issue 13// vol 48 sports // no. 5 Remembering the 1919 Stanley Cup Final » The series was cancelled due to the Spanish influenza outbreak Brandon Yip Senior Columnist he arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 has altered our lives significantly. Professional sports were not immune as several sports leagues postponed their regular seasons, later restarting their seasons in “playoff bubbles.” But over a century ago, the outbreak of Spanish influenza resulted in the cancellation of the 1919 Stanley Cup Final between the Montreal Canadiens (National Hockey League) and Seattle Metropolitans (Pacific Coast Hockey Association). Five games had already been played (series was 2-2-1); with all games being played in Seattle. It was the only time in NHL history where no champion was crowned. Two years earlier in 1917, the Metropolitans defeated the Canadiens to win the cup— becoming the first American team to win Lord Stanley’s mug. It was also the same year Montreal became a founding member of the NHL. Game six was scheduled for April 1, 1919. But numerous players from Seattle and Montreal became seriously ill and the game was cancelled. Sadly, 37-year-old Montreal defenceman, Joe Hall, died from pneumonia-related to his influenza on April 5, 1919. Manager George Kennedy was also stricken with the flu and died two years later in 1921. The Vancouver Sun wrote a tribute about Hall, published a day after his death. These excerpts were included in a March 2020 article about the 1919 Stanley Cup Final published in The Guardian: “Joe Hall loved hockey so much that his death, practically in harness, would, without a doubt, have been the death he would have chosen were it within the power of human beings to so choose.” The Sun described Hall as a gritty hockey player, who often played through pain: “Whenever Joe Hall played a game of hockey he played it for all he was worth. Though not a big player physically, the severest knocks never dampened his ardour. As recently as in the recent world’s series he was hit on the face a terrific crack with the puck, and though it could be seen that he was suffering he kept right on as if nothing had happened.” Writer Gare Joyce, in his feature article about the 1919 Stanley Cup Final published on Sportsnet, states the coverage of Joe Hall’s death in the Montreal newspapers was minimal. “The details of the influenza that claimed Joe Hall’s life and ended the hockey season that spring are slight because the old newspapers gave it far less play than you'd imagine a century later,’ he wrote. “The postponement of the series ran in the middle of the Seattle Times sports page, under the long shadow of a report of the Seattle Purple Sox signing an outfielder from the New York Giants and a cartoon lampooning heavyweight boxing champion Jess Willard.” Kevin Ticen, a writer and sports historian, says there are parallels with the current pandemic and the outbreak of Spanish influenza that cancelled the 1919 Stanley Cup Final. “I think one of the biggest points of fear is, you know, that were in uncharted waters, right?” he said ina March 2020 interview with wbur.org. “Nobody’s seen this before. It certainly has never happened in our lifetime, but it has happened. You know, there are a lot of lessons that, you know, our government and the health department and our sports leagues, you know, can draw from that experience.” The 1919 Stanley Cup Final with no winner declared occurred during unprecedented times and that coincides with our current era of uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic. The cancellation of the 1919 cup final revealed the frailty of human life. Sports became secondary. In 1948, the unfinished 1919 cup final was inscribed on the Stanley Cup: “Montreal Canadiens [&] Seattle Metropolitans [.] Series Not Completed.” Thirteen years later, Joe Hall, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Notably, 102 years after the 1919 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal would once again play Seattle—the newest NHL expansion team whose new name is the Kraken. On October 26, 2021, Seattle would Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash win at home by a score of five to one. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, during Spanish influenza between 1918 till 1919, approximately 20 to 100 million people died—including 50,000 Canadians. Life would eventually carry on, including the NHL—who resumed play in the 1919-1920 season. And with the current pandemic in 2021, life will gradually carry on, for us, as well. The Royals sweep the Bearcats in the final home game before winter break » The men and women continue to shine atop the PACWEST Mo Hussain Contributor oth the Douglas Royals men’s and women’s volleyball teams swept the Columbia Bible College Bearcats in their last home game before the winter break. MATCH RECAP In the women’s match, the Royals held the Bearcats to no more than 15 points per set. The beginning of the first set was quite close as the Royals only led 1-10. The team then managed to go on a g-2 run, which helped them take the first set 25-15. That momentum then carried straight into the second set as the Royals started off leading 7-1, with two aces from Outside-Hitter Lauren Attieh and three hits from Outside- Hitter Ava Bosa. The early lead then showed to be too much for the Bearcats to come back from as the Royals would take the set 25-14. The Royals would then ice the game in the third set as a 15-6 run in the latter half of the set would secure it 25-15 The men performed at a similar level to the women in their match. The first set between the two teams was quite close. The Bearcats led 20-19 at one point. However, the Royals managed to rally back, scoring four unanswered points to lead 23-20. They then secured the set 25-22 after a Bearcats attack error and a tip-in from Royals Outside-Hitter Matthew Shand. In the second set, the Royals managed to incrementally widen the gap. After leading u-10, the Royals scored back-to-back points and the Bearcats were not able to catch up after that. The Royals outscored the Bearcats 12-9 to take the set 25-19. The Photo by Arnaldo Fragozo Royals then secured the game in the third set, Winning it 25-15. WHERE THE ROYALS PLACE The women have played excellent thus far as they are atop the PACWEST standings. They have a 6-1 record and are six points ahead of the second seed Camosun Chargers. First-year Middle Blocker Abbie Smith currently leads PACWEST in blocks and aces per set. Outside-hitters Grace McGillivray and Talia Attieh are among the league’s top five leaders in kills. McGillivray is the third with 3.38 kills per set, and Attieh follows closely in fourth place with 3.33 kills per set. The men are also atop the PACWEST standings with a 5-2 record and are four points ahead of the second seed Camosun Chargers. Outside-hitter Matthew Shand currently leads the league in kills with 3.84 per set and is the second leader in aces with .63 per set. The Royals will have one more stretch of back-to-back games against the Camosun Chargers, before returning to their home floor in late January. The team will take on the Capilano Blues on January 22nd.