Sport: Hockey

Spending one’s entire career with the same team has become quite the rarity in professional sports. Not missing a single game in ten years is almost unheard of in the rough and tumble world of the National Hockey League. Craig Ramsay achieved both of these feats on his way to becoming one of his era’s premiere defensive forwards.

Born in Weston, Ramsay called Thistletown home when the now bustling neighbourhood had only a general store, butcher shop and post office.

The hockey-loving kid learned to skate on the frozen Humber River and in backyard rinks. His father Bill was forever repairing the shed, garage door and fence at the Ramsay home, but never complained or told his son to find a new location for target practice.

As a ten-year-old, Ramsay played houseleague hockey at Pine Point Arena, coached by a neighbour and family friend named Bert Turney. “I wasn’t a great player as a kid, but I was lucky enough to have a terrific coach,” Ramsay said of Turney, who coached him until age 16. Ramsay’s North Etobicoke Hockey Association teams had just two lines and five defencemen. “If you want to play more, you’ve got to work harder,” the elder Ramsay told his son. “And I thought, I can do that,” Ramsay said.

When his promising team jumped to the Toronto Hockey League’s A division, the slim 15-year-old found himself facing off against tough teams like the Toronto Marlies and Kitchener Rangers. “We were a bit outgunned,” he quipped. “We beat the Marlies once in two years.” He still remembers the score of that “special” win, a 2–0 shutout. “We had to work hard to find a way to win. We had to play against the best players every night,” Ramsay said of his time in the THL. “You learned to compete in both ends of the rink—that’s something I never forgot, and tried to pass on.”

High school studies at North Albion and Thistletown Collegiate were interrupted when Ramsay was offered a tryout with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL. He packed just three shirts and two pairs of pants for the tryout because he assumed the Petes wouldn’t be interested in a small 16-year-old forward who barely cracked 150 pounds on the scale. He was “shocked” when he made the team. “At the time, I had no thought of being a professional hockey player,” Ramsay said. He was good at math and figured he would become an accountant. But Peterborough coach Roger Neilson saw potential in the youngster from Etobicoke. Neilson had a strange reaction when Ramsay went to his office a month into his season and asked to quit. “He actually fell asleep during the meeting,” Ramsay remembered, laughing. “And when he woke up, he said, I think you should stay. So I stayed.”

“He was a great influence on me and a wonderful human being,” Ramsay said of his late coach. Under Neilson’s tutelage, the forward honed his defensive game and was eventually named captain. The Petes won the Memorial Cup, with Ramsay’s l i n e stopping the op- position’s top players—something he would be asked to do his whole career.

After four standout seasons in the OHL, Ramsay was drafted 19th overall in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft by the Buffalo Sabres, who also selected future stars Rick Martin and Bill Hajt. After a few games with Cincinnati of the American Hockey League, Ramsay found himself in a dressing room with no-nonsense coach Punch Imlach, preparing to play against his beloved Maple Leafs. “Growing up as a centreman, I wanted to be like Dave Keon,” Ramsay said, so it was a special thrill to square off against players like Keon, Tim Horton, Larry Hillman and Red Kelly. Ramsay set up Eddie Shack—another Leafs legend—for his first career point against the Los Angeles Kings, and scored his first goal in style, part of a hat trick in his fifth game.

“Rammer” and teammate Don Luce became the pillars of a formidable shutdown line, stopping the opposition’s top lines while providing solid offensive contributions. With the addition of high-scoring forward Danny Gare, the trio helped the Sabres reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1974–75, where they fell to the Flyers. Though heralded for his defensive prowess, Ramsay notched at least 20 goals in eight consecutive seasons, finishing his career with 672 points and just 201 penalty minutes in 1,070 games.

As his playing career wound down, Ramsay was vocal about his desire to stay in Buf falo. He loved the atmosphere at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium— or as everyone called it, The Aud. “We were a young team playing in that small building. It was so intense in there,” he remembered. “The fans were right on top of you.” The city’s blue collar fans embraced the young expansion team and its tough but honest players. “There’s something about being a working class player in a working class town. I can still go back there and it’s just like going home,” Ramsay said.

The 1976 all-star was a smart player and intense competitor who outworked his opponents on the ice. The durable winger played in 776 consecutive games, the fourth longest streak in NHL history. A broken foot forced him to the bench in 1983, but he later returned to the ice with the Sabres, capping his career by winning the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1984– 85 in recognition of his defensive skill.

