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Inducted in 1993 as a member of the 1936 Great Britain
Olympic Championship team. Right-winger Alex Archer was born in West Ham, London on
May 1st, 1911 of Scottish parents. At the age of three, the
family emigrated to Winnipeg, Canada and that’s where he learnt to
play ice hockey. A two-times Manitoban All-Star, he returned to the UK
in 1935 joining the Wembley Lions where he would spend five seasons,
scoring 82 goals and 77 assists in the English National League. He made
such an impression he was an All-Star A-team selection for three
consecutive seasons from 1937. His selection to the GB squad for the ‘36 Olympics
provoked strong protests from the Canadians, who claimed Archer had not
been released by their association. Undeterred, he iced in all seven
games for GB, scoring two goals before collecting his gold medal. Two
further gold medals were to hang around his neck, from the European
Championships of 1937 & 1938. In all, Alex Archer played 24 times
for his country, scoring an impressive 14 goals and 10 assists. His playing career was brought to an end in 1945, when
playing at Wembley against Sweden, he suffered a fractured skull. He
immediately turned his talents to coaching, spending time with Wembley,
Nottingham and Murrayfield, twice being selected coach of the All-Star
B-team between 1946-48. Compiled with research, provided by Martin C.Harris – July 1998 |
