Stories, mixed with laughter and emotion, of Toledo's rich pro hockey tradition and passion were shared by some of the city's greatest players on Friday night.
The five newest members of the Toledo Hockey Hall of Fame reflected on the impact the sport and city had on their lives before a crowd of more than 300 at the KeyBank Discovery Theater at Imagination Station.
Former Walleye goalie Jeff Lerg, Storm players Iain Duncan and Alex Hicks, Storm coach and Goaldiggers player Claude Noel were inducted, along with Mercurys and Buckeyes player Barney O'Connell.
Duncan and Hicks helped lead the Storm to ECHL Riley Cup titles in 1993 and 1994. The players from those teams also are being recognized by the Walleye organization at their games on Saturday and Sunday.
“Yeah, I played in the NHL. Big deal. This team and winning the Cup here mean more to me,” Duncan said. “On behalf of the other clowns on the team, I say thank you.”
Walleye president and CEO Joe Napoli called it a painstaking process to select the sixth class. He urged the inductees to remember to thank their wives and families.
“Everybody cries,” he said. “You won't lose your man card.”
O'Connell, who led the Mercurys to the 1948 and 1951 International Hockey League Turner Cups titles, was honored posthumously by his son Tim. The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, played four seasons in Toledo (1947-51). The center had 92 goals and 118 assists in 181 regular season games.
“Dad, are you ready for this?” Tim O'Connell said. “It's my honor to be up here. I found some scrapbooks and it was like finding these little treasures. I realized how important Toledo hockey was to him and how important he was to Toledo hockey. Barney would be amazed and proud to be a part of this [hall of fame].”
O'Connell suffered a serious injury during a game when his head smacked the ice. He was rushed to the hospital and given Last Rites two times. But he recovered and played the very next year. He also chose to play in a playoff game the night his first child was born.
“He scored two goals that night … both were on his own team,” Tim said.
Noel played three seasons for the Goaldiggers (1982-83, 1984-85, and 1985-86), helping Toledo win the 1983 International Hockey League's Turner Cup. Noel also earned the league's MVP that season when he averaged 1.2 points per game.
A center from Kirkland Lake, Ont., Noel later became coach of the Toledo Storm and guided the team to the ECHL's Brabham Cup for the best regular-season record in 2002-03. He later became an NHL head coach in Columbus and Winnipeg.
Noel called the honor overwhelming and humbling. He thanked former Storm coach Chris McSorley, as well as his support system of more than 40 years, his wife Linda.
“You don't do this alone,” he said. “I was lucky to play with some really good players. I resurrected my career here two times. The people of Toledo are tremendous.”
Duncan was part of Bowling Green State University's 1984 NCAA championship team, then played in the NHL for the Winnipeg Jets before finishing his career in Toledo. Duncan had 40 goals and 50 assists for the first Riley Cup title team in 1993.
Duncan said he would come up to the Sports Arena for dime beer nights at Goaldiggers games when he was at BG, never imagining he would later play there.
“The Sports Dump was such a special place,” he said.
The left winger from Toronto had 16 goals and 32 assists in 34 playoff games. He had played in 127 games in the NHL and produced 89 points (34 G, 55 A). Duncan, who wasn't afraid to play the body and with grit, made the NHL's all-rookie team.
“You'll want to take the under on me bawling here tonight,” said Duncan, moments before breaking down while thanking his mother, older brother, and son. “I'm here to say thank you. It was a privilege and an honor to play in Toledo. This area is like my second home.”
Hicks, a left winger from Calgary, played for the Storm for two seasons (1992-94). He scored 57 goals to go along with 83 assists in 112 regular season games. Hicks went on to play 258 games in the NHL between 1995-2000 with Anaheim, Pittsburgh, San Jose, and Florida, posting 79 points with 25 goals and 54 assists in 258 games.
Hicks, who proved a player could move up from Double-A hockey to the NHL, called his first exhibition game at the Sports Arena an eye-opener.
“There were three fights before I even went out for my first shift,” he said. “I was like. 'Why the hell am I here? I went to college.' I scored a goal and had a couple of assists. But I found out they don't give a [care] if you score here. But they'll love you if you fight and lose. It transformed my game. That got me to the NHL, and I thank Toledo for that.”
He credited McSorley for creating a “pack of wolves.” “He knew I had more and squeezed it out of me,” he said.
Lerg, who played two full seasons and parts of two others in Toledo, finished with a record of 63-22-6 and a 2.37 goals-against average. At just 5-foot-6 and 163 pounds, the diminutive goalie had an unparalleled work ethic and relied on an athletic, acrobatic style.
Lerg backstopped the greatest turnaround by a team in ECHL history. In the 2014-15 season, he finished first in the league in wins with 32 and the team captured the Brabham Cup. Lerg, who appeared in 30 playoff games, is a native of Livonia, Mich., and had led Michigan State University to a national title in 2007.
“I love this town,” Lerg said. “I was 28 when I came here and I still had a big chip on my shoulder. I was always super short but I was a big dreamer.”
Lerg also battled asthma throughout his life, which forced him to use a nebulizer before every game or practice, and had devastating knee injuries late in his career.
“I had an intensity, passion, and focus,” Lerg said. “I wanted to dominate here. I wanted to prove people wrong. I thought Toledo would be just a one-year stopgap. But I saw the passion in my first game here and I was very happy to stay here. Toledo became my platform. I was spoiled here.”
Many of the 32 members of the hall of fame were in attendance along with nearly every member of the Storm champion teams. Former Storm captain Rick Judson, who was involved in a serious car accident in October, received a standing ovation. Former forward Barry Potomski, who died in 2011 at the age of 38, also was honored by Hicks and others.
“I'm so jealous of the [Storm championship teams]. You got the job done here,” Lerg said. “I hope they get over the hump and win that next championship here soon.”
First Published January 27, 2024, 4:02 a.m.
