Retirements
Most Notable:
WR Dewey Doyle - Boston Independents (1949*) - Toronto Tigers (1950) - Worcester Athletics (1951)
Doyle had a long career, playing his early years with the original Athletics before the WW2 stoppage, after the return of the NEFC he had joined the Independents and was a part of their long run of championships including the 1949 NAAF championship. Following his time in Boston, he joined the Tigers still desiring to play but figured it would be his final season. He got to be one of the top guys in Toronto which, in Boston, he never got the chance. Doyle thought the 1950 season would be his final but he wanted to finish off playing for Worcester who had joined the league in 1951. He got to be a part of the Athletics first season, scoring the team’s first touchdown and the game-winning touchdown in the Athletics first win. Doyle was a very kind-hearted player that spread good-spirits to players around him.
WR Wilbert Benjamin (TOR) talked about learning from the veteran during the 1950 season: “Doyle is no Atkins or Rivera, but he has all the intelligence in the world. I learned so much from him and he will always be a mentor and a friend.”
RB Ray Middleton - Ottawa Royals (1949-1951)
Middleton spent his entire career as a member of the Royals and had been their starting running back in all three NAAF seasons. Middleton didn’t always get a lot of touches especially because of the Royals' passing attack, but he was a solid running back that helped Ottawa in their offensive success. It was becoming obvious over the 1951 season that Middleton was quickly slowing down, he felt it was time to hang them up.QB Duane Logan (OTT): “Middleton was a fairly quiet guy but had a competitive side. He loved running the ball and would try to get the play changed sometimes from a pass to a run.”
LB Bradley Booker - Montreal Rouge (1949-1950) - Toronto Tigers (1951)
The mentor to the superstar LB Quinton Brewer, Bradley Booker retired as a member of the Tigers unfortunately leaving the Rouge just before his championship run. Booker and Brewer were an unstoppable force in their time together in Montreal, but the Rouge wanted to go younger on the backline and let Booker walk to Toronto. His final season was all about mentoring the youth in Toronto and giving it one last go. Booker might be in talks to rejoin the Rouge coaching staff in the near future. LB Quinton Brewer MTL: “No better mentor and teammate, Brad is down to earth but also a harsh competitor. I already missed having him on the field this year, but it will be different without him out there. I hope to see him involved soon.”
Other Notable Retirements:
DL Edgar Gordon - Providence Gold Stars (1949-1951)
WR Jean-Yves Vallotton - Montreal Rouge (1949-1950) - Worcester Athletics (1951) - Providence Gold Stars (1951)
WR Kenneth Mullen - Ottawa Royals (1949) - Buffalo Blue Wings (1950) - Montreal Rouge (1951*)
WR Stephan Kovach - Hartford Hawks (1949-1951)
OL Landon Ashley - Buffalo Blue Wings (1949-1951)
Owner Changes
Providence Gold Stars
Sad news comes from the Providence Gold Stars as the team's long-time owner, Larry Maxwell, has passed away. Larry had owned the team ever since it’s birth in 1914 and has watched over the team through three NEFC championships. His son, Daniel was expected to be handed control of the team but it was his son David that was destined for the role. He was a much bigger fan and businessman. David Maxwell takes over as the new owner following his Grandfather’s passing, he is ambitious but will be taking a different approach to ownership. Larry was very passionate yet closed-minded. His first actions were always putting his team first but also didn’t like working closely with other teams. While he eased off in his later years he still had issues. David, on the other hand, is very much more open to building better relationships with the other teams, but also still has the fire and desire to bring championships back to Providence. David Maxwell: “I have been a lifelong fan of both the Gold Stars and admirer of my grandfather. I shared the passion he had for this team and this city and I want people to know I maintain that passion. However, this will be a new era for the Gold Stars, one that will one day bring some trophies back to the city of Providence.”
Ottawa Royals
The Ottawa Royals also transferred ownership. The good news is Rudolph Wilson the sole owner from 1908-1951 has not passed away but has decided to step away from the position and enjoy watching for the last few years of his life. Wilson was a major player in the creation of the NAAF being one of the first owners on board with the new league and sport. The new owner is Wilson’s daughter, Laura McNeil and her husband, U of Ottawa Professor, Greg McNeil. Wilson wanted to keep the team in the family, so he went to his daughter Laura, the youngest of Rudolph’s kids, to ask if she wanted to take control, Laura grew up closest to the Royals of all three kids and had been the biggest football fan. She was all for taking ownership. She got her husband on board too since he knew the business side of things and would be a great leader in that. The couple is excited by the new opportunityLaura McNeil: “I remember growing up and going to games at Lansdowne. The Royals playing in the OFU and now the NAAF. The memories of the games and the excitement. That same excitement fills me now and I am ready to keep the traditions of the Royal Football Club going and make this city proud!”
