Junior Hockey Delivers the Goods

It’s an undeniably great scene.

Early in Season 2 of the generally exceptional Disney+ drama The Bear, pain-in-the-ass semi-main character Richie Jerimovich sits in the basement of the tumbling down, soon to be demolished and renovated restaurant he and ‘cousin’ Carmy Berzatto run, lamenting the state of his life.

Richie rails on about being “45 years old” and lamenting the lack of purpose/meaning in his life. (This is one of Emmy winning actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s better scenes – honest and gutsy).

If you’re about the same age or even older, the likelihood of thoughts like that popping into your mind are fairly likely. Getting older is like a prompt into evaluating your life; what you’ve accomplished and what you have not.

But I can only speak/write for myself so, yeah, I’ve been there. Lots.

When I look back nowadays at the many, many jobs and varying careers I’ve rolled through and really think about what gave me ‘purpose,’ I always come back to hockey, specifically junior hockey.

I’ve visited this platform in different forms during the past few years here at Ottawa Life, but that Richie scene really took my head back to the Ontario Hockey League days.

What a treat and what a gift those decades were.

It started in late 1989.

I’d just landed a job as a regional reporter/videographer for CKCO-TV (CTV) along Georgian Bay in the small city of Owen Sound, Ont.

The prospect of grim winters 2.5 hours far to the north-west of my home of Toronto was not something you look forward to. But that was back in the day when paying your dues in the media was actually . . . a thing.

That summer I moved, rumours of an OHL club also relocating became a quick reality.

In a matter of days, the announcement came that the Guelph Platers were heading an hour-and-a-half up Highway 6 to the roughly 3,000-seat arena known as the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.

The Owen Sound Platers (now the Attack) were born.

We didn’t do a huge amount of coverage on the newest OHL team at CKCO-TV – there was Wiarton Willy to cover after all – but we did enough (mostly at my urging) to get up close to the near big-time team.

The early years were a ton of fun, and rich with personalities.

There was, of course, Fred Wallace who took the reins as the organization’s first and only play-by-play voice. You won’t meet a guy with a better sense of humour who now, 35 years later, is recognized as an OHL legend. Fred’s a walking encyclopedia (when he’s not golfing).

There were the Holody’s, Rob and dad Joe, who brought the club up north from their home of Guelph. These guys were old school and made the year-end banquets a blast. Some of it intentional too. Plus, they never shied away from a media request or question.

There was the late and great Ray McKelvie, the man who would eventually take over as the face of the operation. Ray passed away a year-and-a-bit ago from cancer. He did more to get and eventually keep junior hockey in Owen Sound than any other.

Talk about purpose.

Ray – who once in his kindly-Ray-way, reamed me out for a piece I’d done in the Ottawa Sun on Miguel Delisle being traded from the 67’s to the Sound – always, always and always had an open door for the media.

What a gentle man.

What a gentleman.

Career-wise for me at the time it was like this: After nearly six years with CTV, the lay-off phone call came (it happens; it’s called The Media). I was subbing part-time doing colour on the Platers’ broadcast and some sideline work as well for the local radio station (paying dues, people) when a mom-and-pop newspaper started up.

I was asked to write about the local OHL team by the chief editor, mostly because nobody else wanted to do it. My connection grew.

What a gift.

The skaters (and characters) who came through: Sean Avery. Gotta start there. The absolute best interview around. Like him or not, Sean was honest and a reporter’s dream; Dan Snyder. Character player, better guy; Adam Mair. Chris Neil’s best friend. Applaud if you get it; Aaron Fransen. Ottawa native wasn’t there long, but what an impact. Class act.

These young players who grew up riding the bus to places like The Soo, North Bay, Plymouth, Belleville, etc. You get to know them as kids, and people.

You get a charge when they make it to the NHL. Avery, Snyder, Mair, Curtis Sanford (now the goalie coach on God’s team. Chuckle-chuckle), Kirk Maltby, Brent Johnson, Joel Ward and Kevin Weekes.

