Canadian War Hero and Olympic hockey player Hubert Brooks

Hubert Brooks had an unusual Olympic experience.

In 1948 Brooks was part of Ottawa based Royal Canadian Air Force Flyers who were representing Canada in hockey. Despite being part of the team, he never actually took to the ice as he served as a spare player. The left winger from Bluesky, Alberta (though he grew up in Ottawa and Montreal) officially never participated in the Olympics at all, but got a gold medal like the rest of his victorious teammates.

Brooks did participate in another Olympic event, however. He was Canada's flagbearer at the opening ceremonies.

So how does a spare player who played he previous season with a team called Kobenhavns SF in Denmark of all places end up as the Canadian flag bearer?

It may have had something to do with his World War II background. According to the December 10th, 1947 edition of The Hockey News, Brooks was awarded the Military Cross for his service in the war. In 1942 his plane was shot down over Germany and he later escaped not once but twice from prisoner of war camps. He escaped a third time and made his way to Poland where he served with underground fighters until the country was liberated by Russia. 

After the Olympics and a barnstorming tour of Europe, Brooks returned to Canada and took a job in military intelligence until 1971. He took an administrative job as housing director at the University of Ottawa after that.