Dominion Ladies’ Hockey Tournament / ‘Centennial Tournament’ 

March 24-2, 1967, Doublerinks Arenas, Vaughn, Ontario

On Easter weekend [?] in 1967, the Brampton Canadettes hosted the Dominion Ladies’ Hockey Tournament at the Doublerinks Arenas in Vaughn for 22 teams from Canada and the United States. The tournament, which was also known as the Centennial Tournament, helped to mark a re-emergence of women’s competitive hockey after a long period of decline since the 1930s [see also the Ladies’ North American Hockey Championship Tournament [link]].

Teams were based on ability rather than age, and it is reported that players ranged from nine year old Lynn Franklin for the Canadettes to Cooksville’s Mabel Boyd in her 50s. The Toronto Star was impressed by the standard of play:

“It wasn’t powder puff hockey. The Gals skated hard, used slapshots, body-checked, and even dropped their sticks for the occasional fight” (cited by McKinley, 2006, p. 189).

            [Body checking wasn’t removed from women’s hockey until the 1989-90 season.]

The tournament has been played continuously since 1967, and now promotes itself as ‘the largest and longest running’ girls’ and women’s hockey tournament in the world, drawing teams from a number of different countries. By 2005 there were 322 teams playing in 32 divisions (Reinhart, 2005), and it seems likely that the recently played 51st tournament included even more teams.

References:

http://www.bramptoncanadettes.com/tournament/

http://www.bramptoncanadettes.com/tournament/tournament-history/

https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/news/2013-wwc-003-en

McKinley, M. (2006). Hockey: A People’s History. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart.

Reinhart, A. (2005). [no title]. Globe and Mail, March 25: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/anthony-reinhart/article20420789/

Images:

http://www.bramptoncanadettes.com/tournament/tournament-history/