Former players create coaching fund honouring Innisfail hockey legend

In 1963, Larry Reid coached the Innisfail Pontiacs midget hockey team all the way to the provincial final.

More than 50 years later, the 13 surviving players from that team are honouring their coach by supporting something he gave decades of his life to.

The newly-created Larry Reid Memorial Coaching Development Fund was unveiled during an event at the Innisfail Golf Club Monday morning.

“We are thrilled with the process and what we’ve been able to achieve,” said Pontiacs alumnus Al Scott. “Our initial benchmark for how much would be in the fund has already been blown out of the water. Hopefully there’ll be enough money in there for this to go on for a long, long time. We think Larry would be thrilled.”

Reid, who passed away in December, made meaningful contributions to the hockey world over several decades as a player, coach and coach developer in Innisfail and across Alberta.

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After helping to solidify Innisfail Minor Hockey, Reid became one of the province’s first NCCP instructors and worked for 15 years as a certification instructor. He was held in such high regard in the coaching world that in 1984 he was invited to China to coach that country’s national junior program for two months.

In 2007, Reid was honoured at Hockey Alberta’s Centennial Celebration as one of the Top 100 Contributors to the sport of hockey in our province.

The creation of a fund in his name is something Reid would’ve been truly honoured by, his son says.

“He’d be humbled, probably in tears,” Dave Reid said. “What dad enjoyed most was quietly watching the successes of the people he coached, seeing where they went, how they grew and whatever they did. He was very humble about what he did and he just sat back and watched. He would tell stories long into the night about their successes.”

The 1962-63 Innisfail Pontiacs Alumni worked with Innisfail Minor Hockey and Hockey Alberta to create the fund to help provide hockey coaches in Innisfail with tools to make themselves, and their players, better.   

“If there is something else out there is not a requirement but we feel is going to help our coaches, go out and find it, let’s get our coaches to these clinics, to these different things and let’s make our coaches better,” said Stephen Bates, President of Innisfail Minor Hockey. “It’s going to make our kids better. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Bates, a life-long Innisfail resident, says the fund is a perfect way to honour Reid, and support grassroots hockey.

“I never did get a chance to play for him or coach with him, but I sat and listened to Larry’s speeches at our awards banquet. When he spoke, the place was quiet. Everybody listened to him,” he reminisced. “He stressed education which I think is a huge thing. Everybody’s banking on the $10 million contract but guess what, when that doesn’t turn out you need something to fall back on. That was one of Larry’s biggest messages. Not only that, but getting coaches to make themselves better. You’ve got a group of seven, eight-year-old kids looking up to you. What better reason is there to make yourself a better coach and a better person?”

Dave Reid commented, “That’s his lasting legacy. I think the goal here is to create something that continues that legacy so there will be more guys, and we can create another Larry in terms of the next generation of people changers.”

Scott said Monday was a special day for everyone involved in creating the fund, allowing them to celebrate Reid’s contributions and share great memories.

“There were still things we learned about Larry today that we didn’t know beforehand,” he remarked. “It was a pretty common message that Larry was special to all the people who spoke today, and the people who came out of their way to come to the fund launch. Great person, great family, we’re very honoured to be able to do this.”

The fund is off to a great start with nearly $30,000 already raised. The first disbursement will take place this fall.

Anyone wishing to donate to the fund can do so at ATB Financial in Innisfail.