Boston Olympics

Lore & Background

Founded by Hockey Hall of Fame builder Walter A. Brown, the ‘Pics were an amateur club for the talent around Boston, joining the EAHL for the 1940–1941 season. Not long after joining the EAHL the Olympics were facing a diminished talent pool with World War II beginning in Europe. In order to secure talent for his club Brown worked out an agreement with the Boston Bruins to be their farm team. It was a major success for the Olympics and led to them winning the league championship (Boardwalk Trophy) four consecutive years from 1944 to 1947 and a total of five during their 12 year existence.

Reader's Guide

The Olympics’ success did not translate to league-wide stability. By the beginning of the 1948 season only two teams (the Olympics and the New York Rovers) were able to field teams, forcing the EAHL to shut down for the season. Both teams joined the Quebec Senior Hockey League for the 1948–1949 season with disastrous results. On 17 December 1948, citing poor attendance at home games and being unable to compete in a league just a step below pro, the Boston Olympics withdrew from the QSHL in midseason. The Olympics returned to the EAHL for the 1949–1950 season, but the league did not last much longer. Following the 1951–1952 season and losing money thanks to the 1949 Midwest expansion of EAHL, the Boston Olympics folded. The team’s all-time franchise leaders include Ty Anderson (174 games played), Eddie Barry (101 goals, 272 PIMs), and Bob Schnurr (86 assists, 161 points), though career information may be inaccurate due to incomplete data.

Did You Know?

• They won the Boardwalk Trophy five times, including four consecutive championships from 1944 to 1947.
• The team withdrew from the Quebec Senior Hockey League on 17 December 1948 due to poor attendance and inability to compete.
• The franchise folded after the 1951–52 season, partly due to losing money from the 1949 Midwest expansion of the EAHL.