George Faulkner (ice hockey)
| George Faulkner (ice hockey) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
December 27, 1933 Bishop's Falls, Newfoundland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Weight | 156 lb (71 kg; 11 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Left Wing, Defense | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Shawinigan-Falls Cataracts Jacksonville Rockets | ||
| Playing career | 1950–1975 | ||
Robert George Faulkner (born December 27, 1933 in Bishop's Falls, Newfoundland) is a retired professional hockey player. In 1954 he became the first professional hockey from Newfoundland and Labrador when he signed with the minor-pro Shawinigan Cataracts of the Quebec Senior Hockey League.
Early Life
George had four hockey-playing brothers, Lindy, Seth, Alex, and Jack, and two sisters (Marie and Elizabeth). His parents were Lester, who was born in Bishop's Falls, and Olive, a native of Twillingate. Lester's mother (Svea) was born in Burträsk,Sweden and his father (William) was born in Sherbrooke, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. He first learned how to play hockey on the Exploits River in Bishop's Falls with his brothers. His brother Alex was the first Newfoundlander to play in the National Hockey League.
His biography titled Faulkner: A Hockey History was published on November 30, 2011. It was written by Tom P. Rossiter who is a retired educator.
Playing career
George started his hockey career at age 15 playing with the Bishop's Falls Woodsmen in the Grand Falls Senior league in 1948. In 1951 he played Junior B with the Quebec Citadelles. In 1954 he became the first player from Newfoundland to play professional hockey. George played four seasons with the minor-pro Shawinigan Cataracts from 1954 to 1958. The Cataracts were owned by the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League. In 1958 the 24-year-old Bishop's Falls native was hired by the town of Harbour Grace as the community's recreational director. He helped run the hockey program with stadium manager Lorne Wakelin at the new Conception Bay Recreational Centre which opened in January 1958. His first task was to form a senior hockey team. The Conception Bay CeeBees, with George on defense as their playing-coach, were immediately a dominant force in the Newfoundland senior league making seven finals appearances in their first nine seasons, including four all-Newfoundland hockey championships. In 1966 Faulkner won a Bronze medal and led Canada's national team in scoring at the World Hockey Championships in Yugoslavia.
Career achievements
Championships
- In 1953 won his first all-Newfoundland senior hockey Herder Memorial Trophy championship with the Grand Falls All-Stars.
- Four Herder championships as playing-coach with the Conception Bay CeeBees in 1960, 1961, 1965 and 1967.
- Three Herder championships with the St. John's Capitals, in 1973, 1974 and 1975 and with the St. John's Shamrocks as coach in 1979.
- As a forward With the Shawinigan Cataracts in 1955, he was the first Newfoundland native to win the Edinburgh Trophy (WHL vs QHL minor-pro champions).
Awards
- Bronze medal winner with Canada's National Team at 1966 World Hockey Championships.
- In 1982 he was inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame.
- Inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame in 1994.
- Honoured by the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame as a member of Canada's National Team of 1966. Manitoba was home to the National Team from 1965 to 1970.
- Voted Best Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Player in a Telegram Poll in 1994.
- Named Top Newfoundland and Labrador Athlete of all time by The Telegram in 1999.
- In 2010 he received an honourary Doctor of Laws Degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland.
- Torch bearer at 1992 Newfoundland Summer Games
- Torch bearer at 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics
Career statistics
Note: GFSHL = Grand Falls Senior Hockey League, GFHSHL = Grand Falls High School Hockey League, QJBHL = Quebec Junior B Hockey League, NAHA = Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association, QJAHL = Quebec Junior A Hockey League,QHL = Quebec Hockey League, NSHL = Newfoundland Senior Hockey League
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PP | SH | GW | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1950–51 | Bishop's Falls Woodsmen | GFSHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| 1950–51 | Bishop's Falls High School | GFHSHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| 1950–51 | Grand Falls Junior All-Stars | NAHA-Jr. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| 1951–52 | Quebec 'B' Citadelles | QJBHL | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 1952–53 | Grand Falls All-Stars | NAHA-Sr. | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 1953–54 | Quebec Citadelles | QJAHL | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 1953–54 | Quebec Frontenacs | QJAHL | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 1954–55 | Shawinigan Falls Cataracts | QHL | 59 | 18 | 25 | 43 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1955–56 | Shawinigan Falls Cataracts | QHL | 52 | 17 | 16 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1956–57 | Shawinigan Falls Cataracts | QHL | 55 | 19 | 26 | 45 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1957–58 | Shawinigan Falls Cataracts | QHL | 51 | 19 | 17 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1958–59 | Conception Bay All-Stars | NAHA-Sr. | 14 | 20 | 13 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1959–60 | Conception Bay CeeBees | NAHA-Sr. | 13 | 11 | 11 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1960–61 | Conception Bay CeeBees | NAHA-Sr. | 10 | 10 | 16 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1961–62 | Conception Bay CeeBees | NAHA-Sr. | 7 | 3 | 6 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1962–63 | Conception Bay CeeBees | NSHL | 16 | 12 | 14 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1963–64 | Conception Bay CeeBees | NSHL | 20 | 15 | 24 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1964–65 | Conception Bay CeeBees | NSHL | 20 | 19 | 45 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1965–66 | Canada's National Team | IIHF | 22 | 11 | 13 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1965–66 | Conception Bay CeeBees | NSHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| 1966–67 | Conception Bay CeeBees | NSHL | 40 | 35 | 46 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1967–68 | Conception Bay CeeBees | NSHL | 40 | 34 | 35 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1968–69 | Corner Brook Royals | NSHL | 38 | 6 | 31 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1969—70 | Corner Brook Royals | NSHL | 32 | 14 | 37 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1970—71 | Did not play senior hockey | 32 | 14 | 37 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1971—72 | Jacksonville Rockets | EHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1971—72 | St. John's Capitals | NSHL | 26 | 12 | 23 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972—73 | St. John's Capitals | NSHL | 33 | 13 | 27 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1973—74 | St. John's Capitals | NSHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1974—75 | St. John's Capitals | NSHL | 7 | 2 | 11 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
References
Bibliography
- Rossiter, Tom P. (2011). Faulkner, A Hockey History: Stars and Records. Breakwater Books.