Mitch Calvert
Some of the finest people in hockey often are the ones behind the scenes.
One man who certainly qualifies for that distinction was honoured at the Fort Frances Minor Hockey Association’s annual awards banquet on Monday when long-time volunteer and local hockey supporter Jim Fowler was named winner of the John Puchalski Memorial Award for outstanding contribution to minor hockey.
“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing him all my life,” FFMHA president Wayne Strachan said when announcing this year’s recipient.
“He’s been involved with minor hockey as long as I can remember,” Strachan added. “He served on the [minor hockey] board in the ’80s and continues to be at the rink as much as possible.
“He continues to put in endless hours volunteering in the penalty box for many teams in Fort, and in his own way, he has a part in many things that go on in Fort hockey and doesn’t get the recognition he deserves,” Strachan lauded.
“He is always good for advice on hockey, a good friendly conversation or a chuckle.”
Fowler moved through the ranks from minor hockey coach to manager, then as a convener and a member of the FFMHA board. But now, he primarily spends his time volunteering in whatever capacity is needed around the arena.
He first broke onto the local hockey scene in the early 1970s and began his ‘AA’ coaching tenure in ’74, working at different points with the Atom, PeeWee, and Bantam rep teams.
Fowler also helped spearhead the Fort Frances Merchants ‘AA’ senior men’s hockey team, working as team manager, which played in a Northwestern Ontario circuit against area teams.
The league eventually put together an all-star team of sorts and split a series with the senior ‘A’ Thunder Bay Twins, but folded up shop after three seasons.
“We never really had the money to stick around, but ever since then I’ve just continued to stay involved with hockey here,” Fowler explained. “I stayed in minor hockey throughout all those years, and run the penalty box for the Muskies.
“I like helping out guys like Wayne [Strachan] and Brent Tookenay and those guys, and I just like being around the kids and they like me, too.”
Fowler said the award was unexpected, but stressed that even without it, the experience itself would be rewarding enough.
“The biggest reward is going around town and having people go out of there way and stop and say hi,” Fowler stressed.
“I could be one of those guys that hangs around the house and never gets to know anybody, but that’s not me.”
