Leach to receive Order of Manitoba
By Sam Laskaris
Former National Hockey League star Reggie Leach has been bestowed with another prestigious award.
It was announced on Thursday that Leach is one of 11 individuals who will be receiving the Order of Manitoba this year.
Each year up to a dozen people are selected for the award, considered Manitoba’s highest honour. It is presented to those who have demonstrated excellence, in various categories.
Leach, an Ojibwe who was born in Riverton, Manitoba, will attend the awards ceremony, set for July 7 in Winnipeg. His wife Dawn and his daughter Brandy are also expected to attend the ceremony.
Leach, who is now 66, has been living in Aundeck Omni Kaning, on Manitoulin Island since 2007.
“It’s something to be definitely proud of,” Leach said of his latest accolade. “And I think it’s great for everybody that we all come from different fields.”
Following a stellar junior career with Manitoba’s Flin Flon Bombers, Leach went on to have a 13-season NHL career. A highlight was winning the Stanley Cup in 1975 with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Though he was best known for his days with the Flyers, Leach also had NHL stints with the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and California Golden Seals.
He appeared in a total of 1,028 NHL matches and earned 735 points, including 428 goals.
Leach, who was nicknamed the Riverton Rifle, netted a NHL-high 61 goals during the 1975-76 season with the Flyers. He was also presented with the Conn Smythe Trophy as the league’s playoff MVP in ’76, even though Philadelphia was swept 4-0 in the championship final by the Montreal Canadiens.
“I think any accolade you get is a big award,” Leach said. “I get these awards because of what I’ve done after hockey.”
Leach last played in the NHL in 1983. But he continues to be a well-known figure.
Last year Leach came out with The Riverton Rifle, a book detailing his life story. The book received plenty of praise for its honesty as it included all the ups and downs in his life.
These days Leach, who has been sober for more than three decades now, is also a highly sought after motivational speaker. He is viewed as an inspiring role model, especially for
Aboriginals as he enjoys talking to people and telling them the importance of making positive life choices.
Leach also keeps himself busy by assisting his son Jamie, also a former NHLer, with their Shoot To Score hockey school. The school operates in various locations across Canada and the United States.
Leach is one of five individuals with Aboriginal connections that will receive the Order of Manitoba this year.
Others include Chief Betsy Kennedy and Marileen Barlett. Kennedy, who has been the chief of the War Lake First Nation since 2006, is Manitoba’s longest serving female chief. Bartlett, who is Metis, has spent more than three decades serving as a leader of Indigenous employment and training.
The list of those receiving the Order of Manitoba also include Dakota spiritual leader Wanbdi Wakita and Bernadette Smith, who has tirelessly worked for justice for the country’s murdered and missing Indigenous females.