Herb Carnegie facts for kids

Herbert Henry Carnegie (November 8, 1919 – March 9, 2012) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He was of Jamaican descent. After playing hockey, he became a successful businessman. He worked in the investment industry.

In 1954, Herb Carnegie started one of Canada's first hockey schools. It was called Future Aces. Through his work helping young hockey players, he received important awards. These included the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada. The Order of Canada is the country's highest award for civilians. His hockey career was recognized when he entered Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. He also joined the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2022, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Herb Carnegie's Hockey Career

Carnegie's hockey journey began in 1938. He played with the Toronto Young Rangers. Later, in the early 1950s, he played for the Buffalo Ankerites. This team was part of a league in mining towns. These towns were in northern Ontario and Quebec.

From 1944 to 1948, he played in the Quebec Provincial League. This was a semi-professional league. He played for teams in Shawinigan and Sherbrooke. He was named the most valuable player (MVP) in 1946, 1947, and 1949. This showed how skilled he was.

In 1948, the New York Rangers gave Carnegie a tryout. They offered him a contract to play in their minor league system. However, the offer was for less money than he was already earning. He turned down all three offers from the Rangers.

He then returned to Canada. He played in the Quebec Senior Hockey League. He played for Sherbrooke St. Francis and the Quebec Aces. Later, he moved to Ontario. He played one season with the Owen Sound Mercuries. During his time in the Quebec Senior League, Carnegie played with Jean Béliveau. Beliveau later became a big star for the Montreal Canadiens.

Facing Unfairness in Hockey

As a black man playing hockey in the 1940s and 1950s, Carnegie faced racism. This meant he was treated unfairly because of his race. In 1938, a famous incident happened. Conn Smythe, who owned the Toronto Maple Leafs, watched Carnegie play. Smythe was said to have made a hurtful comment. He reportedly said he would accept Carnegie on the team if he were white. Or, he would pay $10,000 to anyone who could turn Carnegie white. This shows the unfair challenges he faced.

Life After Hockey

After stopping his hockey career in 1953, Carnegie started the Future Aces Hockey School. It was one of the first hockey schools in Canada. In 1954, he wrote the "Future Aces Creed." This creed was a set of beliefs. It aimed to teach young people about respect, tolerance, and good sportsmanship.

Carnegie also continued to be an athlete in golf. He won the Canadian Seniors Golf Championship in 1977 and 1978. He also won the Ontario Senior Golf Championship in 1975, 1976, and 1982.

In 1987, he created the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation. This foundation gives money, called bursaries, to students. These bursaries help young people go to college and university. Carnegie also had a successful business career. He worked as a financial planner.

In 1996, he published his life story. The book was called A Fly in a Pail of Milk: The Herb Carnegie Story.

Carnegie received many important honours. He was named to the Order of Ontario in 1996. He also joined the Order of Canada in 2003. On May 2, 2005, a building was renamed in his honour. The North York Centennial Centre became the Herbert H. Carnegie Centennial Centre. On June 12, 2006, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from York University. A public school in York Region is also named after him.

He also received several medals. These included the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977. He got the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship in 1988. Other medals included the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal in 1992. He also received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002. His last medal was the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

Later in his life, Carnegie became legally blind. He passed away in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He had been living in an assisted living home.

Carnegie's Family Life

Herb Carnegie lived in Toronto. He was married to Audrey May Carnegie for 63 years. They were married from 1940 until her death in 2003. They had four children, nine grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

His grandson, Rane Carnegie, is also a hockey player. Rane played well in junior leagues. He has also played professional hockey. Rane is now working to share Herb's story. He is also trying to get his grandfather into the Hockey Hall of Fame. As of 2022, his granddaughter, Bernice Carnegie, is a co-owner of the Toronto Six. This is a professional women's hockey team. Bernice Carnegie is Herbert Carnegie's daughter.

See also

• Carnegie (disambiguation)