George Richardson Memorial Trophy


The George Richardson Memorial Trophy was presented annually from 1932 until 1971, by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. It represented the Eastern Canada junior hockey championship, and a berth in the Memorial Cup final versus the Abbott Cup champion from Western Canada. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy was retired in 1971, when the Memorial Cup became a round-robin series between the winners of the three major junior hockey leagues in Canada; the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Captain Richardson

Trophy was donated by James Armstrong Richardson Sr. in April 1932, in memory of his brother Captain George Taylor Richardson. He was a Canadian ice hockey player, businessman, philanthropist, and later a soldier. Richardson was considered one of the finest amateurs of his time. He played for the Queen's University team that challenged the Ottawa Hockey Club for the 1906 Stanley Cup, and played for the 14th Regiment of Kingston team won the Ontario Hockey Association title, and the J. Ross Robertson Trophy in 1908, and the 1909 Allan Cup. He was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1950. Richardson was part of a prominent Kingston, Ontario family that owned and operated James Richardson & Sons. He joined the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in World War I, and died in action in Belgium, and was created a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour of the French Third Republic.

Playoff format

The Eastern Canada junior playoffs were open to the champions from five respective regions. However, league champions did not always participate, and the format varied depending on the number of teams. In the late 1950s, the Junior Canadiens participated as an independent team. Ontario-based teams won the most championships. No team from the Maritimes ever won the George Richardson Memorial Trophy, and the last time a Northern Ontario team won it occurred in 1937.
RegionAssociationWon
Southern OntarioOntario Hockey Association31
Northeastern OntarioNorthern Ontario Hockey Association3
Ottawa ValleyOttawa District Hockey Association0
QuebecQuebec Amateur Hockey Association4
The MaritimesMaritime Amateur Hockey Association0
IndependentIndependent Junior Canadiens 2

1971 series

president Tubby Schmalz announced that teams from the OHA and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League would not play against any team from the Western Canada Hockey League for the 1971 Memorial Cup, due to disagreements over travel allowances given to team at the Memorial Cup and the higher number of over-age players allowed on WCHL rosters. He said that plans for an Eastern Canada series for the Richardson Trophy would go ahead. That made the 1971 Richardson Cup a potential national championship.
The final Richardson Trophy in 1971 was played between the Quebec Remparts and the St. Catharines Black Hawks, and was controversial due to violence and off-ice disputes causing its abandonment before completion. The series was played when tensions were high between Anglophone Canadians and Francophone nationalists, and featured future NHL stars Guy Lafleur and Marcel Dionne. The series was intended to be best-of-seven, but ended after five games with the Remparts leading three games to two. St. Catharines refused to return to Quebec City due to violence that occurred after game four, and threats from the Front de libération du Québec against its players. CAHA president Earl Dawson declared the series over when no further compromise could be reached. The Quebec Remparts ultimately accepted the challenge by the Western Canada champion Edmonton Oil Kings to play for the Memorial Cup.

Champions and finalists

List of champions and finalists of the George Richardson Memorial Trophy.
SeasonChampionTotal
goals		Finalist
1931–32Sudbury Cub Wolves 4–1Montreal AAA
1932–33Newmarket Redmen 3–2Montreal Royals
1933–34Toronto St. Michael's Majors 19–4Charlottetown Abegweits
SeasonChampionSeries
Finalist
1934–35Sudbury Cub Wolves 2–0Ottawa Rideaus
1935–36West Toronto Nationals 2–0Pembroke Lumber Kings
1936–37Copper Cliff Redmen 2–0Ottawa Rideaus
1937–38Oshawa Generals 2–0Perth Blue Wings
1938–39Oshawa Generals 2–1Verdun Maple Leafs
1939–40Oshawa Generals 2–0Verdun Maple Leafs
1940–41Montreal Royals 3–2Oshawa Generals
1941–42Oshawa Generals 4–0Montreal Royals
1942–43Oshawa Generals 3–0Montreal Junior Canadiens
1943–44Oshawa Generals 3–1Montreal Royals
1944–45Toronto St. Michael's Majors 4–2Montreal Royals
1945–46Toronto St. Michael's Majors 3–0Montreal Junior Canadiens
1946–47Toronto St. Michael's Majors 3–0Montreal Junior Canadiens
1947–48Barrie Flyers 3–0Montreal Nationale
1948–49Montreal Royals 4–0Barrie Flyers
1949–50Montreal Junior Canadiens 4–2Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters
1950–51Barrie Flyers 4–3Quebec Citadelles
1951–52Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters 4–2Montreal Junior Canadiens
1952–53Barrie Flyers 4–1Quebec Citadelles
1953–54St. Catharines Teepees 4–2Quebec Frontenacs
1954–55Toronto Marlboros 4–1–1Quebec Frontenacs
1955–56Toronto Marlboros 4–3–1Montreal Junior Canadiens
1956–57Ottawa-Hull Junior Canadiens 4–1–1Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters
1957–58Ottawa-Hull Junior Canadiens 4–1Toronto Marlboros
1958–59Peterborough Petes 4–2–1Ottawa-Hull Junior Canadiens
1959–60St. Catharines Teepees 4–3–1Brockville Canadiens
1960–61Toronto St. Michael's Majors 3–0Moncton Beavers
1961–62Hamilton Red Wings 4–0Quebec Citadelles
1962–63Niagara Falls Flyers 4–0Espanola Eagles
1963–64Toronto Marlboros 3–1Notre-Dame-de-Grace Monarchs
1964–65Niagara Falls Flyers 3–1Lachine Maroons
1965–66Oshawa Generals 3–1Shawinigan Bruins
1966–67Toronto Marlboros 3–1Thetford Mines Canadiens
1967–68Niagara Falls Flyers 3–2Verdun Maple Leafs
1968–69Montreal Junior Canadiens 3–1Sorel Black Hawks
1969–70Montreal Junior Canadiens 3–0Quebec Remparts
1970–71Quebec Remparts 3–2St. Catharines Black Hawks