Andy Gilpin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Andy Gilpin |
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| Born | September 30, 1920 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| Died | March 1, 2014 (aged 93) London, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||
| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| Playing career | ?–? | ||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Andrew Crowley Gilpin (born September 30, 1920 – died March 1, 2014) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He played as a forward, which is a player who tries to score goals. Andy Gilpin was born in Montreal, Quebec. He is famous for being part of the Ottawa RCAF Flyers team. This team won the gold medal for Canada in ice hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
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Andy Gilpin: An Olympic Hockey Hero
Early Life and Hockey Journey
Andy Gilpin grew up playing Junior A hockey in Montreal. This is a high level of amateur hockey for young players. Later, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). In March 1947, he was moved to an RCAF base in Whitehorse, Yukon. Whitehorse was known as a "hockey crazy" town, meaning people there loved hockey.
The 1948 Winter Olympics
The 1948 Winter Olympics were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland. These games were very special. They were the first Olympic Games to happen after World War II. Because of the war, there had been no Olympics for 12 years.
Canada's Olympic Team: The RCAF Flyers
In the fall of 1947, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association asked the RCAF to form Canada's Olympic ice hockey team. This team became known as the Ottawa RCAF Flyers. In January 1948, Andy Gilpin was chosen to be a member of this team. He traveled to St. Moritz as part of the Canada men's national ice hockey team.
Winning Gold in St. Moritz
Even though Gilpin was a member of the team, he did not play in any games at the Olympics. However, he was still part of the team that won Canada's first gold medal in Olympic hockey since 1932. Because of this, he was given an Olympic Gold Medal. It was a huge achievement for Canada and for the team.
After the Olympics
After the Olympic Games, the Ottawa RCAF Flyers went on a long tour. They played exhibition games across Europe. They played in front of very large crowds, sometimes as many as 20,000 people, like in Paris. The RCAF Flyers won 31 out of 42 games they played after the Olympics.
When they returned to Canada, Gilpin and his teammates were celebrated. They had a big ticker-tape parade in Ottawa. During the 1948–49 hockey season, Gilpin continued to play for the RCAF Flyers. He played in the Whitehorse Senior Men's League. Andy Gilpin passed away in 2014 when he was 93 years old.
Honours
In 2001, Andy Gilpin and the 1948 RCAF Flyers team received a special honour. The Canadian Forces announced that the 1948 RCAF Flyers were chosen as Canada's greatest military athletes of the 20th century. This shows how important their Olympic win was.
