THE storied history of hockey in the Lakehead is full of names that resonate with fans from all eras.
One such individual who made his mark in the game, from the late 1950s right through to the mid ‘70s, was Barry Hogan.
Having turned 81 just 10 days ago, Hogan was standout with the Fort William Hurricane-Rangers in 1958-59 where he tied for third in team scoring while supplying 11 tallies and a dozen assists.
A season later with the club now dubbed the Fort William Hurricanes, he led his squad to the local junior championship in 1960, playing at over a point-per-game pace.
Heading out on the Memorial Cup trail, the Herks lost out to the eventual western finalist, the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Despite the setback, Hogan scored six times, in as many games, to do his part offensively.
Recruited by the Wheat Kings in 1960 he went on to finish second in offensive production in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with 69 points in 32 contests and paced the MJHL in helpers with 42.
Turning pro the following year, he spent a couple of seasons in the old Eastern Hockey League with both the Long Island Ducks and Charlotte Checkers, finishing runner-up in EHL rookie of the year balloting in 1961-62. In all the skilled center scored 44 times and was there to help set-up 50 others.
Opting to return home, Hogan would go on to be a stalwart in the city senior hockey loop for nearly a decade and a half, beginning with a lengthy stint as a member of the Fort William Beavers.
While the Beavers won the local senior trophy in 1966, their biggest foe was the Port Arthur Bearcats, who claimed the city championship seven times in the decade.
But, Hogan was such a skilled and popular player, the Bearcats actually added him to their roster four times as part of their quest for the Allan Cup, emblematic of Canadian senior hockey winners.
With the amalgamation of Port Arthur and Fort William on January 1, 1970, the fabled Thunder Bay Twins were born later that year.
Joining the United States Hockey League, when it was still a senior league, the Twins would become a USHL power.
One of the standout skaters on those Twins rosters was none other than Hogan.
For five seasons he starred for the squad and was twice recognized as a first team USHL all-star, garnering the accolades in 1971-72 and 1973-74.
He led the league in goals (29), assists (32) and points (61) in earning his initial 1st Team nod with teammates Bill McEwan, David Merritt, Mike (Tinker) Mithrush and Jack Byerley also among the USHL’s premier point-getters.
In 1972-73, Hogan was third in league numbers, trailing only line-mates Byerley and Chuck Kelner as the trio combined for 275 points in the first of back-to-back USHL championships.
Racking up a career-high 103 points in 1973-74, Hogan once again earned league first team all-star laurels leading the Twins to another title.
As captain of Thunder Bay as a 34-year-old in 1974-75, he was limited to just 25 games in USHL, but still produced at a solid clip with 35 to his credit.
Setting out in search of the Lakehead’s first Allan Cup win in 36 years, under Hogan’s veteran leadership, the Twins handled the St. Boniface Mohawks and swept the Spokane Flyers to claim the Patton Cup western Canadian crown before going on to dispose of the Barrie Flyers in six games to win the national title in front of a boisterous local throng at the Fort William Gardens where, as captain, he was the first to receive the trophy, following the triumph.
Just how good was Barry Hogan, especially in his days with the Twins?
Well, only Byerly, seven years his junior, had more points (281) with the club.
In all, Hogan amassed 274 points in 139 contests, which included scoring 129 times, the most of any Twins player in the USHL era.
It’s those numbers, combined with a veteran savvy, that still has Hogan a hero too many of the hometown faithful.