History of the Aces con't

Women's Hockey Group Finds Its Roots
The Local Organization Uncovers Treasured Past

But when the Stratford Minor Girls Hockey Association discovered recently that they weren't the first of their gender to play the sport in this city, they took an altogether different approach.

Having some history, dating back to the early 1900's as it turned out, inspired the organization to research its roots and honour the surviving members of the last ladies hockey team to play in Stratford, the Aces, which operated from 1935-40.

"We really have an interesting story here,' said SMGHA president Karen Smythe, who has headed the group's project with the theme 'Then and Now'. "We had ladies playing hockey in Stratford 60 years ago and we want to promote that. We're not new."

The revelation of ladies playing hockey in Stratford years ago came not from within the city, but from an outsider. Kitchener's Sue Scheerer, captain of Canada's world champion women's hockey team, was the speaker at the SMGHA's first banquet this past spring and mentioned that a Stratford team had played the famous Preston Rivulettes in the 1930's.

'It took off from there." said Smythe, whose mother, Helen MacDonald, the SMGHa treasurer, knew that two ladies in her local cribbage league had played hockey in their younger days.

One of those ladies, Lottie Rigg, now Lottie Libett and the mother of former NHLer Nick Libett, had been a goaltender for the team and owned a photograph of the Aces team of the 1935-40 which she turned over to the SMGHA. She, along with Olive 'Ollie' Aiken were invited to an interview session with the SMGHA executive to share their memories of five seasons with the Aces.

Ollie, shying from the spotlight and not wishing to offend any of the other players still living in the area, asked that only her maiden name--the one she had during their years with the team--be used.

The results of the interview, along with photographs and information from the Stratford Perth Archives, plus a few Beacon Herald clippings found during research at the public library, have given the SMGHA a valuable remembrance of their hockey history that will eventually be displayed in a showcase at the Arena.

But, not satisfied with that, the SMGHA also plans to honour the Aces at their annual banquet next spring, and is arranging to hold the first-ever reunion for the team.

"They've never had a reunion in 60 years and they're quite excited about it," Smythe said. "About half of the ladies know about it, but we're still trying to track some of them down. That's where we'd like the help of anyone who might know someone in the picture, or know where we can find them."

Smythe had also been in contact with Melanie McFarlane of the Ontario Women's Hockey Association about getting the players inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. While that remains only a possibility, McFarlane was able to guarantee that the Aces could be bused down for a tour of the Hall, and have their team picture hung there.

The SMGHA has also sent all of its information to the prolific hockey writer Brian McFarlane, who recently published a book about women's hockey entitled 'Proud Past, Bright Future'. Some of the information on the Stratford team could be included in a second book which is in the works.

As a further honour to the Aces, the SMGHA will use the nickname Aces for all of its teams beginning this season.

"We looked last year at coming up with a name for the association, everything from the old indians' name to ones based on the Festival, but nothing seemed to fit,"
Smythe said. "Then when we found out about the Aces, we asked the ladies if we could use their name and they said they'd be honoured."