In the year 2000, after 10-and-change years along Georgian Bay, the media amusement ride took me to Ottawa and the Sun and (back then) TEAM-1200 radio.

My first month there, the sports editor, Tim Baines, told me to head down to the Civic Centre to introduce myself to Brian Kilrea.

Gulp.

Nervous about meeting Killer?

No question.

I caught him walking over to his office (it was just prior to fall camp opening) and shakily introduced myself saying I’d be covering the 67’s part time. Brian was terrific and genuine and kind to the ‘new kid.’

This was the year after the team had won the Memorial Cup.

The 67’s were the standard in junior hockey.

Killer was, well, Killer.

Again, the characters in those early years: Lance Galbraith. Like Dan Snyder, gone way too soon. Lance was like Avery in that he was always brutally honest. He and Zenon Konopka were two of the absolute best clutch performers I’d seen; That Dan Tessier-Mark Bell-Kevin Malcolm line. Tough and highly skilled. Injuries curtailed a long playoff run; Seamus Kotyk and Levente Szuper. Won’t find a better goaltending tandem.

In subsequent seasons: Brendan Bell. Met him as a 16-year-old rookie. I was talking with one of the players after practice and just wrapping up when this booming, deep voice rings out behind me – “Hello, Mr. Gross. I’m Brendan Bell.” Sixteen years old and a presence like that? Come on. Brendan played four years in Ottawa. I was there for all four. Supreme talent and (again) character. A natural on the ice and a natural on the radio; Adam Smyth. Anyone who knows me knows the Wiarton, Ont. native remains my favourite 67. The guy would knock over a brick wall for his team. And he did. Plenty of times; Russ Moyer. Best parents in the OHL. They’d travel anywhere and everywhere to watch their kid play; Rodney Bauman. Grew up near Snyder in mid-western Ontario and played with the same heart; Lukas Mensator. Best single-game performance ever witnessed. Game 1 of the OHL final in Kitchener, Lukas was unbelievable until Smyth bagged the overtime winner; Corey-Locke-to-Matt-Foy. Killer threw these two together during a game in Owen Sound (ironically) and the rest is history – 151-point season for Corey and 132 for Matt.

The broadcasters?

Generous with their time and patience – The Voice, AJ and Howie Mooney.

The fellow writers: Marc Brassard. Drove us to and from west Toronto for a playoff game against St. Mike’s in one day . . . and the game went into OT. Class guy; Darren Desaulniers. Best man at my wedding. Keeping him out of the bar prior to the ceremony was a struggle. Also worked alongside DD with the Lynx. Too many stories to share here. Dry humour was a superpower; Doni Brennan. Legend. Right? The pride of North Bay.

The rest of management: Jeff Hunt. Road stories I cannot share. What goes on in The Soo stays in The Soo. Gave the organization a shine and a sparkle; Bert O’Brien. Tragically, my friend Bert lost his brilliant wife Cathy just a few months ago and we think of her often. An underrated hockey man; Vinny Malette. A great friend who now fights a debilitating and unfair disease. Vince made those long road swings fun and doable. Also, a terrific coach who got a bit of a bad card dealt when he took over Peterborough . . .

Well . . . I’m running out of steam a bit here and this is becoming a book in the making, so thanks for your patience.

So, we’ll stop for the day on this note. The OHL, from Owen Sound to Ottawa gave me a lot of gifts.

Memories? Obviously.

Cold beer? Ditto. As Billy Currington sings – “I’m pretty good at drinkin’ beer.” (Was, at least).

Friends?

The above is just the tip of the ice flow and I’m positive I’ve skipped over many, many of you. Apologies.

But as Richie Jerimovich laments, and as I like to ponder on and reminisce . . . it’s ‘purpose’ that was the biggest reward.

Purpose and place.

And that, my friends, is to be treasured.

Thanks to all.

thegrossgame@yahoo.com

HEADER IMAGE: (LEFT TO RIGHT) Joe Holody, Brian Kilrea, Fred Wallace.