It was a 1964-65 season to remember for Saint Dunstan’s Saints

Team posted highest finish ever for any Island university squad

The 1964-65 Saint Dunstan’s Saints will become members of the P.E.I. Sports Hall of Fame. The hockey team is part of the Class of 2017 that will be honoured during the P.E.I. Mutual Insurance Company induction dinner at the Rodd Royalty Inn in Charlottetown on Friday, Nov. 24. A reception will begin at 6 p.m., with the dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at Sport P.E.I.

The Saints were a talented group of hockey players in the mid-1960s that would win a silver medal at the 1964-65 national championship – the highest finish for any Island university team.

The Saints, who featured 11 Prince Edward Islanders, were bolstered with the arrival of Bill MacMillan from the St. Michael’s Majors of the Ontario Hockey League. The junior star returned home and led Saint Dunstan’s to its first conference title since 1947. MacMillan led the Maritime conference in scoring with a record 22 goals and 41 points.

There were several other star players on the Saints under coach Jack Kane Jr. Saint Dunstan’s went 10-1 to capture first place, and finish six points ahead of second-place St. Francis Xavier.

Five members of the team would later become coaches with the UPEI Panthers. Players Jack Hynes, Vince Mulligan, Bill MacMillan and Gordie Whitlock would all return as coaches. MacMillan (forward) and Mulligan (defence) were named first-team all-stars in the Maritime conference. Gordie Whitlock was a second-team all-star at forward.

The Saints began the season 9-0 (won-lost), but lost on the final weekend of the regular season to St. Thomas. A 6-5 victory over St. FX in Antigonish, N.S., clinched first place and the Maritime conference. There were no playoffs, and the Saints travelled to Winnipeg for the national championship. Saints goaltender George MacNeill was outstanding in a 3-1 come-from-behind effort against Sir George Williams of Montreal in the opening game. The Saints reached the final against the host University of Manitoba, which featured a big team. The Bisons skated to a 9-2 victory, but a silver medal was something to be proud of for the Saints.