League Meetings
The annual meetings followed the announcements of the new ownership in Ottawa and Providence. During the 2 week set of meetings, the owners go over and finalize changes that have been discussed over the season.
Toronto Tigers
The first topic was on the future of the Tigers. Garry Duran, the owner, had not been able to come to terms for a new building in Toronto. Even a small talk with the Toronto Lakers to move to their downtown stadium didn’t go anywhere. After all that, Duran has decided based on the previous relationship with Toronto Municipal Stadium that he will find a new place to play following the 1952 season. The owners discussed the options and as of now, Duran will be both seeking out options for a new building in a different part of the Greater Toronto Area and the possible move to Kitchener-Waterloo. The Stadium there is newer and about 6,000 seats bigger than the Tigers normal home. Even the game against the Gold Stars sold more tickets than any other Tigers home game ever.
Stadium Developments
Worcester Athletics
Worcester Stadium is still finishing up construction and will be complete during the 1952 season and will open for the 1953 season. The stadium is right in downtown Worcester and will hold 38,600 seats.
Hartford Hawks
The Hawks Arnold H. Benson Park is the second oldest and after this season will be the oldest. The team still has a three-year agreement to play there. The team’s owner Jonathan Sampson is looking to get a new stadium in the city but is a long way from any deals being put into place.
Ottawa Royals
The Royals are negotiating with the city about the possible new stadium or if they will simply renovate and expand the current Lansdowne Park. The city is certainly wanting to keep the Royals around and they are going over what the most logical plan would be for the future of the club.
Rule Changes:
The league is fully implementing reserve rosters for teams:
They will be able to hold 12 players - 25 and under to maintain talent
24 and under can be moved on and off during the season
25 can be moved off but cannot return to the reserve after that
(I am not really sure how interesting this stuff is to you guys so I made it short, but let me know if you want more depth)
McCallister Cup:
Following the first 3 years of playoff games being in only two different cities (Boston and Montreal), Ryan Jameson is proposing neutral site games for the championship in order to spread the playoffs around. The owners liked the idea and 3 teams/cities presented their case for the title game in 1952.
New Providence Stadium - Providence, RI - 65,450 - 1946
The newest stadium in the league is also the biggest by about 20,000 seats. The Gold Stars have a long history and would love to see the McCallister Cup game return to Providence for the first time since 1941. This would probably be the best venue to host the championship because of the size. Providence would also be a good centre for a lot of fans.
Lansdowne Park - Ottawa, ON - 38,500 - 1908
The third oldest stadium behind Toronto Municipal Stadium and Arnold H. Benson Park in Hartford, Lansdowne Park is still a good-sized building. The stadium is running on its last legs and either a new stadium or a renovation could be in the works, over the next couple of years. However, this is part of the pitch for the Royals’ park as they want to have a game at the old historic field before they have to change locations or renovate. The stadium has hosted a couple of OFU championships as well as many Ottawa sporting events and to add a bigger championship to the history of the stadium would be fantastic.
Buffalo Civic Stadium - Buffalo, NY - 38,530 - 1919
The City of Buffalo is pitching with its fans. They want to see the game in one of the most passionate football cities in the league. The stadium is sold out every week no matter how well the team is doing. Like Ottawa, the stadium doesn’t compare to that of Providence, but they believe the energy and buzz the game will have in Buffalo would be spectacular. Buffalo also wants the chance to prove that they can be a huge football city after being mistreated by the NYFL back in the day.
1952 McCallister Cup Host Announcement
Heading to the Great Lakes! Winning the Vote with 5 of 12 votes the city of Buffalo will host the 34th McCallister Cup Championship. Providence and Ottawa were not far behind finishing with 4 and 3 votes respectively.
Offseason Update: Re-sign Stage
With the re-sign stage and going into the league’s 4th season, there were many big names on the pending free agency dock.
A New Face of the Franchise - Ottawa, ON
The biggest question was in the capital of Canada. The Royals traded their star QB, Duane Logan, at the draft putting all their marbles in the basket on backup Jean Matieau. The only issue was Matieau didn’t have a contract going into next season, however, he has now become one of the richest players in the league after signing a 6-year contract worth a total of $162,000. His yearly salary starts at $24,000 and will get up to $30,000 by the final two seasons. The Royals also locked up both of their recent trade acquisitions in LB Leo Davenport and DL Edgar Olsen.
