Frank Sargent (sports Executive)
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Frank Forest Sargent (July 6, 1902 – September 28, 1988) was a Canadian sports executive in
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
and
curling Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns slidi ...
. He served as president of the
Canadian Amateur Hockey Association The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; french: Association canadienne de hockey amateur) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction include ...
(CAHA) from 1942 to 1945, and was president of the Dominion Curling Association (DCA) from 1965 to 1966. He was the first person to be elected to more than two terms as CAHA president, and the first to be president of two national amateur sporting associations in Canada. Sargent served as a Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association executive for 27 years, including two terms as its president. He served on the CAHA committee to negotiate professional-amateur agreements with the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL) from 1938 to 1955, and helped negotiate recognition each organization's authority over the game, payments from professional clubs to amateur clubs for developing hockey players, and common usage of the
ice hockey rules Ice hockey rules define the parameters of the sport of ice hockey. The sport is governed by several organizations including the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the National Hockey League (NHL), Hockey Canada, USA Hockey and others. ...
. He sought for enforcement of rules to ensure fast, clean play without injuries, and disliked the increasing physical style of the game. His time as president of the CAHA coincided with
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, and he supported the purchase of Victory bonds to assist the war effort, and facilitated the supply of players to fill NHL rosters lacking numbers due to military service. Under his leadership,
junior ice hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
profits from the
Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...
were reinvested into the development of
minor ice hockey Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from ...
in Canada; but
senior ice hockey Senior hockey refers to amateur or semi-professional ice hockey competition. There are no age restrictions for Senior players, who typically consist of those whose Junior eligibility has expired. Senior hockey leagues operate under the jurisd ...
struggled with the loss of
Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
and
Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
teams, which led to his decision to cancel national playoffs for the
Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are th ...
in 1945. Sargent served multiple terms as president of the Port Arthur Curling Club, and led its effort to affiliate with the
Manitoba Curling Association Curl Manitoba (formerly the Manitoba Curling Association) is the organization responsible for curling in the province of Manitoba. Its stated mission is "to promote, develop and grow the sport of curling in Manitoba, Canada and the world by provid ...
. He later assisted in founding the Northwestern Ontario Curling Association, became its inaugural president in 1947, and sought for recognition as its own branch within the DCA to compete for
The Brier The Tim Hortons Brier, or simply (and more commonly) the Brier (''french: Le Brier''), is the annual Canadian men's curling championship, sanctioned by Curling Canada. The current event name refers to its main sponsor, the Tim Hortons coffee and ...
national championship. He played second on the rink that won the 1953
Northern Ontario Men's Provincial Curling Championship The Northern Ontario Curling Association (NOCA) Men's Provincial Championship, also known as the Northern Ontario Tankard is the Northern Ontario provincial championship for men's curling. The winner represents Team Northern Ontario annually at t ...
, and placed third at the 1953 Brier championship. As a member of the DCA executive, he assisted in establishing both the
Canadian Mixed Curling Championship The Canadian Mixed Curling Championship is the national curling championship for mixed curling in Canada. The winners of the tournament will represent Canada at the World Mixed Curling Championship. In mixed curling, the positions on a team must a ...
and the
Canadian Senior Curling Championships The Canadian Senior Curling Championships are an annual bonspiel held to determine the national champions in senior curling for Canada. Seniors are defined as being people over the age of 50. The championship teams play at the World Senior Curlin ...
in 1964. He was an original member of the senior championship committee, and believed the event would attract former Brier competitors and give seniors place to compete which had not existed. Sargent's career in sports was recognized with the
Canadian Centennial Medal The Canadian Centennial Medal (french: Médaille du centenaire du Canada) is a commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint in 1967 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation and was awarded to Canadians who were ...
in 1967, and the
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'argent de la reine Elizabeth II) is a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. The medal is p ...
in 1977. He also received awards, citations and life memberships from multiple sporting and service organizations; including life membership of the CAHA in 1946 and life membership of the DCA in 1967. When hockey and curling established a
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
for their respective sport, he was named to the selection committees to choose the inaugural group of inductees for each sport. He was inducted into the
Canadian Curling Hall of Fame The Canadian Curling Hall of Fame was established with its first inductees in 1973. It is operated by Curling Canada, the governing body for curling in Canada, in Orleans, Ontario. The Hall of Fame selection committee meets annually to choose induc ...
in 1974, and inducted into the
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame The Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, established in 1978 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, is dedicated to the people of Northwestern Ontario who have achieved greatness in sport. It is located on 219 South May Street in Downtown Fort Wil ...
in 1982.


