Tag: Garth Malarchuk

WCPHS Foundation shares its good cheer with Medicine Hat groups

MEDICINE HAT (Nov. 10, 2025) — The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation, a beneficiary of the inaugural Yuill Foundation Golf Classic, is spreading some of that largesse around the Medicine Hat community.

The WCPHS Foundation received $93,000 from the Yuill Foundation after the Golf Classic was held at Desert Blume Golf Course on Sept. 11.

In turn, the WCPHS Foundation has chosen to make donations to the Senior Home Pet Visit Program, the 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games, the Equestrian Gymkhana Winter Series and the Hockey Hounds bantam tournament.

“We are deeply grateful to the Yuill Foundation for their outstanding generosity and continued support,” said Garth Malarchuk, the WCPHS Foundation’s chairman of the board. “Their unwavering commitment and exceptional efforts are unparalleled and have set a remarkable standard for others to follow.

“And we are more than pleased to support community programs in Medicine Hat. As our Foundation’s Vision Statement reads, ‘. . . we feel a strong obligation and commitment to give back to charities, communities and individuals, who could benefit from our support and financial assistance.’ ”

The Senior Home Pet Visit Program, which supports those who reside in 11 senior facilities in Medicine Hat and one in Bow Island, was given $15,000 to cover administrative costs for one year. Programs such as this bring comfort and joy to seniors through pet visits, helping with mental health care and well-being. The Medicine Hat program also involves special needs youth from the REDI Enterprises Foundation in the care and handling, thus creating an inclusive and compassionate experience.

The 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games are to be held in Medicine Hat from Aug. 11-15. The WCPHS Foundation donated $5,000 to the organizing committee to help cover costs associated with playing host to an event of this magnitude. The Games are expected to attract more than 1,500 athletes, coaches and officials to the city, with more than 1,000 local volunteers involved in keeping things on track.

The Equestrian Gymkhana Winter Series, which was given $1,000, is a new program that allows youngsters to experience the therapeutic benefits of working with horses. The money will help cover the costs of essential riding props for the inaugural event. Working with horses has proven beneficial to the mental health of young people, many of whom are dealing with anxiety issues and/or come from dysfunctional family environments.

The Hockey Hounds tournament, one of the longest-running bantam tournaments in Western Canada, also received $1,000. The money will help cover costs associated with the organizing and operation of the 2026 tournament.

The WCPHS Foundation’s man behind the scenes in Medicine Hat is associate director Blair Reid, who was a long-time scout and was a part of the Wall of Honour’s inaugural class in 2024.

“It’s wonderful that the scouts foundation has this relationship with the Yuill Foundation that includes participation in the annual Golf Classic,” Reid said, “and for us to be able to help out four organizations that give so much back to Medicine Hat and area is terrific.”

The WCPHS Foundation is continuing its relationship with the Yuill Foundation and, in fact, is working to make things bigger and better. As a result, the third annual Wall of Honour induction dinner will be held in Okotoks on Aug. 28 to allow an easier connection to the Golf Classic, which is scheduled for Aug. 27 in Medicine Hat. The first two induction dinners, in 2024 and 2025, had been held late in July.

Pedersen Show to open Wall of Honour day celebrations

OKOTOKS (July 9, 2025) — The celebration surrounding the non-profit Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation’s second annual Wall of Honour induction dinner will get underway on the morning of July 29.

While the dinner is to be held that evening at the Viking Rentals Centre in Okotoks, home of the Wall of Honour, veteran broadcaster Rod Pedersen will kick things off when he opens The Rod Pedersen Show at 10 a.m. (MT) from the lobby of the Sheraton Cavalier Calgary, the Foundation’s host hotel.

“The WCPHSF is doing a great thing with this Wall of Honour, and what they’re doing for the scouting fraternity as a whole,” Pedersen said. “Scouts are easily the most unheralded part of sports teams, but arguably the most important! To have the opportunity to shed more light on what they do by broadcasting our show from the event is a huge blessing.”

What will make the day so much more special is that Pedersen’s late father Jim, a longtime Dallas Stars scout, will be one of the 29 past and present-day scouts inducted into the Wall of Honour.

“I can’t wait to see my Dad’s scouting buddies in Okotoks and hear their war stories on air,” Pedersen said. “Our family is incredibly grateful to have our father recognized in this way and we’re excited to hopefully add to a great event.”

Pedersen’s show will run until noon from the hotel that is located at 2620-32nd Ave. NE. It is anticipated that a number of celebrity guests, honourees and foundation directors will make appearances.

