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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-03-11, Page 30• • 1 / • 1 Page A30 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, March 11, 2009 • Former participants share fond memories of YCW From page 29. The fan support for the home team was remarkable - we became "celebrities" for a week - and win or lose, YCW was a cherished life- time experience leaving an indel- ible mark in the transition from boyhood to adolescence." KEN CRAWFORD - Referee - in -Chief 1977 -present Watch the games here on our targe screen! "Thursday Night All You Can Eat Ribs 5pm-8pm" 92 The Square 524-7337 Brian Allen is this week's winner of a Paddy O'Neil's $10 gift certificate. Certificate can be picked up at the Goderich Signal -Star 9 am & 5 pm Mon.-Thurs. & 9 am -4 pm on Friday. /, Now I Top 50 as of Mar. 8th 1 Joanne Brunk 2 Bill Moore 3 Jeff Layton 4 Randy Morgan 5 Dave Prevett • 6 Martin Papple 7 Steve Hogan 8 Carson Lamb 9 Matt Lee 10 DarcyMcGee 11 PJ Conlon 12 Kaeden Mac Donald 13 Wayne Draper 14 Shane Webster 15 Steve. Austin 16 Jake Hi emstra 17 Pat Gonion 18 Zack Horton 19 Glenn Lamb 20 Chris Garrick 21 Dave Clemmer 22 Roy Kreuter Hallett SarkF g; 1084 1079 1073 1069 1064 1058 1054 1048 1048 1046 1043 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 1042 37 1042 38 1042 39 1039 40 1038 41 1038 42 1036 43 1033 44 1032 45 1032 46 1031 47 Rob Standen Delores ' Klages Mike Berry Dave Draper Joe Uvermore Brad Bakker Scott Kirton Dan Ridsdale Graham Hamilton John Clarke Ron Uvermore Lori Draper Ward Chris Lyndon Dave Brown Jim Horton Wally Pierce Ryan Wilkie Gerry Ropp James-Gartshore Jason Austin Paul Kelly Nolan Rleh! einldns 1024 1024 1024 1023 1023 1022 1022 1022 1021 1019 1019 1018 1016 1016 1016 1015 1015 1014 1014 1012 1012 1011 1009 This Year's Prize Sponsors Photo by Gerard Creces Referee -in -chief for the past 30 years, Ken Crawford is a long-time • fixture of Young Canada Week. Volunteering their time and ex- pertise to the toumament this year are an army of more than 70 refer- ees, and the man behind the stripes for the past thirty years said they are all very dedicated individuals. "It takes a lot of referees through- out Western Ontario to look after a tournament this size," Crawford said. "We're very fortunate they continue to come out and help out the Lions Club." Over the years, Crawford said the role of referees has shifted with the rules of _the game. "We went from body contact to no body contact back to contact and now back to no body contact," he said. "With the no contact, you can see a lot better players develop- ing and hockey going forward with great strides." Crawford is only the third refer- ee -in -chief, following Stan Stokes and Bill Beacom. "I've been ref in chief for the last 30 years now," he said. "It's amaz- ing how time flies." He said he got involved with the Lions' tournament through Stokes and kept it up for "community in- volvement, and I just love to help out the various service clubs in the town of Goderich." Crawford starting reffing YCW at age 13 and has been there ever since. Crawford acknowledged the work of Jack Merriam, Bobby Al- len, Deb Shewfelt, Gord Walters, "And all local referees from years ago that initially started the tourna- ment and kept this year going." LARRY JEFFREY - YCW CHAMP, 1952/53, STANLEY CUP CHAMP 1967 It doesn't matter if you're a pee- wee player or a professional athlete - hockey is all about the excitement adcording to Goderich's resident champion. "Arenas were always full when Goderich played," said Jeffrey. "It was exciting hearing all the people filling the stands. It was just like the experience I had playing in the NHL in our home city." Jeffrey's career with the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs was all a product of his time on local ice. "When I had the excitement of peewee hockey, I told my parents I was going to play in the NHL," he said. In a six-year stint playing minor hockey, Jeffrey won two YCW championships, two bantam and two midget all-Ontarios. Between himself and cousins, Jeffrey said growing up they had a pretty strong line and when YCW came around they were, "pretty well-equipped." Looking up to heroes like Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay, Jeffrey fol- lowed in their footsteps joining the Detroit Red Wings and later, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jeffrey, Gary Doak and a slew of other NHL-ers helped Goderich celebrate the 50th anniversary of YCW, and he said the tournament is never far from memory - nor is the dedication of the Lions mem- bers that run it. "When you get older, you appre- ciate what these old guys did for us when they were young guys," he said. "For any organization to sup- port hockey like the Lions Club did is amazing. Photo used with appreciation Goderich hockey legend Larry Jeffrey knew . he wanted to play in the National Hockey League from the moment he felt the rush of the crowd at Young Canada week. Jeffrey and team took back-to-back 'B' Division championships in 1952 and 1953. "I know Doaky and I appreciated the Lions supporting us with our careers " PETE BETTGER - YCW CHAMP 1958 Photo used with appreciation Pete Bettger (left), said his favourite memory of Young Canada Week was sharing the bench with a young Gary Doak. Over the years, fans have had the opportunity to see many great players rise through the ranks at YCW, but only a handful have had the opportunity to share the ice with them. "It's one of my nicest memories," said . Bettger. "I got to play with Gary Doak on the same team." It was a year that saw Goderich capture the YCW championship, and while Bettger said he was a fourth -stringer, he knew his team- mate was going places. "We were peewees in practice and I was in front of the net, not re- ally paying attention," he said. "Do- aky took a slapshot from the red line and hit me right in the kneecap. "I couldn't walk for a week - he had that kind of shot." Bettger said the hometown sup- port was amazing, with arenas always packed to capacity when Goderich was on the ice. A member and past -president of the Lions, he said the tournament has come full -circle from its mots as a local tourney to an internation- al one back to a regional scale. "The guys that are doing it to- day, they're my heroes," he said. "People don't realize how much work goes into organizing it. They start to work on next year this year - that's the kind of organization they have." True to Goderich tradition, Bet- tger said his team got a celebra- tory ride on the fire truck after their YCW victory before "celebrating like a bunch of 12 -year-old boys would." Not bad for a kid who "almost scored a goal." See page 33 for more stories.