Early life

Frank Forest Sargent was born on July 6, 1902, in
Fergus, Ontario Fergus is the largest community in Centre Wellington, a township within Wellington County in Ontario, Canada. It lies on the Grand River about 18 km NNW of Guelph. The population of this community at the time of the 2016 Census was 20,767 ...
. His father Lewis was a
livery yard A livery yard, livery stable or boarding stable, is a stable where horse owners pay a weekly or monthly fee to keep their horses. A livery or boarding yard is not usually a riding school and the horses are not normally for hire (unless on work ...
keeper, and his mother was Matilda Sargent (née Alexander). He grew up in a family of three children, with a sister Ruby and a brother Arthur. Sargent began
curling Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns slidi ...
in Fergus at age 12 with his father. He participated in his first
bonspiel A bonspiel is a curling tournament, consisting of several games, often held on a weekend. Until the 20th century most bonspiels were held outdoors, on a frozen freshwater loch. Today almost all bonspiels are held indoors on specially prepared ar ...
at age 14 in
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilto ...
. He also played
lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...
in Fergus as a youth, and played
junior ice hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
for
Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...
in the
Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey As ...
. Sargent played senior lacrosse in Orangeville, and won two Ontario titles, and one national title. He later played lacrosse in Hamilton, and was roommates with future professional hockey players Hap Day and Carson Cooper. While playing for Hamilton, Sargent body checked against
Lionel Conacher Lionel Pretoria Conacher, MP (; May 24, 1900 – May 26, 1954), nicknamed "The Big Train", was a Canadian athlete and politician. Voted the country's top athlete of the first half of the 20th century, he won championships in numerous sports. ...
who then fell across Sargent's legs. Sargent spent four weeks in the hospital recovering from the injury which shortened his career for contact sports. He later lived in
Renfrew, Ontario Renfrew is a town on the Bonnechere River in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. Located one hour west of Ottawa in Eastern Ontario, Renfrew is the fourth largest town in the county after Petawawa, Pembroke and Arnprior. The town is a small tra ...
, then moved to Port Arthur in 1923, and played one season of intermediate level
senior ice hockey Senior hockey refers to amateur or semi-professional ice hockey competition. There are no age restrictions for Senior players, who typically consist of those whose Junior eligibility has expired. Senior hockey leagues operate under the jurisd ...
.


Business career

In 1923, Sargent began working for Thompson and Sargent, a funeral home co-founded by his father Lewis Sargent. Sargent apprenticed in
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
with Clarke-Leatherdale, then graduated from the Canadian School of Embalming with honours in 1926, to become a
funeral director A funeral director, also known as an undertaker (British English) or mortician (American English), is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as ...
. Lewis Sargent bought out his partner, then Frank Sargent assumed management of the family's funeral home business when it was renamed Sargent and Son. He became a member of the Ontario Funeral Service Association and the Northwestern Ontario Funeral Service Association, then took over the family business upon his father's death in 1946.


Hockey career


Early involvement

Sargent led a group of five investors in 1928, who sought a junior hockey team based in Port Arthur to compete for the
Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...
. The Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association (TBAHA) feared that the plan to group the best players on one team would weaken the local junior league and did not approve the endeavour. Sargent was subsequently elected to the TBAHA executive in 1929, and served continuously until 1955. He was vice-president of the TBAHA from 1935 to 1936, and president from 1936 to 1938. He oversaw the Thunder Bay District Senior Hockey League which had four teams in Canada, and also played games against teams from
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...
. He coordinated
Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are th ...
playoffs for the Canadian teams. He gave approval for the
Kenora Thistles The Kenora Thistles, officially the Thistles Hockey Club, were a Canadian ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario. Founded in 1894, they were originally known as the Rat Portage Thistles. The team competed for the Stanley Cup, the ice hockey ...
to continue playing as a senior team under the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association umbrella instead of the TBAHA, since they had done so as a junior team.


