Page 27 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 129

www.sportsenergynews.com Issue #129 October 2023 27

V isions Cabinetry
Visions Cabinetry

Michael Valade • Shane Caskenette
visionscabinetry@gmail.com
613-577-0429 613-551-8105
Continued from page 26 alongside my older brother, Bimbo MacDonell,
National Midget tournament in PEI, and we won which was great. One night in Cardinal the fans
silver. It was a week-long tournament, we were got a little carried away and a fight broke out in
billeted there, it was the first time on an airplane the stands. With our wives out there we all came
for most of us.” Following Midget, Steve had a out of the dressing room to protect them. It was so
tryout with The Cornwall Royals. Tim Bernhardt bad that they put our wives in the dressing room
was the Royals No 1 goaltender, with Barry Borat until the arena was cleared. The police got us out
backing him up. Steve got sent to the Royals farm of the arena and gave us an escort to the 401. I only
team in Rockland, which didn’t work out very played one year with the Flyers, the next year they
well. Rockland was a predominantly French town played in the Quebec League. The Huron Hockey
with no English-speaking billets, so Steve ended School formed a League in Cornwall, which was
up living in a hotel room. “The schools were a very good league. It was run by Paul O’Dacre
French, so I couldn’t go to school there either. and Paul Fixter, who ran a fantastic league, we
Orval (Tessier) and I had a chat at Christmas time, would have a draft every year and it was a place
and we decided to part ways, had I been able to where ex Jr players would go when there was
be billeted and attend school I would have hung nowhere to play.” “That league went until at least
in.” Steve then played the next two seasons for the late 90’s. After that, it was mostly tournament
the Long Sault Pats in the Eastern Ontario Jr. B teams and pick-up hockey,” Steve recalled, “The
league. “Winchester always had a good team, and Cornwall Blues had been together for many years
we had a big rivalry with them. We were beating and had ice time twice a week. Alex Herrington
the Hawks one night in Winchester and things and Dave McDonald had organized a Sr Oldtimers
got a bit ugly, there were some beer bottles being team to compete in the Ontario senior games, and
thrown from the stands and I had to get inside that’s pretty much the tournament team I played
my net to protect myself.” The Long Sault Pats for after that.” Photo Submitted
folded, and Steve began the next season for the Steve continued playing hockey and also did “As you can tell, hockey was my greatest
Alexanderia Glens. “I then got a call from the a gym workout three or four times weekly. “You passion by far. With my parents’ commitment
Brockville Braves, and I finished my last season pretty well have to; you just can’t get on the ice and sacrifice to my passion I was able to excel
of Jr in the CJHL with Brockville.” once or twice a week without being prepared.” In and play with some amazing hockey players
With his Jr career now finished, Steve spent the 2015 Steve suffered a heart attack which forced and form memories and friendships that I will
next four years playing in a Cornwall beer league an end to his hockey career. Retiring from his always cherish. Thanks to social media I am still
which was sponsored by Labatt Breweries. In job as a supervisor at Ontario Power Generating in contact with many of those friends. I was very
1982 the Cornwall Flyers began playing in the in 2018, Steve spends his time golfing, fishing, fortunate to have two great coaches growing
Ottawa District Sr A Hockey League. The league and spending the winters in Florida with his wife up in Si and Ford. I miss playing the game and
had a North and a South Division, with Cornwall, Sandra. “ Sandra and I met when I was playing always thought I would still be strapping on the
Cardinal, Prescott, Gananoque, and Kemptville hockey in Long Sault in 1975 and we’ve been pads into my 80’s. Most of all I want to thank my
playing in the South. The North Division was married forty-four years,” Steve commented. wife Sandra for all the support spending endless
made up of teams from Navan, Rockland, “Sandra and our daughter Kristen have been
Orleans, Kanata, Laroche, and Almonte. “A lot of my number one fans over the years, and they hours in a hockey rink, her patience for allowing
former Royals, including guys like Brian Barker, came to games and tournaments everywhere.” me to play an enormous amount of hockey over
Gilles Crepeau, Gerry Barden, Mike Conway, and Kristen is now the owner of MacDonell Family my lifetime, and for nursing my aches and pains
Dave Ezard played. I was also fortunate to play Physiotherapy in Cornwall. so I could go out and play again. Lol.”