Mirl Arthur "Red" McCarthy
Mirl "Red" McCarthy
Founder of ringette[1]
Born
Mirl Arthur McCarthy

(1930-03-12)March 12, 1930
Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, Canada
Died1995(1995-00-00) (aged 64–65)
Other names"Red McCarthy"
Occupation(s)Sportsman, coach
Years active
  • 1949–54
    - professional ice hockey
  • 1954–95
    - recreation director
Known for
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[2]

Mirl Arthur "Red" McCarthy (March 12, 1930 – 1995) was a Canadian sportsperson, sport and recreation administrator, ice hockey player, founder and co-inventor of the sport of ringette, and for a time, a professional skating star and barrel jumper.[2] He was inducted into the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame as a Founder in 1998.[1]

Biography

"Red McCarthy on Ice" - performing barrel jumping. Postcard: 1933 Century of Progress, Exposition Chicago, Black Forest Village Ice Skating
Black Forest Village at Chicago's Century of Progress, 1934 advertisement

Born in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario and raised in Sudbury, he grew up to be a star athlete in baseball, football, track and field, and ice hockey. His hockey career included stops with Toronto St. Michael's College, Barrie Flyers,[3] Boston Olympics,[4] Nelson B.C. Maple Leafs, Sudbury Caruso Miners, and Sudbury Wolves of the Canadian Senior Hockey League.[2] McCarthy played in three ice hockey leagues over the course of his career: the Ontario Hockey League, the Eastern Amateur Hockey League, and the Northern Ontario Hockey Association.

At the Chicago World's Fair, in Chicago, Illinois, United States, McCarthy was photographed participating in barrel jumping, a discipline of speed skating, at the Black Forest Village.

In 1954, at the age of 24, he became recreation director of Espanola, Ontario and held the position for forty-one years. He became actively involved in all aspects of Espanola's recreational programs and was instrumental in forming the Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA) Junior A Hockey League, and the Espanola Eagles Junior A hockey team. He coached the team for 18 years, and then managed it for four more.[5] The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League's Red McCarthy Memorial Trophy is named in his honour.

Ringette

McCarthy,[1][6] a member of the Northern Ontario Recreation Directors Association (NORDA), set up the first on-ice activity, or "game", of ringette which took place at the Espanola Arena in the fall of 1963.[5] He drew up the first set of rules and set up the very first game between Espanola high school girls who had played high school ice hockey.[6]

The first ring we used was a felt floor hockey ring, but we found it collected snow easily, so a deck tennis ring was used, which worked much better.[6]

— Norm Mayer, The origins of ringette, Sudbury Star (1989)

McCarthy had been present at a meeting when Sam Jacks brought up the fact that there was a need for a new winter team sport for girls. After Jacks's presentation, McCarthy volunteered to experiment with the new sport in Espanola where he was the recreation director and arena manager. Equipped with Jack's basic idea, McCarthy then created the first set of rules for the sport of ringette. These rules were then presented at a NORDA meeting at Moose Lake Lodge in Onaping, Ontario, on January 19–20, 1964.[5] Today the title of "birthplace of ringette" is shared by both North Bay, Ontario, and Espanola, Ontario, though Espanola is still recognized as the "Official Home of Ringette".[5] To date, McCarthy has not had a trophy or any other award in the sport named in his honour.

Mirl "Red" McCarthy Memorial Award

The Red McCarthy Memorial Trophy is the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League's award given annually to the "Coach of the Year".[7][8][9]

