The stands were packed at the Clancy Richard Arena on Saturday for the arrival of local hockey legend Stan “Steamer” Smyl, who took part in Xtreme Hockey Night in St. Paul, a charity hockey game to raise money for local organizations.
The first thing Stan did when he walked up the stairs to the Clancy Richard foyer was give his mother, Pauline, a big hug. The first thing the fans did was flock to the autograph table.
Stan spent an hour signing jerseys, hockey cards, hats and shirts for fans of all ages, and even went so far as to sign the forehead of one beaming young fan.
Stan was given a standing ovation as he stepped onto the playing surface and joined his mother, his father Bernard and his daughter Jillian at centre ice to watch his name be lifted to the rafters of his home rink.
“When the pennant went up, I kind of took a moment there and put my head down and said, you know, the last time I was on this ice was when I was 12 or 13 years old, and I did have that dream, that I wanted to play in the NHL,” Stan said. “It’s very rewarding to accomplish something like that.”
Stan was the first player to have his number retired by the Vancouver Canucks organization, and his jersey currently hangs in the rafters of Rogers Arena next to Trevor Linden and Markus Naslund, and it was recently announced that the trio of captains will soon be joined by the “Russian Rocket” Pavel Bure.
“Stan has given so much to not only this community but Vancouver, as well. For him to come back here, he’s a real class act,” said St. Paul-Westlock MP Brian Storseth. “The theme of this day was about local hockey talent in St. Paul and highlighting Stan Smyl. I think it was appropriate to put his jersey up, I think this was really cool.”
At the Clancy Richard Arena, Stan is now the fifth person to have his number lifted to the rafters, and he joins the company of Ron Garwasiuk, Wayne Morusyk, Greg Joly, and of course Clancy Richard.
“You don’t know where you’re going, but I had that dream and I just pursued it and I was very persistent,” Stan said, adding that the reality of accomplishing his dream didn’t truly soak in until he had finished his playing career.
“I was talking to Pavel Bure about it, he was just in town and we were talking about it and I said “Pavel, it took me a few years to sit back and realize what I accomplished, I don’t know how you feel,” and he said the same thing.”
After the ceremony fans were treated to an all-star caliber hockey game featuring some of the best talent this region has to offer, including former Bonnyville Pontiacs Shawn Germain and Jean-Marc Beaudoin, and former WHL goaltender Dave Pirnak.
“It’s just so great to see Jean-Marc Beaudoin, Phil Gervais, Corey de Moissac, Dan Mahe, Luc Tremblay, Jerry Jean and Stan Smyl. These are all local legends in this area and to have Stan here to top it off is perfect,” said Storseth.
“They all came out together for this game, it’s just a special feeling. I think we need to do more of that in our community, and kids in St. Paul need to know that you can play in Quinnipiac, you can be the talent of a CIS team . . . it’s not just Stan Smyl, there are a lot of great hockey players from this town and this area, so it’s important for kids in St. Paul to know that.”
Stan was easy to identify on the ice, as he wore a blue Canucks helmet with Canucks pants as captain of the black team, and while Storseth’s white team managed a 10-6 victory, more people were paying attention to number 12 than the scoreboard.
“When we came out for warm up I said the biggest thing that scares me is Stan looks like he could still play today. I don’t think he’s skated too much, but he still looks fantastic and it was great to see him out there,” said Germain.
“He was a huge influence on my career. I knew all about him when I was growing up and the thing about Stan is he accomplished everything he did on hard work, and as a local kid that’s basically what I tried to do to, try and earn everything that I got. So it was obviously a huge honour for me to be part of Stan’s day.”
Dozens of Stan’s family members were present to watch him play on the Clancy Richard ice once again, and his brother Dean and nephews Coret deMoissac, Tyson deMoissac, and Bread Eamon even laced up their skates and joined Stan’s team, while brother Dan coached.
Stan may not have notched a goal in the game, and may have received some flak from teammates and competitors for it, as Storseth joked that Stan was the only Smyl not to find the back of the net, Stan said taking part in the game with his family at the Clancy Richard Arena for the first time in decades was truly something special.
“It hit me when I was on the ice too, after I said, “I don’t remember the last time I skated on the ice here,” and I missed it, it was fun,” said Stan.
Four Members of Parliament also took to the ice at the Clancy, as Storseth was joined by Wetaskiwin MP Blaine Calkins, Barrie, Ont. MP Patrick Brown and Niagara West-Glanbrooke, Ont. MP Dean Allison.
“Having my colleagues come from Ottawa really made a big difference. It shows not just the hockey lens but the political lens and everything,” Storseth said. “They didn’t look too bad out there either.”
Stan’s day in St. Paul continued after the horn sounded, as a banquet was held in his honour at the recreation centre on Saturday evening.
Those who attended were treated to a meal and live entertainment as one of Stan’s former teammates, Guy de Moissac, and a former coach told stories of Stan’s hockey history in a roast-style format that delighted both Stan and the crowd.
Stan, the current senior advisor to the Canucks general manager, Mike Gillis, has been involved with hockey his entire life, and since he was drafted to the NHL in 1978, he has been and continues to be a member of the Canucks organization.
“I’ve been very lucky that way. I played my junior hockey there (for the New Westminster Bruins) in a rink just next door to Vancouver,” Stan said. “Then retiring and getting into the business, and being able to work within the business and staying within the community which I love so much . . . I’m very fortunate to be a part of this organization for 30-plus years now.”
A live auction was also held at the banquet and Stan donated a set of four Canucks tickets located in a box by the Canucks managers box, where he and Gillis watch the games. The tickets included dinner with Stan at the restaurant located in Rogers Arena, and the package sold for $3,300.
In total, the live auction raised well over $25,000 and Storseth says he is ecstatic to donate that money, along with $50,000 of already committed donations and other money raised at the event, to the Kids Sport Fund, local Ag. Societies and arenas, Haying in the 30s and the Columbus House of Hope.
“We’re raising a lot of money for local charities, which shouldn’t be lost in the mix,” Storseth said. “We’ll probably break $90,000, and that’s all going to local charities in our community, and that’s what it’s really all about.”