“The Foundation is thrilled that Rod will be able to broadcast from the Sheraton Cavalier that day,” said Garth Malarchuk, the Foundation’s chairman of the board. “This will be a terrific opportunity for us to get out the message that we are about more than the Wall of Honour, that we are about helping charities and those in the scouting fraternity who maybe have been dealt a bad hand medically and need some help.

“Having The Rod Pedersen Show on the air like that is also an exciting way for us to get our big day started.”

The show is available for viewing on the Game+ television network. It also is available on YouTube, Facebook, Spotify. Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or Stitcher. Or you can visit rodpedersen.com/listenlive/.

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Foundation strikes two more partnerships

OKOTOKS (June 27, 2025) — The non-profit Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation continues to add to its organization . . . and always with an eye to the future.

The Foundation has added Jada Yee of Regina as its cultural advisor, while also entering into an agreement with Elevate Auctions to provide a presence at future fund-raisers.

Yee will have input into one of the Foundation’s biggest projects to date, the Celebrating Indigenous Hockey Legends banquet that is to be held in Regina on Sept. 30.

“This is a huge addition for the Foundation,” said Garth Malarchuk, the organization’s chairman of the board. “Yee is more than a little familiar with the traditions, the politics and all the rest of the Indigenous world, and he absolutely knows everyone. So he will be a huge help to us going forward.”

Yee was named CTV Regina’s Citizen of the year for 2023. Of Chinese-Canadian heritage, he is a member of the Wood Mountain Lakota Sioux Nation. A graduate of the University of Regina’s First Nations University of Canada, where he is a sessional instructor, he has a master’s degree of administration in leadership from the University of Regina.

Yee is the first citizen to be elected to the post of Chair of the Regina Police Commission. He also has served on such boards as the Regina Food Bank and the Regina Aboriginal Professionals Association. And he is a partner in OneHoop, an Indigenous consulting firm.

Meanwhile, the WCPHSF has forged a partnership with Elevate Auctions in a move that can only enhance the experience for those attending the second annual Wall of Honour induction dinner in Okotoks on July 29 or the Celebrating Indigenous Hockey Legends banquet in Regina.

Elevate Auctions isn’t your typical auction house; rather, it deals only with non-profit and charitable organizations who are fund-raising via auctions. It has worked with such organizations as the Hospitals of Regina Foundation, the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, the Keyano College Foundation, the Calgary Flames alumni, the Flames Foundation and the Calgary Stampeders alumni.

Bill Brown, Elevate Auctions’ co-founder, said his firm will have an auctioneer and at least one spotter on hand at the dinners in Okotoks and Regina as the Foundation has plans to entertain bids on sports-related travel packages.

The agreement with Elevate Auctions also will allow the WCPHSF to provide a link on its website from which the public will be able to view and bid on silent auction items that will be made available.

“We feel confident that bringing in Bill Brown and Elevate Auctions will help us raise even more money for the WCPHSF and the many charities we support,” said Mark Stiles, the Foundation’s director of donor and stakeholder relations. “Bill is an expert in the field and works with some of the largest foundations and not-for-profit groups in Southern Alberta and beyond.”

Tickets for the Okotoks and Regina banquets are available at tickets.hockeyscoutsfoundation.com.

WCPHS Foundation joins forces with two partners

The non-profit Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation has entered into two partnerships, both of which will be key to the organization’s future.

HNLIVE now Foundation’s broadcast partner

HNLIVE has signed on as the Foundations official broadcast partner.

The WCPHSF has two banquets scheduled for this summer — its second annual Wall of Honour induction dinner and a banquet Celebrating Indigenous Hockey Legends — and HNLIVE will be live-streaming both events.

HNLIVE, a broadcast, streaming and production company, is Canada’s fastest growing sports streaming platform with partnerships with Hockey Canada and numerous major showcases across Canada. It has a history in HD live-streaming, from top prospect games to regular-season games, championship events, all-star games and beyond. It bills itself as “a one-stop-shop resource.”

“We’re thrilled to become the official broadcast partner of the WCPHSF,” HNLIVE owner Corrie Brough said. “All their events/banquets will now be available on HNLIVE if you are unable to attend. The WCPHSF does tremendous work by giving back to communities across Western Canada and we’re very happy to be involved.”