CAHA second vice-president

Sargent was elected second vice-president of the
Canadian Amateur Hockey Association The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; french: Association canadienne de hockey amateur) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction include ...
(CAHA) on April 18, 1938. He became a member of the CAHA rules committee. He also served on the CAHA committee to negotiate professional-amateur agreements with the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL) from 1938 to 1955, along with
W. G. Hardy William George Hardy (February 3, 1895 – August 28, 1979) was a Canadian professor, writer, and ice hockey administrator. He lectured on the Classics at the University of Alberta from 1922 to 1964, and served as president of the Canadian Aut ...
and
George Dudley George Samuel Dudley (April 19, 1894 – May 8, 1960) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator. He joined the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) executive in 1928, served as its president from 1934 to 1936, and as its treasurer from 1936 to 1960 ...
. In August 1938, the CAHA and the NHL reached a new working agreement. Stipulations included the recognition each other's suspensions, use of the same playing rules, the NHL would not sign players without CAHA consent during the season, and the CAHA would deny international transfers to amateurs who were on reserve lists for NHL teams. Sargent accompanied the
Port Arthur Bearcats The Port Arthur Bearcats (Bear Cats) were a senior amateur ice hockey team based in Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada – now part of the city of Thunder Bay – from the early 1900s until 1970. Before settling on the nickname of Bearca ...
to the
1939 Allan Cup The 1939 Allan Cup was the Canadian senior ice hockey championship for the 1938–39 season. Final Best of 5 *Port Arthur 6 Montreal 4 *Port Arthur 3 Montreal 1 *Montreal 6 Port Arthur 4 *Port Arthur 6 Montreal 5 Port Arthur Bearcats beat M ...
championship, which they won versus the
Montreal Royals The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team in Montreal, Quebec, during 1897–1917 and 1928–1960. A member of the International League, the Royals were the top farm club (Class AAA) of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1939; ...
in four games. Sargent was re-elected second vice-president on April 12, 1939. The Port Arthur Bearcats were chosen to represent the
Canada men's national ice hockey team The Canada men's national ice hockey team (popularly known as Team Canada; french: Équipe Canada) is the ice hockey team representing Canada int ...
at the
1940 Winter Olympics The 1940 Winter Olympics, which would have been officially known as the and as Sapporo 1940 (札幌1940), were to have been celebrated from 3 to 12 February 1940 in Sapporo, Japan, but the games were eventually cancelled due to the onset of ...
, and Sargent was placed in charge of the upcoming tour of Europe and was expected to travel with the team. The CAHA approved C$5,000 towards travel expenses overseen by Sargent, and the team would receive any profits from exhibition games played while in Europe. The Bearcats requested a guarantee from the CAHA against financial loss, and Sargent expected a meeting to decide on the travel demands. The 1940 Winter Olympics were ultimately cancelled after the German
invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week af ...
in September 1939.


CAHA first vice-president

Sargent was elected first vice-president of the CAHA general meeting on April 17, 1940. At the same meeting, the CAHA updated its constitution to define an amateur as "one who either has not engaged or is not engaged in organized professional hockey", and permitted its teams to sign players to binding contracts. The CAHA and the
Amateur Hockey Association of the United States USA Hockey is the national ice hockey organization in the United States. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee as the governing body for organized ice hockey in the United ...
(AHAUS) agreed to an alliance and formed the
International Ice Hockey Association The International Ice Hockey Association was a governing body for international ice hockey. It was established in 1940 when the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association wanted more control over international hockey, and was in disagreement with the ...
to govern international hockey relationships. Sargent explained that in the new definition of amateur, the CAHA was only concerned whether a player was a professional in hockey, and not in any other sport. At the same time, the CAHA declined an invitation to re-affiliate with the
Amateur Athletic Union of Canada The history of Canadian sports falls into five stages of development: early recreational activities before 1840; the start of organized competition, 1840–1880; the emergence of national organizations, 1882–1914; the rapid growth of both amateur ...
due to differences in what constitutes an amateur. The CAHA reached a new agreement with the NHL in November 1940, which included payments to junior or senior clubs for developing players signed by professional teams. Sargent and W. G. Hardy became responsible to distribute the money proportionate to the player's service time. The new agreement also stipulated that players and teams would be suspended for improper transfers, and gave Sargent an $800 honorarium to cover expenses as an executive. Sargent oversaw schedules for playoffs in
Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada†...
, and stated that schedules might be altered to generate more attendance and profit. Sargent was re-elected first vice-president of the CAHA on April 16, 1941. He stated that the CAHA would take measures to ensure faster and cleaner hockey, and that proposals would be forthcoming at the upcoming meeting with the NHL to eliminate
high-sticking High-sticking is the name of two infractions in the sport of ice hockey. It is also the name of a minor penalty called in the sport of ringette. This article deals chiefly with situations involving the sport of ice hockey. High-sticking may occur ...
, boarding and body checking injuries. He was subsequently named chairman of the resolution committee for the next CAHA general meeting. The CAHA adopted new rules in 1941, to assist in finding replacement players during wartime conditions; and sought for temporary reinstatement of professionals as amateurs, who were unable to travel to the United States during the war. Sargent was committed to do everything possible to expedite in reinstating professionals as amateurs under CAHA jurisdiction.


