Hockey version of ‘The Rest Of The Story’
By Mark Schadenberg
Today, I had the pleasure of spending about an hour talking both hockey and real estate with the ‘first guy’.
We chatted about the history of hockey in Woodstock and
the old Warriors Junior B teams.
The conversation mentioned local (area) junior hockey
standouts with Woodstock clubs -- Ed MacQueen, Walter Gretzky and others, and we agreed
on the significance of Orv Hodgins to minor hockey locally.
Many other local names were dropped, including Rick Coad
and Dick Killinger.
An opportunity for me to talk ‘in person’ with the
‘original’ was certainly time well spent.
It all started with a phone call initiated by myself
about two years ago. I did some searching on the internet, but he was easy to
find. I could have called his brother living on Devonshire, but the detective
work would be more rewarding.
This week, while in Woodstock from his Dallas-area home, ‘the
one, but not only’ called to give me a glossy picture of himself – a black-and-white
8.5-x-11 dating back more than 45 years.
Original Six Hockey
After a solid CPHL (equivalent to AHL today) season with
the St Louis Braves in 1966-67, (St. Louis Blues entered NHL as expansion team
in 67-68), the ‘trail blazer’ would get his chance with the Chicago Blackhawks
in 67-68 – picking up one assist in five games.
Even though the NHL had then expanded to 12 teams, making
a true living financially as a professional hockey player wouldn’t really
become a reality for a few more years and the creation of the World Hockey
Association.
The former pro I conversed with today played on a St
Louis Braves team with Fred Stanfield (900+ NHL games with Boston, Buffalo and
Minnesota North Stars), Gerry Melnyk (Chicago and Detroit), Brian MacDonald,
Wayne Maki and goalie Dave Dryden.
His contract to ply his trade (pun intended) in the
minors was about $4,000. Soon, his rights would be traded to the North Stars
and his pro career shifted to the Denver Spurs. Among his teammates in Colorado
was another former Woodstock resident Larry Mavety (moved away from Woodstock
at about 12 years old, which I recall from talking to Mav a few years ago).
Today, in the OHL, Mavety is a legend as a former coach and GM with Belleville
and Kingston, and he played 248 games in the WHA (mostly Chicago Cougars), but
appeared in zero games in the NHL.
Hockey patter always quickly evolves into injuries and
setbacks. When talking to Brian’s older brother today, it was a right shoulder
which couldn’t be mended. An opportunity for a comeback with the Los Angeles
Sharks in the WHA was decided to be a bad idea and simply not attempted.
Bobby and Dennis
The five games in the NHL were certainly not overly
memorable, but it was a well-earned and deserved chance of a lifetime to skate
alongside Bobby and Dennis Hull, Stan Makita, Pierre Pilote, Pat ‘Whitey’
Stapleton, Eric Nesterenko, Pit Martin, Ken Wharram, Doug Mohns, and Doug
Jarrett -- well known in southern Ontario as a member of the London Sports Hall
of Fame.
I mentioned previously that our conversation surrounded
hockey and real estate. After retiring from pro hockey and settling in the
Dallas area with a gal he met there, the next career for this former Woodstock
Collegiate Institute student-athlete (he said the discus was his track and
field specialty), who also recalled walking over the Finkle Street railway foot
bridge, was selling both residential and larger acreage properties in the
greater Dallas / Fort Worth area. You could say life fueled by sticks and puck
movement drills, was replaced by life speculating about fuel resources and
drilling.
While I’m most certainly proud of my 14 years as Realtor,
Doug Shelton of Woodstock has now been working in real estate for 40 years. He
turns 67 in June, but likes to reminisce about the winter of 1967.
I briefly stated to him that next year will mark 100
years for the Perry Street Arena. Doug said he would like an invitation to any
event set up to mark that centennial.
In 1967-68, Doug Shelton of Woodstock played five NHL
games.
No one, who is considered a minor hockey product from The
Friendly City, has since successfully reached that level again until current
Los Angeles Kings defenceman Jake Muzzin. Including playoffs – I’m watching the
Kings and Sharks as I sit by my keyboard – Muzzin’s career totals are 62 games
and he was NHL rookie of the month for March with 11 points in 17 games.
Doug Shelton says he follows the NHL’s Dallas Stars
somewhat, but his hockey love is still the minor leagues as a friend is
co-owner of a team in the Central Hockey League where the Allen (Texas)
Americans recently won Game 7 in overtime of the league final over the Wichita
Thunder.
By the way, I pass along my condolences now to Doug and Brian Shelton, and the rest of the family, on the passing of their mom, Eva.
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