Builder – Hockey
When his son Ryan began playing hockey at the age of five, Hal Pells soon discovered that coaching one of his sons wasn’t for him, preferring to work behind the scenes as a member of the Georgetown Minor Hockey Association’s executive. Thirty-two years later, Pells is the guiding hand for the GMHA, boasting close to 1,800 youths signed up in house league, select or rep teams this past season.
As President since 1992, the Etobicoke native sits on community sports committees besides the GMHA and is considered a tireless volunteer, spending countless evenings at the rink each year.
“In a small town like ours, I just like the atmosphere that you find at the arena. It becomes part of a routine and it grows on you, working with the people involved with minor hockey,” the 62-year-old said. “You just want to try to give back to the system what you got out of it as someone who loves the sport.” Pells helped establish development programs in the GMHA, including the successful CHIP introductory level for beginners and a fund to help underprivileged youths play minor hockey each year.