Randy Carroll, Michael Tremblay score winning goals as Chapleau Midget Huskies in great team effort win NOHA championship in 1979

Names at bottom

The Chapleau Midget Huskies went all out to defeat Blind River for the Northern Ontario Hockey Association Midget "C" championship winning the best of three series in two thrilling straight games in 1979.

And as there was no Midget "C" category in southern Ontario, it gave the team bragging rights as the all-Ontario champions.

Playing on Easter weekend, it didn't look good for the Huskies in the first game as they fell behind Blind River 4-0 early in the first period, but David Freeborn followed by Yves Gervais put them on the scoreboard.

The Chapleau Sentinel account of the games kindly provided to me by team member Dan Tebbutt, relates that in the second period "hot goaltending" by Shane Gillham making "key saves" kept the Huskies in the game and the second period ended with them behind 5-3.

A determined effort in the third led to the game ending in a 6-6 tie with John Bernier and Geoffrey Hong both scoring.The story leaves out who scored two goals but I am sure one of the players will remind me as I am still in touch with several of them. I was at the games but my memory is not as good as it once was.

In the first overtime period despite "thrilling action at both ends as both teams tried desperately to end the game" they remained deadlocked.

At the 11:36 mark of the sudden death overtime, Randy Carroll notched the winner.

In the second game, the Huskies took the lead in the first period on a goal by Gary Chambers but Blind River tied it up shortly thereafter. In the second their opponents took the lead, but David Freeborn got the equalizer.

In the first two periods the game was "free wheeling with great chances by both teams."

However, disaster seemed to strike in the third period as the Huskies had fallen behind by three goals.

But this team was no quitter. Trust me on this one as I was standing right behind the bench, and was as excited as I have ever been at a hockey game. What happened next counts among my great Chapleau hockey moments.

John Bernier scored to begin the comeback and nine minutes later Yves Gervais narrowed the margin to one goal. Shane Gillham was making outstanding saves but time was running out on the Huskies.

With 48 seconds remaining in regulation time Randy Carroll scored assisted by Tim Morin and John Bernier, and the Huskies remained alive to play overtime.

For 18 minutes, the play was marked by end to end rushes and great performances by both goaltenders.

Then with two minutes remaining "big Michael Tremblay intercepted a clearing pass and scored an unassisted goal." The Huskies won 6-5, and were the NOHA champions.

The Chapleau team had defeated Matheson, Smooth Rock Falls and Englehart to reach the finals. Randy Carroll was mentioned as the "big man" scoring the winner in first game and tying goal in second, but great credit also went to goaltender Shane Gillham. Tim Bernier and John Bernier each collected nine points.

Coaches Jamie Doyle and Mike Tangie had done an incredible job. Jamie had been working in Chapleau when the season started, but was transferred to Sudbury so travelled for games, while Mike was a constant steady hand. Jamie was also playing for the Chapleau Intermediate "A" Huskies.

My sincere thanks to Dan Tebbutt for taking the time to get me information on the series.

Just recently, Dan sent me the following:

""I play hockey with Greg White. He's from the Soo and played for the Rapids in the 60's (in the international Junior 'B' Hockey League) and has shared some stories of playing the Huskies. He recently told me,'Whenever we had a game in Chapleau, we needed three lines. One on the ice, one on the bench and one down in the dressing room thawing out on the steam radiators!' Boy did that bring back some memories. That arena could be awfully cold in the dead of winter."

Happy Easter to all. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

THE TEAM


Chapleau Midget "C" NOHA  Champions 1979. Back row from left: Martin Healey, Shane Gillham, Tim Morin, John Bernier, Robert Serre, Dan Tebbutt, Michael Tremblay, Paul Legros, Geoffrey Hong, Michael Payette, Mike Tangie. Front from left: Marc Trottier, David Freeborn, Yves Gervais, Lorne Riley, Randy Carroll, Gary Chambers, Shawn Russell. Absent coach Jamie Doyle

'Senseless acts' of hockey violence an issue in 1976 during controversial Northland Intermediate Hockey League playoff series between Chapleau Huskies and Timmins North Stars

Whenever the violence in hockey issue reaches a fever pitch as it has again recently with comments from Mario Lemieux, a star of the game and now owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, I go back to February 22, 1976, a Sunday afternoon at the McIntyre Arena in Timmins, where the Chapleau Intermediate 'A" Huskies were playing the Timmins North Stars in the Northland Intermediate Hockey League semi-finals.

The Huskies were in their first NIHL season, had squeaked into the fourth and last playoff position but were ahead of the North Stars, the first place finishers three games to one.

For those readers who will not remember those days, I was the coach and manager of the Huskies as well as serving as reeve of Chapleau.

At the opening faceoff I noticed that the North Stars were starting the game with five defencemen on the ice which for a moment seemed strange to me, I started with the line of Pat Swanson, David McMillan and Jamie Doyle who were leading the series in accumulated points. At the first stoppage of play I changed lines putting out George Swanson, Jean Claude Cyr and Raymond Larcher.

