Ice Hockey, Men

The Canadians were represented by a team mostly from the Winnipeg Hockey Club, called “The Winnipegs”. But the Canadian Olympic Association was concerned that The Winnipegs did not have enough offensive firepower, and added Wally Monson and Norm Malloy of the Senior A Selkirk Fisherman, and Junior A star Bert Duncanson. Germany initially announced that they would not be sending a team but quickly reversed their decision.

The USA Olympic team played a warm up game against the NHL’s Boston Bruins in January 1932 after which the Canadian authorities asked the IIHF if this would affect the players’ amateur status. Paul Loicq replied that, much to Canadian dismay, since the game was only considered a training exercise, their status would not be changed.

Because of the world-wide depression and the long travel distance to the United States in 1932, only four teams comprised the 1932 Olympic ice hockey field – Canada, the United States, Germany, and Poland. The four played a double round-robin tournament. For the first time in Olympic history, Canada failed to win a game, tying the United States 2-2 in the final game of the Olympic tournament. The other time the two teams met, Canada won but only by 2-1. There were two rinks used in Lake Placid, one outdoors inside the speed skating oval, and, for the first time at the Winter Olympics, some ice hockey games were played indoors.