The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Goodbye Paddy Many including myself were saddened by the November death from cancer of former Bomber player and coach Paddy Ginnell. Paddy was a hockey legend, playing a major role in the Bomber's famous 1957 Memorial Cup win, then later winning many championships as Bomber coach. His claim to fame includes the dozens of his former players who played professional hockey including Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach who starred in the NHL. Readers should take a walk around Whitney Forum and see he Bomber teams of the past with Paddy proudly sitting front and centre. Paddy and I were both born in Dauphin and started grade 1 together. I recall the first day of school, standing beside Paddy who was all cut and bruised but not complaining. He had fallen off his bike and really looked a sight. As one of Dauphin's "tough guys" along with former Bombers Ron Cox and Bob Kabel (Kabel later played for New York Rangers), Paddy was a good guy to be on the good side of, but he was not a bully, sometimes acting as a protector for weaker youngsters. One of these was Archie. Archie's family was so poor they lived in a car at one time and were picked on by teachers, the principal and classmates alike. Archie was constantly bullied by classmates, harassed and beaten up until Paddy became his protector. No more beatings or harassment for Archie who overcame poverty to become a prominent businessman. (He told me this story). Paddy was a good and tough player on the ice but became more famous as a coach, possessing a talent for inspiring players (at 14 he coached a team I played on and we did well). His teams were tough and feared on and off the ice, but fans in opposing cities came out in droves to see the games. Paddy was often a target for fan abuse. One game my Flin Flon buddies and I attended in Winnipeg saw a hostile fan fill a pail full of beer and dump it over Paddy's head as he was wearing his new Bomber blazer. Fans in the stands took care of the perpetrator who was not allowed to escape up the stairs. The "Riverton Rifle", Reggie Leach, often credited Paddy Ginnell with instilling in him the discipline to become an NHL star. The story is that when young Reg came to Flin Flon he was, to put it kindly, rather undisciplined. Paddy called him in, put him on a curfew and told him frankly what would happen to him if he didn't behave, striking terror in the heart of the young athlete. Leach and linemate Bobby Clarke later struck fear in the hearts of most NHL goaltenders. Paddy left the Bombers to become an owner/coach in other western Canadian cities. "I didn't own a stick, Rog," he told me when I asked why he could leave such a successful program. His reputation as a coach and developer of players continued in the West. Later he became a scout for St. Louis Blues, a position he held until his passing. How was his talent as a scout? Generally great, but listen to this! As principal of Silver Heights in the early 1980s, I was approached by Graham James from the Winnipeg Junior Jets, later famous and infamous as a Western Junior Hockey coach, to enroll a number of players at the school. Graham was a local boy who was a great substitute teacher. One time I offered him a full time job which he turned down as he wanted to see how far he could go in coaching. Graham brought in a number of Jet's players from Western Canada, boarded them with local families and enrolled them in school. In all we ended up with seven members of the team at Silver Heights. James also brought in a 15-year-old player from Russell to play on the St. James Canadians bantams named Thoeren Fleury and registered him in grade 10. On one of his frequent trips to the office, Thoeren invited me to watch him play. He was simply phenomenal, taking the team from last place to the City title. He was also a natural athlete, playing shortstop on a very ordinary school fastball team, which made the provincial playdowns. I told Paddy about this great player and Paddy scouted him. We all know that Fleury went to Prince Albert, then became a super star with Calgary in the NHL. Paddy and I had a number of laughs over his not signing Fleury for the Blues. "He was too small Rog," was his reason. Later head scout Teddy Hampson told me that at the time Theo wouldn't have fitted in with the Blues who had too many small forwards, but was protected by the larger players on the Flames. I still don't believe him! Paddy's many friends, acquaintances and former players whose careers he greatly influenced will miss him. Condolences to his family.
