Gord Renwick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gord Renwick
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| Born | February 13, 1935 Galt, Ontario, Canada
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| Died | January 6, 2021 (aged 85) Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
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| Occupation | Ice hockey administrator and businessman |
| Known for | Canadian Amateur Hockey Association president, International Ice Hockey Federation vice-president, Galt Hornets president |
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| Honours | Renwick Cup |
Gordon Ralph Renwick (born February 13, 1935 – died January 6, 2021) was a Canadian ice hockey leader. He helped manage and grow the sport. He was president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). He also served as vice-president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Renwick was also the team president for the Galt Hornets.
Renwick led the Galt Hornets to win the Allan Cup in 1969 and 1971. This trophy is for Canada's top amateur senior ice hockey team. His trips to Europe helped bring European teams to play tournaments in North America. He also helped organize these events. In 1974, Renwick started the Wrigley Cup. This was a national hockey tournament for midget age group players. He became vice-president of the CAHA in 1975.
From 1977 to 1979, Renwick was president of the CAHA. During this time, the CAHA worked to recognize women's ice hockey in Canada. They also made rules for players to wear safety equipment. Renwick was the last elected president of the CAHA. After him, the CAHA started having a full-time president.
Later, Renwick was vice-president of the IIHF for eight years. He improved how the IIHF handled money. He also helped with marketing and getting sponsors for big events. These included the Canada Cup and the World Cup of Hockey. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2012, he received the Order of Hockey in Canada. The Renwick Cup is named after him.
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Early Life and Hockey Beginnings
Gordon Ralph Renwick was born on February 13, 1935. He grew up in Galt, Ontario. He was the oldest of three children. While in school, he wanted to be a baseball pitcher.
Leading the Galt Hornets
Renwick was president of the Galt Hornets from 1966 to 1973. The team won two Allan Cups. These were for the Canadian senior ice hockey championship. His friend Bill Wylie encouraged him to help run the team. In 1966, Renwick named Earl Balfour as the team's new coach. He also signed player Gary Collins.
Two seasons later, the 1968–69 Hornets had a great year. They won 52 out of 67 games. They won the Ontario championship. In the national playoffs, Galt won the 1969 Allan Cup. They beat the Calgary Stampeders in four games.
Renwick and the team shared some of the team's money with the players. This was a unique idea at the time. The Galt team won another Ontario championship in the 1970–71 season. They had strong goaltenders in Harold Hurley and Ken Broderick. Galt won the 1971 Allan Cup again. They beat the same Calgary team from 1969. Games were often sold out at the Galt Arena Gardens. The Hornets also played in the 1971 Ahearne Cup in Stockholm. They finished in third place.
Becoming CAHA Vice-President
Renwick first joined the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) in 1969. He became a director. In May 1973, he was elected vice-president. He was in charge of senior and intermediate hockey. He was reelected to this role in 1974. In May 1975, he became the first vice-president. He held this position for two years.
Renwick made friends with European teams during his Galt Hornets' trips. He helped European senior clubs play games in North America. This happened when the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association started signing European players. He also helped North American fans see European teams play. He was the Chef de Mission for European teams visiting North America. In December 1972, he hosted an international senior hockey tournament. His Galt team played against teams from the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, and Sweden.
Renwick also organized the first Wrigley Cup in 1974. He was the tournament chairman. This event brought the top 12 midget age group teams in Canada together. The winning team got a trip to the Soviet Union. He also helped create CAHA programs for coaches, referees, and managers.
Leading the CAHA as President
First Year as President
Renwick was elected president of the CAHA on May 27, 1977. He took over from Don Johnson. One of his first tasks was to find a new executive director. In June 1977, he chose David Branch for the role. The CAHA faced money problems due to rising costs. Renwick wanted to improve relations with the NHL and the World Hockey Association (WHA). The CAHA got money from these leagues when they signed junior players.
The CAHA made new rules and changes starting in 1977. In October, Renwick announced a meeting to discuss women's ice hockey in Canada. The CAHA rules only allowed males to play. On May 25, 1978, the CAHA created a female hockey council. This allowed for separate female divisions within the CAHA.
In March 1978, Renwick announced a new rule. By 1980, all players would need to wear face masks on their hockey helmets. These masks had to meet safety standards. The CAHA also had disagreements with Hockey Canada. Renwick felt that Hockey Canada was trying to control too much. He wanted to protect amateur hockey in Canada. He also worried that the Canadian government had too much control over hockey.
Second Year as President
Renwick was reelected as CAHA president on May 25, 1978. He also became the non-European representative on the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) council. In July 1978, Renwick announced a five-year deal. The Wrigley Cup would be renamed the Air Canada Cup. This was for the national midget championship.
Renwick worried about a plan in November 1978. This plan suggested that government officials should run youth hockey. He believed that volunteers were the most important part of minor ice hockey. He felt they would lose interest if they had no say.