The Foundation isn’t yet two years old, and the Wall of Honour is its pride and joy. But there’s a lot more to it than that, as it is committed to giving back to Western Canadian communities and charities, and to those in the scouting community who need support. It already has helped out in those areas with organizations as varied as Bear Clan Bow River, the BC and Yukon branch of the Kidney Foundation of Canada, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It also has provided financial aid to scouts with medical issues.

The Wall of Honour induction dinner is scheduled for the Viking Rentals Centre in Okotoks on July 29. On that evening, 29 past and present-day scouts will be honoured. The evening — A Night With the Sutters — also will feature two hot stove sessions involving members of the hockey-playing family from Viking.

“This is exciting news for our foundation in that it allows the general public to observe and partake in our second Wall of Honour induction dinner,” said Garth Malarchuk, the WCPHS Foundation’s chairman of the board.“Viewers not only will be treated to some great stories from hockey’s first family, but also will have the option of bidding on some outstanding silent- and live-auction items and packages.”

The dinner Celebrating Indigenous Hockey Legends is to be held in Regina’s Conexus Art Centre in Wascana Park on Sept. 30. Some of the proceeds from the Regina dinner will go to local charities that deal with Indigenous children — the Ranch Ehrlo Society’s Outdoor Hockey League, Sask Sport, for KidSport Saskatchewan, and the Circle Project.

“This is exciting for us,” said Mark Stiles, the Foundation’s director of donor and stakeholder relations, “as HNLIVE will be streaming both banquets amongst many other things, like creating short videos for our website.”

Tickets for both dinners are available at tickets.hockeyscoutsfoundation.com.

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WCPHSF joins up with Harvard Media in Regina

The Foundation also has entered into a promotional agreement with Harvard Media involving the Celebrating Indigenous Hockey Legends banquet that is to be held in Regina.

Earlier, the non-profit foundation partnered with the Regina Hotel Association on the banquet that is scheduled for the Conexus Arts Centre on Sept. 30, which is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Under terms of the agreement, which runs from June 9 through Sept. 30, Harvard Media will be recognized as an event sponsor and will provide on-air and on-line support from its Regina-based radio stations 620 CKRM, play92, and 104.9 The WOLF. The package also includes on-air support from The SportsCage, CKRM’s popular sports talk show.

“The SportsCage has made a commitment to local sports more than ever over the past year,” SportsCage host Barney Shynkaruk said, “and this event will bring Saskatchewan hockey together once again and, more importantly, shine a spotlight on the proud Indigenous hockey culture.

“The WCPHSF group has been doing some great work for community groups across Western Canada and we’re excited to have an opportunity to showcase that.”

The dinner is to be emceed by Dennis Beyak, an associate director with the Foundation. The retired TSN hockey play-by-play voice handles the emcee duties at all Foundation events. Beyak will guide everyone through an evening that will feature two hot stove sessions including some of the Indigenous legends like Kalley Armstrong, Ron Delorme, the King brothers, D.J. and Dwight, Jon (Nasty) Mirasty, Rich Pilon, Jordin Tootoo and Hall-of-Famer Bryan Trottier.

Some of the proceeds will go to Regina-area organizations that deal with Indigenous youths — the Ranch Ehrlo Society’s Outdoor Hockey League; Sask Sport, for KidSport Saskatchewan; and the Circle Project.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Harvard Media on board with us,” said Foundation vice-president Ross Mahoney, a Regina resident who is the NHL-Washington Capitals’ assistant general manager. “The folks there have a wide following in Regina and in Saskatchewan so this agreement is a real positive for us.”

Tickets for the dinner are available at tickets.hockeyscoutsfoundation.com.

Celebrating Indigenous Hockey Legends banquet coming to Regina

REGINA (May 13, 2025) — The non-profit Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation is partnering with the Regina Hotel Association to celebrate Indigenous hockey.

A dinner, billed as ‘Celebrating Indigenous Hockey Legends’, is scheduled for Sept. 30 at the Conexus Arts Centre on Lakeshore Drive in Regina’s beautiful Wascana Park.

The dinner also is being held in conjunction with National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

It is anticipated that the evening will include two hot stove sessions featuring some of those legends, including Kalley Armstrong, Ron Delorme, the King brothers, D.J. and Dwight, Jon (Nasty) Mirasty, Rich Pilon, Jordin Tootoo, Hall-of-Famer Bryan Trottier and Dave (Tiger) Williams, with more to be added.

“Having the opportunity to hold an event in a city with one of the richest histories in hockey on such a significant day and adding in the banquet’s theme is just a recipe for a successful event,” said Garth Malarchuk, a longtime scout with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and the WCPHS Foundation’s chairman of the board. “This certainly meets one of our foundation’s primary mandates in supporting and giving back to the community.”