The Hawks are Scattering but their Star Stays Put - Hartford, CT
There were many problems in Hartford, as many players that are getting to the end of their careers have decided to leave the team this offseason, from RB Ellis Love to QB Maurice Norris, it might be a tough offseason for the management in Hartford trying to get free agents to fill the roster spots. The good news is they didn’t lose their biggest piece. DL Sean Bowen has been the one superstar for Hartford and just turning 26, he is hitting his prime. Bowen decided to sign in Hartford for 5 years, however, he has a player option after the first 3. He will currently get paid $25,000 for the first 3 years of the contract, but can earn more if he takes the option. The question will be about where the Hawks will be in just three years and if Bowen feels he is in the right place, but for now, the Hawks have a window.
Providence Turning a New Page - Providence, RI
The biggest news out of Providence was not any major re-signing but that the team has fired long-time Head Coach Gilbert Dale. It was almost expected after the outburst in the Semi-Finals this year. However, that incident was the climax of many more conflicts. Last offseason the Gold Stars decided the add both offensive and defensive coordinators to help Dale. Dale, of course, was not a fan of this move and did not handle it well. Wanting full control Dale would disagree with both OC Perry Powell and DC Kerry Miles causing frustration and possibly a lot of the ups and downs from last season. The new head coach has not been revealed yet, but some are speculating Powell will be the man for the job.
Other Re-signings
DB Lester Murphy (3Y, $23,500) BOS
WR Samuel Floyd (3Y, $19,000) BOS
WR Travis Gallagher (2Y, $18,000) BUF
WR Joseph Barry (4Y, $18,000) BUF
LB Quinton Brewer (2Y, $23,000) MTL
DB Jean-Luc Paget (2Y, $16,000) MTL
QB Oliver Callahan (1Y, $15,000) MTL
DB Ollie Guy (3Y, $15,000) PRO
WR Eugene Burns (2Y, $15,000) PRO
DB Jesse Scott (4Y, $13,500) TOR
DL Robert Garrison (3Y, $13,500) TOR
Who’s On The Market?
The Most interesting players right now would be a pair of Safeties. S Chester George is a long time Independents backup playing behind All-Star S Michael O’Brien and might be a hot target for teams that lack on the back end. There is also S Victor Webb from Ottawa who lost his starting job last season to the younger S Lester Greer. Not only are there good players available at the very back but also on the corners with DB Guy Logan from Ottawa and DB Michael Conner out of Hartford. There should be plenty to fight over for the secondary.
The Quarterback position might be quite an interesting one with a few experienced QB’s available. Evan Morrow takes the top spot after Toronto traded for Duane Logan and drafted Christian Stewart. Morrow will likely find himself in a backup role for the time being but can always be a solid starter. Maurice Norris is also available and has shown he can play in rough places like in Hartford last year. The only issue is the Hawks might have been his best chance to start as many other teams have their guy. Both Andrew Glover and Michael Kremer will be available as well for backup rolls as they shuffle around the league.
The other notable names will be Hawks RB Ellis Love who has decided to try a different team after making a splash signing in Hartford 2 years ago. The Blue Wings were also unable to come to terms with LB Jaden Phelps who will hit the market and could be a nice depth boost for teams but expect Buffalo to be in the mix to bring him back.
Offseason News: Free Agency
There were a lot of players changing teams, more so than years past. Starting things off is Montreal grabbing the top safety in Chester George who will be taking over the starting spot on the back end. The other top safety was Victor Webb who was looking for a possible starting spot, but there were not many spots available. Webb ultimately ends up in Boston to back up Michael O’Brien. DB Guy Logan headed just down the road to Montreal and joined the Rouge, while Ottawa replaced him with former Hawk DB Micheal Conner.
The Quarterbacks all ended up in a new city as well. Evan Morrow decided to join the Royals and backup Jean Matieau, while his former Tigers teammate Micheal Kremer ended up in Hartford and will be in a battle for the starting job with QB Andrew Sexton. Andrew Glover surprised many in joining the Rouge, but it could give him a future opportunity with Oliver Callahan’s age becoming a factor. Losing Andrew Glover, the Blue Wings ended up signing the former Rouge QB Maurice Norris to backup Angelo Medina.
