Former Boston Bruin center Ralph "Cooney" Weiland (1941-45) took over the Bears' bench duties from Mitchell in 1941 after having coached the NHL Bruins for two years and guided Hershey throughout the War years. Always strong contenders under Weiland (who was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player in 1971), the Bears won the regular season title in 1942-43 and again in 1943-44 when Hall of Fame coach and manager Emile "The Cat" Francis briefly played goal for Hershey along with Nick Damore, a three-time First Team All Star from 1943 to 1946. The Bears' 13 losses in a 1942-43 are still the fewest setbacks for the club in a single season, and Wally Kilrea's 99 points (31-68) that season gave Hershey its first of seven AHL scoring champions. (With that then-record season, the AHL's trophy for its top scorer was named for Kilrea, renamed in 1948 for Carl Liscombe, and in 1955 was permanently named in honor of John B. Sollenberger.) Blueliner Roger Jenkins and original Bears Kilrea, Frost and Luzon (Second Team) all garnered AHL All Star berths in 1942-43 while Damore, Lauzon, Bill Moe and Gaston Gauthier filled four of the six spots on the 1943-44 First All Star squad.
The 1946-47 season saw second year coach Don Penniston (1945-50) guide the club to their fourth Division title in just nine seasons as they dominated the East with 84 points-25 more than second place Springfield-on a record of 36-16-12 backstopped by second team All Star goalie Harvey Bennett, Sr., who played 60 of Hershey's 64 games during his only season as a Bear. When the play-offs began, however, Bennett was gone thus leaving Hershey's fate up to back up Gordie "Red" Henry who had appeared in just 21 games since joining the Bears two years earlier and only five times in 1946-47. It seems the "rest" had done Henry no harm, however, as he held the powerhouse Western Division champion Cleveland Barons to just three goals in a four game first round sweep. Hershey marksmen, meanwhile, found the back of the Cleveland net a stunning 24 times on the way to 3-0, 3-2, 9-1 and 9-0 victories to earn the Bears their fourth trip to the finals since joining the league in 1938-39.
Also for the fourth time in their play-off lives the Bears were to face the Pittsburgh Hornets, who had eliminated them in 1940, 1941 and 1946, although never in a championship series. This fourth meeting with Pittsburgh would prove to be the charm for the Bears. Henry added three more shut-outs and Frank Mario increased his play-off point total to 18 as the Bears captured their first of nine Calder Cup titles by finally defeating the Hornets in seven games.
After that outstanding play-off run "Red" Henry became the Bears' top goalkeeper in 1947-48 and would remain so for eight seasons until 1954-55. In 1948, a 21-year-old Winnipeg-born centerman named Arnie Kullman joined the Bears. Except for a dozen games with the Boston Bruins in 1949-50, Kullman would remain with the club for a dozen years. Kullman finally played his last game for the Bears in 1960 and it was a then team record of 753 games, which would be eclipsed by Mike Nykoluk. And over his dozen campaigns in Hershey, Kullman would contribute 253 goals and assist on 376 for 629 points, the third most ever by a Bear.
The chocolate and white sweater number "9" that he wore for so long was jointly retired along with Tim Tookey's "9" honoring the second (Tookey) and third (Kullman) all time point getters in Hershey hockey history. It is indeed a fitting tribute to both.
|
