Preserving the Legacy

Sunday, August 1, 2010. Despite the lengthy hot and humid summer here in western Massachusetts, the weather couldn't possibly have been any better in Warwick, RI. The occasion was the 10th annual gathering of the Rhode Island Reds Heritage Society and their annual picnic and appreciation day. Pictured above from left to right are Springfield Hockey Hall of Famer Bruce Cline, Yolande Paille (widow of AHL Hall of Famer Marcel Paille) and Yves Locas.

Among the legends on hand for the day were Hockey Hall of Famers Milt Schmidt and Johnny Bower. On hand were about 20 former Reds players. Personally, it was great to see players whose careers overlapped both Springfield and Providence. Springfield Hockey Hall of Famer Bruce Cline was gracious enough to spend some time with us and became our newest Charter Member! We are pleased to announce that Bruce will be the subject of an upcoming interview with us. For the third consecutive year, we were able to spend some time with Yves Locas and his lovely wife, Pierette. This year, they were accompanied by their grandson Alex who we found out is a right winger, just like Grand-Papa! Often overlooked in the days of the "Original Six", Locas netted 186 AHL goals between 1962 and 1970.

Bill Mcreary from the Calder Cup championship teams of 1959-1961 made his first appearance at the Reds-fest. Former Springfield coach, Jerry Toppazini was there on behalf of his late brother, Zellio. Zellio has been named by the Reds' Society as the Greatest Red of the Century. We were told that Jerry recently celebrated his 80th birthday and he looks great!

Of course, the day is an annual celebration of the glory days of the Rhode Island/Providence Reds club. This year, among the weekend festivities was the dedication of a plaque in the city of Providence at 1111 Main Street, the home of the famous (or, infamous for Springfield fans) Rhode Island Arena. Later, simply The Auditorium, the cramped quarters were known for years for their chicken wire above the boards and the hard nosed play that seemingly always took place there.

It was also great to see the voice of Boston Garden, Rene Rancourt get the day underway with his usual terrific versions of both "O Canada" and the "Star Spangled Banner".

As much as we hated the Reds so many years ago, it really is fantastic to see the players of yesteryear up close and personal; sharing stories from way back when. Now that the Springfield Hockey Heritage Society is in its infancy, we too are reaching out to players who helped put Springfield on the hockey map. We look forward to the day when we can assemble together and salute the men who made Springfield hockey great!