In 1981 led by Paul Stothart, Queen’s Gaels won the OUAA Championship and earned a berth the CIAU National Finals

This past weekend the Queen’s men’s hockey team advanced to the CIS University Cup National Finals in Halifax with a 4-3 overtime win over Toronto Metropolitan University, to capture the bronze medal for Ontario and earn a berth in the CIS championship tournament.

Forty-five years ago in March of 1981, the Gaels won their first Ontario title in 67 years, with former Boston Bruin Fred O’Donnell behind the bench. Queen’s went to the CIAU Finals in Calgary, losing in the semi-finals to Saskatchewan on a goal in the final minute.

It would be a long wait for the next Ontario title, it wasn’t until 2019 when the Brett Gibson coached Gaels won the Queen’s Cup in front of a packed house at the Kingston Memorial Centre.

Gaels were led by high scoring Paul Stothart, named the top player in Canada that year. Stothart had a record setting season at Queen’s, 31 goals and 63 points in 22 games, amazing numbers at the university level. Sadly, Stothhart passed away in 2012. His son, Alex, played at Queen’s from 2015 to 2018.

Other key players on that ’81 Queen’s team included John MacIntyre and Ron Davidson. Stothart and MacIntyre were named All-Canadians. Kingston’s Steve Cherry was a freshman on the Gaels, and Ron Folk, who had played Jr B hockey and lacrosse in Kingston, also played for Queen’s.

I was just starting my sports career at CKWS-TV in March 1981, it was my first night on the job and Max Jackson sent me to Jock Harty Arena to cover the opening game of the Queen’s vs. Western OUAA Ontario championship series. Stothart had a goal and an assist to lead Queen’s to a 3-1 win over the Mustangs. Post-game I nervously did a short interview with winning coach Fred O’Donnell and a got a quick clip from Stothart, before I raced back to the Queen Street studios.

Two nights later it was back to London, ON and Queen’s had the opportunity to win the OUAA title. Ron Davidson had a huge night, three goals and an assist and it was tied 5-5 after sixty minutes. The previous year Davidson played for Team Canada at the Lake Placid Olympics before entering Queen’s law school.

Early in the second overtime period, Queen’s Joe Minken rang one off the post. Seconds later, Stothart setup John MacIntyre for the game winner and for the first time since 1914 Queen’s were Ontario champs. Andy Chisholm, the Queen’s goalie played with a broken finger, he made several big saves to keep the Gaels in it. With the victory Queen’s was riding an 18-game winning streak going into the CIAU tournament, after three years earlier only winning two games all season.

Coach Fred O’Donnell joined his players on the ice after the OT winner in London, “I thought I’d stay behind the bench, but then I got all wrapped up in it and said ‘I’m going to enjoy it.’

“There’s too much work to sit back and not have fun when do you win it.”

Kingston’s Steve Arniel joined the Gaels the following season, sitting out a year after transferring from Concordia. In 1979-80, Concordia went to the CIAU championship tournament. Arniel roomed with John Morrison, the son of former Kingston Canadians Coach and GM Jim Morrison. Arniel’s defense partner at Concordia was Michel Blais – he played his junior hockey with the Kingston Canadians in the mid 70’s. There was a Kingston connection to Concordia in those years, Kim Elliott and Kevin Sands from Kingston also played there, along with Arniel and Morrison. Dan Coffey and Blair Shaw were on the JV teams.

Also on my first night at the CKWS TV sports desk on the 11 o’clock news, in addition to the big Queen’s win, high scoring Charlie Simmer of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, part of the famed ‘Triple Crown’ line, suffered a badly broken leg in a game at Maple Leaf Gardens ending his 56-goal season. We had the video highlights.

But, it was the Gaels, ‘Run of ’81’, that was the big story of the day in Kingston that spring. Hard to believe 45 years has gone by.