident seemed to rattle the Goldpanners and when the match was over, Barkerville was on the wrong end of a 9-4 loss; and Game 2 was much the same losing 5-2 in a tough, hard fought battle. “We played as hard as we could for each other, for the people of Barkerville, and, for William Bain,” exclaimed Goldpanners goaltender Willy Drapeau. Though the Goldpanners were unsentimentally defeated by Montreal, their epic quest and desire to capture Lord Stanley’s silver chalice forged a legacy of greatness that has remained with this franchise a century later - the Goldpanners officially entered hockey’s ultimate lore.

Thanks a lot you dirty rotten bastards!!

A picture of Barkerville’s first ever hockey rink.

Life in Barkerville in the early 1880’s had calmed considerably due to the realization that the streets would never again be paved with the riches as it had been the past few years. From this, the consequent culling of the prospectors and dreamers brought order to the small town; and from that winter sports began to flourish. Since many of those who stayed behind still had “many good years left in them,” and the fact that winter lasted for six months in the high British Columbian interior, Barkerville was considered prime hockey territory.

Bain, being one of Barkerville’s leading citizens, constructed the first ever ice rink in 1883 and then established the William’s Creek Hockey League, which was comprised of four competing clubs: one from the North-west Mounted Police, one from the civil services, another from a group of merchants down in Stanley, and one from a group of prospectors in Francistown. As the years passed on and Bain’s dedication to hockey in Barkerville grew, the William’s Creek Hockey League began to produce some very excellent talent. Great players such as Mike “Sureshot” Kennedy, Archibald Martin, Albert “One-Eyed” McPhee and Norman “Newsy” Lacroix became household names. But none of them could even dream of what William James Bain–Overlander had up his sleeve next…

The Goldpanners first practice. Bain seen behind the net molding his team to perfection.

Around the same time of the great CPR railway, news started to travel more freely around the Dominion of Canada, and reports of a trophy back east began to filter into the lonely goldpanning town. “In the hopes of uniting this great land together, there shall be Challenge Cup established in this Dominion where teams from all over can be invited to compete.” These words were spoken, of course, by none other than Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley – Lord Stanley of Preston himself. And from this grand new trophy Bain began to compile his “all-star elite” team that would he would personally mold to one day travel the 6,000 kilometers across the country to challenge the mighty Montreal Victorias, the holders of Lord Stanley’s new cup – and thus the Barkerville Goldpanners were born.

Here’s a picture of young Magnus Bjorn with his best buddy Carter Brown in their new mandatory Monday school uniforms. Uniforms are commonplace in Chinese schools and from judging all the others ones that I’ve seen, these guys got off fairly easy. Not too sure I am down with the pants/shorts pattern, but hey, the things you have to do to get a little school spirit!

Today I get to partake in the annual draft for my hockey pool that I have been involved with for the past 9 years. My team is called the Barkerville Goldpanners and above is the logo my team has adorned since day 1 - pretty spiffy, eh? Anyways, I am a 2-time champion in the pool and currently have the Goldpanners situated for another championship run. So, since the season is right around the corner I thought I would take some time to introduce to you to the team/organization as I see it in my head. I hope you enjoy

William Bain-Overlander, seen fifth from the left, is without question Barkerville’s founding father for the game of hockey.

Everyone knows what drove William James Alwyn Bain to the British Columbian interior during the fall months of 1860; but it is what made him stay in Barkerville that turned him into a legend. Though ice hockey itself has no prime owner, there is no question that William Bain-Overlander is the founding father of hockey in Barkerville, and, of course, his beloved Goldpanners.

Born December 18th, 1837, in Ottawa, Bain had inherited his father James’s speed-skating talents, honing them on the frozen Rideau Canal close to his home on Hollings Street. As a young child, Bain would spend hours perfecting his stride all the while dreaming of becoming the best speed skater the world has ever seen. Then, in the early part of the winter of 1850, Bain and a childhood friend saw a strange sight on the great canal that forever changed his life. “A couple of young men, both strangers to me, armed with curved sticks of more regularity in contour than the averaged improvised shinny club, were indulging in a good-natured contest for the possession of a dark, dish shaped object on the ice.” From that moment on, Bain dedicated his life to understanding, perfecting and succeeding at this great new game called hockey.

Armed with a B.A. in engineering from Dalhousie University, Bain was lured west by an itch for adventure and zeal for gold. The journey across the expansive frontier of Rupert’s Land took well over two months, but for Bain it only took one dip of the pan into William’s Creek for all that to be rewarded; and from there he became one of Canada’s most colorful swashbucklers and great hockey pioneers. Barkerville was alive and the streets were paved with gold, both literally and figuratively. Bain had made his first millions from prospecting, and then used all that money to expand his empire into what he truly cherished the most – hockey.

Wow. I am very sorry for the long delay to all my longtime viewers but I was getting everything ready for my re-application to the Masters program at UBC. Everything is now pretty much done and now, once again, I can only wait and see what happens. It was nice to have a little vacation from the blog but I am eager to get back at it and show you all what it is us Engleson’s do over here in the Middle Kingdom. Thanks again for your patience and it is now time to Get Back to work!

I apologize for the lack of posts done recently, but my reasons are this: a. the body is not responding too well to this thing called work, and b. I am trying to get everything ready for my Sept. 12th application deadline for the UBC Masters of Creative Writing. All systems will be normal soon.

This past weekend was Mom and Dad’s 40th wedding anniversary. Yes, 40 years ago this was where they were in Vancouver, BC and there has been no stopping them ever since. While back in Penticton for the summer we were very happy to be able to celebrate with them and had a wonderful night. Congratulations Mom and Dad, we love you both very much!