Canadian ice hockey legend Dowey dies at 95
Murray Dowey, the last surviving member of the Canadian ice hockey team that won gold at the 1948 Olympic Winter Games in St. Moritz, has died at the age of 95.
Dowey was part of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Flyers team that represented Canada at the Games in the Swiss city.
The team have won seven of their eight matches, their only flaw being a draw with 1947 world champions Czechoslovakia.
The 1948 Winter Olympics were the only international event in which Dowey participated.
In the years immediately following World War II, Canada was reluctant to participate in International Ice Hockey Federation competitions due to disagreement over the meaning of the word “amateurâ€.
Canada boycotted the 1947 World Championships, but chose to compete in St. Moritz in 1948, with the ARC volunteering to be the country’s representatives.
The RCAF Flyers were inducted into the Canadian Forces Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, the Greater Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2008.
After the 1948 Games, Dowey played in exhibition matches before resuming his business career.
He carried the Olympic torch to Toronto in the relay before the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
“Daddy’s life was well lived,” his family wrote in an obituary published in the Toronto Sun.
“He will be sorely missed.”