The dinner also will feature auctions involving hockey sweaters from Indigenous players.

Some of the proceeds from the evening will be shared with Regina-area organizations, including the Ranch Ehrlo Society’s Outdoor Hockey League, which had a single-season high 466 players participate in 2024-25, its 32nd season. Also receiving some of the proceeds will be Sask Sport, for KidSport Saskatchewan, and the Circle Project, which, according to its mission statement, “provides support and programs based on the Aboriginal vision of wholeness, balance, and healing. By promoting positive human development, we encourage people to help themselves through education, cultural awareness, family and community.”

“Regina has always been a city where hockey lives at the heart of the community. We are proud to welcome the 2025 Western Canadian Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation gala dinner and celebrate the legacy and contributions of the scouts who shape the game we love,” Sandra Jackle, the RHA’s president and CEO, said. “Partnering this event with National Day for Truth and Reconciliation not only amplifies the energy but also highlights the strong hockey culture that defines our city.

“We are thrilled to support this initiative, which not only brings the hockey world together but also gives back to the Regina community through the Scouts Foundation mission and outreach.”

Tammy Hoffart, KidSport’s provincial co-ordinator, added: “KidSport is a children’s charity designated to assist children ages 5-18 of families facing financial obstacles to participate in community sport programs. In 2024, KidSport provided opportunities to 5,500 children in Saskatchewan — 1,254 of which self identified as Indigenous. . . . Hockey remains one of our top-funded sports and in 2024 KidSport helped 861 kids through over $300,000 in grants to participate.

“Connecting with the Indigenous Hockey Legends banquet will help as KidSport looks to broaden our reach in 2025 and celebrate 30 years of helping get kids off the sidelines and into the game.”

Banquet tickets — $250 each or $1,600 per table of eight — are available at the Foundation’s website (hockeyscoutsfoundation.com).

In the lead-up to the dinner, the foundation and the hotel association will sponsor a contest involving Regina high school students. It will run from Sept. 1-14. The Foundation is looking for a ‘Celebrating Indigenous Hockey Legends’-related design to use on t-shirts, with sale proceeds to be given to charity. The contest winner will receive a bursary and an invitation to the banquet as a guest of the foundation. Watch for more details on this contest to be revealed in August.

“As a Reginan and a scout, I am really excited for the possibilities that exist for our foundation through an event such as this,” said Ross Mahoney, the WCPHS Foundation’s vice-president and the NHL-Washington Capitals’ assistant general manager. “I also am a former Regina high school teacher, so am really looking forward to being involved with the schools and our contest.”

The WCPHSF is in its infancy, having held its startup banquet less than two years ago. It raised enough money through that dinner and all that went with it, including a roast of Hockey Night in Canada’s Ron MacLean and various auctions, that it was able to get its Wall of Honour built and installed in the Viking Rentals Centre, the arena in Okotoks, Alta.

The Foundation held its inaugural induction dinner on July 29, 2024, during which 49 past and present-day scouts were saluted. The theme was ‘Tales From the Road,’ with two hot stove sessions featuring a whole lot of story-telling.

This year’s induction banquet — A Night With the Sutters — is scheduled for Okotoks on July 29, with a class of 29 to be inducted. The night will include hot stove sessions featuring hockey’s Sutter brothers.

There is a whole lot more to the WCPHSF than a Wall of Honour.

Since its inception, the Foundation has operated as a non-profit organization under the Alberta Societies Act; it recently applied for registered charity status with Revenue Canada.

The Foundation’s Vision statement, which is on its website (hockeyscoutsfoundation.com), includes:

“Our non-profit foundation is appreciative and indebted to the game of hockey and all that it has provided to our life’s experiences. Because of that we feel a strong obligation and commitment to give back to charities, communities and individuals who could benefit from our support and financial assistance.”

The Foundation already has helped out in those areas with organizations as varied as Bear Clan Bow River and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It also has provided financial help to scouts with medical issues.

The Foundation’s long-range plan includes providing financial assistant to individuals in the scouting community who are facing medical challenges; conducting seminars to provide future scouts, parents, players and coaches with information about the realities of playing hockey at a professional level; organize ‘Bid for Kids’ auction packages with all proceeds going to a designated individual or child-focused organization; supporting organizations across Western Canada with funding to reduce operational costs; and donations to health-related charities.

