Greg Oliver - Father Bauer and the Great Experiment: The Genesis of Canadian Olympic Hockey

Wobbling behind his teams bench during a pivotal Olympic game with Sweden, blood dripping from a small gash above his right eye, Father David Bauer had a decision to make. He could allow his BoysCanadas national hockey teamfreedom to avenge the errant toss of a broken stick which hit their beloved leader.

Or he could practice what he preached.

He took the high road and changed the perception of Canadian hockey abroad.

The whole team was quite incensed at the Swedish player throwing the stick at Father Bauer, recalled Paul Conlin, a left winger with the team that played at the 1964 Games in Innsbruck, Austria. He got us under control right away and it never developed into an incident. In fact, I think the incident helped us quite a bit, helped our image quite a bit, or helped Father Bauers image for sure.

An athlete all through his life, with a bashed-in nose to prove it, Bauers strong grasp held back a couple of players who were heading over the boards, the Swedish player Carl-Goran berg directly in their sights.

Centreman Roger Bourbonnaiss major recollection is Bauers calmness through it all. We really respected him, so you played his style, and that was discipline and perseverance and excellence in what you do.

Of course, history has a way of bending and adjusting to suit the current storyline, and martyrs arent always what they seem.

Eight minutes into the third period, Canadian defenceman Barry MacKenzie crushed berg with a boneshaking and stickbreaking hit. The Nats on the bench roared in appreciation, giving berg the gears as he got up from the ice. The stick was tossed in frustration and anger at the yappy Canadian players. They ducked. Their coach did not.

Bauer, wearing black and his clerical collar, was immediately tended to by trainer Johnny Owen. Later it was worth a chucklemost of the players had cut themselves worse shaving.

There was even a point later in the contest where Coach Bauer asked MacKenzie, You going to get that berg back? Jumping up from his seat on the bench to get on the ice, MacKenzie promised revenge. Well, sit down then, said Bauer.

The thrown stick became part of lore, living on in a way that the game (a 31 win for Canada) itself didnt; perhaps if the Nats hadnt been so achingly close to a medal.

Sensing an opportunity to be in the spotlight he so craved, Canadas number one nemesis abroad, John F. Bunny Ahearne, the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, decreed that berg would be suspended for a game, as would referee Gennaro Olivieri of Switzerland, who failed to penalize berg.

Speaking on behalf of the world of amateur hockey, Ahearne wanted to thank Father Bauer for exercising control over his players on the bench after the incident.

After the game, Bauer did more than dismiss the accidentI happened to be in the wayand forgive berg; he invited the Swede to be his guest to watch the tilt between the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia the next night. Hes a fine, clean-cut boy, said Bauer. The left winger and the priest were already acquainted, as Sweden had toured Canada for a series of exhibition games in December of 1963, and berg had even attended the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp in September in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Little things like that happen in sport, said the 39-year-old Father Bauer. I know berg very well, and I like him a lot. A little excitable maybe, but he is still a very fine boy in my book.

At the conclusion of the Innsbruck Games, International Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage presented Father Bauer with a special IOC gold medal for character and sportsmanship.

I think Father really earned it for being the great person he is and the way he handled everything and everybody. It could have turned into a real donnybrook, said Canadas general manager, Dr. Bob Hindmarch, in his memoir, Catch On and Run With It.

During the medal presentation, Ahearne said Bauer stood there cut and bleeding and under control. He also kept his players under control too. Not only that, but the next night he took berg to the Russia game as his personal guest and forgave him completely. If we only had more men in this game like him it would be a much better sport.