The Wingham Advance-Times, 1974-03-07, Page 17{
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the weekly booms in yonr LiStowel
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Based e IS readers in eneh
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Progressiv,
Hockey
If young hockey players across
the country want to learn how to
playa good, solid defence pori.
tion, the Hockey Night in Canada
broadcaster was saying, they
should watch Tim Horton. A few
hours later the powerful, experi-
enced Buffalo Sabre defenceman
was dead.
Although his team/ lost the
game that night a .few weeks ago,
Tim Horton was chosen as one of
the stars of the -game. And he (lied
a star. Without a doubt, his death
is one of the greatest losses to the
Canadian game.
Horton played his position like
few others have mastered, but
the game goes on and the young-
sters
oungsters still need good examples.
Sonne of those very youngsters
the broadcaster referred to will
be meeting in Wingham for the
10th annual Midget Tournament
on March )5 to 18 and again on
March 22 to 24.
Rev, Barry Passmore of the
Wingham United Church has
been . offering his home to the
visiting players for the past five.
years. He is also very 'active in
d
house league hockey. How does
he see the use of good examples
in the game?
"Some coaches ,shopldn't even
be in there because they have the
• wrong attitudes 'and set bad
examples. Some of them will play
their teams anyway they can to
win. By doing this they teach the
wrong philosophy. Youcannot
teach a kid to be violent in the
hockey rink and expect him not to
be in life, as well."
Most players at , these age
levels, - he said, . do not play
beyond the age of 15 or 16 and
"sports should prepare them for
the life ahead of them.
"They will be playing hockey
Only a few years but they have a
lot -in life left after hockey is
given up. This is why hockey
should be used more ' as a '
character building function rath-
er than just a game to be won any
way that it can be."'
He believes major -penalties
should bring about game miscon-
ducts to cutdown on fighting. `.'It
should be a hockey game and if
• people want to see a fight they
should go to a boxing match,- not
to a hockey game."
He criticizes some "not so good
hockey players who Oak they
can make it in the big leagues by
being rough and tough and
having the stuff, as they say.
"I .like to see good checking,
and -so on, because it is part of the
game, but this fighting on skates
isn't and . it is totally ridiculous
and dangerous. It undermines the
whole principal of the -sport."
Although he has .billeted many
team members for the tourna.
ment over the past five years,
Mr. Passmore admits he is "not a
strong supporter .of it."
"What I object to is the fact
that there is not enough local
participation. During a holiday
week our kids are forced to watch
from the sidelines while . teams
from elsewhere dominate the
ice."
This, year, however, the Wing -
ham arena will be used for
tournamentplay on the weekends
only and not during the week, af-
fording the local players and
skaters more time on the ice.
REV. BARRY PASSMORE has his doubts about the tournament. He said, "I don't know
that the tournamentis such a great benefit to the town, but others seem to think it puts us
on the map." Rev.'' Passmore who spends a great deal of time and effort working for the
house league in Wingham said he resents the tournament because "I don't like to see our
local boys on the sidelines watching outside teams use their ice time."
(Photo by Jackson)
"I don't know, that the tow
ment is a great deal of benefit to
the town, butoths seem to thinit
it puts us on the map," says Mr.
Passmore.
Instead of supporting the tour.'
nament, he has focused his at
tentions on the house league play. +
"I put my time into organizing,,
house leagues.".
Still, he 'does not regret billet.,
ing the visiting tournament
players. "Some of them are such'; °
fine, likable guys that I hate ter
see them leave when the tours,
ment is over."
He said that some homes just '.
give the boys '"bed'and breakfast
and that's it." Others, however,'
go "a little further." It depend
on the boys themselves,'he
"Some want only the bed and?:
breakfast, then they are gone to.
play hockey. Others are a little
friendly and through their friend
liness they prompt more from the
host family."
Mr. Passmore criticized one
local establishment that served.
the boys last year. He said .the
beverage room should "know`'
that when there are boys -in town
for the Midget hockey tourna:'
ment, all of them are under age"'
and should not be . served.
He adds, "I hope it is better•pp
liced this year."
This year the tournament has
met up with more serious prob. NO DECREASE:
lems than having a few under -age. The fee increases haven't ham -
players drinking. pered the size of the tournament.
• In the past, the tournament has; As a matter of fact, there will be
been a big drawing card for 36 teams playing this year, corn -
teams from Illinois,. Michigan;
Ohio and other American states,..
This year, however,: thin
has increased the sanction fees
for the American teams and now
they would have to, pay $100 per
tournament plus $10 per team in
order to participate. This°money
is to be paid to the tournament,
which, in turn, is forwarded -to the
OMHA.
HAS DISCRIMINATED:
Dr. J. K. McGregor, chairman
of the citizens' committee that
now organizes the tournament,
says the OMHA has "diascrimi-
nated against the Americans.
"The American teams, as a re-
sult of this imposition ofrolarger
fees, have declined to come be-
cause of direct discrimination
against them," he says. "We felt
that their presence was good for
advertising purposes, to draw
larger crowds and for good rela-
tions between American hockey
and Canadian hockey:"
The secretary of the OMHA,
however,'says it is not their rul-
goodwi
on forever!
ing, but was handed to them by
the. Canadian Minor Hockey
Association.
Upon checking into the situa-
tion, Dr. McGregor said he can-
not find that there was any con-
sultation, prior to the decision
and terms it "an abitrary im-
position." He adds that if the lack
of American participation in the
tournament damages box office
returns, "we feel that neither the
CMHA nor the .OMHA will reim-
burse us for our loss."
