Page 25 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 19

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CORNWALL Presents...

TIRE The Games are Over:

SERVICE Ron “Satch” Quenneville

By Marc Benoit

s the Chicago Blackhawks prepare to battle
Aon through the playoff season, one of their
alumni, Ron “Satch” Quenneville, was able to
provide us with a look back at an exciting career.
Like many other Cornwall legends, Quenneville

first began ice hockey with a program to engage
youth, called Our Citizens of Tomorrow (OCOT).
“I started out playing hockey at the athletic grounds
under the OCOT,” said Quenneville. “We didn’t
play in arenas back then. We had to play outside
in a rink. We organized our own teams back then
pretty well.”
His professional career began to take off while
playing for the Cornwall Junior Colts in the early
1950s, when he was scouted by the Chicago
Blackhawks to play for a farm team based in St.
Catharines, Ontario (the Teepees).
“Back then there was no draft, you were picked
up by an NHL team and then you were their
property, as long as you played with them. So I
was there in’56 -‘57, and ’57-’58.”
During this time, Quenneville met Bobby Hull
and knew the Blackhawk’s 1960 Stanley Cup
winning team.
Following his time in St. Catharine’s, Quenneville
began playing in the Eastern Professional Hockey
League with the St. Marie Thunderbirds.
“It was quite an experience, they all went on to
the NHL after junior hockey. They won a cup in
’61.”
The hockey player known as “Satch” also spent
some time playing in the now defunct International
Hockey League, for the Louisville Rebels.
After returning to Cornwall to begin a career
as a firefighter, Quenneville continued to play

hockey with the Morrisburg Combines, in what
he called “old timer hockey.” He began to coach
minor hockey when his children were old enough
to enjoy the sport.
“I really enjoyed my life while I was playing
hockey. I seen a lot of places, went to Europe.
Stuff like that. Probably wouldn’t have if I wasn’t
playing hockey. Got to meet a lot of people, made
a lot of friends.” As a member of the St. Catharines Teepees, a Chicago Black Hawks farm team, Ron Quenneville
“Satch” was inducted into the Cornwall Sports had the opportunity to get to know many people in the Black Hawks organization, including
Hall of Fame in 1984. Bobby Hull. Supplied photo.

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