Then it began. George headed into the North Stars defensive zone where he received injuries that resulted in him leaving the game and being taken to hospital for treatment of a broken shoulder.

Within five minutes Dave McMillan took a high stick to the face, fell to the ice, was bleeding and was taken to the dressing room. No penalty was called and he did not return to play in that game.

It didn't take me long to figure out that the North Stars game plan was to intimidate us, although in a report on the game in the Timmins Daily Press, it was described as "aggressive tactics."

In the third period, Doug Prusky suffered a broken ankle after being attacked by a Timmins player who received a minor penalty for interference. Doug was taken to hospital. Richard Lacroix suffered a leg injury in the third period and insults were hurled at other players.

The Huskies lost the game 9-6 which resulted in a Daily Press headline "Stars Hammer Chapleau..." the understatement of all times.

I went to St. Mary's Hospital after the game and saw Doug and George.

I talked with Bill Moffat, the manager of the North Stars and advised him that I would consider the possibility of having criminal charges laid. Needless to say I was furious, but also deeply concerned about my players so I decided to stay in Timmins overnight and assess the options.

In due course I sent a night letter to the Attorney General of Ontario, Roy McMurtry, seeking advice on the possibility of undertaking criminal proceedings against a player or players of the Timmins North Stars as a result of the alleged incidents in the game.

I also advised James Aspin, secretary manager of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association and Donald Dewsbury, president of the NIHL, and returned to Chapleau, where the municipal council would address the matter before a sixth game was played at the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena.

After much debate, in which I did not participate, council agreed that the game could be played, but with a large police presence. That happened, and more than 1,400 fans packed the arena for the game.

Despite a truly valiant effort by the Huskies, we lost the series, and to this day, I have the utmost respect and admiration for each of those players who did their best to win it.

When we returned to Timmins for game seven, large banners greeted us, mostly focused on me.

Why did I take such action?

Here is what I said 36 years ago on February 26, 1976: "I believe I had no alternative. While I recognize that hockey is a physical contact sport, the point is reached when senseless acts of violence can no longer be tolerated without taking action.

"There are those who will dismiss the incidents as an aggressive brand of hockey, but when two players are hospitalized with serious injuries, and others forced to leave a game, and verbal abuse occurs, then I would submit that a most serious situation has developed."

William McMurtry, the brother of the attorney general, had written a report on violence in hockey in 1974. I have looked again at the major recommendations and don't think much has changed.

Three members of the North Stars were subsequently charged with assault but were found not guilty.

Notwithstanding the situation that developed at the end of the first year in the NIHL, the team held its first awards banquet with Doug Prusky as master of ceremonies, and honoured several players.

Goaltender David McAdam was named Most Valuable Player having played in all the 32 regular season games and the playoffs. In making the presentation, Keith "Buddy" Swanson said "every hockey team has a backbone and on this team it is David McAdam." He won the Wesmak Lumber Trophy.

Jamie Doyle, who was in his first year at Wilfrid Laurier University, and travelled home to play was named Most Valuable Player in the Playoffs. Jamie had 14 goals and 12 assists, including a league record six goals in a single game. Jim Young, the Timmins goaltender told me later, that "Jamie turned on the red light behind me so many times that I hada  sunburn on my neck."

Richard Lacroix, the team captain and leading scorer was named Rookie of the Year -- all players were eligible and rookies. Richard was another player who never missed a game all year. Ross Barlow and Steve Ward had donated a trophy. Richard also won the Leading Scorer award with 33 goals and 18 assists, the fourth highest in the league.

Ted Swanson, another player who also never missed a game was presented the Sportsman Hotel Trophy as Best Defenceman by Jack Houle.

Good luck to Mario Lemieux.
"plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose," as Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Kar wrote in 1849. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

Buddy Swanson shares story of the champion Chapleau Jr. 'B' Huskies of 1966-67 (Part One)

NOTE: Keith 'Buddy" Swanson died on May 7, 2011 in Chapleau. May he rest in peace.

To set the stage for the arrival of the 1966-67 champion Chapleau Junior "B" Huskies, let's go back in time to 1929 and the arrival of Mac McAllister in Chapleau to work for Canadian Pacific Communications and play hockey for the Chapleau All Stars Junior team.

Doug Greig recently sent me a note that Mac, who became one of the community's great hockey stars and later a referee, wrote after the death of Mrs. A.W. Moore in 1979. Mac revealed that the Chapleau hockey board of directors was deciding on a uniform and he suggested that since the original Ottawa Senators had just won the Stanley Cup three years in row why not use their barber shop pole stripes. The committee agreed.

Mac also noted that the committee decided to have a Husky dog with the letter C around it, thus the Chapleau Huskies. Mrs. Moore, Chapleau's greatest hockey fan, made the Husky dogs, the letters C and the number for each uniform. She then stitched them on to each uniform. What an incredible lady Mrs. Moore was, and thanks Doug for sending me Mac's note.

