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History of the Team

In the Beginning...

In 1991 and 1992 current Tokyo Canadians Brent Carlson and Mike LaRose along with alumnus John Richmond, joined a rag tag group of hockey playing Tokyoites who banded together to go to Seoul, Korea to play in a tournament. The Tokyo team won both tournaments and after returning to Tokyo on both occasions they thought it would be great to get a Canadian team together in Tokyo on a more regular/formal basis.

At the time La Rose was still in university playing hockey for the Toyo University varsity team while Richmond and Carlson were toiling for different teams in the Tokyo Sr. Men's 'A' League.

Nothing really happened until...
...a sweltering 36-degree Celcius weekend at the end of July, 1995 the Tokyo Canadians Hockey Club was formed and, with select members of the Tokyo Canadian Club, a social club for Canadians and friends of Canada living in Tokyo, went on the road to an Ikaho onsen in Gunma-ken.

Then TCC President Connie Kaneko and Canadian Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Neil Moody, a founding member and still active Tokyo Canadian, persuaded some hockey 'has-beens' to take up the invitation of the Gunma Seals Hockey Club's Masami Ueki and off we went to enjoy the soothing baths and the seething competition.

Group camaraderie was the strong suit from the moment they departed Ueno station, with everyone getting acquainted over lunch and afternoon pleasure skating. Before starting the first game, they had to chase away the fog gathering on the ice at Ikaho's mountain top sports complex. The hockey team then got down to brass tacks and despite falling behind while shorthanded, they were able to rally after Connie and Sasaki Manabu (the honorary Canadian) "explained" the rules to the referee. On the sidelines the Canadian Embassy's own John Tennant led an assorted group of Canadian and Japanese 'friendlies' in some spirited vocalizing while on-ice leadership was provided by Gord "Howe Elbows" Kask and Nathan "the Saskatchewan Streak" McLeod. In the end, the Canadians prevailed 11-7, and then it was back to the ryokan for some real fun.

Sated by an outstanding dinner and lulled to sleep by the karaoke crooning of Gordo and 'Heidi' Takaya, we bedded down secure in the knowledge that Canadian-style hockey could overcome the fiercest competition while the Seals had nightmares about how to stop Speedy Stadnichuk, Thundering Takaya and Komet Koszec. Needless to say, it couldn't be done and the Canucks skinned the Seals 10-0 the following morning to repay them for their gracious hospitality.

Congratulations and commiserations were exchanged over the ceremonial luncheon after which all enjoyed some hard-earned sight-seeing before boarding the bus for the return leg.

Special thanks go out to: Gunma Ice Hockey Federation Director Fukuda; Ikaho Highland Skate Center Section Chief Araki; Gunma Seals Coach Takahashi; Lisa and Masami Ueki, for organizing everything on the Gunma end; and, Connie Kaneko, for organizing the event.