Garry Peters

Athlete (2001)

Hockey

Garry Peters played for four teams in eight National Hockey League seasons and, after serious knee injuries, settled in Saskatoon where he coached and became active in Special Olympics and Kid Sport programming Garry was born in Regina.

Hockey seemed to be in the family future early and Garry went from backyard hockey to all age classes in the Regina playground system, playing on five Regina city championship teams.

Garry played junior hockey for the Regina Pats for four years, was team captain twice, won the league scoring title one season and the league's most valuable player award another season.

He turned professional with the Omaha Knights, won the rookie-of-the-year honors in the Central Pro League, and by January in 1965, he was called up to the Montreal Canadiens.

He played on the Canadiens, who won the Stanley Cup in a 1965 series against Chicago, was later traded to New York Rangers for a season and then re-acquired by the Canadiens.

Garry went to the Philadelphia Flyers at the start of the 1967-68 season, the first expansion year in the National League. Garry wore No. 15 for the Flyers and he made his mark in the NHL as a checking centre and penalty-killer.

Garry joined the Boston Bruins in 1971-72, was the most valuable player at their American League farm team but was called up near the end of the season. He injured his knee, missed the playoffs but had his name inscribed on the Stanley Cup.

He later played two seasons in the World Hockey Association.

In Saskatoon, he played fastball with Saskatoon College Lads, who won three provincial senior championships, became coach of the Western Hockey League's Blades for part of the 1978 season and coached minor teams in the Flyers zone, winning five city titles.

Garry played with the Saskatoon Old Pros and also played with the Montreal Canadien Old timers in many of their exhibition games for 20 years. With the Old timers, most of the proceeds went to charity, like the Special Olympics, and he was also the key organizer of a dinner in honor of former teammate Dave Balon, who received a van from the Canadiens to help him cope with his muscular sclerosis.

He has been active with Kid Sport for seven years and with Sask Sport for two, and it was a Sask Sport function where he was reunited with other NHL veterans in Regina.