Earl Valiquette

Earl Valiquette was a two-way lineman, playing mainly offensive guard or tackle and tackle on defence.  Valiquette played three years for the Hamilton Wildcats from 1947 to 1949.  The first year was in the ORFU and the last two in the IRfU / Big Four as there was one of those oddities in Canadian football history when the two Hamilton teams essentially swapped leagues. In a dispute with the leage, the Hamilton Tigers moved to the ORFU and the Wildcats  took their place in the IRFU. While with the Wildcats in 1948, Valiquette was one of their nominees for the Jeff Russell trophy awarded to the most valuable player in the IRfU.

  Valiquette was then lured out West to play in 1950 for the Edmonton Eskimos in a move that had Hamilton in an uproar. Also, in 1950 theTigers and the Wildcats had merged to form the Tiger-Cats and they thought they had the rights to Valiqueette.  it took a ruling by the CRU (Candian Rugby Unon) who oversaw football in Canada at that time to allow Valiquette to play in Edmonton,  In 1951, Valiquette returned to Hamilton as part of a deal that sent George Festeryga to Edmonton. Valiquette played two seasons (1951-52) for theTiger-Cats.

Valiquette Nominated for Jeff Russell Trophy - November 4, 1948

Edmmonton Clam to Valiquette Upheld - August 3, 1950

Eskimos Get Valiquette - August 12, 1950

Hamilton Reaquires Valiquette frm Edmonton - August 22, 1951

 

GP
Year Team GP
1947 HWC
1948 HWC 12
1949 HWC 12
1950 EDM 11
1951 HAM 12
1952 HAM 12

 

Earl Valiquette