For further info, contact . . . 

Garth Malarchuk, WCPHSF chairman of the board

gmalarchuk@torontomapleleafs.com

Tim Lenardon, WCPHSF co-ordinator

timlenardon78@gmail.com

Gregg Drinnan, WCPHSF editor/historian

greggdrinnan@gmail.com

WCPHSF, Igniter Tickets form partnership

(March 12, 2025)

The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation has entered into a long-term agreement with Edmonton-based Igniter Tickets to handle online ticket sales to its functions.

The first event to be handled by Igniter Tickets is the Foundation’s second annual Wall of Honour induction dinner. It is scheduled to be held in Okotoks, Alta., the home of the Wall of Honour, on July 29.

“We are really pleased to have been able to strike up a partnership with Igniter Tickets,” Erin Ginnell, the Foundation’s president, said. “This will provide us with some stability in the area of ticket sales, which is of utmost importance to us.”

Garth Malarchuk, the chairman of the Foundation’s board of directors, pointed out that “we did our due diligence and received nothing but positive reviews about Igniter, and entering into a partnership with a Canadian firm was a no-brainer.”

The non-profit WCPHSF is about more than its Wall of Honour. It is “appreciative and indebted to the game of hockey and all that it has provided to our life’s experiences,” as its Vision statement reads. “Because of that we feel a strong obligation and commitment to give back to charities, communities and individuals who could benefit from our support and financial assistance.”

As such, the Foundation is committed to providing financial help to scouts with medical issues and to various charities.

Igniter (ignitertickets.com) is a premier provider of ticketing solutions, offering unmatched product depth and hands-on expertise to sports teams and venues. Backed by proven technology and a track record of delivering effective solutions with measurable success, the company takes a creative, specialized approach to every partnership. 

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation,” said Igniter partner Daniel Giroux, “providing ticketing solutions for their events that celebrate the contributions of those so integral to the sport. It’s an honour to support their mission of recognizing the dedication and expertise of hockey scouts and all they do.”

Igniter also ensures every ticketing portal is customized to reflect the unique identity of each client, putting their brand front and centre to create a memorable and engaging experience for every event attendee.

Tickets for the WCPHSF’s second annual Wall of Honour induction dinner are available on the Foundation’s website — hockeyscoutsfoundation.com.

For more information, please contact: 

WCPHSF

Garth Malarchuk, Chairman of the Board

gmalarchuk@torontomapleleafs.com

Tim Lenardon, Co-ordinator

timlenardon78@gmail.com

IGNITER TICKETS

Thommy Hutson, Communications

thommy@ignitertickets.com

1.800.403.5508 ext. 114

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Tickets to 2025 Wall of Honour induction dinner now on sale

There’s good news if you are wanting to attend the Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation’s second annual Wall of Honour induction dinner.

It is to be held in Okotoks, Alta., on July 29 — in the Event Hall at the Viking Rentals Centre — with the theme of A Night With the Sutters, featuring hockey-playing members of the game’s first family from Viking.

Yes, tickets and tables now are available off the Foundation’s website — hockeyscoutsfoundation.com.

Tickets to the general public are available at a cost of $250 each, with standard tables of eight going for $1,600.

With emcee Dennis Beyak in charge of the agenda, the evening also will include the induction of 29 past and present-day scouts into the Wall of Honour, along with auctions featuring various autographed sweaters and event packages.

If you have any questions, please contact Tim Lenardon or Garth Malarchuk.

Tim Lenardon, WCPHSF co-ordinator

250-764-2630

timlenardon78@gmail.com

Garth Malarchuk, WCPHSF chairman of the board

250-717-7505

gmalarchuk@torontomapleleafs.com

WCPHS Foundation mourns death of a friend; McVie remembered as “a legend”

Members of the Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation are in mourning today following the death of Tom McVie.

McVie, 89, died on Sunday night in Portland, Ore.

McVie is one of 29 scouts who will be go into the Foundation’s Wall of Honour at its second annual induction dinner in Okotoks, Alta., on July 29.

“We lost a legend,” said Scott Bradley, a member of the Foundation’s board of directors and a longtime McVie friend and associate. “I was fortunate to have been able to work with him for most of my career.”

Bradley is in his 32nd season as part of the Boston Bruins organization and his sixth as senior advisor to the general manager. He was inducted into the Wall of Honour in 2024, as was his father, Bart, who also had a long career with the Bruins.

