Page 23 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 146

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Continued from page 22
Maple Leaf coach and General
Manager, George “Punch” Imlach.
After playing two years with the
Flyers in the Qc Sr league, Gerry
signed as a free agent with the
Detroit Red Wings. He split the
1941-42 season between the Red
Wings and their top farm team,
the Indianapolis Capitals. Gerry
then entered the Canadian military
for the duration of the war. He had
spent four years with the Canadian
army and had been commissioned
as a Lieutenant. Back with Detroit
for the 1945-46 season, Gerry once
again split his time between the
Red Wings and the Indianapolis
Capitals. During training camp in
the fall of 1946, Gerry was traded to
the Toronto Maple Leafs and sent to
the Buffalo Bisons in the AHL. He
played two seasons with the Bisons
and then joined the Hershey Bears,
playing four seasons in Hershey and
retiring as a player following the
1951-52 season. In 523 AHL games,
(including playoffs), Gerry Brown
had 185 goals and 273 assists for
458 points. In his 35 NHL games
with Detroit, he had 6 goals and 6
assists for 12 points.
The Hershey Bears had a working
agreement with the Boston Bruins
and their chief scout approached
Gerry offering him the head
coaching job with the Oshawa
Generals in the OHA. The Generals
had a successful season with Gerry
coaching, but on September 15th,
1953, the Hanby Arena burned to
the ground. The Generals were
disbanded, and Gerry was hired
to coach the Quebec Aces by his
former teammate Punch Imlach,
who had coached the Aces and was
now the team’s General Manager.
When he announced the hiring,
Imlach told the media that “Gerry
Brown was one of the best young
coaches in hockey.” Gerry guided
the Aces to the QHL Championship
Issue #146 March 2025 23
in the 1953-54 season and then mom and other relatives still lived
palms had been cut out. I wasn’t
resigned his position to return to in the area and Gerry worked for devastated but I was certainly
the OHA as Head Coach of the Galt Brewers Retail, lifting cases of beer down.” This experience made Blair
Black Hawks. After one season with which helped to keep him in shape. realize a few things and question
Galt, Gerry coached the Brockville During Gerry’s later coaching years, a few others. “I realized that my
Hornets Jr A team during the 1954- he and Beryl owned a cottage in mom had bought and provided me
55 season before taking over as head Brockville, where he was co-owner with the best hockey equipment
coach with the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the local drive-in theatre which that she could afford during those
OHA team, spending three seasons he managed during the summer times. It made me question how a
there, followed by two more with the months. Nephew Blair spent time at professional hockey player wearing
Toronto Marlboros, before retiring the cottage and has many memories equipment like that didn’t get killed.
from coaching. Gerry had written from happenings there. Gerry’s Technology and the advancement of
the Civil Service exams and left the father, Archie, stayed at the cottage, gear has been evolving ever since.
Marlies following the 1961 season with Blair recalling how the two of Long gone are the days when we
to join the National Employment them would drive Gerry’s old, sliced could walk into Cycle shop to see
Service (Canada Manpower) in golf balls out into the St. Lawrence, Eddy Silverman and purchase a
Cornwall. Gerry remained with the then having them wash back into Hespeller hockey stick for $1.73.”
Toronto Maple Leaf organization as shore two days later much larger
a part time scout monitoring players in size after having absorbed water. In 1998 Gerry Brown was
in Cornwall, Ottawa, Quebec, and “Uncle Gerry taught me how to diagnosed with terminal cancer.
colleges in the northern USA. It was skate and he also taught me how to Blair took it upon himself to help
a part time position but Toronto GM, swim,” said Blair. “You walked out out with yard maintenance. On
Punch Imlach, respected Gerry’s on a flat stone surface, then there one occasion he noticed a rose
ability to evaluate prospects and was a drop off and then a second bush that was growing and was
he always had a chair at the Maple drop off. We would walk out into the restricted between the back fence
Leaf draft table. In 1970, Toronto, water and Aunt Beryl would give and a neighbour’s shed. “I went into
Philadelphia, and St. Louis went to Uncle Gerry a stern lecture telling the house and mentioned it to Aunt
computers and all part time scouts him to “take good care of Blair.” As Beryl,” Blair recalled, “she told me
were released. Jack Riley, GM of soon as we heard the cottage door not to touch it as the cats go back
the Pittsburg Penguins, approached shut, he would grab me and throw there to pee. Uncle Gerry could
Gerry to serve in the same capacity, me out into the deeper water, - that’s see that I had a different thought,
a position that he quickly accepted how I learned to swim.” Around and he gave me a nod and a wink”.
and held until the end of the 1973- five years after Gerry retired from
74 season. playing professional hockey Blair A few days later Blair stopped by,
received a phone call from Beryl dug up the rose bush and put it into
Continuing as the head instructor asking him if he would like Gerry’s the trunk of his car before going
at the hockey school until he was well equipment. “I was over the moon,” into the house. “Uncle Gerry very
into his seventies, once Gerry took Blair reminisced, “the equipment quietly asked, “Did you get it?” to
his skates off, he continued to watch arrived, and I couldn’t wait to try it which I nodded yes without Aunt
from the stands. George Bougie, on. I was only ten years old at the Beryl catching on to what we were
who first started as a student at the time and standing in the pants, the talking about.” Blair took the rose
school, later becoming an assistant, bottoms were touching the floor, bush home and planted it in his
took over the head instructor role, the top was chest level and with and his wife, Brenda’s, backyard.
with Gerry still coming down to the my arms straight up, I still couldn’t “Uncle Gerry passed away at home,
bench to help run scrimmages. fully extend the suspenders. The on my birthday August 18th, 1998,
Leaving England when he shoulder, elbow, and knee pads had a with Brenda and I there,” Blair said.
enlisted in 1939, Gerry was posted lot in common. They were a quilting Since then the rose bush has been
to Cornwall for training. While with stretchy elastic and the pads divided into two, and twenty seven
there, he met Beryl Munro, and they seemed to be dense foam covered years later, both are still flourishing.
married on January 2nd, 1942. Once with leather. The gloves were my We refer to these old fashioned pink
Beryl and Gerry were married, they last hope to salvage anything so roses as Uncle Gerry’s roses.” They
would return to Cornwall after the you can imagine my shock when I look very much like an Alberta rose-
hockey season each year, Beryl’s tried them on only to find that the isn’t that fitting.