Centretown’s old Ottawa Auditorium does not exist anymore, but people still remember watching the Ottawa 67’s playing there for the Memorial Cup.
Fifty years ago a stacked team of NHL-bound Ottawa-Hull Junior Canadiens hit the ice to challenge the Regina Pats in game six of the best-of-seven Memorial Cup finals.
A crowd of 4,675 packed into Centretown’s old Ottawa Auditorium on May 6, 1958 to watch the Canadiens finish off the Pats four games to two to take the Canadian junior hockey championship.
The Canadiens won the Memorial Cup for the first time – a memorable moment in Ottawa sports history at one of the city’s most storied athletic and entertainment venues.
Decades after it was demolished, the “Aud” earned a spotlight a recent Ottawa 67’s game in which the 1958 Memorial Cup victory was remembered by some notable members of the winning Ottawa-Hull team.
Scotty Bowman, working under another great of the profession, Sam Pollock, was the assistant coach; it was the pro hockey legend’s first full-time job in the profession.
And future NHLer Ralph Backstrom was captain.
Both returned to celebrate the Memorial Cup win at the 67’s game on Nov. 21.
The Civic Centre was packed with devoted fans, some remembering the great hockey moments at the old Auditorium while enjoying the modern-day action of a 67’s battle against the Brampton Battalions.
The Memorial Cup was the first championship win for Bowman, an eventual NHL luminary who went on to lead three different teams to nine Stanley Cups as head coach.
Backstrom won six Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens. The junior team he captained was made up of other future Habs, including Bobby Rousseau and J.C. Tremblay.
The Auditorium, which was located at the corner of Argyle Avenue and O’Connor Street, was one of the largest venues in Ottawa at the time.
David Farr, a retired Carleton history professor, said he remembers going to the Auditorium to see a performance by the 100-member Red Army Chorus.
“I never went to the Auditorium to watch the hockey games, but that’s what the building is mostly remembered for,” Farr said.
The old “Aud” also hosted several notable concerts, including performances by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, the Rolling Stones, Buddy Holly, Ray Charles and even hometown star singer Paul Anka.
Local resident Jim Shearon was at the Ray Charles concert and used to watch a lot of hockey games in the Auditorium.
He said the shape of the ice surface what was unique to the Auditorium.
“The rink was narrower and egg shaped behind the goal, which was the chief complaint of teams from out of town because the puck would always take a funny bounce,” Shearon said.
Shearon, who came to Ottawa to work for the radio station CFRA, said the Auditorium was used in the launch of the station.
Owner Frank Ryan rented the Auditorium for his first broadcast, which featured Percy Faith and his orchestra.
“Frank was a very imaginative with promotions, and is a legendary figure in broadcast history in Ottawa Valley,” he said.
“It was definitely one of the most memorable events to happen in the Auditorium.”
The former Auditorium site is now occupied by the Ottawa YMCA.
The Aud was shut down in 1967, the same year Bowman started his NHL coaching career and the NHL expanded from the original six-team league – an end to what some call the glory days.