“My Dad worked with him . . . they had a long-time association,” Scott added. “They were in Dayton together (with the IHL’s Gems) . . . I’ve been part of Tommy’s circle for a long time.”

A native of Trail, B.C., McVie had an 18-year playing career with most of it in the old Western Hockey League where he played with the Seattle Totems, Portland Buckaroos, Los Angeles Blades and Phoenix Roadrunners. He also played in the EHL and IHL before retiring after 1973-74.

Dwight Jaynes, a long-time Portand, Ore., journalist and friend of McVie’s, wrote on Monday that “he wanted to coach but said that he was told the stories of his drinking were going to keep him out of that job pool. So he flat-out quit — never to drink again. He then set off on a coaching journey through the minor leagues, to prove that a guy who never played in the NHL could coach there.”

McVie spent the next 27 seasons as a coach.

He was the head coach of the WHA’s Winnipeg Jets when they won the Avco Cup to end the 1978-79 season. By the next season, the Jets were in the NHL. They started 1-20-7 and were on a 25-game winless skid when McVie was replaced.

“When we won the Avco Cup championship,” McVie would tell people, “there’s a bridge near the old barn that they wanted to name after me. After 15 games in the National Hockey League, they wanted to throw me off that same bridge.”

He also spent time as the head coach of three NHL teams — the Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils and Boston.

McVie didn’t get into scouting until 1998, by which time he was 63 years of age, when he joined the Bruins as a pro scout. He worked in that capacity and as a Bruins ambassador through 2019-20, getting his name on the Stanley Cup when Boston won the 2011 title.

In all, McVie was part of the Bruins organization for 37 years.

“The Bruins,” Scott Bradley said, “will miss him. He lit up a room when he was in it. There wasn’t a better story-teller or joke-teller.”

In a statement, Bruins president Cam Neely offered:

“The entire Boston Bruins organization is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Tom McVie. Tom was a huge part of our Bruins family, having served as a coach, scout and ambassador for more than 30 years. His hockey mind, colorful personality, gruff voice, and unmatched sense of humor livened up every room he entered and will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tom’s family and many loved ones.”

During his career, Tim Lenardon, a former scout and the Foundation’s co-ordinator, played for McVie in the AHL. Lenardon will be inducted into the Wall of Honour, along with McVie, in July.

“Tommy was a great person and a great coach,” Lenardon said. “He knew how to get the best out of everyone. He was like a second dad to me . . . hard but fair.”

Lenardon especially remembers some advice that he got from McVie: “Hey, Kid, you gotta shoot the (bleeping) puck more . . . and when you shoot hit the damn net” and “Don’t go offside for F sakes; it’s like back-checking for the other team.”

Garth Malarchuk, the Foundation’s chairman of the board, also remembers playing for McVie.

“He was a big-time competitor . . . no bullshit . . . you knew where you stood with him for sure,” Malarchuk said.

According to Jaynes, McVie was more than that, though.

“He was one of the best damn people I knew — a hilarious public speaker, loyal friend and all-around good guy to everyone he met,” Jaynes wrote. “He campaigned so hard to get his Buckaroo teammate and long-time friend Connie Madigan into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and accomplished it prior to Madigan’s death.”

Madigan and McVie were the best of friends, and both of them were legends in hockey circles. Madigan died just over a year ago — on Jan. 2, 2024. Scott Bradley said McVie was never the same after the loss of his friend.

————

Among McVie’s pearls of wisdom from over the years . . . 

“My late wife always used to say to me ‘you love hockey more than you love me.’ I always said ‘Yeah, but I love you more than I love baseball.’ ’’

——

How long would it take for him to join a new team if offered a coaching job: “I can be out of town in 20 minutes. Thirty if I have stuff at the cleaners.”

——

“Two places never to make a drop pass: At home, and on the road.”

——

If I wasn’t coaching hockey,” he once told the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont, “then I’d probably be driving the Zamboni.”

——

And then there was this story related to The Athletic in 2018:

“This writer, a young fellow, comes along and I’ve never seen him before. He was carrying a recorder, comes in and sticks the microphone in the face and asked, ‘Are you Tom McVie?’ Like, who doesn’t know who I am? Everyone knows who I am (laughter). So, I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘Well, let me ask you something. Are you the Tom McVie that coached the Washington Capitals and they set a league record for losing games?’ I said, ‘Yes. I’m Tom McVie.’ He said, ‘Are you the Tom McVie that coached the Winnipeg Jets and you broke that losing record? Now, you’re coaching the New Jersey Devils and you’re in danger of setting a new losing record?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’

“He said, ‘Did you ever think of quitting?’ And I said, ‘F–k, no. This is the only thing I’m really good at.’ ”

————

Tom McVie . . . hockey lifer . . . Wall of Honour inductee . . . dead at 89.