CAHA president


First term

Sargent was elected president of the CAHA on April 21, 1942, to succeed George Dudley. He announced that the CAHA had profited nearly $15,000 from the 1942 playoffs, which he distributed to teams based on games played. The CAHA generated most of its playoffs profit from the 1942 Memorial Cup, more than three times the profit compared to the 1942 Allan Cup. The CAHA also approved grants to each of its provincial branches for the development of
minor ice hockey Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from ...
, and agreed to distribute funds according to a survey of minor ice hockey organizations completed by W. B. George of the
Ottawa District Hockey Association Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
. The CAHA later allocated $9,000 towards promotion of minor ice hockey. In August 1942, the CAHA was requested to submit a brief to military service selection officials with the
Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...
, to summarize the current participation numbers and its future plans. Sargent issued instructions to teams in the CAHA to arrange for games not interfere with the
war economy A war economy or wartime economy is the set of contingencies undertaken by a modern state to mobilize its economy for war production. Philippe Le Billon describes a war economy as a "system of producing, mobilizing and allocating resources t ...
, and accommodations must be made for any players who also worked at jobs contributing towards the war effort. He reported that registrations dropped from 26,000 in 1939, to just 13,000 in 1942, and he expected to lose more players to military services. Despite declining registration, he felt that prospects across the CAHA looked bright and was committed to have hockey to continue for the morale of Canadians. The CAHA and the NHL agreed in principle that a junior-aged player could become a professional whenever he wanted, to make a living under wartime conditions. They expected that NHL clubs would rely on junior-aged players as replacements due to military enlistments. In October 1942, Sargent announced a new professional-amateur agreement was reached. NHL teams were permitted to sign junior-aged players if the junior club was contacted first, and agreed not to sign any other junior-eligible players who had not yet played for the CAHA. The NHL continued to pay the CAHA for developing players, and contributed $17,000 towards junior teams during the 1941–42 season, compared to $6,000 during the 1940–41 season. During the playoffs for the 1942–43 season, Sargent sought for more strict enforcement of rules by referees in the interest of player safety. He was particularly concerned with increasing trend of rough play as opposed to "good clean hockey".


Second term

Sargent was re-elected president of the CAHA on April 27, 1943. He stated that his first term as president had been the most financially successful for the CAHA to date, with a profit near $60,000 and the ability to put $10,500 towards minor hockey grants. He chose to host the 1943 Memorial Cup in Toronto instead of Winnipeg to maximize profits. Attendance in Winnipeg had shrunk during the war, but remained strong in Toronto. Sargent recommended increasing the maximum roster size from 12 to 13 players due to the war. He later announced restrictions on transfers for minors and junior-aged players between regions in Canada. The CAHA registration committee wanted to protect against a region losing to many players, but chose to make exceptions when the player continued to reside with his parents who relocated or for a student living away from home and attending a post-secondary institution. In April 1943, the CAHA implemented rules to prevent delays of game to fix equipment, and a
penalty shot A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
if a
goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...
injured or attempted to injure an opposing player. The CAHA also approved a recommendation for a centre ice red line which would allow forward passes to open up the play, instead of the existing offside rule. In August 1943, the joint rules committee of the CAHA and NHL adopted the forward pass to the centre ice red line. Sargent and Dudley met with officers from the
Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
in June 1943, to discuss possible arrangements for military sports in the CAHA. Canadian Army and
Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
(RCAF) teams agreed to join CAHA leagues for the 1943–44 season, provided that schedules did not interfere with military service. Playoffs were shortened to two rounds or less due to time restrictions. Sargent advised CAHA teams that a junior-aged player who enlisted would be required to return to his previous club after completing military service. RCAF teams pulled out of hockey on January 6, 1944, due to military commitments. Sargent did not question the decision and wished to co-operate with the war effort. Canadian Army teams later withdrew from CAHA national playoffs, but were permitted to play in local and
intramural sports Intramural sports are recreational sports organized within a particular institution, usually an educational institution, or a set geographic region. The term, which is chiefly North American, derives from the Latin words ''intra muros'' meaning " ...
leagues with other garrisons. Several leagues in Canada folded as a result, and other leagues withdrew from the upcoming 1943 Allan Cup playoffs. The CAHA later allowed teams to have four replacements in playoffs due to wartime enlistments, in addition to the normal four players added for reinforcement of teams. Sargent attended a meeting between the CAHA and the NHL in September 1943, and accepted a proposal from a group in
Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Toro ...
, to establish a
Hockey Hall of Fame , logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg , logo_upright = 0.5 , image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg , caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992 , map_type = , former_name = , established = 1943 , location = 30 Y ...
. In February 1944, he was named to selection committee to choose the inaugural group of inductees for the Hall of Fame.