Ramsay credited his father, a linesman and construction manager with Bell Canada, for his sense of determination. One summer, Bill Ramsay took his family camping two weeks after having back fusion surgery. “Imagine the agony this guy was in,” Ramsay marveled. “He just never caved in.” His first coach, Bert Turney, was also a role model of toughness. “Never let ‘em know you’re hurt, kid,” Turney would say. “So as long as I could dress and play and not be a detriment to the team, I thought I should play,” which included toughing out a dislocated shoulder the gritty forward didn’t even realize he had. Times have changed, and as a coach Ramsay encourages players to rest and recuperate. “I’m proud of (the streak), but I wouldn’t ask any other players to do it.”

Ramsay retired the same year he won the Selke and slid behind the bench as an assistant coach with the Sabres after trying out the job as a player-coach in his last season. Partway through the 1986–87 season he became the head coach, posting a 4–15–2 record. The learning curve was steep, but Ramsay enjoyed the challenge, helped by the mentorship of coaches like Scotty Bowman. He served as assistant general manager and director of player personnel with Buffalo before his former Peterborough coach, Roger Neilson, called in 1992 with an offer to become an assistant with the Florida Panthers. Ramsay coached in Ottawa before joining the Philadelphia Flyers, becoming interim head coach in 1999–2000 when Neilson took ill. Under Ramsay’s leadership, the Flyers reached the Eastern Conference finals, where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils.

As a coach, Ramsay tries to be honest, treat players with respect, and put them in positions where they will succeed. “I try to be a calming influence on the players,” he said. For the first time in his career, Ramsay hoisted the Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 after a thrilling seven-game series against the Calgary Flames. Ramsay was named head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2010 and became the final coach in Thrashers history when he was replaced after the team was purchased and moved to Winnipeg. In 2011, he rejoined the Panthers as an assistant to head coach Kevin Dineen, lending his many years of expertise to a young, exciting Florida club.

The ironman winger said getting the call from the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame was an unexpected pleasure. “I was always proud to be a Toronto boy—a Weston, Etobicoke guy,” Ramsay said.

Steve Ludzik is a born and bred Etobicoker. He has played in the National Hockey League, coached in the National Hockey League, became a TV personality and has just penned a book appropriately entitled “Steve Ludzik – Been There, Done That”.

Born in Etobicoke in 1961, Steve’s father put his son on the ice when he was just three years old, and he’s never looked back! Ludzik learned to skate at the Lakeshore Arena in New Toronto and has the unique distinction of leading the MTHL in scoring from the age of 10 until he was 15.

Serious illness and injuries could not stop the determined Ludzik as he embarked on an extremely productive junior career with the Niagara Falls Flyers. In 2009, he would be honoured by fans of the Flyers, along with Derek Sanderson, as the greatest Flyer of all time!

In 1980 Ludzik was drafted 28th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks and spent nine years with them. He then embarked on a successful coaching career which saw him climb back to the NHL as Head Coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Steve subsequently turned his talents to TV and is recognized as one of the most colourful “tell it like it is” commentators on the air. His book “Been There, Done That” promises to be a hockey classic!

Steve has been married for 25 years to wife Mary Ann. They have two boys – 23 year old Stephen is a university student at Brock, and 21 year old Ryan is a goalie in the Central League with Tulsa.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have seen a legion of spectacular goaltenders stand tall in the crease, but none more outstanding or notable than Johnny Bower.

“I played my heart out with the Leafs,” said Bower, after ending his thirty year association with them in 1990. “I think that only once out of the 11 years did we fail to make the playoffs.”

The native of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and long time Etobicoke resident joined the Leafs in 1958 after being picked up by the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey league. Even though he didn’t make it to the NHL until the age of 34, Bower played 11 seasons with Toronto before retiring in 1970.

Bower was rescued from the minors by Leaf coach Billy Reay, long after he figured that his dream of playing as an NHL regular was over. He started more than 500 games in goal, posting 37 shutouts. He finished his career with a sparkling 2.52 goals against average.

But it was his playoff record that is most outstanding. Bower was in the Leafs goal when they won four Stanley Cups, including their last one in 1967.

In 1976 Johnny Bower was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame – the ultimate tribute to his skill and perseverance.

“Of all the people who are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, there is none more worthy than Johnny Bower,” said the legendary Leaf King Clancy. “He has been one of the most honest and conscientious hockey players ever. And he is in a class by himself as a person.”

Paul Henderson’s legendary goal on September 28, 1972, during the Summit Series between Team Canada and the Soviet Union, remains etched in the memory of Canadians nationwide. Whether they were in a classroom, at home, or at work, many Canadians vividly recall where they were when “The Goal” was scored.

