By Sam Cortes, Communications Coordinator
This jacket was worn by the Winnipeg Stellars 1949/50 Basketball team. They did not know it yet, but it was the starting point for what would be an incredible run in junior Canadian basketball.
The Stellars managed to reach the Canadian championship finals two years in a row, winning both times. The road to get to these finals was not an easy one. However, the Stellars made it look so, employing their highly effective “defensive stall” strategy to the tune of 67 wins and only 4 losses over a two year period.
In the 1950 season, the Stellars won the McGregor Armouries Junior League title. They beat the YMCA Cobys for the Winnipeg crown and then obliterated the Brandon Penguins 63-26 and 74-35 in a best of three to win the Manitoba Championship.
On their way to the Western Canadian crown, the Stellars won 8 of 9 games, disposing of the Fort William Bengals, Saskatoon Hilltops, Cardston Cougars and the Vancouver YMCA. They then played the Canadian Final, defeating the Windsor AKO in a best of five series, 3-1 to finish the year with a sparkling 38 wins and only 3 losses.
The Stellars went on to even greater success the following year. They finished with 29 wins and only one loss. In the playoffs, they reeled off 10 straight wins, beating the University of Manitoba, Brandon Comets, and Calgary Freightways. In the finals, they beat the St. John Atlantics to retain the National Junior Championship.
The Stellars displayed an incredible show of sportsmanship in the finals. Through fouls and injuries, their opponent, the St. John Atlantics, were reduced to four players, then three, and then two late in the game. Head coach Martin Terry then reduced his players on the court accordingly so the game could continue without the overwhelming advantage. The New Brunswick crowd appreciated this and gave the Stellars a standing ovation!
I guess this is why they say “Friendly Manitoba”!
When the Hall of Fame reopens, come and see this neat artefact and more in our gallery.
