Page 16 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 89
P. 16
16 Issue #89 April 2020 www.sportsenergynews.com
Colts Then & Now - Brent Loney
By David Murphy
he name Brent Loney is
Tsynonymous with hockey
in the Seaway City. Cornwall-
born Loney played minor hockey
locally before graduating to
the Ontario Hockey League
and playing for his hometown
Royals. He was drafted in the
3rd round (62nd overall) by the
Edmonton Oilers in the 1982
NHL draft. Photo Submitted
Loney spent parts of two his pregame speech to the Colts.
seasons playing in the American “I told my players that they (the
Hockey League (Binghamton and Rangers) were scheduled to leave
Hershey) before finding his true for Halifax and the guys went
calling in hockey. bananas!”
Loney became an assistant Loney had scratched one of
coach with the Cornwall Royals the team’s top forwards due to
in 1987 and he became the a bad cold. “I told Shep (Doug
youngest major junior hockey Shepherd) that he’d be back in the
coach at 25 years old when he
line-up for Game 7 in Cornwall.”
filled in for Orval Tessier (when
Tessier became ill) during the The Colts won Game 6 and, in
1988-89 season. front of over 4,000 fans at the Ed
Lumley Arena, they won Game
Loney joined the Colts 7 marking one of the greatest
organization as an assistant coach comebacks in CJHL history. Former Colt Jeremy Leroux and coach Brent Loney Photo Submitted
for the 1994-95 season before
being named Head Coach for the Loney has spent the better part
1995-96 season. of the past decade as a Head
Coach with the Ontario Hockey
That was the year the Colts won Academy. This past season he
the second of their first back-to- was bench boss for the OHA U18
back CJHL championships. Gold team. “It’s fun to coach
“We had a great group of kids from all over the world,”
players those years,” said Loney. said Loney. “Hockey continues to
“From (Hugo) Boisvert, (Eric) be the context for friendships that
Meloche, (Doug) Shepherd, I’m very grateful for.”
(Marc) Lamontagne to (Carmine)
Loney still keeps in regular
Anoia we had a great bunch of contact with a lot of players he’s
characters who could play any coached, including former Colts
style of game.” stars Adam Morris, Shepherd,
Loney’s fondest coaching Boisvert, and Anoia. “I’ll always
memory comes from that squad’s have time for former players,”
championship series against the beams Loney.
Gloucester Rangers. The Colts He’s also been a key part of
were down 3 games to 1 and had the recent Colts/Royals alumni
won Game 5 in Cornwall before events hosted the past few years.
heading into Gloucester for Game Loney says playing against his
6. “I walked into their office son (Colts Alumni Josh Loney)
before the game to give them was special to him. “That game
the lineup and I noticed they had was a lot of fun and was very
a travel itinerary posted on the memorable.”
wall,” recalls Loney. “They were Photo by Robert Lefebvre, icelevel photography
scheduled to leave for the Fred Brent Loney was inducted into
Page Cup the next day!” Loney the Cornwall Sports Hall of Fame To view or purchase photos go to www.icelevel.com
used that as motivation during in 2016.