Third term

Sargent was re-elected to a third term as president of the CAHA on April 13, 1944, and became the first person to be elected to more than two terms as president. He supported rule changes to promote on-ice safety and prevent injuries within and near the goal crease and players' benches, and planned to publish a common book of rules in co-operation with the NHL. In April 1944, the CAHA voted to sever relations with the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace (LIHG), and reaffirmed its relationship within the International Ice Hockey Association to strengthen ties with the AHAUS and the
British Ice Hockey Association Ice Hockey UK (IHUK) is the national governing body of ice hockey in the United Kingdom. Affiliated to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), IHUK is the internationally recognised umbrella body in the United Kingdom. IHUK was created ...
. Sargent hoped for the return of military teams to CAHA competitions for the 1944–45 season, but no applications were received. Despite the wartime conditions, registration had increased from 17,167 during the 1942–43 season, to 27,271 players in the 1943–44 season. The CAHA used the growing profits to increase grants by $1,500 to promote minor ice hockey. The CAHA gave approval for a new international senior hockey league to include teams in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. The league was organized by Al Leader, who wanted to rebuild amateur hockey which had suffered from the collapse of military teams. The
Pacific Coast Hockey League The Pacific Coast Hockey League was an ice hockey minor league with teams in the western United States and western Canada that existed in several incarnations: from 1928 to 1931, from 1936 to 1941, and from 1944 to 1952. PCHL 1928–1931 The firs ...
began operating in the 1944–45 season, and Sargent received complaints about junior-aged players being offered contracts. He sought to follow proper international transfers to limit the number of junior-aged players leaving Canada; and for an AHAUS decision on its affiliation, professional status and whether the existing professional-amateur agreement applied. The CAHA was also faced with limited growth prospects of junior hockey in Western Canada due to the number of rinks available and not enough ice time. Sargent wanted to stop the migration of junior-aged players to Eastern Canada, and maintain registration numbers and competition in Western Canada. He decreed that such transfer requests must include a valid reason besides hockey. He cautioned that the western branches of the CAHA would be fighting to have the clause removed from the constitution which allowed exemptions for preparatory school transfers. He also announced the
1945 Memorial Cup The 1945 Memorial Cup final was the 27th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). The finals were held at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. CAHA president Frank Sargent chose the location to maximize pro ...
would return to Maple Leaf Gardens to maximize profit for the CAHA. Sargent proposed hosting the 1945 Allan Cup in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
. In February 1945, he questioned the viability of inter-provincial playoffs for senior hockey in 1945. While there was ample support for senior hockey in Vancouver, he was concerned about the reluctance teams from Quebec to travel west for the Allan Cup during wartime conditions. The Montreal Royals and Valleyfield Braves who appeared to be the strongest teams in Eastern Canada, and both declined to travel across the country due to their players' need to make a living rather than play hockey. In February 1945, Sargent announced the cancellation of the 1945 Allan Cup playoffs. It was the first season in which the trophy was not contested since the inaugural 1909 Allan Cup. The CAHA later vetoed an offer by the Quebec Aces to defend their 1944 Allan Cup championship against a challenger. Sargent did not want to see weaker teams challenge for the Allan Cup in lieu of a proper national playoff.


CAHA past-president

Sargent was succeeded as president by
Hanson Dowell Hanson Taylor Dowell (September 14, 1906September 23, 2000) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator and politician. He served as president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association from 1945 to 1947, and was the first person from the Maritime ...
, then served as past-president of the CAHA from 1945 to 1947. Sargent stated he was relieved to let another person take over as president, since the duties were getting too much to handle as a volunteer. He felt that a full-time position would be necessary soon, but anticipated he would remain heavily involved as past-president. Sargent was immediately elected second vice-president of the International Ice Hockey Association, and was part of the CAHA delegation to discuss international hockey relations. He felt that Canada might be excluded from
ice hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics The men's ice hockey tournament at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland, was the sixth Olympic Championship, also served as the 15th World Championships and the 26th European Championships. Canada won its fifth Olympic gold me ...
if the
International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
did not accept the new Canadian definition of amateur, updated since the last Winter Olympics in 1936. Sargent supervised the Western Canada junior and senior playoffs, and believed that Maple Leaf Gardens should be the permanent home of the Memorial Cup finals, with arrangements made to compensate Western teams for travelling east. Sargent helped negotiate a new professional-amateur deal in 1946, where the NHL offered a $20,000 flat fee to sign junior-aged players. He noted that relations with the NHL had been friendly over the years, but the CAHA sought a larger lump sum or amount per player. After a stalemate, the CAHA ultimately accepted the $20,000 lump sum payment.


