Page 27 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 121

Presents Jim Riddell’s Sports Talk

with Area Senior : Chris Nichol

Serving You Since 1937
The group of kids included Chris’ play for his Atom A All-stars team.
three brothers, Roy, (Roy is the The team needed a goalie, so I put
long-time drummer/vocalist for my hand up and I stuck with it, I
April Wine), Scott, and Peter, along may have been a better goalie than I
with Gerry Brown. “We had our was a forward.” Chris continued as
own outdoor rink,” explained Chris. a goalie through the Cornwall minor
By Jim Riddell “We built it right between the row hockey system until AA Midget. “I
housing, from one end to the other, didn’t get drafted, I was at a Royals
“The great thing about growing - from #60 to #65, we could come exhibition game, and they got beat.
up in Glenview Heights was all right out of our house and onto the Dan Champagne had heard that they
the friends that we had in that area. ice - it was awesome. The smaller were looking for a goalie to backup
All of the kids that I chummed kids would go on early and once Timmy Bernhardt and suggested
around with played sports together they were off the ice we would go that I go and talk with coach Orval
- baseball, football, hockey, - we on, most weekends we would be Tessier. Orval told me to come out
had a couple of goalies and couldn’t out there until the wee hours of the that Saturday with my equipment
afford all of the equipment, so we morning, often until 2am.” Chris and they would take a look at me, -
would borrow from each other, and started playing organized hockey I did and I made the team.”
we always found a way to make when he was seven years old. “I Photo Submitted The Rockland Nationals folded
things work. We were all good owe a lot to my mother who raised
Cornwall Hockey and I started in late in 1977 and their nineteen-
friends and many of us are still four boys and, in our eyes, did a
Atom B, which was a house league.
close to this day.” great job. She gave me $25 to join Punch Appleton picked me up to Continued on page 33

Serving You Since 1937