Tom Wood: A Conversation and a Few Stories

Tom Wood at the Rink

lethbridgemapleleafs.com  had the privilege of having a conversation with Lethbridge Maple Leaf Tom Wood shortly after he dropped the ceremonial puck.

Mr. Wood wanted to clear up one point to start.  Even though he was listed as playing right wing he was one of only four defenseman on the Lethbridge Maple Leaf team. He said he was a defensive defenseman, usually staying back, “Someone had to!”

Mr. Wood talked about how Stan Obdiac was a replacement for Bob Kirkpatrick. He said Kirkpartrick was an inspirational leader, "a strong, tough player". Without him, they would have never won the 8th game against the Melville Millionaires. With two minutes left he rallied the team and setup a goal, they scored a second one and shortly after  Negrello finally won it.  Because he was older, Kirkpatrick didn't want to go over to Europe and Obdiac was invited to replace him.

Mr. Wood  talked about how hard it was to travel over Christmas with a long boat ride to Europe. " We celebrated New Years in a pub in England you know". It was hard to start playing again and "the press was really hard on us". They started feeling pressure from back home and even though they started on a winning streak, the team understood why they sent replacements. He told us of the disappointment of the three players sent home shortly before the Championships but also how well the replacement line from Kingston fit in when they arrived. He repeated that the reason they won was because it was a total team concept and everyone got along very well.

Mr. Wood talked of the experiences of visiting and playing in Europe and Germany just a few years after the end of WWII.  He said there were still food rations in Holland and England but not Germany.

Stories about Tom Wood from Maple Leaf Stan Obodiac's Book: No Substitute for Victory

Late in the afternoon we went to Le Bouget airport in Paris carrying two trophies and one or two of us carrying hangovers. We caught a Viking Airliner and Tommy   Wood began the song "The Last Time I Saw Paris". p. 130

Tom Wood

Back on the ship Tom Wood was pacing the decks more than usual. He had been in telephone conversation with his father and was told his wife was taken to the hospital that very day. What a home coming he is going to have!  Perhaps a baby born to him on the same day as his triumphant arrival…..p.145 …his wife that very same 24 hours was giving birth to their first child - a son! p. 147

Tom Wood Ceremonial Puck Drop

Tom went missing! He had gotten lost in Switzerland.  He had been reading Eleanor Roosevelt’s book "This is My Story” and didn’t see the team leave and no one noticed  him missing until 45 minutes down the road. Tom said," it’s a different experience being lost in Switzerland". p.83