Page 38 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 131

38 Issue #131 December 2023 www.sportsenergynews.com

the coach of the Kanata team, had years,” Gord stated, “usually only were all there. These guys were in
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seen Gord throw the pucks and later about a quarter of an inch on most of it. seventh heaven, it was like being in a
reported him. The league fined Gord We get about 200 board feet out of each dreamland for the whole week.” The
$500. When Chris Byrne left the log, which will do a 20 x 10 or a 15 x 1971 Memorial Cup controversy came
Raiders to join the ‘67’s, Archie was 15 ft room. That’s a lot of wood.” The up several times that week. “I had been
hired as the new coach. It wasn’t long company has done work at the Ottawa bugging Guy Lafleur, telling him that
before I got a call from Gord telling me Convention Center as well as finishing his Ramparts didn’t really win that
that he had gotten his money back - he off phase one of the NAC. The many series - it was just handed to them,”
deducted $500 from Archie’s first pay hockey connections that Gord and his Gord recalled, “Guy suggested that
cheque. Gord has a sense of humour, son, Rob, have made over the years we settle this once and for all with a
and he kept everything in perspective. have benefited the company, as Gord shoot-out. Murray and all of the guys
I had a lot of fun working with Gord, mentioned doing business with former were razzing Guy, telling him that he
hockey would be a lot better off if there Raiders as well as filling orders for was going to lose. Well - Guy won the
were more people like him involved.” several NHL players who own homes shoot-out 4-3, but I think he may have
in the area. Gord is now sitting on the been a just a little bit worried.” Gord
In the ‘90’s Gord took up diving,
sidelines, he likes to go out on the boat and Yvon Cournoyer already knew
which led to another business venture.
but now leaves the diving to others, each other quite well. Yvon was into
Noticing the abundance of logs on the with Logs End now being operated by woodworking and Murray Wilson had
Photo Submitted log recovery company in 1998 named Gord has too many interesting stories the fantasy camp.” Yvon had been up
bottom of the Ottawa River, he set up a
Rob.
introduced them several years prior to
Logs End. “I fell in love with diving
to the mill a few times, I even had him
and have done more than 3000 dives from his years in hockey and business
helping me pull logs out of the river.
in the Ottawa River. Every dive is a
treasure hunt, and you never know
Energy may talk with him again in the
place and cooked dinner, he is a very
what you will find until you get to the to put into a single story, so Sports Yvon loves to cook, he stayed at our
“Our goal was to provide the future. Here are just a couple of them. good cook. Yvon and his wife, Evelyn,
opportunity for players to get bottom.” “I was always able to get away from live on a golf course near Blainville,
scholarships at US colleges,” Gord Gord developed an interest in work for a few days,” Gord said, “I had QC. They got their flooring from us
said. During the ten years that he history and sometimes had to do met former Montreal Canadien Murray and Yvon put it in himself.”
owned the Raiders, Gord estimates that research on his findings. He discovered Wilson through a mutual friend, lawyer
between fifty and sixty players received many square oak beams that had him and player agent, Larry Kelly. Murray Another of Gord’s memories is from
scholarships. Several players ended puzzled. It turned out that they were called and asked if I would be a goalie the late ‘90s when he was about to walk
up going on to play in Europe. Grant from the Napoleonic war years (1804- and help out at a fantasy camp that he into his office at Black Electric, only to
Clitsome, who was at Clarkson, got ‘06) when Napoleon had the British was running at Mount Tremblant, all be told by his secretary that it was in
drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets shut out of the Baltic Sea. The British use, and he couldn’t go in there. “What
expenses covered. People had come do you mean it’s in use?” I asked.
and spent seven seasons in the NHL, then turned to the colonies to acquire
first with Columbus and then with the the oak beams needed for their war from as far away as England for this “She told me that Bryan Murray was
Winnipeg Jets. ships. “Oak doesn’t float, so these camp and each of them paid a lot in there interviewing Larry Robinson
beams were brought down the Ottawa of money to be there. What a well- for a coaching job.” Bryan Murray
I spoke with Mike Piquette (owner organized event Murray ran, this was was the GM of the Florida Panthers at
of Sports Energy) about his two years River on pine rafts, ending up in the time. Larry Robinson had recently
Quebec City where they were put onto as close to an NHL experience as you
with the Raiders. Mike recalled it as ships headed to England. Some of the could possibly get, the training staff been let go by the LA Kings after four
being a great time, saying that “business years as head coach. Bryan and Gord
was business, but we always had fun,” beams were 24” square and 52’ long. from the Montreal Canadiens were talked following the interview. Bryan
They were hewn with a broadaxe, as there for the week. When they came to
recalling one night in particular. “ We said, “I don’t think that this is going
there were no saws at that time.” Since the rink their equipment was hanging
were playing the Kanata Valley Lasers anywhere, Larry still has one year left
and there was seating for about 2500, the company was formed, Logs End there with their name and number - on his contract and they’re paying him
all on one side. Gord and I are sitting has pulled approximately 150,000 logs they would practice for a half hour, more than I’m making as GM.”
together about twenty-three rows up. off the bottom of the Ottawa River, then scrimmage for about another
There was a “Chuck-a-Puck” coming its tributaries, and the small lakes of hour and a half. In the afternoons we Reflecting on his hockey career,
between periods and Gord had a couple Quebec. Once recovered, the logs are went to a different golf course each Gord remarked, “I’m pleased that I
of pucks. The referee made a bad call then transported to their manufacturing day and Murray set it up so that each wasn’t better at stopping pucks. If
plant in Bristol, QC, where they are I had taken a different route, I might
and Gord threw his pucks on the ice. foursome had one NHL player in it.
then graded and turned into high have missed the opportunities and life
The ref didn’t know who threw the Elmer Locke was still there, Gump
quality flooring and paneling. “ Not experiences, along with meeting so
pucks but looked up and saw me (the
much needs to be trimmed off the logs Worsley, Chris “Knuckles” Nilan, many great people that I have had the
GM) and yelled at me to find the guy
after they’ve been in the water for 200 Guy Lafleur, and Yvon Cournoyer good fortune to have met.
and throw him out.” Archie Mulligan,