Page 23 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 9

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Presents... The Games Are Over,

The Memories Live On

Former Cornwall Royals Owner Norm Baril:

“You’d have to put me in the ‘hate to lose’ column.”

By Morley Seaver with all the pieces of the puzzle
falling in.”
inning a Memorial Cup
Within three years, the Cornwall
Wwith a mere nine years of
Royals had secured the ultimate
hockey experience has to rank as a

prize, the Memorial Cup, the first of
great accomplishment. When you
three. “I really thought that with the
consider prior to that, the guy who

first memorial cup year,” he says,
owned and operated the team was
“we almost had two teams. We had
running a hardware store, without
a team for 1972 and at the same time
any knowledge of local talent, it’s
there was a tremendous nucleus for
even more impressive.
the team in 1973. The MacGregors
Norm Baril was hard at work one
and Murrays…all these kids ended
day when the owner of the local
up being real excellent pros.
junior hockey team, Red Lascelle,
stopped by make him an offer to “There were so many good
become part owner. Baril agreed players but you’ve got to surround
with the provision that he would them with great people. And the
also become general manager. people we had like Orval Tessier
and Jimmy Larin were masters at

“I’m a firm believer in local
taking them and making them better
talent,” he declares. “I wasn’t
without changing them necessarily.
familiar with the area players when
They would really make guys better
I started but when I landed into it,
than I thought they were.”
I just got up to speed pretty quick.
I thought our guys were just as There was a mandate from the
good. And to prove that point, Sam very start to make the organization
Pollock of the Montreal Canadians a professional affair. “We tried, with
used to be up here scouting all the the knowledge we had and what
time. So if they were good enough we learned along the way, to build
to go to Montreal, they were good it into a pro type of approach,” he
enough to play here.” remembers. “From running the
business part and handling the Miller Arena. “As a promoter, it potential to become a super NHL
After dominating the Central was sublime in that the fans had an star. He didn’t feel that way but he
players, it evolved quickly. We
Junior Hockey League, a decision opportunity to yell and scream in was one heck of a junior player.”
sought out great coaches to really
was made to make a move to the the players’ ear,” he laughs. “And
help develop those players. Back in the day, the Quebec
Montreal Metro Hockey League, be heard.” league was known as quite a rough
which was folded into the new “We tried to make it better all the Baril loved all his players but and tumble affair. When asked about
Quebec Junior League later that time. For instance, we took Gus had a soft spot for the goalies. his thoughts on the tough stuff that
year. Lebrun, who later became a director
on the team, to the Montreal Forum “The goaltenders were always went on, he laughed. “Well, when
“There was no place else for us my favourites,” he remembers. I played, I didn’t give an inch I’ll
to work with the food managers. He
to go in the CJHL,” he says. “We “I always thought we were strong tell you. If you had to put me in a
spent a couple days there, learning
had beaten everybody and it was between the pipes. Like everybody category, I guess it would have to
how to make Montreal hot dogs. I
going to become repetition. So else, I suppose, I believed you built be the “hate to lose” column. One
always tried to emulate people that
there was a new challenge there. It from the tubes back. We had a lot of season, we won 44 out of 48 games.
were successful.”
was a helluva trip, I’ll tell you that. great ones. Richard Brodeur. Billy And we were upset we lost those
Everything was a stroke of luck He has fond memories of the Si Smith. Harold Murphy had the four.”

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