Bully Town: The Pim Hill Bullies and Bullets

Sault Ste. Marie has always had a close connection to the good ol' hockey game. The first Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds team was formed in 1919. The history of the Greyhounds during their early years is well known and documented - but do you know about these two local hockey teams that took to the rink during the 1930s?

In 2012, a small scrapbook detailing the history of two local hockey teams, the Pim Hill Bullets and Bullies, was donated to the Sault Ste. Marie Museum. The scrapbook was compiled by Donald MacMillan in 1940, chronicling the first ten years of Pim Hill Hockey. 

The following is a full transcription of the original scrapbook text,  along side photographs, poems and additional information about the teams. 

1930

The first year the club was formed, and the first rink was made 140 X 60' with slush banks about a foot high, one or two lights strung here and there and Webb Hilderley's old woodshed which was about 6' wide by 16' long, for a shack. The boys each donated 50 cents to help cover expenses and the members were: Red Forbes, Rube Forbes, Vern Reg and George Davies, Bob, Benny, Babe and Tom Allen, Ernie and Dave Miller, Lloyd and Lee Breckenbridge, Gord Weeks, Harry Mihell, Freddie and Jimmy Brooks, Speed Bailey, Willard Armstrong, Rusty Abrams, Al Howston, John, Bern and Webb Hilderley, Doc Cameron, Ted, Harold and Johnny Kelly, Clayton Allard, Don MacMillan, Chic Boissoneau, Wilfred Fountain.

(The lights were powered by a line from the Davies' cow barn)

1931

The rink was widened to 67' and two widths of boards put up.
More lights were added and Fountain's chicken coop moved over to be used as a shack. The club increased in membership and those who joined were: Marky Mitchell, Joe Mitchell, Stan Rousseau, Jack Egglesfield, Orv Ray, Hec Ray, Wilfred Penrice, Joe DeCourcey, Tot Miller, Joe Parkinson.

It was the first year of the now famous Junior/Senior games which were played at midnight, lasted till the wee, small hours of the morning, and as the agreement was - the losers were to flood the rink. The Juniors had many a sleepless night that winter as they never won a game.

The one important game was the last one, the Juniors imported Jimmie Rodgers and pretty near bent the Seniors.
It ended at one-thirty in the morning and there were at least twenty spectators around for the finish.

Perhaps they couldn't sleep anyways as 'Moon' Weeks, the Juniors Coach, wasn't noted for his silent coaching methods.
That was the game in which Lee Breckenbridge nearly cut Harold Kelly off at the ankles with his now famous ankle-shot.

Junior Team

Goal: Harold Kelly
Right Defense: Joe DeCourcey, Wilfred Penrice
Left Defense: Reg. Davies, Don MacMillan
Centre: Tot Miller, Lefty Miller
Left Wing: Ted Kelly
Right Wing: Dave Miller, Rube Forbes
Coach:  "Moon" Weeks

Senior Team

Goal: Ernie Miller
Right Defense: Jack Egglesfield, Wilfred Fountain, Lloyd Breckenbridge
Left Defense: Lee Breckenbridge, Rod Forbes, Harry Mihell
Centre: Vern Davies, Orv. Ray
Left Wing: Bob Allen
Right Wing: Marky Mitchell, Clayton Allard, Al Houston
Coach: Ben Allen

1932
​
More lights were added to the rink, the shack was moved over to the opposite corner, there were some more new members: Gay McKiggan, Norm Mihell, Onny Attle, Beau Halliday. All these (but Beau) were recruited by the hard-pressed Seniors and that year the Juniors broke about even.
The highlight was the last game of the season, the famous "wiener roast game" in which the loser was to supply the eats. The highlight of the game was the playing of the famous "Worry, worry, worry" line of Al Houston, Sauce Fountain and Onny Attle. Al Houston played two minutes without a blade on his stick, thats how fast he was! 
The Juniors scored four goals int he last period to overcome a three goal lead and win the game, the series and the feed, which was the first forerunner of the Bullies' Banquets. 

1933

Higher boards were put up, the rink was lengthened and there were more lights, and there was an experiment in crude oil heating which  didn't turn out so well, as the blame thing was on the roof and froze up when you needed it most. It pretty near broke it's inventor, Al Houston's heart when it was removed.

