Cheddy Thompson

Cyril L. "Cheddy" Thompson (July 4, 1915 – August 26, 1972) was a Canadian ice hockey coach. He was the head coach of Colorado College after World War II during their most successful era and led the team to their first national title in 1950.[1]

Cheddy Thompson
Biographical details
Born(1915-07-04)July 4, 1915
Saskatchewan, Canada
DiedAugust 26, 1972(1972-08-26) (aged 57)
Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Alma materGonzaga University
Playing career
1939–1941Gonzaga
Position(s)Forward
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1945–1955Colorado College
Head coaching record
Overall149–72–5 (.670)
Tournaments6–5 (.545)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1950 NCAA National Championship
1952 MCHL Regular Season Championship
1955 WIHL Regular Season Championship
Awards
1952 Spencer Penrose Award
1998 Colorado College Athletic Hall of Fame (Team)
2000 Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame
2013 Colorado College Athletic Hall of Fame (Individual)
Records
Most goals scored in NCAA tournament: 1 period (10)
Most goals scored in NCAA tournament: 1 game (13-tied)

Career

Cheddy Thompson attended Gonzaga University during the period when the Bulldogs supported an ice hockey program, playing for the team from 1939–1941.[2] After graduating Thompson joined the military during the Second World War and was assigned to 2nd Air Force HQ in Colorado Springs.[3] With the war winding down Colorado College was among a number of schools who restarted (or began) Division I programs with theirs rekindling in the 1944–45 season. With the war over by the start of the next season, and Colorado College in need of a full-time coach, Thompson was chosen to head the program.

Thompson's first season finished disappointingly with a 3–8 mark, but he soon got the Tigers on track with a then-school record 14 wins the next season.[4] The following year (1947–48) the NCAA began holding a tournament to determine the ice hockey National Champion. With a 19–7 record, Thompson's Tigers were one of four teams invited to participate, facing off against Dartmouth and losing the semifinal 8–4.[5] With a 14–6–1 mark the next season Colorado College returned to the national tournament (along with all three others from the previous year) and were defeated twice, first by Boston College in the semifinal (7–3) and then by Michigan in the first consolation game (10–4).

The 1949–50 season saw more of the same during the regular season with the Tigers finishing 16–5–1 and heading to their third consecutive tournament (along with Michigan and BC) but were finally able to win their first playoff game by avenging last year's loss to Boston College, winning 10–3 in the semifinal. In the final against Boston University the Terriers jumped out to an early lead, ending the first period ahead 1–0 but once the second frame began the Tigers took over the game, scoring 3 goals in the middle period and scoring a still-NCAA record 10 goals in the third to win 13–4.[6] Despite the 23 goals scored in two games, Ralph Bevins of Boston University was chosen as the Tournament Most Outstanding Player.[7]

Thompson got the Tigers back to the tournament in each of the next two seasons, going 1–3 in the championship, with 1951–52 seeing a major change as the Tigers became a founding member of the MCHL (a predecessor to the WCHA) and won the conference title the first season. Thompson received the Spencer Penrose Award the same year from the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The Tigers missed the tournament for two consecutive years before returning in 1955. While the Tigers dropped the title tilt to rival Michigan, a bigger loss came after the season when Thompson resigned as head coach.

Honors

While a fan favorite in Colorado Springs, Thompson wouldn't receive many accolades for his work until after his death in 1972,[8] being inducted into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Colorado College Athletic Hall of Fame twice: first as a member of the 1950 championship team in 1998[9] and then for his coaching career in 2013.[10]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Colorado College Tigers (Division I Independent) (1945–1951)
1945–46 Colorado College 3–8–0
1946–47 Colorado College 14–5–0
1947–48 Colorado College 19–8–0NCAA Semifinal
1948–49 Colorado College 15–7–1NCAA Consolation Game (Loss)
1949–50 Colorado College 18–5–1NCAA National Champion
1950–51 Colorado College 16–8–1NCAA Consolation Game (Loss)
Colorado College: 85–41–3
Colorado College Tigers (MCHL) (1951–1953)
1951–52 Colorado College 19–5–110–2–01stNCAA Runner-Up
1952–53 Colorado College 9–11–04–10–05th
Colorado College: 28–16–114–12–0
Colorado College Tigers (WIHL) (1953–1955)
1953–54 Colorado College 14–9–16–8–0t-4th
1954–55 Colorado College 22–6–014–4–01stNCAA Runner-Up
Colorado College: 36–15–120–12–0
Total:149–72–5

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

[6]

References

  1. "Cheddy Thompson Year-By-Year Coaching Record". CollegeHockeyNews.com. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  2. "Gonzaga's Winning 'Edge'" (PDF). Spokane Hockey Book. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  3. "History: The Early Years". Colorado College Tigers. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  4. "Colorado College men's Hockey Team History". USCHO.com. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  5. "NCAA Tournament". College Hockey Historical Archive. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  6. "2013–14 Colorado College Media Guide" (PDF). Colorado College Tigers. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  7. "NCAA Division I Awards". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  8. "Cyril "Cheddy" L. Thompson". Geni.com. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  9. "2000 Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame Class of Inductees" (PDF). Colorado Springs Sports. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  10. "CC Hall of Fame inducts 1995–96 team, five individuals". The Gazette. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Edward Jeremiah
Spencer Penrose Award
1951–52
Succeeded by
John Mariucci
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