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Inducted
into the Hall of Fame in 1950. B.N.Sexton, as he was
invariably referred to in the contemporary press, was born in 1892 and
raised in Windsor, Nova Scotia. Something of an
all-rounder, he became a prominent member of the Windsor Swastikas
hockey team with his one-man rushes, as well as a noted footballer and
horseman. As well as playing ice hockey, he became highly instrumental
in fostering awareness of the sport, not only in Britain, but in
mainland Europe too. He joined the Canadian Army and, was posted to
England in 1916 as an infantry officer during World War One. Twice
wounded on active service in France, he transferred to the cavalry and
went on to become the army sabre champion. Returning to England
after two years in Canada, where his English wife was not happy, he
founded a canned food brokerage in London. Being qualified by British
residence, he was selected to play defence for the Great Britain team
that competed in the 1924 Winter Olympics winning a bronze medal.
Amongst his personal highlights was a hat trick scored in a 19-3
demolition of Belgium. Despite the absence of
ice rinks in southern Britain, in the autumn of 1924, he founded the
London Lions and took the team on many tours of Europe. The team, which
comprised mainly expatriate Canadians, contested the final of the
1924/25 Coupe de Davos and made it through to the quarterfinals of the
prestigious club tournament - the Spengler Cup. The London Lions went on
to win the first ever playoffs for the British League title, in May
1930, with Sexton scoring. A newspaper of the time reported the occasion
thus, “Sexton at his very best as London Lions beat Glasgow 2-1 to win
the Patton Cup.” The Lions also retained their club championship the
following winter. At the European
Championships of January 1926 staged in Davos Switzerland, B.N.Sexton
accounted for eight of Great Britain’s twenty-six goals, leading the
French newspaper Le Mirror des Sports to report, “Sexton is the
star. Wearing a white sunshade, he becomes a jockey and a cinema
director. His way of effortless gliding whilst rolling his shoulders,
his rapid turns, his tricks… ensures his success.” The following month,
February 1926, Sexton registered another personal hat trick against
Belgium as Great Britain hit them for six in Paris. He was subsequently
selected to represent Great Britain in the inaugural World Championships
staged in 1930. The last of his
countless international appearances came in January 1932, and B.N.Sexton
retired from playing aged 40 at the end of the 1932-33 season. Perhaps
the last player to still use the ‘D’ or automobile bladed skates,
Sexton was described in an English magazine that winter as being,
“perhaps the greatest showman ice hockey has ever seen.” His
retirement from the game also saw the demise of the London Lions, and he
went on to become a successful businessman in the canning industry. B.N.Sexton died in London on April 29th, 1966.
Compiled with research, provided by Martin C.Harris
– June
2000
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