Later involvement

Sargent returned to his previous role as vice-president of the TBAHA from 1947 to 1951, and served as its president again from 1951 to 1953. During his involvement, he sought to establish a local senior ice hockey league involving teams from Winnipeg, and saw the
Fort William Gardens The Fort William Gardens is a multi-purpose arena, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It opened in 1951. History The Gardens opened on March 6, 1951. The Fort William Canadians defeated the Westfort Hurricanes, Fort William Hurricanes by a 4–2 ...
open in 1951 to host games in the Thunder Bay Senior Hockey League. Sargent supported the practice of allowing less-populated districts in the CAHA to add players from other teams for the playoffs, to make them more competitive. After the Port Arthur Bruins from the TBAHA won the
1948 Memorial Cup The 1948 Memorial Cup final was the 30th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Barrie Flyers of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed ...
, the more-populated Ontario and Manitoba associations wanted to reverse the practice. In a
1950 Memorial Cup The 1950 Memorial Cup final was the 32nd junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Montreal Junior Canadiens of the Quebec Junior Hockey League in Eastern Canad ...
playoff series between the Kenora Kinsmen and the Port Arthur Bruins, Sargent awarded the series to Port Arthur after the first two games were won by 10–3 and 12–0 scores. In 1952, Sargent helped negotiate an agreement with the NHL for call-ups to be made to professional teams, but not interfere with playoffs in the CAHA. A January 15 deadline was agreed to, unless there was an emergency due to injuries. Sargent represented the CAHA at 1951 general meeting of the IIHF in Paris, and accompanied the
Lethbridge Maple Leafs The Lethbridge Maple Leafs were, at times, a senior, intermediate, and junior ice hockey team that operated out of Lethbridge, Alberta. They are best known for winning the 1951 World Ice Hockey Championships. The Maple Leafs were a men's senior i ...
on their European tour and victory at the 1951 Ice Hockey World Championships. He felt the Lethbridge Maple Leafs were the best goodwill ambassadors the Canada could have had, describing them as gentlemanly and well-behaved. Sargent retired from hockey and resigned from the TBAHA on September 12, 1955, after 27 years on the executive. He expressed a growing dislike for the physical style of hockey being played, and had hoped to reintroduce rules for less contact and to prevent injuries. He also felt that the rising cost of operating a junior team, had decreased the number of teams which could compete at a high level.


Curling career


Early involvement

Sargent was a member of the Port Arthur Curling Club from 1924 onwards, and served as the club's president from 1934 to 1936. Membership grew to more than 30 curling rinks during this time, and he led discussions for the club to become affiliated with the
Manitoba Curling Association Curl Manitoba (formerly the Manitoba Curling Association) is the organization responsible for curling in the province of Manitoba. Its stated mission is "to promote, develop and grow the sport of curling in Manitoba, Canada and the world by provid ...
(MCA). Sargent travelled to Manitoba representing his club, and participated in at least five MCA Bonspiels. He was a member of the rink which won the doubles championship at the Winnipeg Bonspiel in 1936, and won the Port Arthur Curling Club championship five times. He also won the Royal York Trophy at the 1946 bonspiel in Toronto. He won the annual 1947 and 1948 Lakehead Bonspiels with an undefeated record in both events.


Northwestern Ontario curling

Sargent assisted in founding the Northwestern Ontario Curling Association (NWOCA) in 1946. He was elected its first president in November the same year, and sought recognition as its own branch equivalent to other provincial associations within the Dominion Curling Association (DCA), and to compete for
The Brier The Tim Hortons Brier, or simply (and more commonly) the Brier (''french: Le Brier''), is the annual Canadian men's curling championship, sanctioned by Curling Canada. The current event name refers to its main sponsor, the Tim Hortons coffee and ...
as national champions. The DCA granted branch status in 1949, and Ontario became the only province in Canada to have more than one nationally recognized branch. He was re-elected president of the NWOCA in February 1949, and was named to the executive committee of the DCA. Sargent won the 1950 NWOCA playoffs with eight consecutive victories, and advanced to the Northern Ontario finals in Sudbury. He was
skip Skip or Skips may refer to: Acronyms * SKIP (Skeletal muscle and kidney enriched inositol phosphatase), a human gene * Simple Key-Management for Internet Protocol * SKIP of New York (Sick Kids need Involved People), a non-profit agency aidin ...
of the Northwest Ontario rink which lost to the Tom Ramsay rink that went on to win the 1950 Macdonald Brier. Sargent played second on the rink skipped by Grant Watson which won the 1953
Northern Ontario Men's Provincial Curling Championship The Northern Ontario Curling Association (NOCA) Men's Provincial Championship, also known as the Northern Ontario Tankard is the Northern Ontario provincial championship for men's curling. The winner represents Team Northern Ontario annually at t ...
. It was the first rink to represent Northwestern Ontario at the Brier. They competed at the 1953 Macdonald Brier in Sudbury with a record of seven wins, three losses, and finished in a tie for third place. Sargent served as president of the Port Arthur Curling Club again from 1950 to 1955, and led the club's effort to install the first indoor artificial curling sheet in the Lakehead area. Construction was funded by a combination of loans and profits generated by the club itself, which were $7,100 in the 1950–51 season. He later assisted in co-ordinating hosting duties of the 1960 Macdonald Brier by the Port Arthur and Fort William curling clubs.


