Stunned by the casualty numbers, the army embarked on an intensive nation-wide campaign for recruits, the 228th Battalion, created in March 1916, was singled out for an additional, special assignment. This Canadian Army unit at North Bay, Ontario had a team in the National Hockey Association, ancestor of the NHL. It was the highest scoring team in the Association, despite playing against clubs like the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators, and was a contender for the Stanley Cup. The Battalion was ordered overseas February 8, 1917, thus ending the hockey tour.
See:
- Meek, John F. Over the Top! The Canadian Infantry in the First World War. Orangeville, Ont.: The Author, 1971.link to book
- MacLeod, Alan Livingstone. 2018. "From Rinks to Regiments: Hockey Hall-of-Famers and the Great War". Heritage House Publishing Co. 192 pages.
- 228th Battalion (Northern Fusiliers)
- Wikipedie 228th Battalion NHA
This category is managed by the The Great War Project in association with the Categorization Project. For assistance with this or related categories ask in G2G making sure to tag your question with both categorization and Great_War.