Scouts Foundation strikes Ace Award in honour of Bailey; Sather to make inaugural presentation

February 6, 2024

The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation will be honouring someone close to the scouting fraternity with the Ace Award.

The foundation announced today that the Ace Award, in honour of the late Garnet (Ace) Bailey, will be presented annually to a member of the scouting fraternity or someone involved with the scouting community for contributions above and beyond what may have been expected.

ACE BAILEY

The first recipient will be honoured at the Foundation’s inaugural Wall of Honour banquet that is scheduled for Okotoks, Alta., on July 29.

Glen Sather, who had a long association with Bailey while both were in the 

Edmonton Oilers’ organization, will make the presentation. Sather, now a senior advisor and alternate governor with the New York Rangers, also will speak to the induction of former Edmonton scouts Lorne Davis, Barry Fraser and Kevin Prendergast into the Foundation’s Wall of Honour.

Sather was the head coach of the WHA’s Oilers in 1978-79; Bailey played 38 games for the Oilers that season. Bailey later was a pro scout for the NHL Oilers for 13 seasons (1981-94), while Sather was president, GM and head coach.

Bailey, a native of Lloydminster, Sask., was a former NHL player who had a 20-year scouting career, split between the Oilers and Los Angeles Kings. He was the Kings’ director of pro scouting when he died aboard the plane that crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. He was 53.

“There are a lot of people inside and outside the scouting community who go above and beyond to not only do the job but assist in ways that make the job a lot easier,” said Foundation president Erin Ginnell. “We want to honour those people and who better to name such an award after than Ace Bailey?

“Ace went above and beyond not only at the rink but also away from the game. He gave the ultimate sacrifice to the job on 9/11 and we’d like to honour him for that and who he was, not only as a scout but as the person he was.”

Bailey’s playing career included 568 regular-season NHL games over 10 seasons split between the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals. He also played one season with the WHA’s Oilers when his roommate on the road was a freshman centre named Wayne Gretzky.

“He reminded me so much of my dad,” Gretzky told The Athletic’s Dan Robson on the 20th anniversary of Bailey’s death. “He was like my best friend. Like a brother. My second dad.”

Bailey won two Stanley Cups as a player (Bruins, 1970, 1972) and five while scouting with the Oilers (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990). He also won a Memorial Cup (1966) with the Edmonton Oil Kings.

He joined Edmonton’s scouting staff in 1981, then moved to the Kings in 1994. He had been their director of pro scouting for seven years.

Since its formation more than a year ago, the Foundation has been working to make the Ace Award a big part of its platform.

“Ace enjoyed spending time with his hockey scout family,” his widow, Kathy, said. “I’m sure he would be honoured to know that the award will be presented in his name.”

The Bailey family has kept his name alive through Ace’s Place, a playroom at Tufts Children Hospital in Boston.

“Kathy Bailey wanted her husband to be remembered for the heart he had for others — especially children,” Robson wrote. “He was the one with the hilarious Daffy Duck impressions, which always amused his nieces and nephews. He was Santa Claus at Christmas and the Easter Bunny each spring. He visited sick children often during his days as a beloved member of the Bruins.”

There also is an Ace’s Place in the paediatric emergency room at Tufts.

Bailey also was immensely popular throughout the scouting fraternity.

“Ace was undoubtedly one of the most popular individuals within our fraternity during his years of scouting at the NHL level,” said Garth Malarchuk, the chairman of the Foundation’s board of directors. “He was very respected for his accomplishments and successes within the hockey world. There was always lots of humour and laughter when Ace was around; he was such a fun person to be around.

“No question that it tore a piece out of everyone who knew Ace on the day we lost him during the terrorist attacks. That was a sad, sad day and a tragic loss.”

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The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation in a non-profit organization comprising NHL scouts from Western Canada and a group of committed individuals from the hockey community. It feels a strong obligation to honour scouts, past and present, and a commitment to give back to charities, communities and individuals who could benefit from the support and financial assistance.

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Erin Ginnell, WCPHSF president

eginnell@vegasgoldenknights.com

Garth Malarchuk, WCPHSF chairman of the board

gmalarchuk@torontomapleleafs.com

Gregg Drinnan, WCPHSF editor and historian

greggdrinnan@gmail.com

Scouts’ Wall of Honour to open with 45 inductees

The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation will induct 45 members of the scouting fraternity into its Wall of Honour this summer.

