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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-10-28, Page 13---__Cross Dads Exeter limes -Advocate Wednesday. October 28, 1998 - — s ..-,.-- - _age L 13Minor Celebrating0earsalso helped introduce older age ..goriesas hisand other kidsgrew older. Lucan's hockey couple. Donna and Jim 'Teddy Bear' Freeman have been behind Lucan Minor Hockey for almost its entire 49 year history. • - By Craig Bradford TIMES -ADVOCATE St PF LUCAN — Fifty years of fun. That -s what Lucan Minor Hocks. be celebrating in 1999 as well as ing youngsters about -dedication, pline and quite a few other imp lessons that help shape young p into responsible citizens. And they played a little shinny a the way too. When poking around to find but to talk to about the history of Lu Minor Hockey, one surname surf - faster than you can 'say 'He shoots scores!" The Freernans. Jim 'Teddy Bear' Freeman helped s Lucan Minor Hockey way back in 19 Since their; he's coached just abo every level of hockey, sold thousar upon thousands of fund-raising ticks and seen more blizzards getting to a from games than he'd care to reme ber. - His wife Donna has been along for t ride, helping out when it can to th -Food and the bar at the community ce tre as'well as serving as. co-conven with her husband for 17 years. .Jim, originally from Burgessville, w awarded the Golden Stick from th -Ontario Minor Hockey Association, ti organization's most prestigious h'onou in '80. The couple retired from most of thei Lucan hockey duties in '86, but.still pro vide. a wealth of knowledge and -experi ence to the hockey community includin their son Ken''Frit2' Freeman who man ages the Lucan Jr. D Irish. ' Jim also helped found the Jr. D'Irish,in '69 with Clare Stanley, Bob Stanley and Torn England. Jim served as the Irish manager for six years. Back in 1949, minor hockey started at peewee age. Jim gradually introduced younger age categories as parents start- ed ' their kids skating at younger ages. He • At first, Lucan Minor Hockey team played in the Western Ontario Athletic •Association (WOAA) against teams to th north. like Exeter, Zurich, Hensel'; an Clinton. Then in 1953, the Shanlroc League was founded, but all the grime from '53-t,0. had to be plityed in - since no. other. Shamrock League centre had an arena.. ite.idea .behind the Shamrock League -vas to.m.ove towards playing at the provincial level through a local Ic+agUe.. Jim said Lucan teams wanted to .play with teams to the south rather than trav- el north all the time. -The Shamrock' League broke the Ilwy. 7 barrier the Ontario Minor•Hockey Association put on all -Ontario play, and soon Exeter Minor Hockey also threw in their sticks with the Shamrock League and moved away from the-W)A\—Hast season .Stephen. Minor Ilockey.,also made the e. k s m The '53 Lucan Irish' Six, the Ontario Intermediate'C' champions. -Upfront, from left, -the -trophies: Hoffrnari (Cyclone championship, '37-40, Ken McMillan 'C' championship), Free Press WO (OHA Int. ( AA Int. C title), Hess (Cyclone 'C' title), Izaard n. Robertson ('30s); front left: Len Gau ovc from the WOAA to the more coin- y well petitive Shamrock League.).Revrngcon, president- Harvey Lan ora teach-- d, alternate manager Harry Beaumont, captain Fred disci- Lucan teams have brought home their Freeman, alternate captain Leroy Revington; middle left: stick share of all -Ontario titles, with the '59 Hardy, Ed Rowett, captain Bill Smith; coach Jim omen- midgets o all the 'ri a boy Vic Neil, Norm • pepeewees s two of the Glen Revington, Ross McTavish, Don McAlpine, Ray Yelle,, Herb most 'memorable for the Freemans (Jim Stratton, trainer; Roy Brats back left: Clare Stanley, Jake Barnes, -Bob Watson, Ken long coached the midgets and Ken the • Kirkpatrick, Bob Gallagher and Clayton Thompson. (photo/cpntributed Pte-� ) Lucan Juveniles won senses- C woes) The utl�c, titles in '78 and Conlin. a member of the '59 mrd who - .,'79 and the Jr. I) can Irish tasted all -Ontario success •in '82 aced and '87. , he The Freemans also -have some- colour- ful. stories to tele: One of Lucan Minor tart Hockey's .original .coaches, Bill Smith, 49. took his peewee team to -the Ed Sullivan out Show. Jim said the publicity kudo 1 ids ' belongs to then arena manager Harold p its . Hrbson. • - He had to be the best publicity man- und-raising a ,er," Jim remembers. m- L - t Another favourite story is the time the hc. Lucan '53 Intermediates, the all -Ontario e champs, played ,the Montreal Canad.iens th ne apt Lucan Arena. It turns out Frank et ' Hardy, well- known,in those days for his kid _ racing .pigeons, found a 'friend in 'pe as, Canadians manager Dick Irvin who also J e loved racing Pigeons. Jim,' the coach- of le the Intermediates, switched benches so r, with the Canadians coach'for the game. Ask Jim if you want to know who won. , , go Also of note: Famous NHLers .Red Kelly'. to r,. .and KingClancy visited Lucan for minor Do hockey banquets in the.'SOs. -.Another highlight for the Freemans on u g- was when their. son, Rick, scored the ",I first goal ever in the South Huron;, Hec yea ' Centre during .a Jr. D ,game between the fro 'Irish and the Exeter Ifawks. lav went on to play for St. Mike's Co and was a'member ,of the '62 Cana national team..Les Aarts -played pr sional hockey.in Germany and coaches there. Brian Iiaskett is- a-. Sr. A hockey legend- from the '50s. While a big' booster of -Luc:a n Mi hickey, Jim never served as presid referring coaching,- managing a f duties. "I didn't want to be president of a hing," Jim said. - - - ' But why stick with hockey so Io specially when their kids grew out e system? , , "Because we. loved it and tve loved t ds," Donna- said. "We inet a lot of go ople." im- agreed. . gets, -good experiences. "If you can help one 'lege' "child,, which. we know, we have-, it's dian worth all the trouble,-" Donna said. ofes- She. said the greatest compliment to now them was paid by the parents of the local • opposing -team in Minden during -the _ Juviniles all -Ontario series win in '78. nor "(tile parents said) if we had to lose ant, we're glad to Ie'ise-to a bunch.of boys like ' rid yours," Donna said the Minden parents told them at the end of the series: ny- When" asked what is the biggest change - - in the game over -their 49 years involved ng, with Lucan -Minor Hockey, the Freemans of didn't waste ,time 'reminiscing on how • things. used to be. - he "The rules have changed," Jim said. od "Hockey is much faster, much better.. I know -..darn well, it's better. -Better skaters, better shooters." d - Lucan's hockey anniversary parallels ' the Freeman wedding- anniversary -- y They'll mark their 50th in '99. - - e Both Freemans are. still involved with We enloyed.being in hockey. an rnebody had to do it," he said. Way back when Lucan Minor Mile t started it cost each kid 25¢ per gam play and $5 at the start of the seaso nna remembers loaning many a kid. aster when they showed up withou e. only lost one quarter in 411 thos rs," she said. "You don't stop kid m playing hockey because they don e a quarter." n.. kids — both drive school bus. a .Donna followed in her father's skate t tracks: Herman. Young used to run Lucan hockey: and baseball teams in the e '30s: s . • The couple's four -children, Jerry, Janis 't Latta, Ken and Hick arc. all grownd Celebrate LMH's SOth with a meal While Lucan hasn't produced any NHL • Se players, it has had its fair share of'tal- ' gro ented athletes. Jerry Harrigan played in fame ,the OHL,. has coached Qwen Sound Jr. ,A rewa and Ontario's U-17 team and now "I t coaches the Waterloo Jr B Siskens P 1 eing the kids' enjoy themselves and w up into responsible adults with 'lies was all the recognition and rd the Freemans needed. hink it has to do with hotly you.treat le," Donna said about the couple's The Lucan Minor Hockey Association is celebrating its 50th anniversary by sharing their favourite recipes. 'Hot Uff the Ice' is Lucan Minor Hockey's now cook- book with 300 recipes from parents, coaches and their families and friends. Cookbook fund-raiser organizer Jean Bennett said 'Hot Of the Ice' "is an excellent cookbook." "A lot of these recipes are fast, easy recipes that can be Made before a hockey game," she said. Bennett said they hope to raise over $7,000 ing out of the first 1,000 copies printed. If the book isla sellout, another printing will be done. The ,books will sell for $10 a piece and you can reserve your copy by calling Bennett at 227-1,398 or Jean Jeffrey at 461-0084. • • Bennett said the hope is for Lucian Minor Hockey's 225 hockey players to each sell at least one book. They have some incentive too: 100 Icondon Jr. -B Nationals tickets will be divided up. between the two .teams that' sell the most books, the top four kid salespeople and top four families. There will also be draws for London Knights games each,Thursday night. Cookbook. sellers enter the draws by filling out a ballot they remove from the books after they sell them. The draws end ' Feb. 4. Here are two recipes from the book: - *Shutout Fruit Salad. 1 cup shredded coconut; 1.5 cups coloured marshmallows; 1 cup mandarin oranges, .drained; 1 small can of pineapple tidbits; 1 cup sour cream; mix all ingredients together and . au peop theyhave four • ' an grandchildren.-Jiin is retired after working as a• lineman with Ontario Hydro for18 and a half years . and ,serving as the manager of Lucan, Granton and Ailsa Craig hydro opera- - tici►)s .for 22 and a half years. refrigerate.: •Jed (De,longe)'s Favourite Chili. 1 •Ib lean ground beef; 2 coarselychopped onions; 2 minced f arc cloves; 2 tablespoons chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper; 28 ounce can of stewed tomatoes: 1 tea -. spoon salt; 1.green pepper, diced; 1 'medium zucchini, 'diced 2 cups sliced mushrooms; 2 cups tomato juice or garden, cocktail; 1 can' kidney beans, brown. heef over medium heat, poor off fat"when-done add all veg.-, etables and spices; continue to cook over medium heat till onion is tender; stir, in tomatoes, bring to a boil:, simmer for 20 minutes or till desired consistency; add tomato juice if too thick; add kidney beans and heat through; serve with grated cheese on top if desired; ; this chili freezes well.