Reply To: Diary of a Season 10-11

[hockeygod]

After class, it started off as a great day today as I met up with an old hockey friend who now lives in Houston – haven't seen the Big Dog for about 10 years or so! We went down to watch the Flames and Coyotes skate, visit with one of the A/C's we know and then Tom found us conferring in the lower bowl with Rob (the A/C) while the Coyotes skated. Tom said he had help from the reality TV star "Mantracker" Terry Grant, who presumably was in Calgary to visit with Shane Doan of the Coyotes (Doan was in one of the shows this season – Terry Grant's last, due to a contract dispute.) Kind of neat to see "Mantracker" in person. Then I bumped into former Flame and Stanley Cup winner Joel Otto, who coached with me at U of C in the late 1990's. I run into Joel every once in a while. (I believe both Tom and Joel played at Bemidji State.) Now Joel is an A/C with the Hitmen. Dropped the Big Dog off so he could head out of town to visit his dad, and went for lunch / BEER with Tom… then as I got home, I hear on the radio that long-time Calgary Minor Hockey guru, Murray Copot (whose namesake rink I taught at this morning) had passed away. Murray was an unbelievable person and I will miss him. Godspeed Murray.

Calgary hockey pioneer Murray Copot mourned

By KATIE SCHNEIDER, CALGARY SUN

Last Updated: March 15, 2011

Calgary’s hockey community is mourning the loss of leader, mentor and friend Murray Copot who passed away Monday at age 87.

Starting out as a regular minor hockey dad and then director of Calgary’s Tiny Mites program, Copot later went on to serve as president of Calgary Minor Hockey and of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association, now Hockey Alberta.

Current Hockey Calgary president Perry Cavanagh said he will miss Copot’s pep talks, noting they will stay with him in his heart.

“Murray was an absolute stellar leader of minor hockey and provincially with Hockey Alberta,” he said.

“For me, Murray was a confidant and mentor and I could always count on Murray.

“He would always have the right words to say.”

Copot is said to have become involved in Hockey Calgary after making a late night phone call to convince his alderman that the city should find staff to clear the ice during the second and third periods of minor games.

And through his involvement with the organization, Copot set the bar and laid the foundation for where it is today, Cavanagh said.

The former Thorncliffe (THORNHILL dummies – het your facts straight) Arena was renamed the Murray Copot Arena, which speaks volumes to the kind of leader he was in the hockey community, Cavanagh added.

Cavanagh said there are two people he would call “Mr. Hockey.”

“One is No. 9 (Gordie Howe) and the other was Murray Copot,” he said.

“Murray was always there supporting the kids, not only his own.

“What a man — Murray will be sorely missed.”

Copot is survived by his wife Mary, his children; Terry, Carol, Debbie, Ruth and Joanne, and several grandchildren.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
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