Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire ” proudly sponsored by Pete’s Auto Body.
Pete’s Auto Body; because we care about our community……
Smitty & Middy had Owen Sound Minor Hockey grad Mark O’Leary as a guest this weekend.
They talked hockey, they talked about his the OHL days in Mississauga & Guelph and they talked about coaching the Moose Jaw Warriors.
What they didn’t talk about was one of the all time great hockey games played at the Harry Lumley-Bayshore Community Centre in 1997.
The Owen Sound Leeder & Associate Atoms, the Fighting Accountants, had won the Georgian Bay Championship defeating Midland in the final series.
Of course, having witnessed one of the most blatant homer calls in Minor Hockey history that allowed Owen Sound to tie the game and eventually win it in overtime, the local radio announcer related how the victory was extremely tainted.
After hearing a spade called a spade on air, 10 year old Mark O’Leary picked up the phone and called the radio station and issued a challenge; the Fighting Accountants would meet any 3 radio station employees in a grudge match hockey game.
So, Dave Middleton, Brent Bissell and another Bayshore Broadcasting employee accepted the challenge, but behind the scenes secretly arranged to have a ” Mystery ” teammate.
That ” Mystery ” player was future National Hockey League netminder Curtis Sanford, and it’s a good thing the ” Sand Man ” was in goal.
The 3 radio announcers gassed after 3 minutes and the bulk of the game was played with the Atoms on the attack.
In the end, Curtis Sanford made 94 saves aiding CFOS in a 3-3 tie with the kids.
Mark O’Leary has thousands of games played and coached to reflect upon, but I’m willing to bet the most amazing was an exhibition tie when he was in Owen Sound Minor Hockey and the old Rattler Atoms couldn’t beat CFOS in a charity game.
For Pete’s Auto Body I’m Fred Wallace