While Buffalo lost Glover, they were able to maintain LB Jaden Phelps and keep the middle of the defense intact. The other surprise was RB Ellis Love joining the Royals considering the team had just drafted Alexei Volkov, but the Royals are willing to try a 2-man system to help develop Volkov.
The 1952 Schedule
- The Season will open at Mount Royal Stadium as the Rouge hang their banner and will face division rival Buffalo in a rematch of the 1951 semi-finals
- Toronto will host the Royals at Kitchener-Waterloo City Field in week 3.
- Inspired by the Toronto-Buffalo battles of last season during week 5-6 the two weeks will feature back to back rivalry games for all 8 teams. MTL-OTT, BOS-PRO, HAR-WOR, and of course BUF-TOR
- Week 7 will feature the McCallister Cup Rematch in Boston.
- Duane Logan will return to Ottawa in Week 9 for the battle between the Tigers and Royals.
1 - Montreal Rouge
Won McCallister Cup in 1951
Record: 9-0-1
The Rouge are still the top team heading into the 1952 season. You can’t really knock an unbeaten team of the top just through the offseason, but there is some reason to be skeptical of the Rouge. The team didn’t change a whole lot but some of the team’s depth left for other teams like LB Silas Haynes and OL Woodrow Bridges. Alongside the losses the team is getting older and players like LB Quinton Brewer, DL Napoléon Chevalier, QB Oliver Callahan, and many of their OL. However, it may not affect them much this year as they still hold the league's best defense and have their best receiving core since joining the NAAF led by returning WR John Rivera. Their success will be all but guaranteed if RB Élisée Marchal maintains his MVP caliber of play and leads the Rouge back to the top.
Biggest Question: Can they maintain the high level of play from last season?
Additions:
S Chester George (BOS)
QB Andrew Glover (BUF)
DB Guy Logan (OTT)
2 - Boston Independents
Lost in McCallister Cup
Record: 8-2
The fact that Boston maintained their top-notch play throughout the 1951 season despite missing star RB Joel Bonner, shows their true ability. The Independents maintained a lot of their core players and will be a threat to reclaim the Cup. The 1952 season may also be the last for long-time head coach Peter McDuffin who is 67 this year. With that Boston is focusing on trying to keep together a winning team. With keeping most of their veterans they added to the depth with several signings. DB Trevor Morrow and S Victor Webb will help keep the defense in top shape while WR Ray Landry and Ol Woodrow Bridges will help the offense. They also have rookie TE Richard Stewart who will hopefully boost a fairly weak TE position.
Biggest Question: Is the age going to start to show more or will they return to the top of the NAAF?
Additions:
DB Trevor Morrow (HAR)
WR Ray Landry (BUF)
TE Richard Stewart (Draft)
3 - Buffalo Blue Wings
Lost in Semi-Finals
Record: 6-4
The Blue Wings took a major stride last season making the playoffs for the first time. They are expected to do the same this season, especially with the added bonus of being the host for the championship game. QB Angelo Medina will hopefully start to truly take over games alongside RB Arthur Conner. Consistency will also be the key for Buffalo in a very tough division. They had started 5-1 last season but fell to 1-3 over the last 4 games. If they want to maintain their playoff spot they will have to be better with the two teams behind them. Their defense will get a boost this season with the acquisition of LB Ben McCray from Hartford, and rookie S Fraizer Brooks on the back end. Those two combined with the solid secondary should only make the Blue Wings a tougher team to play.
Biggest Question: Can the Blue Wings take the next step and dethrone the Rouge?
Additions:
LB Ben McCray (HAR)
S Fraizer Brooks (Draft)
OL Claude Montgomery (MTL)
4 - Ottawa Royals
Missed the Playoffs
Record: 4-4-2
The Royals are in a small transition as they move to a new QB and RB. Jean Matieau has been with the Royals in every season since the team joined the NAAF but it will be his time to shine finally with Duane Logan being moved at the draft. In his small number of appearances, Matieau has shown a great ability to move the ball with smart decisions and accuracy. The transition should be pretty simple considering the time Matieau has spent with the Royals. However, the backfield may be a different story with two brand new backs. The 2nd overall draft pick RB Alexei Volkov will likely take the most snaps and use his speed to help the Royals while veteran RB Ellis Love will hopefully add some stability if Volkov struggles early on. They were also able to add on the defense with DL Edgar Olsen and DB Michael Conner and re-signed LB Leo Davenport who they picked up via trade last season. The Royals still could be a major bust if all the new pieces don’t mesh well.
Biggest Question: Did they pick the right guy at QB?