The banquet is scheduled to be held in Okotoks, Alta., on Monday, July 29.

Comprising three Matrix screens, the WCPHSF Wall of Honour video presentation will be on permanent display at the Centennial Arena in Okotoks.

The first inductees feature five pioneers of the scouting fraternity, including Danny Summers, who returned from the Second World War to play for the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers before getting into scouting, and Murray (Torchy) Schell, who spent summers as an assistant equipment manager with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders while he was scouting.

Also being inducted will be 17 scouts from the Early Era (1968-80), including Elmer Benning, who put more than 1 million miles on one car while on the scouting trail; Pat (Paddy) Ginnell, who was a legendary junior coach before turning to scouting; and Del Wilson, a long-time scout who also was a founding father of the major junior WHL.

There also will be 20 scouts from the Modern Era (1981-present) inducted, including Vaughn Karpan, who has been a key figure with the Vegas Golden Knights; Al Murray, one of the architects of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s success; and Barry Trapp, who retired in August 2023 after more than 60 years in the game.

Rounding out the inaugural class will be Lorne Frey and the late Graham Tuer, both of whom had lengthy scouting careers in junior hockey.

Garnet (Ace) Bailey also will be honoured. Bailey scouted for the Edmonton Oilers and then the Los Angeles Kings. He was en route to the Kings’ training camp aboard United Airlines flight 175 when it crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.

“Our selection committee did an excellent job of recognizing these candidates for the Wall of Honour,” Foundation president Erin Ginnell said. “These scouts are not only builders of the game that put thousands of players into the NHL and pro ranks, but also represented their teams and the game with class, professionalism and determination to succeed.  “A lot of these honorees were real mentors to people like myself when I first started; they were always there with help travelling, directions, and generally just made you feel a part of the fraternity.”

The complete list of inductees (* – denotes deceased):

SPECIAL RECOGNITION: *-Garnet (Ace) Bailey.

PIONEERS: *-George Agar, *-Frank Currie, *-Murray (Torchy) Schell, *-Danny Summers, *-Cecil (Tiny) Thompson.

EARLY ERA (1968-1980): *-Elmer Benning, *-Bart Bradley, *-Lorne Davis, *-Gerry Ehman, *-Barry Fraser, *-Pat Ginnell, Ted Hampson, *-Charlie Hodge, Earl Ingarfield Sr, *-Lou Jankowski, Marshall Johnston, Bill Lesuk, *-Ian McKenzie, *-Gerry Melnyk, Bob Owen, *-Clare Rothermel, *-Del Wilson.

MODERN ERA (1981-present): Scott Bradley, Craig Button, John Chapman, George Fargher, Tony Feltrin, Bruce Franklin, Bruce Haralson, Archie Henderson, Les Jackson, Vaughn Karpan, Ross Mahoney, Bert Marshall, Wayne Meier, Al Murray, Gerry O’Flaherty, Kevin Prendergast, Blair Reid, Glen Sanders, Peter Sullivan, Barry Trapp.

JUNIOR: Lorne Frey, *-Graham Tuer.

As well, five scouts from Western Canada were honoured at the Sept. 30 startup banquet in Okotoks with the WCPHSF’s Recognition and Dedication Service Award. Those five are Ron Delorme, Glen Dirk, Garth Malarchuk, Don Paarup and Mike Penny.

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“Our committee’s selections were primarily based on years of combined service as a scout and/or an association to the scouting process,” Garth Malarchuk, the Chairman of the Foundation’s board of directors, said. “I think everyone who has been associated with the scouting fraternity will agree that this is a pretty impressive group of individuals that we will be honouring. “Trust me, our committee could easily have added another 15-20 deserving individuals to this list, but we had to cut it off somewhere.” Moving forward, we certainly don’t want to miss anyone and the plan is to keep adding individuals to our Foundation’s Wall of Honour on an annual basis.”

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The startup banquet on Sept. 30 was a rip-roaring success, highlighted by a roast of Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean, along with silent and live sweater auctions. If you weren’t fortunate enough to attend, you are able to find a highly entertaining video of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman roasting MacLean at hockeyscoutsfoundation.com.

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Planning is well underway for the inaugural induction banquet on July 29 in Okotoks. Banquet details, including information on tickets, will be announced in the near future.