In the 1950s and ’60s if you were looking for entertainment, the New Glasgow rink was the place to go.
If you doubt it just ask Nelson Wilson who played for the New Glasgow Rangers in the Nova Scotia Senior Men’s Hockey League from 1951-1963.
“We had great fan support because at that time there wasn’t that much TV or video games so people really came out and supported the hockey,” he says. “Most nights it was full.”
Wilson would score more than 300 goals in his time with the team and gain so much fan support that he was given a Rambler car for his contributions as a player.
His team won so many provincial and Maritime championships that he can’t remember the exact number anymore. But he does remember that they were good.
“We had local players but we had a lot of imports brought in from Ontario and Quebec.”
Both he and his team were inducted into the Pictou County Sports Heritage Hall of Fame.
Since his playing career ended Wilson has remained interested in local hockey and still enjoys getting to the New Glasgow rink, now known as the John Brother MacDonald Stadium, to watch the Weeks Jr. A Crushers play.
He also enjoys watching his grandson Blair Dewtie play with the Scotsburn Major Bantam Crushers.
For him it’s hard to believe that it’s been 60 years since the rink was built and almost equally as long since he started playing there.
“At that time it was good compared to some of the ones we played in Truro and other places,” he said of the rink. “I can hardly remember myself back that far.”
Dewtie has more recent memories of the rink. It was there that he first skated and it’s where he played the majority of his minor hockey.
This year he also got to be part of the Bantam Memorial Tournament and loved the atmosphere the rink provided for it.
He’s proud of his grandfather’s accomplishments and the ties to the rink his family has.
“It’s pretty cool,” he said.
Today those types of connections will be remembered and honoured as the town of New Glasgow celebrates the 60th anniversary of the stadium by holding a Heritage Classic Day.
An open public skate will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. followed by a series of mini heritage hockey games featuring local legends of the ’50s and ’60s serving as guest coaches including Wilson. While players from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s will lace up with novice through high school aged hockey players of today. The Heather Figure Skating Club will be performing during intermission at 2:35 p.m.
Later organizations will be recognized for the roles they have played in the history of the stadium.
