The Korean War was fought on the Korean Peninsula from 1950-1953 between North and South Korea and their allies (China and USSR for the North, and the USA and allies with the South). Along with the infantry, the RCN, and RCAF over 26,000 Canadians served in the war of which 516 lost their lives. The Korean Armistice Agreement was signed on 27th July, 1953, which ended the hostilities “… until a final peaceful settlement is achieved”. And we still wait.
While on an inspection tour during the Korean War, Brooke Claxton, then Minister of National Defence, met with soldiers and noted the frozen Imjin River, and promised to send over hockey equipment so the soldiers could have a game. True to his word, the equipment arrived and games were organised among the Canadian Van Doos (R22eR) the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (RCHA), the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) and the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR)
On March 11, 1952, Canadians and other U.N forces with rifles at their sides, created a makeshift rink bordered by sandbags, which was always within range of Communist artillery, a mere five minutes away by jeep, indicating how close the games were to the front. The tournament started and by March the 25th, the Canadian Infantry Brigade “Imjin Cup” championship match was held to end the ‘official’ season pitting a PPCLI team against an R22eR squad. The PPCLI and the VanDoos faced off in an exciting and hard fought game with the 3rdBn PPCLI winning and the 2ndBn VanDoos, (“who never lose”), didn’t win. Apparently the final score was 4-2.
To see all the pictures from the 10th Annual Imjin Classic Hockey Game, CLICK HERE:
On Friday, 27th October, 2023, the tradition of these two teams was re-enacted at TD Place in Ottawa in a game sponsored by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Canadian Army where the R22eR again battled the PPCLI for hockey supremacy in the 10th Annual Imjin Classic Hockey Game. This year, the Classic actually featured two games with first game, billed as a friendly match, seeing a combined team of the DND General/Flag Officers (GOFOs) and the Ottawa Service Attachés Association (OSAA) Lame Ducks against a Parliamentarian Team consisting completely of Conservative members of Parliament and one Senator (political, not hockey player). Now, the Parliamentary team was dressed in blue jerseys and when asked why no other political parties were participating there wasn’t really a good answer. It could have been the jersey colour, maybe the Liberals don’t know how to skate or, as one person suggested, maybe the Liberals don’t play well with others.
Regardless, the game got underway after the introduction of VIPs which included the Korean Ambassador H.E. Lim and Defence Attaché Col. Lee, Senators Martin and Patterson, three Korean War veterans, and LGen Joe Paul (Commander of the Army). The game was pretty even until the Parliamentarians scored their first goal at 10:40 in the first. Then again at 9:37, 9:05, 6:01, and 2:25 ending the first period 5-0 for the Parliamentarians. Clearly this was going to be a one-sided game so in the spirit of fair play, the teams traded goalies.
Now this is where the pictures need some explanation for in the second and third periods the pictures show blue jersyed players shooting on a blue jerseyed goalie and black or red jerseyed players shooting on a black or red jerseyed goalie. It gets confusing unless you know that the teams swapped goalies. Regardless, play resumed and the DND/OSAA team scored in the second and the Parliamentarians picked up four more in the third to end the game 9-1 for the Parliamentarians.
The main event, PPCLI vs R22eR, started after a small intermission and the VIPs for the ceremonial puck drop changed slightly from the first game with the addition of Col. Ray Romses, Honorary Colonel of the PPCLI, and Gen. Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defense Staff (also PPCLI as it turns out). After the puck drop by the Korean Ambassador, the game was afoot.
This was a different game in that the level of play was fast and exciting. There was no scoring in the first period and it wasn’t until 8:31 in the second when the R22eR scored their first goal, followed shortly at 7:39 with their second. It looked bad for the PPCLI until 3:57 when they potted their first, then shortly after their second (2:58) to tie it up. It looked like that’s how the second was going to end until 1:56 when the R22eR put in their third ending the second period 3-2 for the R22eR.
This setup a dynamic third period with both teams running up and down the ice with missed scoring opportunities on both sides. Down by one and a minute to go, the PPCLI pull their goalie for the extra man on the ice but a R22eR shot on the open net at 0:16.5 cinched the game for the R22eR and it ended 4-2.
After the trophy presentation and pictures, everyone retreated to the reception where Ambassador Lim spoke of the long standing relationship of the Republic of Korean and Canada and the debt owed to the veterans. Senator Yonah Martin echoed these feelings and MP Blake Richards brought the five attending veterans to the podium to thank them for their service. Following gift presentations to the teams from the Ambassador, the CDS addressed the audience ending with a toast to the veterans, both present and missing. Mr. Bill Black, responding to the toast on behalf of the Korean Veterans, mentioned that a long standing member of the Korean War Veterans Association and player in the original Imjin Hockey game, Mr. Claude Charland, was in poor health and asked everyone to toast to Mr. Charland.
With all official duties out of the way, the buffet was opened and everyone sat down for some well-earned food and refreshments.
