It is less than two months until the Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation holds its second annual Wall of Honour induction dinner. It is scheduled for July 29 in Okotoks, Alta., with 29 past and present-day scouts to be inducted. . . . It also is going to be a chance to spend A Night With the Sutters, with members of the hockey-playing family from Viking, Alta., on hand. . . . Tickets for the dinner are available at tickets.hockeyscoutsfoundation.com. . . . In the meantime, we are introducing folks to some of the inductees, like George Wood. . . .
GEORGE WOOD
(April 2, 1937 — July 31, 2003)
Born in Winnipeg, he was hired as western scout by the Vancouver Canucks prior to 1974-75 and was there for 11 seasons. . . . Later split three seasons between the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. . . . A goaltender in his playing days, he saw action in the EHL, EPHL, AHL, WHL and IHL. . . . Won Memorial Cup with the Flin Flon Bombers (1956-57). Is immortalized as part of mural on north wall of Flin Flon’s Whitney Forum. . . . Won AHL championship with the 1960-61 Springfield Indians. . . . While scouting for the Canucks, he sometimes went on the ice during practices and worked with the goaltenders. Glen Hanlon, for one, credited Wood with helping him improve his game. . . . Also was an excellent baseball player (first base) and was scouted by the New York Yankees. But size — he was 5-8 — was an issue.
TAKING NOTE 