The Grand Old Shrine
The Stratford Classic City Arena, now known as "the grand old shrine," was built in 1924 in just 66 days. However, before the "grand old shrine" ever existed on Lakeside Drive, Stratford enjoyed the original Waterloo Street Arena nearby for 38 years. It was built in 1886 with natural ice and was Stratford's pride and joy until a new arena was envisioned and quickly built in 1924.
By then, Howie Morenz, the Stratford Streak, who had thrilled fans in that old Waterloo Street Arena, had turned professional in 1923 playing with the Montreal Canadiens for 12 years. That was just one year before the Old Waterloo Street Arena ceased to be.
The original arena was a mammoth building with an ice surface 200 feet by 89 feet that housed curlers, skaters and hockey players in the winter and boxing matches, dances and silent movies in the summer. It was eventually enlarged by the addition of a curling rink which ran to the north off the hockey rink's east end. In the early 1920s, a committee was formed to build a modern arena.
The Stratford Classic City Arena, known as "the grand old shrine,"or now "the old barn" was built in 1924 in just 66 days. Its original main entrance was off North Street. When the new lobby area was built at the other (west) end of the rink on Nile Street in the 1950s, the main entrance was changed to the north end of Nile Street, which has since been renamed Morenz Drive .
In1996, it was renamed to William Allman Memorial Arena in honour of its long-time building manager. It was used by the Stratford Kroehlers of the Ontario Hockey League up until 1951, and is currently home to one of the most successful Junior B franchises in Canada, the Stratford Warriors (formerly the Stratford Cullitons).
Over the years it has has hosted title and trophy wins by teams at all levels. For more than half of its years it has been home to one of the most successful junior B franchises in Canada. The arena is widely considered one of the finest old arenas in the country and has been used by numerous film and television crews for documentaries and commercials.
Some of NHLers who began their careers playing junior hockey in Stratford includes: Mark Bell, Rob Blake, Kevin Dahl, Louie DeBrusk, Greg de Vries, Boyd Devereaux, Nelson Emerson, Jeff Halpern, Rem Murray, Ed Olczyk, Mike Peluso, Chris Pronger, Garth Snow and Tim Taylor . Source: Warriors website
Wayne's First Goal
Wayne Gretzky scored his first goal in Stratford's grand old shrine when he was six years old in the 1967-68 season. He was number 11 playing for the Nadrofsky Steelers in a division for kids up to 10 years of age. It was his only goal that season. Walter Gretzky captured it on film. Gretzky went on to score 1,072 goals in his professional career, a rare feat, indeed.
Flick, Roth and Flanagan: One of the most memorable times was in 1952 when Flick, Roth and Flanagan went to the Allan Cup final between the Stratford Indians Senior A men’s hockey team and the Fort Frances Canadians. Bill Inkol served as the CJCS radio station’s sports director throughout the 1950s. In 1951, he called all the games for the Stratford Indians in the Allan Cup final, which they lost to Fort Frances in a classic series that went six games. The Indians had the great line of Flick, Roth and Flanagan but injuries dogged the Stratford team. They played the final game with only nine players. Everyone in Stratford sat by their radios to listen to Bill Inkol's distinct voice call the heart-throbbing games.
Flick, Roth and Flanagan Painting by Rich Thistle
Bill Inkol , inducted into the Stratford Sports Wall of Fame in 2011.
In 1952 hundreds of fans packed the Market Square to be part of the welcome home celebrations for the Stratford Seniors Indians from their Allen Cup playoffs against the Fort Frances Canadians. The Indians had a fantastic line that were idolized called Flick, Roth and Flanagan. Source: Dean Robinson's book, "42 Wellington"
Howie Meeker
Howie Meeker was born in Kitchener, Ont., the son of Kathleen Wharnsby and Charles Howard Meeker, and raised in New Hamburg, Ont.. He played his junior hockey with the Kitchener Greenshirts in the Ontario Hockey Association. In 1941–42, Meeker joined the Stratford Kist Canadians. In just 13 games, he scored 29 goals and had 45 points, and helped Kist win the OHA Junior B title. He played one more year of junior hockey before joining the Canadian Army. He was badly injured during the war, but he made a full recovery. In 1945-46, after the Second World War had ended, Meeker returned to the OHA and played one season with the Stratford Indians.
In 1946–47, he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League. He scored 27 goals and 45 points during his NHL debut and he was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's top rookie.
Howie Meeker , 1947