Born in 1925, in Kenora, Ontario, Earl Carlson came to Britain aged just seventeen while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Stationed initially at Middleton St.George, he was later transferred to Croft Airfield in the North East of England. While at Croft, he was instrumental in forming a team, which played in the Canadian Bomber Group League, icing at the then new Durham Ice Rink. He married a local girl, Catherine, and after the war they left these shores for Canada, however soon returned to make their home in Darlington.
Carlson joined the Durham Wasps when the club was founded in 1947, becoming a key member and captain of the squad that enjoyed many successes in the Northern Tournament in the late 1940’sand 1950’s. Standing 5’9” and weighing in around the 12 stone mark, Earl Carlson was considered an outstanding skater and stickhandler, and showed his prowess scoring hat tricks in his first two games for the Wasps. He soon became a firm favourite with the fans, who regularly numbered four thousand in those early heady days of the Durham club.
In the January 18th, 1958 edition of Ice Hockey World, Earl Carlson was named ‘Player of the Week,’ a rare distinction for any player outside of the National League. He once scored three goals in the space of just 26 seconds and became only the second player in Britain (Chick Zamick of the Nottingham Panthers being the first) to score over 600 goals.
Following his retirement in the early sixties, he made a brief comeback for the Wasps in 1966/67, the first season of the Northern League, tallying five goals and two assists for a point-a-game record in seven appearances.
A modest and reserved man, Earl Carlson was very popular with his teammates and fans alike. He was truly one of the pioneers of ice hockey in the sporting hotbed of the North East of England.
Earl Carlson died in 1970 in Darlington, England.
Compiled with research, provided by Martin C.Harris - March 1998.
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