A Hockey Blogger Remembers

Johnny Bower reads “In Flanders Fields” during the Remembrance Day ceremony before the Leaf-Wild game, Nov 10, 2009.

November 11th is always an important day for me and my family.

No matter where I am, be it at work or on the road, I always stop to remember on the 11th minute of the 11th day of the 11th month.

I always have a great recollection of my high school Remembrance Day ceremony. Instead of an assembly, one of our english teachers read an emotionally charged story from the Second World War over the PA System and then read In Flanders Fields, followed by the last post.

Both my parents, and their families, experienced the Second World War from both sides of the English Channel and at sea.

While my grandfather, on my mother’s side, was serving with the Royal Marines, my grandmother had two children to take care of in Southampton during the Battle of Britain.

Scrambling to air raid shelters, or hiding under the basement stairs when they couldn’t, became common practice. With the supply lines from North America under constant threat from U-boats, food was rationed and sometimes scarce.

My father grew up in the Hague, Netherlands during the Nazi occupation. As a boy of four when it began to almost ten years old when it was over, my dad still has vivid memories of what he saw. The Hague was near one of the V-1 “Buzz-bomb” launch sites. Locals could tell just from the sound if the primitive rockets launched successfully or did not and could likely crash into a nearby home.

My father’s home was ultimately destroyed in an allied bombing run to take out the Luftwaffe and the V1s. We call it collateral damage in today’s era. Then it was par for the course.

As for that group of individuals who claim the Holocaust never happened, well my dad could tell a story or two of what he saw in the streets of the besieged city.

Once the Allies had the Nazis on the run, as the war ended, the Dutch were left to starve after a brutal winter and with little fuel by the occupiers.

Despite hostilities nearly over, The Canadian Army was left to liberate western Holland, which includes Rotterdam, Amsterdam and the Hague.

The Canadians were welcomed enthusiastically and the joyous "Canadian summer" that ensued forged deep and long-lasting bonds of friendship between the Dutch and Canadian peoples, and still does to this very day.

We should always remember the brave men and women who served and gave the ultimate sacrifice – Vimy, Dieppe, Ortona, Juno, Korea, Afghanistan - so that we can enjoy the freedoms and lives we have today.

It is also important to acknowledge, and thank, those who still serve in our Armed Forces today…But is one day enough?

An old high school friend had a good answer to that today on Facebook.

“I would like everybody to consider during their "moment of silence" today that the veterans and their families gave, in some cases, the ultimate sacrifice and it's only remembered one day of the year.  If you feel any gratitude or respect today, try to do the same this time next week, Christmas Eve, Valentine's Day,...”

It’s not that hard to do, if you think about it.

Lest We Forget.

Remebrance Day in the hockey world:

The Society for International Hockey Research offers a list of more than 2600 hockey players who are known to have had military service.

Johnny Bower, who turned 85 on the weekend, talks about reading “In Flanders Fields”, during Tuesdays ceremony at the ACC and Remembrance Day, on the Fan 590

Greatest Hockey Legends has a great piece  from last year on War and Hockey History

An article from BostonBruins.com on the Kraut Line’s memorable sendoff to military service.

Habs Eyes on the Prize looks at a wartime Habs myth

Canadian Hockey pioneer honored with grave marker 79 years after his death

James Creighton (1850-1930) One of the pioneers of organized hockey in Canada

It took almost 80 years, but the gravesite of one of the game’s early pioneers finally has a marker at Ottawa’s Beechwood cemetery.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper presided over a ceremony, on Saturday, to unveil a grave marker and plaque to honor James Creighton.

 

Prime Minister Harper (l)  and SIHR founder Bill Fitsell unveil the Crieghton gravestone at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa. Oct 24, 2009

Creighton was an avid sportsman who excelled in hockey, both as a player and an innovative organizer during the formative stages of the game.

He helped introduce the sport to Montreal in 1875 and captained teams in every recorded game there during the development years.

Creighton is credited with the organizing the first indoor hockey game,in 1875, at Montreal’s Victoria Skating Rink.

His hockey interest continued in Ottawa during a distinguished career as Law Clerk to the Senate between 1882 and 1930.

It seemed peculiar that a man of his accomplishment’s, and noted civil service, would be buried in Canada’s National Cemetery with an unmarked grave.

It was learned later that no proper gravestone was erected for him at Beechwood Cemetery because his wife passed away shortly after him and the couple had no children.

Thanks to the work of SIHR (The Society for International Hockey Research), a campaign was made to recognize one of hockey’s early pioneers.

Led by SIHR’s co-founder Bill Fitsell and a committee chaired by honorary president Edward Grenda, a plan of action was made in co-operation with the Beechwood Cemetery.

A fundraising campaign was set up on SIHR’s website and by August of 2009, sufficient funds were in place for the monument.

The biggest donors came in the form of Ottawa Senator’s owner Eugene Melnyk and Calgary Flames owner Harley Hotchkiss.

A Melnyk spokesman said the Senators owner saw a front-page story in the Ottawa Citizen and was surprised to learn that Creighton was buried in an unmarked plot at Beechwood.

Melnyk wanted "to ensure proper recognition for Mr. Creighton’s contribution to modern-day hockey,” the spokesman said.

With the funds in place it was arranged that Prime Minister Harper be invited to attend the ceremony.

The Prime Minister is a member of SIHR and is currently writing his own book on hockey history.

According to a spokesman for the PM, he began research on his book as leader of the opposition and still takes a few minutes out of his busy day to work on it.

The Prime Minister unveiled a plaque in Montreal’s Bell Centre (home of the Montreal Canadiens) in May of 2008 to honor Creighton.

A plaque honoring Creighton’s accomplishments in hockey was also dedicated at the ceremony on Saturday.

“It was with great pride that I named Mr. Creighton as a Canadian of National Historic Significance last year and I am delighted to be here today,” the Prime Minister said.

“This monument marks another milestone in honoring the legacy of one of our country's pioneers. Canada needed a sport that would call to its winter soul. Before anyone else, Creighton heard that call and defined the game that from coast-to-coast transcends French and English, East and West; urban and rural and defines us as Canadians.

“Future generations of Canadian hockey fans who wish to pay homage to this founding father of our national sport will now be able to do so. Canadians will find him at rest in Canada’s national cemetery, surrounded by notables of Canadian political, military, economic and cultural history.”

The Prime Minister noted that Creighton remained even played hockey in the fledging Parliamentary League as part of the Rideau Hall Rebels.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, at the new gravestone for James Creighton.

“Creighton is responsible for ‘Canadianizing’ the game of hockey,” SIHR’s Bill Fitsell said, “by incorporating elements from sports such as field hockey, hurling, rugby and lacrosse into the game.

He was key to getting the game underway.”

SIHR still wishes to take the work of Mr. Creighton to another level, as an honored member in the Builder’s category of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

"He played a significant role and it's rather unfortunate, and somewhat inappropriate, that he has been ignored in that fashion," Edward Grenda said.

“The hall has yet to acknowledge the pair's nomination of Creighton,” Fitsell said.

“Hopefully,this event will spur that recognition of the hockey pioneer.”

__________________________________________________________

For his contribution to the project, Mr. Melnyk was acknowledged on the plaque. By the time Mr. Hotchkiss’ donation arrived, the plaque was already in production. A new plaque bearing Mr. Hotchkiss as a major contributor will be made and replace the currrent one.

More on the Society for International Hockey Research can be found on their website.

Author D’Arcy Jenish’s article on Mr. Creighton and the grave marker project from the January 2008 Legion Magazine