Renwick and the CAHA had a public disagreement with WHA president Howard Baldwin in 1978. This was about the WHA signing junior players without paying the CAHA. Renwick threatened to use the CAHA's power as an IIHF member. He wanted to block WHA games against international teams. He said the CAHA was owed $320,000 in fees. The talks failed, and Renwick told the IIHF that the WHA was not following the rules. This blocked the WHA's international games.
This dispute also caused more problems with Hockey Canada. Renwick said that the CAHA had not approved an agreement that gave Hockey Canada control over international games. Alan Eagleson threatened to cancel international events. This was because the CAHA could veto international games. In January 1979, Hockey Canada tried to get its own seat on the IIHF council. They also wanted to take over Renwick's seat.
At the annual meeting in May 1979, the CAHA responded to a government report. This report criticized its player development program. Renwick was tired of the constant questioning from governments. He said that governments supported professional players but not amateurs. The CAHA stopped body checking for players younger than pee-wee age. They also made safety rules stricter. This included mandatory helmets and face masks by March 1, 1980.
The Quebec Amateur Hockey Association (QAHA) threatened to leave the CAHA. They felt the national organization lacked leadership. Renwick was surprised by their criticism. At the same meeting, the CAHA decided to have a full-time paid president. This president would manage daily affairs. Renwick said he would not apply for the job.
After Being President
Murray Costello became the new full-time CAHA president. Renwick went back to senior ice hockey. He was president of the OHA Senior A Hockey League from 1979 to 1981. The CAHA later banned body checking for pee-wee players too. Renwick had helped make suggestions for younger players in 1980. These included smaller ice surfaces and lighter pucks.
In 1981, the CAHA brought back the Canadian national team. Renwick said that earlier efforts were not funded enough. In 1984, the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) moved to Cambridge. They became a tenant of Renwick Construction. In April 1985, Renwick attended the funeral of Bunny Ahearne in Europe. He represented Canada.
IIHF Vice-President Role
Renwick was an IIHF board member for twenty years. He was its vice-president from 1986 to 1994. In 1979, the IIHF followed his example from Canada. They required face masks for players aged 16 and younger. Renwick asked IIHF members to support approved masks in their youth hockey groups.
As vice-president, he made the accounting process better. He helped change IIHF bookkeeping to a computer system. He also arranged for outside companies to check the IIHF's financial records every year. He was in charge of marketing and getting sponsors for big events. These included the Canada Cup and the World Cup of Hockey.
Renwick led the IIHF committees for rules and laws. He worked to make hockey rules the same in North America and Europe. He used referee clinics in Canada to find good officials. He wanted rules to be enforced the same way everywhere. He also worried about too much violence on the ice. This happened when players felt too safe with new equipment.
In February 1989, Peter Nedved moved to Canada from Czechoslovakia. Renwick said Nedved needed to be released by his home country. This was required by IIHF rules before he could play for Canada. Renwick helped with talks between the NHL and the IIHF. These talks led to NHL players joining the Winter Olympic Games. He worked with Gary Bettman of the NHL to make this happen. He also helped with NHL exhibition games in Europe.
Renwick was the first person to announce he wanted to be the next IIHF president. Günther Sabetzki was planning to retire in 1994. The CAHA wanted Renwick to be president. However, Europeans were worried about the NHL getting too much influence. They also felt a Canadian president was too far away. Renwick lost the vote to René Fasel. After this, Renwick decided to retire from hockey.
Personal Life
Renwick was married twice and had five children. He owned Renwick Construction. This company built and managed homes and businesses in Cambridge. He took over the business after his father died in 1963.
Renwick enjoyed his cottage on Lake Rosseau. He also liked sailing and following the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team. He and his second wife, Maggie, were invited to the Ice Hockey World Championships every year. He was good friends with Vladislav Tretiak.
Renwick passed away on January 6, 2021, in Cambridge.
Honours and Awards
Renwick received the CAHA Volunteer of the Year Award in 1979. This was after 10 years of service. In 1991, he received the OHA Gold Stick award. This recognized his contributions to hockey. He was made a life member of the IIHF in 1994.
Renwick was inducted into the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. He was inducted again in 1998 as a member of the 1968–69 Galt Hornets team. In 2002, he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame a third time in 2004. This was as a member of the 1970–71 Galt Hornets team.
Renwick was part of the first group to receive the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2012. He received the award on June 25, 2012. Other honourees included Jean Béliveau, Cassie Campbell, Wayne Gretzky, and Gordie Howe.
Renwick was also made a life member of Hockey Canada. He was inducted into the Waterloo Region Hall of Fame. The Renwick Cup is named after him. This cup is given each year to the top AAA senior ice hockey team in Ontario. That team then goes on to compete for the Allan Cup.
In 2019, the Cambridge Memorial Hospital named the Renwick family bridge after him. This is a glass structure connecting two parts of the hospital.
