Page 29 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 149

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Comtinued from page 22
Kelly (Peewee), Ed Hills (Bantam
B, Bantam A, Midget A), and
Larry Gabri(Midget A). I had great
teammates, and we were a big family.
Our Midget A team coached by
Larry Gabri, won the Ottawa District
Championships and represented
the district at the Canadian
Championships, then called “The
Wrigley.” Mike continued to play
travelling hockey through Midget
and then tried out for the Cornwall
Royals. “I didn’t make the Royals,”
Mike said. “Orval Tessier was the
coach, he told my dad that I had the
skills, but not the heart - and he was
right. I didn’t want to commit to the
training and the everyday grind that
was required.” Mike began playing
City Jr B and then started coaching
while he was still eligible to play.
Some of his friends were playing for
Dalbec Sports and were 0-6 when
their coach walked out. Mike took
over as coach and Dalbec went on
a substantial winning streak . The
next year Mike was attending St.
Lawrence College in Kingston and
coached a Midget House League
hockey team in the Kingston Church
Athletic League. “I took Human
Resources Management in Kingston
but never worked a day in that field,
although I guess that managing
hockey teams for twenty years is
similar to HR.”
When he returned to Cornwall
Mike took a six year break from
hockey. He began working, married
his longtime girlfriend, Shirley
Hart, and they started a family
with sons Jamie, Christopher, and
Patrick. “Shirley and I started
dating at 18 and only she would put
up with my hockey shenanigans,”
Mike stated. “Many Thanksgivings,
Anniversaries, and special occasions
were celebrated in rinks anywhere
from Alexandria to Rochester.”
Mike Groulx got Mike back into they mentioned that this was the
Issue #149 June 2025 29
hockey as his Assistant coach with first time that a hockey player had GM of the Akwesasne Wolves Jr. B
his Major Midget AA team for one ever been traded for lobster. When hockey team where he also recruited
season, then Mike took on the Head pressed about what future trades players, sold advertising, and trained
Coaching role for the Seaway Valley may look like, Mike told them that team staff. In 2007 he rejoined
Minor Bantam AA team the next Alberta beef was very good. the Cornwall Colts as Manager
year. The following season Mike In 1998 Mike resigned from the of Business/Hockey Operations,
coached Major Bantam AA. During Colts, accepting the position of acting in this capacity for the next
that time, Mike met Don Derry, Business Manager and Director of three years. He was also asked to
whose son played on the team. Don Marketing with the Nepean Raiders. coach B rep hockey with Cornwall
purchased the Massena Americans In his second season with the Raiders, Minor Hockey and continued
and moved the team to Cornwall, he became the team’s GM/Governor. coaching different levels until 2012.
renaming them the Colts. “I started The Raiders were owned by former “During those years with the Colts,
as a volunteer, but Don realized he Cornwall Royal goaltender, Gord being on the business side I spoke
needed someone there full-time. Black, who became a good friend of with many people in the community
Mike joined the Colts and held Mike’s. As GM, Mike brought Bill and talked not just hockey but other
many titles over the years including Murphy in as Head Scout with Mike sports as well. I heard many good
General Manager/Governor, holding saying that “Bill did the same thing stories about the accomplishments
that position for the next six years. in Nepean that he did everywhere of our local athletes, but very few
It was during this time that Mike else - he found the players to win. of them had ever been covered by
made what became his most talked Bill Murphy had the uncanny the local papers. I started thinking
about trade. “We traded for a player ability to assess players. Business about the need for an “all sports
from the Gloucester Rangers; he was business but we always had paper,” and happened to be in Pizza
was from the Maritimes and at the fun.” Mike mentioned one night Hutt chatting with co-owner, Bill
end of the season he told me that he in particular; “We were playing Dillabough. I told Bill about my
didn’t want to return to the Central the Kanata Valley Lazers and there idea and that I would first need to
League,” Mike recalled. “I told was seating for about 2500 all on find a Graphic Designer. He told
him that once he found a team, to one side, with Gord and I sitting me that his mother had been doing
have their GM give me a call, as we twenty-three rows up. There was a that for newspapers for many years
owned his rights, and that we would “Chuck-a-Puck” coming between - two weeks later I met with Lynn
work something out. I got a call periods and Gord had a couple of Dillabough and Sports Energy was
from Danny Barry from Dartmouth, pucks. The referee made a bad call, hatched. Our first issue came out in
who I knew from previous dealings. and Gord threw his pucks on the the summer of 2012 and Lynn is still
Danny offered me three guys for ice. The ref didn’t know who threw looking after Graphic Design and
this player that probably wouldn’t the puck, but he looked up and saw keeping me in line.
even make our team. Danny was me (the GM) and yelled up telling As a minor hockey coach, I was
just trying to avoid cutting these me to find the guy and throw him never hung up with the Hockey
players, so I told him to send me out. Archie Mulligan, coach of the Canada directives on how to run
a case of lobster. Danny said, “I’ll
send you two cases, and he did. He Kanata team saw Gord throw the practices, etc. I wasn’t big on the
pucks, reported him, and Gord was ’Xs and ‘Os with structured plays,
flew them to Montreal and then had
them Purolated to my house. We had fined $500. by the league. A few which was the norm at the time. I
a lobster feast for all of the Colt’s years later when Raiders coach Chris believed in creativity, discipline,
Byrne left to coach the Ottawa 67’s, respect, and my main goal was for
staff. Bill Murphy looked after
cooking them. The lobsters were Archie Mulligan was hired as his kids to have fun.
live, and Bill had them all spread replacement. By this time Mike was
back in Cornwall, but he received “I made a lot of friends through
out on the kitchen floor crawling hockey over the years, and it is
a call from Gord telling him that
around and my kids were scared to
death of them.” Word of this trade he got his money back, Archie’s great to run into former players and
got around quickly, and Mike got a first paycheck had been deducted parents today.”
$500 - a lot of fun, but business was In 2024 Mike Piquette was
call from CBC in Toronto asking for
an interview. During the interview business.” inducted into the Cornwall Sports
Mike returned to Cornwall as Hall of Fame.