I have been a fan of professional hockey in Victoria since the 1950s. When it was announced that the Victoria Salmon Kings were being disbanded, I was very upset. It seemed to me that I had been down this road before when the Victoria Maple Leafs left town for Phoenix. At about the same time, I read of the death of Bill Shvetz who had played defence for the Victoria Maple Leafs. It seemed to me that time was of the essence.
While there have been books written on hockey in BC and the old Western Hockey League, nobody has documented this issue from a strictly Victoria perspective. For this reason, I am channeling my disappointment into a positive project. I will be writing the history of professional hockey in our fair city. Although I was obviously not born when the Patricks’ team won the Stanley Cup, I have been aware of this for many years. I saw the 1950s era Victoria Cougars as a child and held season tickets for the Maple Leafs and Salmon Kings, so feel I am qualified to do this work.
This book will be a tribute to the many men who skated on Victoria ice, regardless of the era, as they all were important to the story.