The Juniors won the majority of games again that year, and the one highlight was the game in which Bob Allen bet Lefty Miller two dollars that he would score five goals against him, Lefty's part of the bargain was to clean out Bob's chicken coop for a week.

Lefty has since made two resolutions, the first never to bet with Bob, second never to raise chickens, especially the breed Allen's had that year.

The wind up was a checker tournament which lasted for a week, and which was finally won by Ashton Minty who beat out Bob Allen.

1934

More boards were added and a new shack was built on the site of the first one, and some more new members added. These were: Ike Walton, Jerome Dyelle, Harry Hamilton, Angus McKiggan, Lorne Garrow, Pep Oliver and Vic Johnson. The league that year was a walk-away for the Juniors team.

Junior Team

Goal: Lorne 'Cowboy" Garrow, John Hilderly
Defense: Joe DeCourcey, Wilfred Penrice, Vic Johnson, Angus McKiggan
Wings: Harold Kelly, Ted Kelly, Dave Miller, Reg Davies, Beau Holliday
Centre: Don MacMillan, Rube Forbes
Senior Team
Goal: Stan Rousseau, Pep Oliver
Defense: Jack Egglesfield, Willard Armstrong, Harry Hamilton, Norm Mitchell
Wings: Orv Wray, Gav McKiggan, Clayte Allard, Ike Walton, Sauce Fountain
Centre: Vern Davies, Jerome Dyelle​

1935

We added another board high around the rink and got a radio and amplifier. Remember "Boots and Saddles", "Isle of Capri", and "Treasure Island"? We bet the neighbours for forty blocks around still hear them in their sleep.
In hockey there was still the Junior-Senior battles at night and on Sunday afternoons, with pretty near the same line-up as the year before. Ab Robinson tended the nets for the Juniors. The highlights of the season was our first game down the line at Echo Bay, which we won despite a desperate, now famous, seven-man power play put on by the Echo Bay boys.

Goal: John Hilderly, Stan Rousseau
Defense: Clayte Allard, Gav. McKiggan, Wilfred Penrice
Forwards: Harold Kelly, Don MacMillan, Ted Kelly, Dave Miller, Rube Forbes, Beau Holliday, Vern Davies
Coach: Webb Hilderly

1936

We bought a few new records, added some more lights, made a set of nets, and for the first time charged memberships for girls. In hockey, we played who games with Bar River, winning both of them. We had good crowds and made a fair amount of money. 

1936 marked the first year that the neighbourhood rink leagues were mentioned by the Sault Daily Star, and in later years the games were covered by the Star regularly on the sports pages. 

1937

Lengthened the rink across the lane, making it 167' X 69' and added two more boards making them five feet high. We bought about a dozen new skating records and a new amplifier and had our first real moccasin dance.
In hockey, we played four games with Bar River, winning three and losing one; also two with Bruce Hill, winning both. The Juniors/Seniors games were on Sundays as most of the boys were working. Highlight was the game at Bar River when there were five minor accidents, and which was known as the "Battle of Blood". Eight stitches were needed to close the various wounds.

1938

A big year! The first year the boys got their uniforms, and to celebrate we played the Merchant Mill from the Plant who had Bob Allen and Jack Egglesfield playing for them with Ben Allen as their coach. We defeated them, and Bob's alibi was that he was dazzled by the new uniforms.

​It was the first year the younger skating members were allowed to join the club, and those who joined were: Alex Neilson, John Toombs, Ted Bridge, Ted McMaster, Harry McMaster, Bill Wetherall, Malcolm Hamilton, Terry Corbett, Al Wyatt, Don Davidson, and these boys along with a few others formed the Junior team that year and beat the Seniors three games out of four. However, the Bullies had a successful season otherwise, playing their first fames with Richards' Landing and winning three out of five. They won from Bar River three times, won one and lost one to Bruce Hill, won three from Jerry Dorran's team and lost one game to "Greenwoods" on the Arena. 

The season was a success financially, and it was decided to move the rink. This was the year of our first annual banquet which was held at the Trinity Hall, Tarentorus, and was attended by twenty six members and a few of their fathers.

