Thomas Imrie facts for kids

Thomas "Red" Imrie (born 15 July 1937 – died 24 August 2020) was a famous British ice hockey player. He played as a defender in the United Kingdom during the 1950s and 1960s.

Red Imrie also played for the Great Britain national team from 1961 to 1966. He was a very important player in British ice hockey. In 1987, he was added to the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. This is a special place for the best players in British ice hockey history.

Red Imrie's Ice Hockey Journey

Thomas Imrie was born in Falkirk, Scotland. He started playing senior ice hockey for the Falkirk Lions. At first, he played as a forward.

Becoming a Defender

In the 1954–55 season, Red Imrie changed his position. He became a defender, which is where he became famous. The Falkirk Lions then decided to play as an amateur team. So, Imrie joined the Edinburgh Royals for the 1955–56 season. He helped the Royals win the Northern British League in the 1957–58 season.

For the 1959–60 season, Imrie moved to the Paisley Pirates. However, he had to move to southern England for his National Service. Because of this, he finished that season playing for Streatham. He helped Streatham win two big awards: the Autumn Cup and the league title.

Playing and Coaching

After Streatham stopped playing ice hockey, Imrie joined the Brighton Tigers. He was the captain of the team at first. Later, he became a player-coach, meaning he played and coached at the same time.

With the Brighton Tigers, Imrie was chosen for the all-star teams six times. This shows how good he was as both a player and a coach. In 1965, the Tigers' ice rink closed down. So, Imrie joined the Wembley Lions. He stopped playing ice hockey when the Wembley Lions team closed in 1969.

Coaching After Retirement

In 1974, Streatham started their team again as the Redskins. Red Imrie returned to the team, but this time as their coach. He led them to many playoff finals. His last season coaching the team was in 1985.

After he retired from coaching, Imrie still worked with ice hockey. He helped the Streatham second team, called the Bruins. He also became a commentator for BBC television. This meant he talked about games on TV.

International Play

Red Imrie played for the Great Britain national team three times. These were in 1961, 1962, and 1966. In the 1966 tournament in Yugoslavia, he was named the Best Defenceman in the World Championships Pool B. This was a big honor for him.

Red Imrie had two daughters. One of them is named Elizabeth Imrie. He got his nickname "Red" when he was a child. The exact story of how he got it was kept a secret, but it was a funny incident.

Red Imrie passed away on 24 August 2020, at the age of 83.

Awards and Special Mentions

Red Imrie received many awards and honors during his ice hockey career:

• He was chosen for the All-star A Team as a Defenceman in 1961–62, 1962–63, and 1964–65.
• He was chosen for the All-star B Team as a Defenceman in 1963–64.
• He was chosen for the All-star B Team as a Coach in 1963–64 and 1964–65.
• He was named the Best Defenceman in the World Championships Pool B in 1966.
• He was added to the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987.