MLAs promote Riverton Rifle for Hockey Hall of Fame

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This article was published 31/05/2023 (330 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Riverton Rifle is hoping Manitoba politicians will give him another shot at being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Reggie Leach, the former Philadelphia Flyer great who was born in Riverton and is a member of the Berens River First Nation, is hoping to net hockey’s greatest honour with an assist from the Manitoba Legislative Assembly.

In an unanimous vote on Thursday, the final sitting day for the assembly before October’s election, politicians from all three parties passed a resolution that because “the achievements and contributions of Reggie Leach deserve formal recognition and appreciation from the government and the people of Manitoba.”

The resolution, a private members’ resolution by NDP MLA Ian Bushie, also stated because of “the outstanding achievements and contributions of Reggie Leach to the sport of ice hockey, as well as his significant impact on the community and province of Manitoba and commend him as a worthy candidate for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame”.

“I think it is pretty exciting when you have a whole legislature voting you in,” Leach said on Thursday from his summer home in the Interlake.

“To me it is a great honour.”

Leach’s wife, Dawn Madahbee Leach, said the Manitoba vote comes just days after a similar resolution by the Assembly of First Nations.

“To see these efforts of support is so great to see,” Madahbee Leach said. “I think he already should be there — I don’t know why he isn’t.”

The 73-year-old Leach, who was also nicknamed “The Chief” during his playing days, played five seasons with the Flin Flon Bombers, winning the Memorial Cup in 1967, before being drafted in the first round by the Boston Bruins.

Leach played 13 seasons and for four teams in the National Hockey League, and won a Stanley Cup in 1975.

It was during the next season Leach had a career year, scoring the most goals in the league, 61, still the most scored in a season by a Flyer, but also his career high in points, 91, and game winning goals, 10.

While the Montreal Canadiens eventually prevailed against his team by lifting the Stanley Cup that year, Leach at the time became only the third player, and the first non-goaltender, to be named the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs on the team that lost, after scoring a record 19 goals in 16 games, with several coming during a record 10-game consecutive scoring streak, a record which still stands 47 years later.

Leach also was a member of the 1976 Team Canada team which won the championship, and played for all-star teams in 1976 and 1980.

Leach’s final stats were 381 goals and 285 assists in 934 career games.

For his efforts, Leach has been inducted into the Order of Canada and the Order of Manitoba.

Bushie, who put forward the private members’ resolution, said it has been a longstanding goal of his to get Leach into the hockey shrine.

“I feel very good about it,” Bushie said shortly after the vote.

“Everyone agreed to the need and that it is long overdue.”

Bushie said there has been talk for years that Leach didn’t tally hall of fame numbers during a longer career, but he said that opinion is wrong.

“Today’s players don’t have careers as long as he had,” he said. “They get in for six or seven years. He played longer than that and had a huge impact.

“If the Hockey Hall of Fame opened up its doors for him it would also be a step towards reconciliation. It is not looking at special treatment; his record stands on its own.

“And, when you look at what else the hall looks for, character, contributions to team and to hockey, Reggie checks all the boxes with his playing career and life after hockey.”

Leach, who is now marking 40 years since he last tied on skates to hit the ice for a NHL team — the Detroit Red Wings — said while it would be great to be in the hall of fame, he doesn’t dwell upon it.

“I really don’t think about it, to tell the truth,” he said.

“I always talk about how hockey was just a stepping stone to who I am today. I’ve done a lot more, after hockey, working with youth across the country.

“It would be very special to me, but I love visiting communities and talking to the youth and to the Elders.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca