Captain of Canada’s men’s hockey team 70 years ago recalls his Olympic experience

jack McKenzie is the former captain of Canada's men's hockey team at the Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956. (IIHF)

It has been 70 years since Jack McKenzie captained Canada’s men’s hockey team and took home a bronze medal at the Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

And he knows what it’s like to come home short of a gold medal.

While still disappointed in the loss to Russia, McKenzie reflected in a phone call with CTV News on the unique and memorable experience the Olympics provided him.

McKenzie, 95, who now lives in a retirement home in Huntsville, Ont., said watching Canada’s men’s hockey team lose to the United States over the weekend at Milano-Cortina brought back a lot of memories for him of his time at the 1956 Games.

“I think the team played well – we just didn’t have the ability to win,” McKenzie said, referring to 1956.

He said he didn’t think the pressure prevented the team from playing well, but rather a combination of circumstances.

“We were playing outdoors on a bigger surface,” he said. “The Olympic rinks were larger and had deeper corners. There was much more space in the end zone.”

McKenzie said the larger ice surface hindered their game.

“Canadian teams were (normally) able to dominate in the offensive zone. We didn’t dominate the way past Canadian teams had.”

McKenzie also said the Russian team had a chance to play in Cortina beforehand.

“The Russians just had one team in the country and they were well-skilled,” he said. “They went to Cortina months before the games to get acclimatized and they did very well.”

He said it was the first time Russia had won gold and they were particularly proud of beating Canada.

Historically, Canadians had won by large margins so when European teams gradually got better, the Canadians didn’t pull away the way they used to.

“They weren’t overpowering as they had been in the past,” he said.

He recalled while it was a disappointment, he was grateful for any hardware.

“It was nice to go home with a medal, even though it was a bronze medal,” he said.

When asked what advice he would give Canada’s Olympic hockey players today — men or women — who lost to the United States, he said he would tell them to enjoy the experience.

And while a medal is part of the Olympic experience, it’s not everything, according to McKenzie.

“Canadian athletes should really look forward to an Olympic experience because it really is a wonderful competition and it’s probably the most fantastic experience that a Canadian athlete can have, to go and compete internationally,” he said. “It’s not something you get at home. But it’s certainly a wonderful experience for those who are lucky enough to get to that level.”

He recalled just how cool it really was to be surrounded by such talent.

“We were in the hotel with all the Canadian teams – the best skaters were there and the best skiers. It was a privilege to be in the same surroundings,” he said. “It made you feel special.”

With many athletes focusing on the hardware, McKenzie remembers the joy of being a part of something so big.

“The Olympic spirit is something you don’t get when you’re playing in a league in Canada,” he said. “It’s something else — something beyond the ordinary.”