Additions:
RB Alexei Volkov (Draft)
DB Michael Conner (HAR)
RB Ellis Love (HAR)
5 - Toronto Tigers
Missed the Playoffs
Record: 2-8
The Tigers enter the 1952 season as the dark horse. They were able to make major improvements during the offseason to move their development process faster along. The big move at the draft will be the key to the Tigers season. QB Duane Logan will be starting for a new team for the first time in his career. He will have RB Laurent Brazeau to lead the way on the ground and a young budding star in WR Wilbert Benjamin. The other component in the trade was the fact that they were able to trade down and still grab LB Aengus Lynch. Lynch should be the center block of a defense that has already got a strong secondary led by DBs Louie White and Paul Gregory. They were also able to add veteran and former All-Star DL Timothy Wiley to help solidify that front line. Brazeau is excited to finally have the help on offense with Logan and will be ready to give Toronto a shot at the playoffs. The only issue is the three teams in their way all are just as good or better and it may be a tough road ahead.
Biggest Question: Can they keep up with the big three in the North?
Additions:
QB Duane Logan (OTT)
LB Aengus Lynch (Draft)
DL Timothy Wiley (OTT)
6 - Providence Gold Stars
Lost in Semi-Finals
Record: 5-4-1
It is a bit of a surprise to see the Gold Stars so far down the list to start the season but they are coming off of one of the most disappointing playoff games in the history of the sport. The team made some adjustments with the firing of head coach Gilbert Dale. They hope the new leadership from new head coach Perry Powell will lead the team to more stability throughout the season. Powell was the OC for the Gold Stars last season and hopes his offensive adjustments will bring Providence to a more powerful offensive attack. The only thing was Providence didn’t add too much this offseason. This is concerning based on the last two season performances. The good news is the Gold Stars have one of the best-balanced rosters in the league and they have lots of young talent still reaching their potential on the defensive side of the ball. Plus they were able to add some depth as well with DL Harvey Franklin from Worcester and S Matin Bass from Montreal. On offense, WR Peter Brooks will hopefully continue his excellent play from last season in combination with RB Gene Fischer returning to top form, and bring the Gold Star back to a competitive team and finally top the Independents.
Biggest Question: Can they finally beat Boston?
Additions:
DL Harvey Franklin (WOR)
S Martin Bass (MTL)
RB Clayton Owen (BOS)
7 - Worcester Athletics
Missed the Playoffs
Record: 1-9
The Athletics are far from being a competitive team but the plethora of rookies will make them an exciting team to watch this season. QB Riley Keirnan will be taking over the starting QB spot. His arm will hopefully bring some explosiveness to the offense and spring some of the top youngsters on in the receiving position downfield. RB Jacque Montier will enter his second season as a starter in the backfield and will hopefully take another step forward. The player to watch will be first overall pick LB Scotty Williams, who is now the centerpiece of the defense. Williams could be a game-changing player and the Athletics are hopeful that he will be an immediate impact on the defense. They also will have S Shawn Jensen who had fallen to the 3rd round and has the potential to be as good as the rest of the guys from the first round.
Biggest Question: How will the rookies fare in primary roles early on?
Additions:
LB Scotty Williams (Draft)
QB Riley Kiernan (Draft)
S Shawn Jensen (Draft)
8 - Hartford Hawks
Missed the Playoffs
Record: 3-7
The Hawks didn’t have as bad of a season as many would’ve thought last season, having given up many of their top players in trades. Unfortunately, this season may prove to be worse after the team lost many of their veterans to free agency. RB Ellis Love, DBs Trevor Morrow and Michael Conner, and QB Maurice Norris is only the start of the list. They will be relying heavily on DL Sean Bowen to bring the defense, especially with a completely new DB core. 3rd overall pick DB Slay Mitchel will headline that group alongside Eugene Christensen who came from Montreal in the Rivera trade and 2nd round pick Will Atkinson. The Hawks did miss out on Alexei Volkov and grabbed RB Johnnie Stafford as well who will take over the starting role for the first season. The quarterback position will be the one to watch with Andrew Sexton being the likely starter entering his second season. Sexton wasn’t able to win a game in any of the starts he made last season, but there are hopes that he will show some improvement. If not, QB Michael Kramer will be the other option. The former Tiger has had some experience back in 1949 but was never able to get comfortable, he hopes for an opportunity in Hartford.
Biggest Question: Can the youth make up for the lost veterans?
Additions:
DB Slay Mitchell (Draft)
RB Johnnie Stafford (Draft)
QB Michael Kramer (TOR)
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