MIRL "RED" MCCARTHY MEMORIAL AWARD
NOJHL Coach of the year
Season Coach of the Year Team
2022–23 Peter Goulet[10] Powassan Voodoos
2021–22 Brandon Perry Timmins Rock
2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic
2019–2000 Dave Clancy Espanola Express
2018–19 Marc Lafleur Hearst Lumberjacks
2017–18 John Parco Soo Thunderbirds
2016-17 Kyle Brick Blind River Beavers
2015–16 Ryan Leonard[11] Cochrane Crunch
2014–15 Jordan Smith[12] Soo Thunderbirds
2013–14 Jordan Smith Soo Thunderbirds
2012–13 Marc Lafleur[8] Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
2011–12 Tom McCarthy North Bay Trappers
(now the Hearst Lumberjacks)
2010–11 Bruno Bragagnolo Soo Eagles
2009–2010 Paul Gagné Abitibi Eskimos
(now the Timmins Rock)
2008–09 Ian Swalucynski North Bay Skyhawks
(now the Hearst Lumberjacks)
2007–08 Paul Gagné Abitibi Eskimos
2006–07 Todd Stencill[13] Blind River Beavers
2005–06 Darryl Moxam Sudbury Northern Wolves
(now the Greater Sudbury Cubs)
2004–05 Toots Kovacs Soo Thunderbirds
2003–04 Paul Gagné Abitibi Eskimos
2002–03 Paul Gagné Abitibi Eskimos
2001–02 Paul Gagné Iroquois Falls Jr. Eskies
(now the Timmins Rock)
2000–01 Jim Capy Soo Thunderbirds
1999–2000 Ken MacKenzie Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats
1998–99 Ron Guy Parry Sound Shamrocks
1997–98 Ken MacKenzie Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats
1996–97 Ken MacKenzie[14] Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats
1995–96 Jeff Brick Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats
1994–95 Kenn Sullivan Timmins Golden Bears
1993–94 Guy Blanchard Powassan Hawks
1992–93 Kenn Sullivan Timmins Golden Bears
1991–92 Guy Blanchard Powassan Passports
1990–91 Guy Blanchard Powassan Passports
1989–1990 Brian Smith Sudbury Cubs
1988–89 Not Available N/A
1987–88 Not Available N/A
1986–87 Not Available N/A
1985–86 Not Available N/A
1984–85 Not Available N/A
1983–84 Not Available N/A
1982–83 Not Available N/A
1981–82 Ken MacKenzie Onaping Falls Huskies
1980–81 Richard Pagnutti Nickel Centre Native Sons
1979–1980 Pat Tremblay Onaping Falls Huskies
1978–79 John Dediana Nickel Centre Native Sons
1977–78 No League N/L
1976–77 No League N/L
1975–76 No League N/L
1974–75 No League N/L
1973–74 No League N/L
1972–73 No League N/L
1971–72 Ab Carricato Soo Greyhounds
1970–71 Ab Carricato Soo Greyhounds
1969–1970 Marcel Clements Sudbury Wolves
1968–69 Walter Dubas Soo Greyhounds
1967–68 Walter Dubas Soo Greyhounds
1966–67 Walter Dubas Soo Greyhounds
1965–66 Red McCarthy Espanola Eagles
1964–65 Howie Parker North Bay Trappers
(now the Hearst Lumberjacks)
1963–64 Howie Parker North Bay Trappers
(now the Hearst Lumberjacks)
1962–63 Red McCarthy Espanola Eagles

Honours

See also

Further reading

  • Collins, Kenneth Stewart (2004). The Ring Starts Here: An Illustrated History of Ringette.
  • Hall, Margaret Ann (2016). The Girl and the Game: A History of Women's Sport in Canada. University of Toronto Press.
  • Hall, Margaret Ann; Pfister, Gertrud. Honoring the Legacy: Fifty Years of the International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Ringette Canada HALL OF FAME | Mirl (Red) McCarthy | 1930-1995 | Founder | Inducted 1988". ringette.ca. Ringette Canada. 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mirl "Red" McCarthy". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "1949-50 Barrie Flyers [OHA] Photo Gallery". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  4. ↑ "Boston Olympics Statistics and History [1949-1952 EHL]". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Collins, Kenneth (2004). The Ring Starts Here: An Illustrated History of Ringette. Cobalt,Ontario: Highway Book Shop. p. 2. ISBN 0-88954-438-7.
  6. 1 2 3 Mayer, Norm (1989). "The origins of ringette, Espanola's McCarthy developed the game". The Sudbury Star.
  7. ↑ "Coach of the Year | MIRL "RED" MCCARTHY MEMORIAL TROPHY". nojhl.com. NOJHL Media. 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  8. 1 2 "NOJHL Coach of the Year goes to Kirkland Lake's Marc Lafleur – Junior Hockey News". klgoldminers.com. NOJHL Media. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  9. ↑ "Red McCarthy Memorial Trophy". flickr.com. Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. 9 March 2010. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "NOJHL names its 2022-23 award recipients". nojhl.com. NOJHL. 22 March 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "NOJHL ANNOUNCES 2015-16 SEASON AWARD WINNERS". klgoldminers.com. NOJHL Media. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  12. ↑ "NOJHL announces 2014-15 award winners". soothunderbirds.com. NOJHL Media. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  13. ↑ SooToday Staff (14 March 2007). "Four Thunderbirds honoured by the NOJHL". sootoday.com. SooToday.com. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  14. ↑ Hockey News North Staff (9 April 2020). "Flashback: RB Sabrecats". hockeynewsnorth.com. hockeynewsnorth.com. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  15. ↑ Canada Post Stamp Details, Volume XVIII, No. 3. July–September 2009. p. 18.
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