Page 67 - Glace Bay Cinderella Miners

ISSUE : Issue 51

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1989/2/1

imports. So North Sydney, especially, would bring in 4 good Junior players from somewhere else to augment the locals. And they had a very good Junior League going. Which carried on into the era that I'm talking about. So it was probably 1953 this started. And we're talking--the Cin? derella Miners were '55-'56. (And when we say we bring somebody in--we don't bring them in just for the night, do we?) No, no, they're here for the season. (They come, they live, they're hired.) Yeah. A kid might be from New Glasgow or something, who's extremely good, and they would ask him to come play hockey in North Sydney. I have no idea what all they used to pay those guys. It wouldn't be very much in those days. But probably paid their school? ing and some pocket money and what-not. (And these Junior teams were playing one another--Glace Bay, Sydney, North Sydney and Xavier Junior College.) Right. And the Junior College folded. And we acquired 3 of their players to augment the Glace Bay team. And they were very good-quality players. One was Bob MacKenzie, who is the principal of Riverview today. And there were two others. I think it was Angus Mac? Dougall from Sydney, and I believe Slim McKinnon from Sydney, who now holds a pret? ty good job in Montreal. He's vice- president of some firm. (And Bobby Andrea from North Sydney.) And those players, add? ed to our players, turned the team around. (How had the team been doing that year up till that point?) Bill laughs. If I remem? ber correctly, they hadn't won a game! Hadn't won a game. But had been fiercely competitive, because they played hard. Now, we had a star on that team by the name of Freddie Courtney. He was a boy from Donkin. And a terrific hockey player. And he used to thrill the crowds. Of all the years I've been in hockey--and I've almost been at every capacity you can name. I've been on the microphone with the big hockey in Glace Bay, I've scouted, I've coached, I've written about hockey. I've done just about everything you can name in hockey, over the years. Sponsored teams, travelled with teams, scouted-- everything you can name. Freddie Courtney, even to this day, gave me the most thrills I've ever had in hockey. Druker Insurance Charlotte Street, Sydney.. .562-5504 WILL INSURE VIRTUALLY ANY CAR, MOUSE OR BUSINESS COMPARE RATES: YOU COULD SAVE Phone Toll Free 1-564-6000 BUDGET PLAN AVAILABLE IN EMERGENCY: Avvie Druker. F.I.I.C. 564-6615 Because he was the type of hockey player that used to wind up behind his own net, and go through the whole team, and score. And of course, you wouldn't see that any more today, because you'd never make a team. They'd tell you to play your posi? tion and what-not. But Freddie Courtney had this quirk about him that he just wouldn't take a pass in full flight, usu? ally, and go in and score. He would take the puck and skirt back behind his own net, and then zigzag up through the whole team and score laying on his back, or guys holding him--he was just unbelievable. And he was the one that would really stir the crowd up. He was so exciting to watch. And to this day, I'll have to say, he gave me the most thrills that I've ever had in hockey, just watching him play. And as a WELCOME TO mm 'A Sydney/Westmount Nova Scotia a mCr I isnc' wS' iHcmssnm facilities for ocean-going vessels, land ready for your cus? tom development and more - It's time you considered SYDPORT. • land available for lease or sale • buildings available for lease • office warehouse space available • over 100 hectares of fully serviced land • over 160 hectares of additional land for large scale development • year-round harbour access • 768 meters of useable wharf- water depths meters to 11 meters • new all-weather highway access to Trans Canada Highway ' railway and common user sidings available • advantageous government assistance programs (including Enterprise Cape Breton and ACOA) SYDPORT INDUSTRIAL PARK 3 Cape Breton Corporation 67

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