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Saturday, 12 July 2008 08:44 |
Harry Sinden and Charlie Burns Travel Far to Attend
New fans and fans from the era were there at the Tap N tankard Saturday afternoon despite the weather to get autographs and to meet these heroes.
One can understand why they were and are WINNERS when in their company for a short period of time. The genuine feeling of their magic touched us all as we listened to stories from the day and  weeks of the memorable trip where boys became men.
Youngsters like Harry Sinden who captained the team, Bobby Attersley who spearheaded the attack and Frank Bonello who was a centre ice man and the others who played to get jobs were just hockey players when they left Canada to compete in the Championships in 1958.
Wren Blair was a young man with a great vision and a determination that was second to none. “He really held this thing together for us” was a comment made to me by Fred Etcher about Wren Blair. Little did they know that several very prominent NHL executives would emerge from this amateur team.
Harry Sinden would become president of the Boston Bruins. Wren Blair would become General Manager of the Minnesota North Stars. Frank Bonello would lead the Toronto Marlies to success and then become a key part of NHL Central Scouting. Charlie Burns would go on to play in the NHL and be in the NHL record books forever as being the last NHL playing coach.
 Listening to Harry Sinden speak about the losses that Canada had suffered on the World Hockey stage in the 1950’s and the pressure that they put upon themselves to restore Canada as a hockey power showed the stuff that these men are made of. “I was proud to win it all for Canada and Whitby then and I feel the pride tonight” he said in a stirring speech at a dinner held in Whitby on Saturday March 8, 2008 to commemorate their accomplishments. It is difficult to describe the feeling but a sensation of electricity went right through my body too when he said that.
WE are PROUD of you and all your team mates too Mr Sinden!!
Thanks to all the members of this Championship Team who traveled far to get here and also for those who were able to attend.
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