Fast forward to 1966 and the arrival of the Chapleau Junior "B" Huskies, the first major beneficiaries of the artificial ice in the Chapleau Memorial Community Arena, largely made possible by Mrs. Moore's efforts. I am delighted to be able to bring you highlights from the founding year of the Junior "B" Huskies as told to me by Keith "Buddy" Swanson, who devoted much of his life to sports, particularly the Huskies, in Chapleau and until recently was a township councillor. Thanks so much Buddy for taking time to answer questions, and to your sister Sharon for starting it all!

Here is Part one of the story as told to me by Buddy:

Junior B hockey came to Chapleau in 1966 as a result of a chance summer meeting on our golf course between Tom Welch and a visiting director of the Wawa Travellers who were already a part of the NOHA International Jr. B Hockey League that had been formed in the 1965-66 hockey season. It was suggested that since Chapleau and Wawa had already established a fierce rivalry through the Intermediate Wawa Ironmen and the Chapleau Huskies, our participation in the league would be a natural fit.

In 1965-66 Lorne Riley and I had coached and managed a very good Midget team and with the other overage midgets in town we discussed the proposition and knew we probably had a pretty good nucleus of players to start with. Lorne and I travelled to our first meeting of the League in Wawa in the summer of 1966 on Highway 101 West which was being completed that year. We were well received and tentatively approved for entry in the League by Wawa Travellers, Sault Michigan Indians, Soo Ontario Rapids and the Elliot Lake Vikings. With no arena in Elliot Lake at the time, the Vikings played their home games in Thessalon and a few on their outdoor rink in Elliot Lake.

Our next challenge was where would we find the money to operate a Junior “B” hockey club with a budget of approximately $15,000.00? First we needed to find and hold an election from a group of people to form an organization. Three meetings were called and only Tom, Lorne and myself showed up and Jack Shoup at the third meeting. It did not look good but on the urging of Tom Welch, who was the owner of the Chapleau Sentinel weekly newspaper at the time it was decided to go ahead anyhow, and we would all solicit people to be on the executive. Tom was on board from the start and was elected President of the Club.

Bob St. Pierre became the Treasurer later replaced by Sonja Vaughan. I was the Secretary and team Manager. Lorne Riley was appointed Coach. Andre Rioux accepted the Trainer’s job. Directors of the club included Art Grout, Earle Freeborn, Ross Perrigard, Albert Tremblay, Jack Shoup, Ken Stevenson. Roger Mizuguchi handled the advertising and Public relations position. The executive was tasked with the responsibility to fundraise and find sponsors for the Club. As always, the businesses and people of the Town of Chapleau came through in grand style. Tom Welch and I attended the next League meeting in Sault Ste. Marie where the Huskies were officially accepted into the League. We were ready to roll.

Practices started and our roster was quickly set. Richard Morin was appointed team Captain. Richard had already played a pivotal role with the Intermediate B Huskies and had scored the winning goal the season before in Wawa to eliminate the Ironmen and pave the way for the Huskies to go on to the win the NOHA Intermediate B crown in a tense series with Espanola. Merrick Goldstein and Reg Bouillon would be the anchors of our defence having played in the Wawa series with Goldstein recovered from a broken leg suffered in the Int. B playoffs in Wawa. Ted Swanson and John Laframboise were also available. The versatile Gerry Boucher played both forward and defence.

Up front J. C. Cyr, George Swanson and Richard Morin formed an experienced line. Midget grads Corky Bucci, Greg Vaughan and Mickey Jurynec formed a formidable trio and Raymond Larcher, Robert Morin, John Babin, and Bruce Pellow rounded out the forwards. The only Junior aged goaltender available at the time was Jamie Broomhead to start the season. Freddie Coreau of White River was signed after our first two games and became the starter. We started the season with a decisive win over the Elliot Lake on November 5 in Chapleau.

The turning point in our season took place in the 10th game of the schedule against the 1965-66 champion Sault Ont. Rapids team which was the debut for new no. 1 goalie John Loyst from Timmins. Loyst was outstanding all year and was the only out-of town player we had. He was a winner in his first game as Mickey Jurynec scored in overtime to give the Huskies a hard-fought 4-3 win.

Unfortunately it was after that game that Coach Lorne Riley became ill and on Doctor’s advice could not carry on behind the bench. Secretly, I was at first reluctant to take over the coaching reins because we had my two brothers in the lineup, Ted and George Swanson but I quickly became Manager-Coach for the remainder of the season and the playoffs without regret. Lorne and I confided in each other throughout the season and he attended all the games as a spectator while I handled all the practices and ran the bench. The Huskies committed themselves well and finished the season in 3rd place with a 14 win, 8 loss and 2 ties record and had to meet the first place Wawa Travellers in the playoffs first round.

In Part Two, Buddy shares the exciting playoffs that led to tremendous success for the first year team. I will post during this week.

Thanks Buddy. This article first appeared as my Chapleau Moments column in the Chapleau Express.

Comments welcome.. my email is mj.morris@live.ca