The Kimberley Dynamiters are a defunct

senior ice hockey Senior hockey refers to amateur or semi-professional ice hockey competition. There are no age restrictions for Senior players, who typically consist of those whose junior ice hockey, Junior eligibility has expired. Senior hockey leagues operate un ...

club that played prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in the West Kootenay Hockey League (WKHL). In

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

the Kimberley Dynamiters won the

Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the senior ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. It was most recently won by the Wentworth Gryphins ...

, defeating the Sudbury Falcons in the best of 3 final series with a score of 2 games to 0. The team went on to win the 1937 World Ice Hockey Championships. The 1935-1936 Kimberley Dynamiters was inducted as a Team into the

BC Sports Hall of Fame The BC Sports Hall of Fame is a museum located in the BC Place stadium, at Gate A, the main entrance to the stadium, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It collects, preserves, studies and interprets materials that relate to British Columbia' ...

in 1976.

History

Kimberley was home to the

Sullivan Mine The Sullivan Mine is a now-closed conventional–mechanized underground mine located in Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada. The ore body is a complex, sediment-hosted, sedimentary exhalative deposit consisting primarily of zinc, lead, and iro ...

, one of the largest lead and zinc mines in the world. The mining company,

Cominco The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada Limited, and from 1966 onwards Cominco Ltd., was a Canadian mining company that existed from 1906 to 2001. Cominco was created by the Canadian Pacific Railway through the consolidation of a num ...

, actively scouted players for their Kimberly team hoping to build a team that would beat their rivals from

Trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...

. The promise of a good wage and steady work attracted some of the very best hockey players to the area. Players with the Kimberly Dynamiters in the 1930s were making more money than a regular player in the NHL. The result was that the West Kootenay League became the centre for some of the best hockey in Canada. The West Kootenay League operated from 1922-23 through 1940-41. Many of the players resisted the idea of turning professional because it limited their time to work a stable and well-paid mining job. They would also have to take a pay cut if they moved to the NHL. In 1931, the Kimberley Dynamiters joined the

West Kootenay League The West Kootenay League, also referred to as the ''West Kootenay Hockey League'' (WKHL), is a defunct senior men's ice hockey league that operated in eastern British Columbia from 1922–1941, and also during the 1945-46 season. In 1946-47 the le ...

, and thus began an immediate rivalry with the always-strong

Trail Smoke Eaters The Trail Smoke Eaters are a junior A ice hockey team from Trail, British Columbia, Canada. They are a part of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). History The Smoke Eaters (aka ''Smokies'') have existed as both junior and senior teams si ...

, a true powerhouse of senior British Columbia hockey. The Dynamiters won the

Savage Cup The Savage Cup is the trophy that is awarded to British Columbia’s senior ice hockey champions. This trophy was first presented in 1912-13 to the ice hockey team fielded by the Vancouver Rowing Club. and the Savage Cup will be awarded to the BC pr ...

, as British Columbia's Senior AAA hockey champion, in 1934 and 1935 and 1936, and captured their first

by defeating the Sudbury Falcons in the best of 3 final series 2 games to 0. The Allan Cup title won the Dynamiters the right to represent Canada at the 1937 World Ice Hockey Championships, held that year in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. At this world tournament the Kimberley Dynamiters recorded a perfect record of nine wines, with no losses, to decisively win the title of World Champions. In 1941 the WKHL league suspended operations for three seasons due to

, and its teams merged with the Alberta Senior League to become the

Alberta-British Columbia Senior League The Alberta-British Columbia Senior League is a defunct senior men's ice hockey league that operated for the 1941–42 season. History The West Kootenay League was a senior level hockey league that operated from 1922 to 1923 through 1940–41; a ...

for the 1941-42 season. The West Kootenay League was resurrected for the 1945-46 season, and in 1946-47 the league expanded to

Spokane Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and became the

Western International Hockey League The Western International Hockey League (WIHL) was a senior level ice hockey league that featured teams from the Western United States and Western Canada. It operated from 1946–62 and 1963–88. It grew out of the West Kootenay League, whi ...

1937 World Ice Hockey Championships team roster

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kimberley Dynamiters (Wkhl) Defunct ice hockey teams in Canada Ice hockey teams in British Columbia West Kootenay League Ice hockey teams representing Canada internationally East Kootenay

History

1937 World Ice Hockey Championships team roster

See also

References