Neepawa's forgotten champions

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Published on Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Submitted photos. (Left to right) Roy Bell, Russell Craig and Bob Baker, three very successful players from the 1948 Neepawa Natives team who were absent from the Championship photo for that year.  

By Rick Sparling

Submitted

On March 3, 1949, the Neepawa Intermediates down Dauphin 7-5 on the road to enter the Semi-finals of the 1948-49 Manitoba Championship. The scoring summary showed that Roy Bell opened the scoring in the first period and netted two more in the second frame to provide a hat trick in Neepawa's advancement along the playoff trail. There were almost 1,900 fans out for the game, 500 on a special train from Dauphin. 

The young line (“The Kid Line”) who didn't play in the 3-2 loss in the first game of the two game total point series sparked Neepawa to their comeback win.

It was doubtful if there were ever a pair of brothers more dominant than the Bell brothers in that deciding match against the Dauphin Kings (Roy & Allen) and Bob Baker, with four assists in that game, was a great playmaker for them.

After that game and beginning in the semi final match against Souris, both Russell Craig and Roy Bell came down with an illness and not only did they miss the semi final and the final series, but they missed the photo session and are not in the championship photo.

Bob Baker is not included as well and it could be that Bob and Roy were brought up from the Junior B's as temporary help for the playoffs and didn't get in on the photo, whereas Russell & Roy were away sick. 

They were both diagnosed with the mumps and had to also miss the series against the Saskatchewan Melville Millionaires for the Inter-Provincial Challenge as well.

Let it be known that despite not being in the team photo, Roy, Russell and Bob were all a part of that 1948-49 Manitoba Championship team.

Roy, who resided at Country Meadows Personal Care Home in Neepawa, passed away on October 3, 2017 and was the second last survivor of this Manitoba Intermediate Championship team. The lone survivor now, to my knowledge, is Roy's line-mate, Bob Baker. Bob will be turning 90 next year and is currently residing in Greenwood, South Carolina.