Wanting to hear from local fans, HockeyThunderBay.com reached out to a number of Lakehead products, who have spent many years invested in the game, to get their thoughts and reflections to on the following two questions:
1. Who was your favourite local player, or someone from the city who played at any level, that you admired growing up?
2. Who do you think the best player from your era, or otherwise, from Thunder Bay was and why?
Here is what Bill Houlder, who went on to have a lengthy NHL career on defence, had to say:
BILL HOULDER: Played his minor hockey locally and was drafted in the third round, 45th overall, by the North Bay Centennials in the 1984 OHL Priority Selection. … Went on to skate for three seasons with the Centennials and was later taken by the Washington Capitals in the fourth round, 82nd overall, in the 1985 NHL Draft. … Was named a 1st Team AHL All-Star on defence in 1990-91 with the Rochester Americans. … Was later chosen the IHL’s Top Defencemen in 1992-93 with the San Diego Gulls, while also earning 1st Team All-Star laurels. … Went on to play 846 games in the NHL, with only Marc Staal and Lee Fogolin Jr., having appeared in more contests, among blueliners from Thunder Bay. … Was a team captain or assistant captain on multiple NHL clubs. … Inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. … Has served as an assistant coach with the OHL’s North Bay Battalion the past six seasons.
FAVOURITE PLAYERS: When I grew up in Thunder Bay, we did not have cable or wasn’t really sure if there was cable.
We had two English channels and one French, so the only hockey that we were able to watch was Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights, at 8 p.m.
More often than not we would be out playing boot hockey or up at our outdoor rink at Carrick, so, I really don’t remember watching the NHL that often. If I was, it would be a Toronto or Montreal feed and I have no idea if there would have been someone from Thunder Bay playing on those teams.
What I do remember is watching local hockey.
One series sticks out in my mind when I was in bantam and my dad and I went to watch a midget series.
Although I can’t really recall the names of the teams, it was a series between Port Arthur and Fort William.
There was a game at Delaney Arena and another at Port Arthur Arena.
They were packed and it was so intense that I remember after watching the first game, I couldn’t wait for the second.
One of my future teammates with North Bay in the OHL, Kevin Vescio, was among them.
There were so many tremendous players, just ahead of me, that I watched growing up – Norm Maciver; David Bruce; Kevin Vescio; Rob DeGagne; Mike Plesch; Garnet McKechney; Greg Puhalski; Peter Bakovic; Mike Tomlak; Peter Woodgate.
These guys all played either major junior or university.
Some got drafted, or even went on play in the National Hockey League.
It’s an impressive list from the minor hockey days in northwestern Ontario. Those were the guys I watched growing up.
I’m not sure if I was a specific fan of any one player, but I certainly do remember the intensity of the games, inside packed arenas back home, whether you were cheering for the Fort William or Port Arthur teams.
My era spanned over a few years, but I would probably say Tony Hrkac was a pretty significant player during my career.
He was always one of the faster players on the ice and we always had to know when and where he was on the ice.
He was both a gifted skater and had unbelievable skill.
His career was incredible. Won the Hobey Baker at North Dakota and still holds the NCAA record for most points in a single season, before going on to have a lengthy NHL career, including winning a Stanley Cup with Dallas.
