If you grew up in Atlantic Canada in the 1950s and '60s, you were either a Montreal Canadiens fan, or you cheered for the Toronto Maple Leafs. There were some outliers in Newfoundland who went for Detroit because of local boy Alex Faulkner's presence with the Wings. A few contrarians declared for the Boston Bruins, but in the main, it was Habs versus Leafs when it came to fan loyalties.
Eighty-two year old Don Sparkes has been a hockey player for more than seven decades. That's almost as long as he's been a Montreal Canadiens' fan. And this weekend, one of the sharpest Habs followers around will be inducted into Canada's 80-plus hockey hall of fame.
Sparkes got started in hockey when he was a boy in Glovertown, Newfoundland in the 1950s. He knew every pond and inlet where a game of shinny might be happening.
"We used to play, you know, around the bay and they cleared the snow off beforehand," he recalls. "And we used our boots for goal posts and and when we were done, the boots were frozen up so we had to put them on like that."
When indoor rinks began to appear in local communities, the game moved in to warmer environs and Sparkes drove 45 minutes out and back to play in nearby Gander two or three times a week.
Then, finally, Glovertown got its own rink in 2000 (ironically known as one of the coldest in the province) and Sparkes stepped up to form an Oldtimers' team, for players over 50. He became the driving force behind the twice-weekly game that soon was drawing a couple of dozen seniors...enough to comfortably ice at least two sides a night. The other guys dubbed him "The Commish," short for commissioner of the league, and the name has stuck.
Goalie Kevin Noseworthy says he loves playing with The Commish.
"He makes all the decisions. Just like [NHL commissioner Gary] Bettman. He organizes the social, brings the cards for Pass the Ace. Everything we do. He keeps us all alive."
"I think what amazes me about Don is even at his age now, he gets as excited about a goal, I think, as [Washington Capitals captain] Alex Ovechkin does," said Noseworthy.
"I just loved the play from day one, right?" Sparkes chimes in. "And to play with a bunch of good guys," he explains about his motivation in starting the Oldtimer's team. "We had a real good bunch. Never had a fight or a row or anything for 25 years and good camaraderie and things like that."
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Even though he's played the game all his life and is The Commish in his own league, Sparkes was surprised to get a phone call from the Hall of Fame back in the summer.
"August or July maybe this guy called me and said congratulations, Donald," he reveals. "I was surprised. And then he told me I'm going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I don't know if it really sunk in yet. It's unbelievable, especially from a small town like Glovertown, right?"
So now Don, his two sons and his grandson will be heading to Whitby, Ontario for the ceremony, a banquet and a couple of exhibition games.
"They're Montreal fans, of course," he enthuses, although he admits things have changed dramatically since he first started cheering for the Rocket, Jean Beliveau and Boom Boom Geoffrion.
"I went to a lot of games in Montreal years ago, and I haven't been up now for three or four years. But me and my brother used to go up on Super Bowl weekend, getting the Saturday afternoon game and the Sunday afternoon game. That was good. My first ticket was $30, bought off scalpers. The ticket was $15.00 but they they made 15 on it. We didn't care as long as we got our ticket. But then the last time we went up I paid 200 for Saturday night and 100 for Sunday night. If you bought it from the same scalper, they give you 2 for $300."
And the price isn't the only thing that's different these days.
"It's a *lot* faster," he chuckles, noting that his current favourites include speedster and fellow Newfoundlander Alex Newhook, and the inimitable Lane Hutson.
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The senior inductees will play a couple of exhibition games over the weekend, but Sparkes isn't sure he can make it into the fray. He had some health issues last year and has put his game on pause for the time being. He's still bringing his gear to Whitby though, just in case he's feeling energized enough to get on the ice.
"Well, I've got to get my equipment out now and look it all over and make sure everything's okay and I gotta bring it. I'm supposed to bring a sweater from my own team, right? And they're going to give me a new sweater when I get there."
"I'm just ready to go. Yeah. You just gotta get your hockey bag and go on."
Wise words from a sage and dedicated lifelong Canadiens fan.
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