Dominion Curling Association

Sargent was elected third vice-president of the DCA in March 1962, which enacted residency rules for its curlers in the Brier to prevent teams switching associations in its playoffs. He was elected second vice-president of the DCA in March 1963. He sat on the committee to review recommendations to update the code of ethics for professionalism in curling. The amateur eligibility issues had been unresolved since 1959, and opinions varied between Eastern and Western Canada. He began efforts to establish a national championship for mixed curling which was popular in Eastern Canada, but Western Canada showed little interest due to lack of ice time. Sargent was elected first vice-president of the DCA in March 1964. The
Canadian Mixed Curling Championship The Canadian Mixed Curling Championship is the national curling championship for mixed curling in Canada. The winners of the tournament will represent Canada at the World Mixed Curling Championship. In mixed curling, the positions on a team must a ...
was established the same year at the
Royal Canadian Curling Club The Royal Canadian Curling Club is a curling club located in the Riverdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The clubhouse on Broadview Avenue was originally built in 1907 by the ''Royal Canadian Bicycle Club'', while the ice arena was ad ...
in Toronto, with
Canadian Breweries Canadian Breweries Limited (CBL), originally the Brewing Corporation of Ontario, was an Ontario-based holding company in the brewing industry. The company was founded in 1930 by a merger of two breweries, Brading of Ottawa and Kuntz of Kitchener- ...
as the event's sponsor and Sargent as its committee chairman. Proposed updates to the code of ethics were rejected by the DCA in 1964. Western Canada delegates felt the proposed restrictions would have prevented the best curlers in the country from participating in DCA events, and put Canada at a disadvantage against other countries. Proposals limited the top bonspiel prize to $800 per rink or $200 per curler, which would have allowed only the independently wealthy to take time off and travel to the national events. The
Canadian Senior Curling Championships The Canadian Senior Curling Championships are an annual bonspiel held to determine the national champions in senior curling for Canada. Seniors are defined as being people over the age of 50. The championship teams play at the World Senior Curlin ...
was established in October 1964. Sargent was an original member of the senior championship committee, and believed the event would attract former Brier competitors and give seniors place to compete which had not existed. Sargent was elected president of the DCA in March 1965, at the general meeting held at the
Bessborough Hotel The Delta Hotels Bessborough, formerly and commonly known as the Bessborough (), is a historic hotel in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The hotel is within the Central Business District, a commercial district in Saskatoon. The Bessborough was de ...
in
Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
. He became the only person to hold the positions of CAHA and DCA president, and the first person to be president of two national amateur sporting associations in Canada. The inaugural Canadian Seniors Curling Championship was hosted in Port Arthur in March 1965. It used a minimum age of 55 for competitors, and had the
Seagram Company The Seagram Company Ltd. (which traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Originally a distiller of Canadian whisky based in Waterloo, Ontario, it was once (in the 1990s) the lar ...
as its title sponsor. Sargent was succeeded as president by
Gordon Lockhart Bennett Gordon Lockhart Bennett, (October 10, 1912 – February 11, 2000) was a Canadian teacher, politician and the 21st Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island. Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, he received a Bachelor of Scienc ...
in March 1966. Sargent remained chairman of the national mixed curling championships. In 1969, he revealed that a new sponsor was needed since Canadian Breweries would pull out after the 1970 event, and was concerned about the event's viability without financial assistance. In March 1973, Sargent sat on the nomination committee to select the first group of inductees into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame to be established in Winnipeg.


