Ice Hockey at GNS—What if an Ice Rink had been in the building plans!

In the 1972-73 school year, Glenlyon first played both cosom (floor) hockey in their gym and ice hockey at the Memorial Arena (forerunner of the Save-On Arena). Floor hockey has been a ‘staple’ activity at the “Beach” ever since, while the ice hockey programme lasted for only fifteen years. In that first year, Mr. Terry Eastwood was hired by Hamish Simpson to teach French, but it so happened that he was also a keen ice hockey player. Combined with the interest of Mr.Simpson to start a hockey programme and the fortunate appointment of Mr. Eastwood (was that just a coincidence?), in November of 1972 ice hockey at Glenlyon was started. Thirty-five boys took part in the first few practices and a school team was selected from those thirty-five. Two games were arranged with St.George’s, Vancouver. The report for the first game stated: ”In the first ever inter-school hockey game, a classic performance in goal by Brian Blamey and stout play by Mike Paget (who went on to play for Canada in Field Hockey) on defense gave Glenlyon a 4-2 win. Mike scored two goals, both on breakaway up-ice rushes. Michael Moore’s dogged play around the net was rewarded when he scored the very first goal in Glenlyon ice hockey history and Ian McKenzie scored the fourth goal into an empty net.” The team was B. Andiel, M. Felix, G. Cook, A. Selina, R. Hibbert, R. Davis, I. McKenzie, D. Izard, M. Paget, K. Seaman, B. Donaldson, B. Blamey, M. Templeman, J. Greer, M. Moore and Coach: Mr. Terry Eastwood.

Relying on players with some experience from community programmes and enthusiastic ‘rookies’, each year included wins and losses, occasional euphoria and sometimes tough lessons, high energy and unlucky missed opportunities with a variety of coaches that either had ice hockey experience and know-how or had very little, But there was always a positive and sporting attitude. Once-a-week practices at the Memorial Arena and later at the Oak Bay Recreation Centre was not really enough to turn the programme into a must-do activity and the final puck-drop became inevitable, especially as games against other schools at the junior level were next to impossible to arrange. 

The final whistle was blown on the Ice Hockey programme in 1987-88 after Grade 8, 9 and 10 had moved to Pemberton Woods as part of the Amalgamation process and the Senior School programme did not include ice hockey in their sports plan. The Junior Boys also re-evaluated their needs, ability and practicality of the programme, while also lacking a staff member to keep the Junior programme operating for it was a time when many sports were relying on the community programmes to operate them. But fifteen years was a good run and although floor hockey continued, it cannot really claim to be the breeding ground of future ice hockey talent coming out of the school!

Case in point, in the next fifteen years at least five GNS attendees played top level ice hockey in North America and Europe. David Brumby (1981-89), Matt Pettinger (1989-91), Reed Kipp (1989-97), Nate Forster (1991-92), and Trevor McCall (1993-98). Not surprisingly, not one of them has claimed that the free-for-all floor hockey with plastic sticks in the “little gym” at the Beach contributed in any way to their terrific hockey careers that included three NHL draftees, one NHL star, and all either NCAA, WHL, BCHL, AHL, ECHL, IHL, Italy-A, Deutsche Liga players or a combination of them!

However, imagine what might have been if the school had actually built an ice rink!