As a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs at the time, Henderson’s seventh goal in eight games secured an astonishing series victory for Team Canada against the formidable Soviets. Foster Hewitt’s iconic commentary immortalized the moment as he described the play leading to Henderson’s goal, capturing the excitement and euphoria of the fans and team alike.

Despite Henderson’s impressive 13-season career in the NHL, where he showcased his exceptional skating and shooting skills, it is “The Goal” that remains his enduring legacy. However, despite the fame and recognition brought by his performance in the Summit Series, Henderson found true happiness a few years later when he became a born-again Christian.

Since then, Henderson has dedicated his life to spreading the message of faith as a member of Campus Crusade for Christ, sharing his experiences and insights with businessmen and students alike. Reflecting on his childhood dreams, Henderson humorously recalls dreaming of scoring the “big goal” in the Stanley Cup, never imagining facing off against the Russians in his dreams.

Paul Henderson’s journey from hockey icon to devoted Christian speaker exemplifies the transformative power of faith and highlights the depth of his character beyond his athletic achievements.

Pete Conacher is part of a legendary Canadian sports family. A family proud of having 3 brothers elected to the National Hockey League Hall of Fame, Lionel, Charlie, and Roy.

Born and raised in Toronto, Pete started his hockey career in the Toronto Hockey League, became Chicago Blackhawk property at the age of 16. He then played for 3 years with their O.H.A. Jr. A farm team in Galt before turning professional with Chicago at age 20.

A 13 year hockey career followed with stops with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo A.H.L., St. Louis A.H.L., and Hershey A.H.L.

His professional career was interrupted in 1959 when he joined the Belleville McFarlands and helped win the World Championship in Prague. In the summers he played fastball in the Beaches Major League and senior baseball for Lizzies at the old Viaduct Stadium.

After retiring from professional hockey in 1966 he joined the N.H.L. Oldtimers Hockey Club and for the next 13 years played charity hockey games across Canada. Pete is still playing oldtimers hockey.

A past President of Ontario Special Olympics and a board member of the Charlie Conacher Throat Cancer Research Fund, Pete recently received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal from Senator Frank Mahovlich in recognition of his athletics and community services in Canada.

Pete and his wife Ann have lived in Etobicoke for the past 38 years.

Sami Jo Small’s journey from a determined youth hockey player in Manitoba to a celebrated Olympian and co-founder of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League is a testament to her resilience, passion, and dedication to her sport.

Despite facing challenges and setbacks throughout her career, Small embraced each opportunity with unwavering determination. From her early days playing boys’ hockey and breaking new ground in the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League to representing Canada on the world stage, Small demonstrated her commitment to excellence.

Small’s Olympic journey, which saw her participate in three Olympic Games and win multiple world championships with Team Canada, was marked by both triumphs and disappointments. Despite not always playing the role she had envisioned for herself, Small learned valuable lessons about teamwork, perseverance, and the importance of embracing one’s role for the success of the team.

Throughout her career, Small remained grounded and focused on continuous improvement. Whether facing off against top international competitors or inspiring the next generation of athletes through public speaking and coaching, Small approached each opportunity with humility and gratitude.

As a trailblazer for women’s hockey and a role model for aspiring athletes, Small continues to make a lasting impact on the sport and the lives of those she encounters. Her induction into the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame serves as a fitting recognition of her contributions to hockey and her enduring legacy as a champion on and off the ice.

Pat Hughes was born in Calgary but moved to Etobicoke with his parents when he was 5.

From his first day in the Royal York Minor Hockey League he dreamed of playing professional hockey. An outstanding player, he moved from league to league until spending 2 years in the tier 2 provincial Junior “A” Hockey League.

The University of Michigan scouted him, offering him a scholarship for his scholastic achievement and athletic ability.
At the end of his 3rd year, Pat was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens. He began his professional career with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the AHL and in his second year, was called up by the Canadiens, the start of his 10 year career in the NHL.

Pat’s talents were always in demand. His aggressive playing style and solid strength as a player took him to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Edmonton Oilers, the Buffalo Sabres and the St. Louis Blues. In ten years, he played 573 games, scoring 130 goals and 128 assists.

Although he went on to an executive position in the Detroit area after his retirement from hockey, a few years later he resigned to fulfil a lifelong desire to become a police officer. He joined the Ann Arbor Police as a constable, quickly becoming a detective and is now a sergeant.

He and his wife, Heather, and their three daughters, Katie, Kelly and Kristi live in Dexter, Michigan, but Jim and Shirley Hughes, his parents, still live in the same Etobicoke house they moved into when he was 5.