Page 37 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 79

www.sportsenergynews.com Issue #79 June 2019 37

Jim Riddell’s Sports Talk with Area Senior

Ray Barnes

ay Barnes recalls walking the larger churches in Cornwall
Rfrom his home near Third and iced a team. Vince Labrecque,
Bedford to the old outdoor rink who was coaching the Cornwall
at the Athletic grounds carrying Royals, asked Ray to come and
hockey stick in one hand and a play with the team. The Royals
paper bag with all his equipment didn’t have a team bus, but several
in the other. “We didn’t have a lot of the players worked at Domtar
of equipment, - just a pair of shin and owned a car and everyone
pads, gloves, and skates. No one managed to get to the games. For
had a helmet; we had a wooden games against teams that were
hockey stick that had to last the further away, such as Pembroke,
whole year. We taped our sticks the team would rent a Colonial bus.

well and no one took slap shots. When Byron Gordon began a long
We lived on the outdoor rinks; I association with the Royals, the
remember playing at Memorial team became known as the Byron
Park with ten players on each team Gordon Refrigeration Royals. A
— that’s where we learned how to used city bus was purchased from
handle the puck. The coaches that the Ottawa Transit Authority and
we had were true volunteers, the Byron Gordon did double duty as
conditions often weren’t that good, both the team president and bus
and they all put in a lot of time and driver. “We didn’t draw many fans
gave everyone a chance to play.” in the beginning, mostly just the Photo Submitted
player’s families, and girlfriends.
For one season, Ray played
for St. Columban in the Church The crowds would come later on
league, mentioning that all of and in 1964-65 playoffs attendance
at the Water Street Arena hit three got invited to stay and play for
PUT US ON YOUR thousand for a few games and the the Checkers but due to financial
fire marshal had to put a limit on restraints he opted to return home
BUCKET LIST... ticket sales”. and work at Courtaulds before
attending
Teachers’
College.
In ten home playoff games that
year the Royals drew twenty one After graduation Ray, along with
Gerry Desjardin joined Claude
thousand fans. Losing to Smiths
Falls in seven games of the league Cousineau and Pete Champagne
finals, Ray, John Payette, and who were playing for the Lake
Ronnie Ward were picked up by Placid Roamers, a team that played
Smiths Falls for the Memorial exhibition games every Saturday
night against teams from all across
Cup playdowns where they lost
to Lachine in the finals. Ray the US.
played five years with the Royals Ray recalls driving to Lake
and was team captain during his Placid in snowstorms where some
www.archiesgolf.com final three seasons. Ray stressed of the local players didn’t make it.

that Red Lascelle, who worked “Many times on the way home we
Come Out & play With Us! at Courtaulds, deserved credit for had to use the trees as a guideline

• Mini Putt all that he did. Red was the team to tell where the road was”. Once
founder and financial contributor. per season the Roamers would go

• Driving Range There were no titles in the beginning on a road trip where the Cornwall
• Par 3 Golf Course like owner or general manager, players would drive to Lake Placid
• Foot Golf Course but without Red there would have on Friday night, and leave Saturday
been no Cornwall Royals. The morning for Norwalk Connecticut
• Golf Equipment We have the Royals had been property of the for a Saturday night game in a tiny
• Sales & Repair Best Ice Cream in Toronto Maple Leafs and Ray arena that had lots of character.
Cornwall and the Counties!
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• Golf Instruction (random gifts await our Likers) went to try out for a Leaf farm They would leave Norwalk
team, the Charlotte Checkers in Sunday morning and drive to
1719 Vincent Massey Drive • Cornwall • 613-932-8255 the Eastern Hockey League. Ray Continued on page 38