He said, "There is no way we
can determine where this deci-
sion was made." Dr. McGregor
said he could find no proof of it in
the meeting minutes of the
OMHA Or the CMHA.
"Hockey should be apolitical
and should not discriminate, but
engender good will."
The increase in sanction fees
for U.S. teams is only part of the
overall increases. Canadian'
teams. outside of the jurisdiction,
of the OMHA will have to pay $50
this year to play in the tourna-
• ment, as opposed to the $30 and
$40 fees in the past.
"It certainly cuts down on the
availability of teams," says Dr.
McGregor. "Only one team
outside the• jurisdiction of the
OMHA has chosen to play. It's an
Ottawa team."
LAST YEAR'S OFFICIAL face-off was the beginning of an
international hockey tournament in Wingham, but this year
foreign entries have been eliminated because 6f the recent
increase in, OMHA sanction fees. American teams have de-
cided it Is far too expensive to play hockey in Canadian
tournaments and the Wingham Midget Tournament Com-
mittee is forced to agree with them. That increase in
sanction fees has turned the OMHA into the big bad wolf for
this 'one. (Staff Photo)
pared to 32 last year, but the fees
wut,dovF►i►
411, cams
frith', a witande and, says the
tournament committee' chair-
man, "It cuts down on the in
terest in the tournament.
"We haven't been able to at-
tract the same calibre of team as
we have in'the past." Because of
the increases for Canadian
teams, the tournament will
"probably be made up of all A
teams this year instead of Triple
A."
Will these increases in sanction
fees put the tournafnent in peril
in future years?
"We are endeavouring to
operate a total midget tourney
and we are going to concentrate
on this upcoming tourney first.
Afterwards we'll try to change
these sanctions: write letters and
campaign against it • and try to
rectify this mistake. But, right
now; the tournament prepara-
tions are first and foremost, the
chairman answers.
Next year the committee hopes
to make the tournament even
larger by catering to teams in the
C and B divisions as well as A
division. "In later years we will
probably even Include the E divi-
sion, so as 'to cover the entire
midget hockey realm," adds Dr.
McGregor.
Although it has met up with
some snags, the Wingham Midget
Hockey Tournament, also knovirn
as the Lockridge Memorial
Tournadbent, will get on with the
job of hosting young teams who
want to play good hockey. And
what a job it is!
QUITE AN INFLUX:
With an average of 20 players
on each team, the 36 teams pour-
ing into this town of , 3,000 .will
amount to a total of approxi-
mately 720 youngsters ... all with
hockey in their blood!
As Dr. McGregor says, "That's
quite ari influx."
Any team travelling over 100
miles will be billeted and fed.
This is a job in itself and calls on
the time and work of over 300
townspeople, including the serv-
ice clubs who will voluntarily
take care of the ice maintenance
department during the tourney
and the many host families who
will open their doors to these kids
so they can play the great Cana-
dian game.
Entrance fees charged by the
totirnarnent amount to $40 for A
and Triple A teams and $30 for C
and 13 teams. For this one-time
charge the team is guaranteed
two games in the tournament
plus meals and billeting services
if needed.
The tournament's overhead,
among other things, consists of a
$1O per day fee payable to the
OMHA for every day the tourna-
THE SIGN ON THE ARENA says`"Home of the Wingham Midget Hockey Tournarnent
Until the OMHA raised its sanction fees for teams from outside Canada it might have read
"Home of the Wingham International Midget Hockey Tournament". The increased tang, -
tion fees have ,pretty well guaranteed that no American teams will enter this years
(Photo by Jackson)
ment lasts. Last year, the
tournament netted about $1,500„
all of which went back into Wing -
ham' minor hockey.
The\tournament is more of a
good -will carnival,made: up- of ,a
lot of goon) people, doing a lot of
good things for a lot of good
•young hockey players.
Besides the host families, the
tournament committee itself, the
service clubs and the volunteer
help of the police, there is also the
job of refereeing some 100 hockey
games within the span of two
weekends.
Dr. McGregor says it is a
"complex task to acquire enough
referees for about 100 games."
He says the tournament refs will
come from Owen Sound, London,
Kitchener and other points in be-
tween:
etween: All are OMHA and CMHA
approved.
The chairman in charge of ar-
ranging for the referee crew is
Ed Daer,• a Wingham policeman
and referee.
r "He has done a very excellent
job in the past," says Dr.
McGregor, "and he is easily the
'best man for it."
it's quite obvious to any fan or
even a non -ran that minor hockey
has come a long way. The organi-
zation, coaches, players and
everyone connected with it is
more knowledgeable than in the
days when you and I put on our
scruffy equipment and took a
Please turn to Page 5
DR. J. K. McGREGOR, chairman ofthe Wingham Midget
Hockey Tournament Committee, is more than a little upset
that U.S. teams will not be participating this year. He states
that the American teams "have declined tQ come (to the'
tournament) this year because of direct discrimination
waged against them by the OMHA and the' CMHA."
(Photo by Jacksorf)
CKNX BROADCASTER Jim Swan says that "midget hockey is wide open and rough be-
cause kids at that age have lots of energy and a great desire to play hockey." The
Wingham Midget Hockey Tournament will be held on two successive weekends this year,
from March 15 to 18 and March 22 to 24. (Photo by Jackson)
•