James FOSTER

Jimmy Foster went to Canada as a child and learned his hockey in Winnipeg, where he developed into the world’s outstanding amateur goalkeeper and was judged to have a few, if any, equals in the professional game. While with Moncton Hawks he missed only one of the 220 games they played and when they won the Allan Cup in 1931 and 1932 he became the first goalkeeper to register two straight shut-outs in Allan Cup finals. Foster once held the Canadian record of playing for 417 minutes without having a score against him and he enhanced his considerable reputation at the 1936 Olympics by conceding only three goals in seven matches. At the time of the Games, Foster, like Sandy Archer, was under suspicion by the Canadian authorities as he had not obtained clearance before coming to England to play for Richmond Hawks. He later played for Harringay Greyhounds before returning to Canada with Glace Bay Minors and Quebec Aces. As he had once thought of entering the Church, Foster was nicknamed “the parson”.