You are not apt to read this in your hometown newspaper but I found it interesting that Ben Lobb, MP for Huron-Bruce, used his first Member’s Statement of the year to ask the Hockey Hall of Fame election committee to review local legend Paul Henderson’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
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| MP Ben Lobb |
“The Canadian Press named Henderson’s goal the ‘sports moment of the century’," said Lobb. “One thing that is missing is Paul’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Don Cherry says that he should be inducted. That’s good enough for me. I humbly request and ask the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee to once again examine Paul’s application and do the right thing. Let’s get Paul Henderson in the Hockey Hall of Fame. I am backing Paul Henderson.”
While he really needs no introduction, Henderson was born in Kincardine, Bruce County, and is a former National Hockey League player. A left winger, he played 13 seasons in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Flames and five in the World Hockey Association (WHA) for the Toronto Toros and Birmingham Bulls. He played over 1,000 games between the two major leagues, scoring 376 goals and 758 points. Henderson played in two NHL All-Star Games and was a member of the Memorial Cup-winning Hamilton Red Wings Junior "A"team.
Henderson, however, is best known for leading Team Canada to victory at the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. Played during the Cold War, the series was viewed as a battle for both hockey and cultural supremacy. Henderson scored the game-winning goal in the sixth, seventh and eighth games, the last of which has become legendary in Canada and made him a national hero: it was voted the “sports moment of the century” by The Canadian Press and earned him numerous accolades. Henderson has twice been inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame: in 1995 individually and in 2005 along with all players of the Summit Series team. He was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in Helsinki in 2013.
I'm sure that Paul would be the first to agree that his career numbers do not meet Hockey Hall of Fame standards, but his stellar performance in the historic Summit Series of 1972 is a sufficient foot in the door to warrant serious consideration.
A born-again Christian, Henderson became a minister, motivational speaker and author following his playing career. He has co-written three books related to hockey and his life. He was also made a member of the Order of Ontario in 2014 and the Order of Canada in 2012.
With all the aforermentioned honors, it never occurred to me that Henderson has been overlooked by the Hockey Hall of Fame for all these years.
...And just think what other pressing Canadian issues Ben Lobb could have addressed in his first statement on Parliament Hill for 2019.
POST NOTE: This interesting aside was prompted by a question from a friend on Facebook. Paul Henderson was born near Kincardine. His mother, Evelyn, went into labour while staying at his father's parents' farm in the nearby community of Amberley during a snowstorm. She gave birth to Paul while the family was crossing Lake Huron via horse-drawn sleigh attempting to reach the hospital in Kincardine. His father, Garnet, was fighting for Canada during the Second World War at the time and did not meet his son until he was nearly three years old. Garnet worked for the Canadian National Railway following his return and the family – Paul was the eldest to brother Bruce and sisters Marilyn, Coralyn and Sandra – moved frequently to different posts in Ontario before settling in Lucknow. Paul's first experiences with hockey came at a young age in the basement of a Chinese restaurant operated by Charlie Chin, an immigrant who settled in Lucknow. Henderson played with Chin's sons using a ball instead of a puck. The Chin family bought Henderson his first set of hockey equipment; he had been using old catalogues as shin pads. His father coached his youth teams, and at one minor hockey tournament, told his teammates simply to "just give the puck to Paul and get out of his way". That incident remained with Henderson throughout his life: while it embarrassed him at the time to be singled out in front of his friends and teammates, he later realized it stood as an affirmation and expression of his father's pride in him and his abilities. It was in Lucknow where Henderson met his future wife, Eleanor, at the age of 15 while he was working at a grocery store. They married in 1962 (Paul was 19 at the time.)
POST NOTE: This interesting aside was prompted by a question from a friend on Facebook. Paul Henderson was born near Kincardine. His mother, Evelyn, went into labour while staying at his father's parents' farm in the nearby community of Amberley during a snowstorm. She gave birth to Paul while the family was crossing Lake Huron via horse-drawn sleigh attempting to reach the hospital in Kincardine. His father, Garnet, was fighting for Canada during the Second World War at the time and did not meet his son until he was nearly three years old. Garnet worked for the Canadian National Railway following his return and the family – Paul was the eldest to brother Bruce and sisters Marilyn, Coralyn and Sandra – moved frequently to different posts in Ontario before settling in Lucknow. Paul's first experiences with hockey came at a young age in the basement of a Chinese restaurant operated by Charlie Chin, an immigrant who settled in Lucknow. Henderson played with Chin's sons using a ball instead of a puck. The Chin family bought Henderson his first set of hockey equipment; he had been using old catalogues as shin pads. His father coached his youth teams, and at one minor hockey tournament, told his teammates simply to "just give the puck to Paul and get out of his way". That incident remained with Henderson throughout his life: while it embarrassed him at the time to be singled out in front of his friends and teammates, he later realized it stood as an affirmation and expression of his father's pride in him and his abilities. It was in Lucknow where Henderson met his future wife, Eleanor, at the age of 15 while he was working at a grocery store. They married in 1962 (Paul was 19 at the time.)
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