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.
Standing 5 ft. 9 in. with a trim frame, Gerry Hart is not exactly a big man. Yet the impact he has had on his hometown is massive, much larger than the modest former Flin Flon Bomber and NHLer would ever admit. Now Hart's name will be immortalized in Flin Flon as the street running to the north of his old stomping grounds, the Whitney Forum, has been christened in his honour. "Being recognized by your hometown for anything is a pretty special privilege," he said at the unveiling of Hart Avenue last Saturday, July 31. "It's one thing to be recognized as an athlete or a politician or whatever, but I think to be recognized by your fellow citizens as a contributor to the community is a real honour for me, and it's a humbling honour." Hart, 62, took delight in noting that Hart Avenue is in the same area where his late parents met decades ago. Mom Dorothy was a maid at one of the long-gone HBMS cottages and dad Frank was a miner with the company. "It's just kind of, for me, somewhat nostalgic that I'd be here representing the Hart family 60, 70 years later," Hart told a crowd of family, friends and city dignitaries. A steady defenceman who knew how to move the puck, Hart spent parts of four seasons in Maroon and White, two of them as the teammate of a pair of other Bomber legends, Bob Clarke and Reggie Leach. He parlayed the skills he honed in Flin Flon into a successful NHL career that spanned more than 700 games across parts of 15 seasons. As much as he is known for his abilities on the ice, Hart is highly regarded for his generosity off it. Kind and caring, he remains a big supporter of his alma mater, the Bombers. "All amateur teams need...the support of the community in many different ways, whether it's bringing recognition to the team, creating awareness, fundraising," he said. "I mean, those are all things that there can never be enough of. I particularly enjoy mentoring some of the young players and being available to talk to them about life decisions and decisions related to schools that they might choose, or a career path, and that's something that, there were guys before me that helped me with that and I'd like to be there for some of them." Modesty With characteristic modesty, Hart downplayed the significance of his achievements. "I'm just one little spoke in the wheel here," said Hart, who now lives in New York and Florida but retains a summer cottage at Bakers Narrows. "You know, there's been many that played alongside me, before me and after me that are also great ambassadors, and I know that Flin Flon is known across the North American continent as a great hockey town and a very friendly place. "And it's amazing, wherever you can go, in many big cities, there are people that have heard of Flin Flon or you'll run into somebody from Flin Flon in almost any city in the world. It's a bond that I have to congratulate all of you on is that, I think, anybody that's from Flin Flon or claims to be from Flin Flon wants to be part of the Flin Flon family, and I know that's how I feel about it." Prior to unveiling the Hart Avenue sign Ð maroon and white and topped with the Bomber logo Ð Mayor Tom Therien commended Hart for his past and his current contributions, particularly to Bomber hockey. "It goes without saying that Flin Flon, of course, is founded on mining but is known worldwide for hockey," the mayor told the assembled crowd. "And Gerry has been graciously recognized by the Bomber organization inside the Whitney Forum. I mean, he's got his name and number (hanging) from the rafters, he's got a caricature of him at the one end (of the rink). He's got his picture on the Wall of Fame." A rabid Bomber fan, Mayor Therien said he regrets not being able to watch Hart play junior hockey, though he does recollect the blueliner's NHL days. "When you take a look at Gerry and the position that he played in the NHL Ð and he played for many, many years Ð it's a tough position to play when you're not a very big man, and he played it very well," he said. "He's done us proud, he's done himself proud with that. But more so he comes back to Flin Flon all the time and he still handles things with the Junior Bombers. And he does so very quietly, and I don't think many people know exactly what Gerry does, but Gerry is a very true ambassador to Flin Flon and I am very deeply honoured to be able to name this 'Hart Avenue.'" In Hart's first year out of juniors, 1968-69, he laced 'em up for his first NHL game with the venerable Detroit Red Wings. By 1970 he had caught on with the Wings but soon suffered an injury that threatened to finish his career. But he would display some of that good old-fashioned Northern Manitoba perseverance and return to the ice, finding his footing again in the minors. See 'Upstart' on pg. Continued from pg. The upstart New York Islanders liked what they saw in Hart and claimed him from Detroit in the 1972 expansion draft. It was on Long Island that Hart truly made a name for himself. Thanks in no small part to his durable presence on the blueline, the Islanders would steadily grow from a last-place punchline to a young and exciting Stanley Cup contender. Promise Unfortunately, Hart would not be around to see that championship promise come to fruition. In 1979 he was claimed in another expansion draft, this time by the Quebec Nordiques, as the Islanders went on to hoist four consecutive Cups. Hart provided veteran poise on a young Nordiques team that outperformed expectations but still failed to reach the post-season. Early into the 1980-81 campaign, he was signed as a free agent by the St. Louis Blues, the final stop in his career. The injury bug bit Hart again in 1981. Recovering from knee problems, he missed most of the 1981-82 season. When he returned in 1982-83, he played in just eight games before calling it a career. Hart's most treasured memories of playing for the Bombers stem from the well-known fact that opposing teams could not stand coming to Flin Flon. "That was a mindset that we collectively, as a team, created here," he recalled. "Because of the travel restrictions, especially when we were in the Western Canada league, we would play here Saturday and then Sunday afternoon, and then if we had another home game, it wasn't till the following Saturday. "So we had all week to get prepared and get hungry for the next team that was coming in. And I know that other teams around the league Ð and there's been articles written about it Ð absolutely hated (coming to Flin Flon). Hart has done well for himself post-hockey. He has developed a real estate portfolio, an insurance-related company, and built and sold recreational facilities. He may be far from Flin Flon in body, but certainly not in spirit. "Flin Flon has been as good to me as any place ever could have been," said Hart. Hart Avenue stretches between the HBMS green space and the Whitney Forum. It had previously been known as part of Second Avenue, though was never officially on City Hall's books as such.
