Former Indigenous hockey star receives honorary doctorate

By Sam Laskaris

AUNDECK OMNI KANING FIRST NATION – Though he left school after Grade 8, Reggie Leach now has one of the highest honours that can be granted by a post-secondary institution. Leach, the former National Hockey League star, was presented with an honorary doctorate from Brock University this past week.

Leach, who lives in Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation on Manitoulin Island, also gave the convocation address at one of the graduation ceremonies held at the St. Catharines-based university.

“It’s quite an honour,” said Leach, a member of the 1975 Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers. “When they called me just over a month ago to tell me about it, I said, ‘Are you sure you have the right guy?’”

Leach’s friend, Shirley Cheechoo from the M’Chigeeng First Nation, no doubt had plenty to do with his accolade. Cheechoo is Brock’s chancellor.

Brock officials, however, did not simply award Leach with the prestigious degree because he is a former professional hockey player. Since his retirement, the now 69-year-old has devoted a good chunk of his life talking to Indigenous youth across Turtle Island.

Leach urges youth to make wise decisions with their lives and to face the consequences and try to do something positive when that doesn’t happen.

“If you make bad choices in life, don’t let those choices bring you down,” Leach said.

Leach, who also speaks and instructs at a number of hockey schools/camps, said he always speaks from the heart and never has a prepared speech.

He’s rarely at a loss for words and Brock officials told him he would be allotted seven minutes for his convocation address. Leach ended up speaking for nine minutes.

“I also talked about being kind and treating everybody with respect,” he said, adding Brock’s graduates this year included students from about 100 different countries. “We’re all the same.”

Leach said the thought of speaking in front of crowds is something that usually does not faze him.

“It was really something,” he said of last week’s graduation ceremony. “Beforehand, I was in a back room with the dean and other people who run the university. I was nervous in that room for some reason.”

Leach, who was born in Riverton, Man., dropped out of school after his Grade 8 studies because he then moved to Flin Flon to pursue his hockey career.

Leach said back in the 1960s, lengthy bus trips for road contests made it difficult for junior hockey players to also attend school.

“My parents didn’t push it,” he said of his schooling. “And others didn’t push it.”

Leach, however, stresses the importance of getting an education now.

“It’s very important to have education in today’s world,” he said.

Leach was one of the lucky ones who was able to utilize his junior hockey prowess and go on to become a pro.

He played 13 seasons in the NHL. Though he was primarily known for his time with the Philadelphia Flyers, Leach also toiled in the league for the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and California Golden Seals.

He appeared in a total of 1,028 NHL contests and racked up 735 points, including 428 goals.

Besides winning the Stanley Cup in 1975, Leach also captured the Conn Smythe Trophy the following year for being the most valuable player in the NHL playoffs.