Catching up with Billy Colpitts is our communities

A recent discussion on the Winnipeg Facebook page about the old Olympic rink, Sports Memories, led to an email from a former Winnipegger. Billy Colpitts. Although the name Colpitts may not be familiar to some readers, he was one of our city's top young athletes in the mid-to-late 1950s.

The Olympic Rink at the corner of Charles Street and Church Avenue in north Winnipeg was the home of hockey from 1922 until the early 1960s. In 1969, it was flattened and a multi-story residential building was built in its place. A plaque on the wall in the lobby of the building recognizes the history of the rink.

Colpitts, who now lives in Blaine, Minn., just north of the Twin Cities, said he remembers watching the Winnipeg Warriors play the New York Rangers in a preseason game in the 1955 Olympics as a freshman in the Western Hockey League. Gump Worsley online and Lou Fontinato and Bill Gadsby on defense. The Olympics were home to boxing lacrosse, which watched its cousin for the summer Jeff Woolley play. Woolley is an inducted member of the Manitoba Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Colpitts said the Winnipeg Monarchs, who played in the 1957 Manitoba junior final at a sold-out Olympics, upset the highly touted St. Boniface Canadiens. He assessed the victory as a great game by the goalkeeper Ron Mathers. What he didn't mention was that he played for the Monarchs after being traded from the Canadiens, a roster stacked with future pros. Jerry Brisson, Ray Brunel, Ted Green, Howie Hughes, Rock Pennington, The norm Vaslavskyand Bill Masterton. The Monarchs won the series four games to two, with one game tied, and Colpitts scored twice in the final 5-2 win.

Masterton and Colpitts were junior hockey teams at the Weston Community Club and later rivals in USA college hockey – Masterton at the University of Denver and Colpitts at the University of North Dakota. Colpitts said Masterton recommended him as Denver's coach Murray Armstrong, he withdrew the scholarship offer after scouting him. He said he owes it to the UND coach Barry Thorndycraft, a former Winnipegger, recruited him when others had reservations about his size and lack of skating ability. Often described as diminutive, Colpitts was five feet five and weighed 145 pounds.

Colpitts said that our correspondence gave him access to old memories. He played field hockey at Isaac Brock CC and was a halfback on Daniel Mack's high school football championship team in 1955 and 1956. He didn't mention that he played junior football at Winnipeg Rhodes in 1957. Manitoba/Saskatchewan Junior League Player of the Year in goal scoring.

East Kildonan/Elmwood Bill McDowell, Colpitts called the Monarchs' star defenseman a “real fighter,” a future NHLer Ted Harris, Al and Ken Treasureand Laurie Langrell Colpits remembered the athletes. Daniel Mack Football Alumni Ralph Lyndon and Curt Roseborough At UND, he had hockey teammates. He even acknowledged the referees Vic Lindqvist, Danny is Kurdish and Lyndon's father, Windy.

Colpitts played with future NHL players in the junior provincial final for Weston against the Flin Flon Bombers. Mel Pearson and Ted Hampson, he said he couldn't hold back. In 1957, the pair helped the Bombers win the Canadian Junior Championship. Many years later, while watching his grandson Nick at a high school game, he ran into Hampson, who was an NHL scout based in the Twin Cities. Nick is currently the head lacrosse coach at Queens University in Charlotte

Colpitts and Hampson, along with the golfer, were finalists for the 1957 Manitoba Sportsman of the Year award. Ted Homenwick and a blue bomber Jerry Jameswho won

The Colpitts sent a photo of the Weston CC team winning the city and Manitoba bantam championships in 1954. His father Bill was equipment manager and Max Pilous, who later coached the St. Boniface Canadiens, became the coach. Included Ernie Bradawaski, Don Atamanchuk and Wayne LarkinPlayed for the 1959 Memorial Cup champion Winnipeg Braves, future Pittsburgh Penguins. Ted Lanyonand Don Bamburak, played professionally for six seasons. Colpitts was with the Weston Midgets that season.

T. Kent Morgan
Memories of sports

Sports memorabilia appears every second week in Canstar Community News. Kent Morgan can be reached at 204-489-6641 or by email: [email protected]

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