The Campbell River Duffer Hockey Association, as it was known when it was formed – now the Campbell River Men’s Hockey League – is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year.
The league’s first president, Bill Turko, says the league was formed by a bunch of guys at Elk Falls Mill who just wanted to have a bit of fun locally now that the community finally had a rink.
“A bunch of us from the mill were skating down at the Comox air base,” Turko says.
“That’s the only ice there was here at the time, but when the rink went in here, we just put up a notice and were just blown away by how many guys wanted to play. We thought we’d maybe get two or three teams from the mill, but we ended up with 10.”
So they made a set of rules to play by – including “no body checking” – and started playing games on Friday and Saturday nights.
Some of them could barely skate, Turko says, so to add contact would have really put a damper on the fun.
“There were a few of us that could skate, but we had a lot of guys who couldn’t.
“Some of them couldn’t even get back to their bench, so they’d just hop onto ours and wait for a whistle before heading back,” Turko says with a chuckle.
“But, man, it was a lot of fun.”
For a bit of nostalgia, check out the inaugural rosters from that first season 45 years ago and see how many names you recognize:
Reamers (Steam Plant Elk Falls)
Bill Turko, Bob Mawer, Alex Ruthford, Larry Ritchie, Dave Warner, Ian Bowie, Morley Dodman, Norbert Meding, Calvin Nelson, Gordie Killoran, Mike Goddyn, Ted Dowling, Ralph Weckstrom, Al Ashdown, Pete Popoff, Frank Carswell, Lorne Adamschek, Ed Deptford, Gerry Burbidge, Mike Gallant, Bruce Johnstone, Dr. Don Kirk, Ed Sharkey, Ken Palmer, Ed Adamschek, Brian Armstrong, Lorne Dion
Discovery Seals (Paper Makers, Elk Falls)
Jim Perkins, Bob Hutton, Rick McTavish, Murray Scott, Bud Taylor, Bob Kustinuk, Warren Cook, Bill Kingdon, John Zilkowski, Ross Spiers, Dennis Daziel, Gary Heslop, Herb Adamschek, Bob Smith, Jack Benoit, Bob Carlyle, Don Johnstone, Don Pardiac, Charlie Bennet, Roger Lukey, Ross MacDonald, Dan Plamondon, Percy Whitmore
Pallan Timber (Sayward)
Bob Erickson, Jim Spiers, Bob Woodruff, Doug Dyson, Ted Tinga, Ralph McLain, Carl Anderson, Ray Melissa, Duane Akiten, Vic Bortollto, Art Grape, Kevin Stirling, Jim Bassett, Norman Herbin, Brian Laviotte, Roy Elderkin, Alvio Bortollto, Kenny Dyson, Carl Lanlode
Devils (Kraft Mill Elk Falls)
George Teer, Hank Ziolkowski, Mike Wasilenchuk, Don Strueby, Brian Hutchinson, Harley Jackson, Ron Jackson, Jerry Jackson, Gil Davis, Norm Anderson, Charlie Anderson, Ron McDonough, John Maximick, Wally Check, Norm Fair, Mike Stewart, Gene Kawano, Larry Ovinskainen, Walter Diederichs, Glen McCoubrey, Rollie Kousin, Danny Glover, Ban Wold, Keith Temple, John Flood, Sid Demidoff
Barons (Sawmill and Chip Department Elk Falls)
John Barrett, Brian Parkin, Jim Buchanan, John Enns, Dave Froese, Phil Stephens, Doug Shopland, Don Hincks, Reg Armstrong, Doug Lewis, Yzon Savoie, Ted Baron, Bob Baskin, Con Flebbie, Al Robinson, Bob Levett, Richard Stewart, Herb Hall, Gordon McDougal, Murray Conway, Brian Kelly, Ed Selby, Ken Luttes, Bill Donnelly
Mercury Marine (Black Creek)
Bob Mawhinney, Paul Liesch, Ron Bohn, Ron Miller, Bob Alexander, Jack Macaulay Jr., Don Macaulay Sr., Larry Amos, Glen Twells, E. Nelson, Jim Ibbs, Jake Faulk, Don Nelson, John Robinson, Gord Schley, Bob Clarkson, Herman Faulk, Ed Enns, Hank Mooras, Russ Wasylin, Ron Johanson, Denny Robinson, Don Macaulay Jr., D. Busse, A. Charron, Jack Macaulay Sr.
Marshalls Mavericks (Marshall Motors)
Steve Marshall, Bill Mathews, Dale Baldwin, Ed Bird, Don Arseneau, Bill McIntosh, Rollie Morrier, Wayne Brown, Chas McFarlane, John Carpenter, Ken Milton, Stew Boddy, Ron Macaulay, Gaye Enns, Hank Enns, Harold Hayes, Skip McDonald, Gord McMann, Don Pierce, Pat Quon, Neil Rookes, Chuck Saults, Blair McLean, Don Tymchuk, Doug Flynn, John Hayes
Nanaimo Realty
Bob Jones, Wayne Bergen, Bob Walker, Larry Bramley, Bill Hadikin, Ross McCrea, Les Gray, John Nelson, Peter Riley, Bill Sharpe, Murray Smith, Graham Simper, Ken Scott, Edgar Berendt, John Adams, Nick Hadikin, Alex Focht, Brian Yochim, Russ Atkins, G. Baxendal
Island Outboard
Rusty Clark, Ricky Maier, Rick Sloan, Gordon Muir, Dave Walker, Murray Fontana, Doug Elaschuk, Bob Farley, Russell Abbott, Wally Guderjan, Don Brown, Jerry Fletcher, Steve Dingwall, Brian Chamut, Jake Ring, Brian Kelly, Pete Garat, Bob Cooper, Mark Nickols, Dave Chilton, Jack White
Bears
Wayne Schaad, Ken Kennedy, Gerry Graham, Wally Bilan, Bordon Hayward, Mike Glabush, Alex Wood, Abel Stewart, Lars Jansson, Don Wiess, Doug Maier, Al Seaboyer, Jack Devries, Bob Craig, Gerry Doyle, Bob Parker, George Davis, Jim Jordheim, Don Howat, George Stewart, Leo Palmiere, Don Grant, Jim George, Don Perriman, Lorne Scott