Page 13 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 12

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CORNWALL Presents...Cornwall Royals Edition

BAR-B-Q Then and Now...
RESTAURANT

Friends as Important as Goals to Brian Fontaine

By Morley Seaver Gabri talked to me about coming pretty good year.” provided me with a lot of knowledge
back and going with the Royals. And and comfort as well.”
It was with the Royals that Fontaine
I said. “Absolutely.” Because at that
learned a more complete game, thanks In his last year of junior hockey,
time, my buddies Jerry (Ingram) and
to his coaches. “As you’re coming Fontaine signed with Belleville as
Dave (Ezard) were part of the team
up through minor hockey and even an over-ager due to the league’s limit
and it would have been great to get
in Hawkesbury, it was more of a run of one per team. “Playing there was
back with them. So I went ahead and
and gun approach,” he remembers. fun because as the old guy, I had an
opted for Cornwall over Toronto.”
“There wasn’t as much attention opportunity to play a season with
The rest of that season, Fontaine given to taking care of business in Doug Gilmour who was up as a 16
was part of the fourth line, seeing spot your own end. With Orval (Tessier) year-old from Kingston. Dougie was
action when things had to be shaken as coach, that was the game that we Dougie, just a real fun people person.
up and the top three lines were getting had to work on. You didn’t get any And to this day, we still keep in
it done. “You think of the guys that favours --- if you didn’t do it right, contact and are still buddies.”
were above me at that time,” he says, you didn’t get any ice time. Orval
After Belleville, Fontaine attended
“Rick Paterson, Danny Geoffrion, was defi nitely a disciplinarian type
the Hartford Whalers training camp
Billy Smith and that group. I believe guy and if you worked it right, you
but looked around the room and felt
etting to play with childhood we had four guys on there that were got rewarded.” “that I didn’t bring anything special,
Gfriends Dave Ezard and Jerry on Team Canada at the time. Paterson, Asked about Tessier’s reputation other than the fact that I could score
Ingram played a big part in Brian Tim Bernhardt, Graeme Nicholson as a tough coach, Fontaine replies, and I think 20 other guys in the room
Fontaine’s career with the Cornwall and Dan Geffrion, so we had a pretty “Actually, I’d see him the other way. I could do the same thing.” He returned

Royals. The prolific scorer was solid top six and it was very tough to always thought highly of him, mainly home and started college. Today he
initially drafted by the Toronto break that lineup.
because he gave me the opportunity works for Morbern Industries and
Marlies but found his chances of

Fontaine’s first full year with the to play in Cornwall. Being born and he and his wife of 25 years have two
success there were slim.
squad, however, showed a scoring raised here, it was defi nitely an honor grown sons.
“I believe they had just won the prowess that demanded his inclusion to play with the team. When my kids “The best memories I had were
Memorial Cup the year before,” he in the upper ranks. “My second year were growing up and playing minor
the people you meet,” he says, “the
remembers, “and they had a pretty was a graduating year for most of hockey, I got to meet Orval watching Larry Gabris, the Orval Tessiers that
stacked team there. They were well that group so I slipped into the top his grandson and we had some real
became friends for life. Larry has
on their way to having their team six as far as forwards go,” he says interesting chats in the stands, just been a good family friend. It seems
already picked, so I didn’t have much humbly. “I had an opportunity there. the two of us. So it was kind of
like we’ve been together forever. I’ve
of an opportunity there to get a look. But I ended up breaking my thumb different from having the junior met so many good people in hockey.

I ended up coming home and playing somewhere around the fourth or fifth player relationship that all kids had
I mean, I played with Moe Lemieux
a half season for the Hawkesbury game of the season and didn’t come with Orval. Some called him tough for about 25 years with the Cornwall
Hawks of the Central (Junior) Hockey back until sometime in November. but Orval was Orval and you knew
Hubs. Moe has become a good family
League. But I was lucky enough to go on and that going in. But I respected him friend. There’s so many people that
score 32 goals. for what he brought to the game as
“Right around Christmas time is have gone through the Royals and
when the Cornwall Royals got a hold “And my next year I missed about well.” Cornwall hockey system that just
of me because I had a pretty good 20 games as well so I had a bit of bad “And then Larry Gabri was my old making living in the community
season going in Hawkesbury. There luck there. But yeah, I was playing midget hockey coach and I had a lot really special. You meet them and
was also talk of me going back to with Bob Crawford then. It was either of respect for Larry. He actually made you’re laughing and joking and right
Toronto but I didn’t feel I got a great Bob or I who were getting the goals the transition to the team kind of easy away you’re back in the dressing

shake when I went there the first or assists. We really seemed to make because I always had the inside scoop room 20 years ago and those types of
time. My old midget coach Larry it happen that last season. We had a for what Larry was looking for. So he things you just don’t forget.”

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