Edmonton Mercurys

The Edmonton Mercurys ("Mercurys", "Mercs") were an intermediate senior-A ice hockey team that played in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1940s and 1950s, and went on to win both a world championship and an Olympic gold medal.

Edmonton Mercurys
Medal record
Representing Canada
Men's ice hockey
Olympic Games/World Championship
1952 Oslo Team
World Championship
1950 London Team
1952 Olympic jersey of the Edmonton Mercurys

History

The Mercurys formed in 1949, and were named for the model of automobile sold by car dealer Jim Christianson, who established the team and sponsored them.[1][2][3] A number of the players were employees of the dealership, Waterloo Mercury.[4]

In January 1950 the Mercurys, who had won the Western Intermediate League championships,[5] played a round of exhibition games in Scotland.[6] Later that year the team won the 1950 World Ice Hockey Championships in London, England.

The Mercurys represented Canada at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway, and won the gold medal[7][8][9] — the last Canadian team to win the gold until 2002 Winter Olympics.[10] As per the process from 1920 - 1968, the Mercs 1952 Olympic win also made this team the 1952 World Ice Hockey Champions.

While on a 1952 playing tour of Europe, the Mercurys won the inaugural Ahearne Cup international hockey competition, held in Sweden.

1950 World Champions
1952 Olympic gold medalists (and 1952 World Champions)

The 1950 World Champion version of the Edmonton Mercurys team was inducted to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.[12]

The 1952 Olympic/World Champion Edmonton Mercurys team (including the five returning players, Davies/Dawe/Gauf/Purvis/Watt, from the 1950 team) was inducted to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1968,[13] and was inducted to the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2002.[14]

See also

References
  1. Michael McKinley. It's Our Game: Celebrating 100 Years Of Hockey Canada. Penguin Canada; 28 October 2014. ISBN 978-0-14-319309-8. p. 107–.
  2. Dan Robson. Quinn: The Life of a Hockey Legend. Penguin Canada; 3 November 2015. ISBN 978-0-14-319603-7. p. 29–.
  3. "Edmonton Mercurys were last team to win second-straight hockey gold for Canada". Toronto Star, Curtis Rush, Feb. 23, 2014
  4. "Hockey Hero Helped Canada Win God". Edmonton Journal, June 1, 2013
  5. Edmonton Mercurys at the Canadian Encyclopedia
  6. "Two in a row for the Mercurys". Lethbridge Herald, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. January 12, 1950. page 12.
  7. Gene Brown. Winter sports. Arno Press; 1979. ISBN 978-0-405-12635-2. p. 72.
  8. 3-3 tie gives Mercurys Olympic Hockey Crown, Edmonton Journal, February 25, 1952
  9. "3-3 tie gives Mercurys Olympic Hockey Crown" Archived 2007-10-01 at the Wayback Machine, Edmonton Journal, February 25, 1952
  10. "Olympic repeat first in 62 years: Edmonton-based team was last to defend Canadian gold". Toronto Star. Toronto, Ont. Rush, Curtis. Feb 24, 2014 S.4
  11. Tom King. The Legendary Game - Ultimate Hockey Trivia. Trafford Publishing; 6 October 2010. ISBN 978-1-4269-4380-5. p. 8–.
  12. "Edmonton Waterloo Mercurys 1950". Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  13. "Edmonton Waterloo Mercurys 1952". Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  14. "Members of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame - Sport: Ice Hockey". Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  • Edmonton Mercurys page from canoe.ca's 2002 Winter Olympics page
Preceded by
Ottawa RCAF Flyers		 Canada men's Olympic ice hockey team
1952		 Succeeded by
Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
Preceded by
Ottawa RCAF Flyers		 Olympic Gold Medal ice hockey team
1952		 Succeeded by
Soviet Union National Team
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