Tom Watt, former coach of the University of Toronto Varsity Blues hockey team, shared a memorable story from the late 1960s involving one of his players, Paul Laurent. During a time when Varsity Arena was unavailable, Watt managed to secure ice time at Maple Leaf Gardens for early morning practices. One day, while practicing in a dressing room at the Gardens, Laurent noticed a pile of banners on the floor that were being used as paint drops. Among them was a banner commemorating the 1936 Memorial Cup champions, the West Toronto Nationals, a team that Laurent’s father, Bobby Laurent, played for. Paul took the banner home, much to his father’s delight, as it had been hanging from the rafters of the Gardens.

Paul Laurent’s own hockey career began in the Faustina House League in 1954, leading him to join the Toronto Marlboros system in 1958. He later signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ junior team and played for the Lakeshore Goodyears Jr. B team, where he was named Rookie of the Year. Laurent then joined the Jr. A Marlboros and won the Memorial Cup in his first year, followed by leading the club in scoring in his second year.

After his junior career, Laurent joined the University of Toronto Varsity Blues hockey team under Tom Watt’s coaching. Laurent helped lead the team to five consecutive Ontario league titles and four CIAU national championships. He received numerous accolades during his time at UofT, including being named a league All-Star in each of his five seasons and receiving the Dafoe Trophy as team MVP.

One of Laurent’s highlights at UofT was scoring the winning goal in the 1970 CIAU Gold Medal match in the last minute of regulation time. After graduating, Laurent went on to have a successful career in law and continued to play hockey with the Lakeshore and Etobicoke Oldtimers clubs until he was 69 years old. Despite turning down an opportunity to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs due to exams, Laurent has enjoyed a fulfilling career in both hockey and law.