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Inducted into the Hall of fame in 1989. Born October 4th 1926 in Regina Saskatchewan,
George Beach as a teenager was spotted by an NHL scout and recommended
to the Chicago Blackhawks. He attended the Blackhawks training camp and
was assigned to play for Kansas City in the US Hockey League, where he
remained until coming to Britain to join the Wembley lions, shortly
after his 21st birthday. Centreman George Beach was an instant success, helping
himself to a brace of goals and four assists in his debut game and
ending the season topping the clubs scoring list in both the National
League and Tournament competitions. The next two seasons were spent with
the Lions ‘stable mates.’ The Monarchs, but when they folded after
the 1949/50 season, he reverted to the Lions playing for four further
seasons. In 1950, he was voted to the All Star A-team with a B-team
selection the following season. For the 1954/55 season, Beach went to play and coach in
mainland Europe, initially in Milan, Italy and then with Martigny in
Switzerland. He stayed with Martigny until 1958 as player/coach before
moving to Zurich for one season with the same responsibilities. During
the late fifties, he iced the closing weeks of the seasons with the
Brighton Tigers, Harringay Racers and Nottingham Panthers, as the
seasons in Europe finished some weeks ahead of the close in Britain. The 1959/60 season saw George Beach return to Britain and
the club with whom his name will forever be associated, the Wembley
Lions. Despite the club having a less than auspicious final season, he
distinguished himself by winning the scoring race and was again named to
the All Star B-team. With the collapse of the British National League,
he guested for several teams before signing for the Southampton Vikings.
Beach appeared in 71 games for the Vikings, setting a club record for
assists (154) and then becoming player/coach in 1962/63, the last season
before the Rank Organisation terminated its hockey interests. George Beach returned to play in London between 1963 and
the November of 1968 as Wembley again hosted hockey games, though only
intermittently, and he again donned the famous red and white strip.
After a brief spell with the homeless Wembley Vets in the Southern
League in 1970/71, he finally called it a day from a playing angle
before taking up a coaching role. In 1976, he guided the GB national
team in the Pondus Cup in Denmark as well as the Pool C world
championship tournament in Poland. He retired to live in Ruislip, having settled there when
working in the insurance business at the nearby US Air Force base.
Regarded as one of the all-time great players in British ice hockey
history, and one of the great characters too – his place in the Hall
of Fame along his illustrious Canadian contemporaries like Bobby Lee,
Bill Glennie, Chick Zamick, Les Strongman and old friend Sonny Rost is
well deserved. His statistical record in official competitions is
impressive:-
Compiled
with research, provided by
Martin C.Harris –
1989. |