1939

Another big year. A new rink, new location, new shack, and a host of new members - Johnny Gauthier, Wilfred Gauthier, Pat McMaster, Ted Roney, George Bossineau, Mitch Boissineau, Mike Ronaldi, Harold Davies and Leonard Hackett. 

We paid for the shack an expenses in our first week of operation. That Saturday night when we drew in twenty eight dollars, cold cash, will always be one of the biggest thrills of my life. The boys formed a three team league, Reds, Whites and Blues; and the Reds won the league and a free feed at the Banquet. 

It was the first year we had a girls team, and they were named "The Bullets". They played ten games winning eight, tie-ing one and losing one. 

(This was a momentous event, as this was likely the first instance of organized hockey for women in Sault Ste. Marie. )​

The Bullies themselves played seventeen games, and lost four. They won six out of seven from Bar River, their only loss being 1-0, the first time they were ever shut out. They won three out of four from Bruce Hill, Malcy Hamilton scoring the first shut-out on record in the first game, 6-0. They lost twice to Richards' Landing, won one from Desbarats, one from Jerry Dorran's Eagles, one from the Barons, and one from the Swifts. They scored 97 goals, and had 46 scored against them. They challenged the Thessalon Eagles, but they were not accepted. 
They had their second annual banquet, which was attended by forty two members. We had our first Annual Bullies Ball, which was held at the K. C. Hall with about 160 present. 

From the collection of the Sault Ste. Marie Museum

1940

Another big year. A new shack for visiting teams. The rink was lengthened to 200 feet. A few new members joined - Bill Brownlee, and Wally Webb. 

The Bullets, the girls team, with three new members, played nine games and won eight of them. Members of the team were: Jessie Evans, Eva McMaster, Jean McDonald, Lenore (Babs) Corbett, Doreen Reilley, Betty Thibedeau, Lola Bridge, Eileen Rennison, Joyce Donnelly, Joyce Dickinson, Neressa Thibedeau and Kay Mihell. ​

It was the first year of an organized midget team and the members were: 
Goal: Russell Johnson
Defence: Bob Pinder, Tom Snell, Harry Blamey
Forwards: Bud Weeks, Walter McMaster, Bill Forbes, Bob Mihell, Tommy Corbett, Ian Hamilton, Jim Halliday
Coach: Terry Corbett

The Bullies had another big year, making two new acquaintances: Bruce Mines and Thessalon. There were lots of highlights, but the two most outstanding were: Our return game with the Thessalon Eagles, which we won 6-8 on our own rink in front of about eight hundred fans, and our big series with the Plant which we lost by one goal on the round. It was the first time in history that the Bullies made the headlines- here's hoping it isn't the last! The three team league didn't work out so well owing to the fact that quite a few of the boys were playing with the Murray Hill team over the river. The Bullies had their third annual banquet in Korah, and had a glorious feed. 

The Bullies team;
Goal: Johnny Toombs, Don Davidson
Defence: Norm Mihell, Gav. McKiggan, Bill Brownlee, Mitch Bossineau, Joe Parkinson
Forwards: Harol Kelly, Ted Kelly, Don McMillan, Harry McMaster, Ted McMaster, Bill Wetherall, Alex Neilson, Beau Halliday, Rube Forbes
Coach: Willard Armstrong 

Last but not least was the final wind-up, the second annual Bullies Banquet held in the Columbia Hall to the music of the Merry Makers' Orchestra. It was attended by at least one hundred and seventy couples, and was a huge success all around. The Bullies feel that much of the success is a result of your splendid efforts in looking after that important item, and we wish to thank you once again! 

Now that you've heard all and seen all, maybe you can understand just a little the meaning of the little verse on the front page. 

THE END 

The Pim Hill Bullies continued on at the Pim Hill Rink until 1948, and as a team at other rinks until the mid-1960s.

A Bullies/Bullets reunion was held at the Legion Hall in October 1981. It was attended by over 250 people who gathered to celebrate "That old Bully magic". Former Bully Don McMillan, who was part of the team back in 1930 said that "The last 20 years just disappeared. It was wonderful."

Pim Hill Bullies Reunion, 1981. From the collection of the Sault Museum.