Blades of steel: a mining tradition

Congratulations to the PDAC Caracle Cup for carrying on a long standing tradition of “miners” playing hockey during the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention held annually in Toronto. (T. N. M., April 7-13/08).

I might have to dig out my old “Tacks” one more time. . . or maybe I’ll just come and cheer!

PDAC director Scott Jobin-Bevans should have hockey in his blood — after all both his parents are from Flin Flon, Man.

I have one question for the new organizers: are you going to negotiate for provincial NDP leader Howie Hampton and Assembly of First Nations first chief Phil Fontaine to play again next year?

Fred Sharpley started playing in the traditional game back in 1962 and laced up his skates recently for a tournament in Kirkland Lake, Ont.

When I hit the scene back in 1980, Jim Priest of Priest Drafting was in charge of the Prospectors All Star team with G. R. Clark as coach. Fred played for the Teck Terrifics led by Dr. Norm Keevil Sr. and coached by Leonard “Red” Kelly.

We played in Maple Leaf Gardens. I seem to remember Pat Sheridan playing in one of those early games, and the honourable minister Leo Bernier played in 1980.

My dad, Lew, played for Teck wearing a Ken Baumgartner sweater in 1989, the year Lew was awarded Prospector of the Year. During intermission the Teck Cuties dressed him in a gorilla suit and at age 75 they played “Snap the Whip” with him, to everyone’s amusement, except my Mother’s!

Rudy Gustau was the referee for years. Each team was allowed a “ringer” and one year Teck talked coach Red Kelly into playing. Other great players — all ex-NHLers — I recall were Phil Esposito, Carl Brewer, Danny Clarke, Eddie Shack, Sean Shanahan, G. Goldup, Rick Chartraw and L. Cahan.

As good A-players as a lot of the Teck and Prospectors were, after a night on the ice with these guys, you could see why they played in the NHL.

Norman Bell Keevil passed on in 1989 at age 79 and the next year they raised his number into the rafters at Maple Leaf Gardens while Scottish bagpipers played a stirring last salute. It was also the last year we played in the Gardens.

Although I thanked him in person, I would like to take this opportunity again to express my thanks to Dr. Keevil for sponsoring the traditional game which gave me the opportunity to play in the “Shrine.” There are many great memories, and we even won a few times.

“Shanny” used to tell me: you just get in front of the net and I’ll get you the puck. And he did. (Ex-NHLers weren’t supposed to score themselves.)

I kept playing into the 1990s as the game moved into an East-West format staged at several different Toronto rinks, but never got the chance to play in the Roundup game out in Vancouver.

Congrats PDAC Caracle Cup!