Personal life

Sargent married Florence Helena Jones on September 25, 1935, and they resided in Port Arthur. The couple later raised two sons and one daughter. He was a member of the Loon Lake Campers' Association, and participated in local service clubs. He was a member the
Gyro International Gyro International is a non-profit social, service, and fraternal club for men located in the United States, Canada and Japan. Gyro was founded by Paul Schwan, Clarence (Gus) Handerson, and Edmund (Ed) Kagy, three college friends, in April 1912 ...
Club of Port Arthur, and the Port Arthur Lodge of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political and non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Order of Odd ...
. He was a
Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
in the
Scottish Rite The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction in the United States often omits the ''and'', while the English Constitution in the United Kingdom omits the ''Scottish''), commonly known as simply the Sco ...
Thunder Bay Lodge A.F. and A.M., and was a member of the
Shriners Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic society established in 1870 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Shriners International describes itself ...
as part of the Khartum Temple of the Shrine. Sargent served as president of the Port Arthur Golf Club from 1939 to 1941, and was a member of the
Portage la Prairie Portage la Prairie () is a small city in the Central Plains Region of Manitoba, Canada. As of 2016, the population was 13,304 and the land area of the city was . Portage la Prairie is approximately west of Winnipeg, along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
Country Club. He won the Port Arthur Country Club championship three times, won the
Thunder Bay District Thunder Bay District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district seat is Thunder Bay. In 2016, the population was 146,048. The land area is ; the population density was . Most of ...
championship once, and was twice a runner-up in the district. He played
badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players pe ...
in Northwestern Ontario regional competitions. He won the men's championship twice, the men's doubles championship twice, and the mixed championship three times. He also participated in and won local
horseshoes Horseshoe is a shoe for horses and by analogy is applied to many things with a similar shape. Horseshoes (game), a tossing game played with a horseshoe Horseshoe(s) or Horse Shoe(s) may also refer to: Places * Horseshoe Valley (disambiguation) ...
tournaments. His other hobbies included
waterfowl hunting Waterfowl hunting (also called wildfowling or waterfowl shooting in the UK) is the practice of hunting ducks, geese, or other waterfowl for food and sport. Many types of ducks and geese share the same habitat, have overlapping or identical hunt ...
and
skeet shooting Skeet shooting is a recreational and competitive activity where participants use shotguns to attempt to break clay targets which two fixed stations mechanically fling into the air at high speed and at a variety of angles. Skeet is one of the t ...
. Sargent's wife Florence died on September 10, 1986. Sargent died on September 28, 1988, at his residence in Port Arthur. He was interred in the family plot at Riverside Cemetery in Thunder Bay. His son James subsequently assumed leadership of the family's funeral business.


Honours and awards

Sargent received awards and citations from multiple organizations. He was given a silver platter from the Port Arthur Town Council in 1947, in recognition of his service to the CAHA. In 1950, he received the AHAUS citation award for contributions to ice hockey in the United States. He received the Ontario Hockey Association Gold Stick Award in 1953, for contributions to ice hockey in Ontario. For his work at the national level, he was given the CAHA Order of Merit in May 1963, and was made a recipient of the
Canadian Centennial Medal The Canadian Centennial Medal (french: Médaille du centenaire du Canada) is a commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint in 1967 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation and was awarded to Canadians who were ...
in 1967. In 1976, he was given the Curling Grand Prix honour award, and was appointed member of the
Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
's Curling Club. He also received the
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'argent de la reine Elizabeth II) is a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. The medal is p ...
in 1977, for significant contributions to Canada. Sargent was made the namesake of the Frank Sargent trophy by the TBAHA, awarded to the scoring champion of the Lakehead Junior Hockey League. Other honours include the Gyro International Club of Port Arthur appreciation award, the Hockey Hall of Fame meritorious award, and being named an honorary president of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association. Life memberships were given to Sargent by multiple organizations. He was elected a life member of the CAHA on May 3, 1946. After retiring from hockey, he received a life membership from the TBAHA on September 12, 1955. The
Royal Canadian Legion The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization (veterans' organization) founded in 1925. Membership includes people who have served as military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, Royal ...
Branch #5 in Port Arthur made him a life member in 1957. After his term as president of the Dominion Curling Association ended, he received a lifetime membership from the
Ontario Curling Association CurlON (formerly the Ontario Curling Association) is the governing body of curling in Southern Ontario. Northern Ontario is governed by the Northern Ontario Curling Association (NOCA). The CurlON sends a team to represent Team Ontario at all majo ...
in 1966, the Port Arthur Curling Club in 1966, the
Manitoba Curling Association Curl Manitoba (formerly the Manitoba Curling Association) is the organization responsible for curling in the province of Manitoba. Its stated mission is "to promote, develop and grow the sport of curling in Manitoba, Canada and the world by provid ...
in 1966, the Dominion Curling Association in 1967, and the Quebec Curling Association in 1967. Other lifetime memberships include the Fergus Curling Club, the Fort William Curling and Athletic Club, and the Northwestern Ontario Curling Association. Sargent was inducted into the
Canadian Curling Hall of Fame The Canadian Curling Hall of Fame was established with its first inductees in 1973. It is operated by Curling Canada, the governing body for curling in Canada, in Orleans, Ontario. The Hall of Fame selection committee meets annually to choose induc ...
in 1974, as a past president in the builder category. He was inducted into the
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame The Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, established in 1978 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, is dedicated to the people of Northwestern Ontario who have achieved greatness in sport. It is located on 219 South May Street in Downtown Fort Wil ...
on September 25, 1982.


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sargent, Frank 1902 births 1988 deaths 20th-century Canadian businesspeople Businesspeople from Ontario Canadian Amateur Hockey Association presidents Canadian Amateur Hockey Association vice-presidents Canadian Freemasons Canadian funeral directors Canadian Odd Fellows Canadian sports builders Canadian sports executives and administrators Curlers from Northern Ontario Curling Canada presidents Ice hockey people from Ontario Lacrosse people from Ontario People from Centre Wellington Sportspeople from Thunder Bay Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association executives