St. John's Minor Hockey
Introduction
Coach John Doyle and manager Wilson Butler selected a pee-wee all-star team from the 11 and 12 year olds in St. John's in 1968, and entered the national pee-wee tournament in Goderich, Ontario. This team also appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in New York. In 1966, when it was apparent that Branch #1 Royal Canadian Legion would not be in a position to sponsor and operate the expanding minor hockey program in the city, Don Johnson set up a meeting and assembled a group of interested individuals to take up the challenge. Mr. Leo B. Stead offered his services to head up the program. However, Dee Murphy, a prominent city sports editor, was nominated for the top minor hockey executive position from the floor. When the votes were tabulated, Mr. Murphy had been elected president of the St. John's Minor Hockey Association. Other members of the executive were Ted Withers, Gordon Duff, Albert "Pee Wee" Crane, Herb Dewling and Gordon Mitchell. Others who worked diligently for minor hockey during Dee Murphy's two terms in office were Mike Squires, Andy Joy, Hal Ball, Duey Fitzgerald and Bert Power. J.C. Pratt Co. Ltd. sponsored minor hockey for the 1967-68 season at a cost of between $10,000 and $12,000. Approximately 40 percent of ice time available to minor hockey during the 1967-68 season was crowded into the Christmas holiday period. Mr. Murphy found it most difficult to operate minor hockey with the existing facilities and allotted ice time, and did not offer himself for re-election. Cec Soper, a very successful sports executive in Clarenville, took up residence in St. John's about this period in time and offered his services to minor hockey. Mr. Soper had established himself in minor hockey circles in Clarenville where he ran one of the most successful operations in the province. He was promptly elected to the top executive position of the association. Executive members