The Niagara Falls Review, Wednesday May 3 2009
By RAY SPITERI , NIAGARA FALLS REVIEW STAFF WRITER

After launching his book on the history of junior A hockey in St. Catharines last year, John Hewitt has taken on a similar project for Niagara Falls.

"For younger people, they'll get a glimpse into the past. For older people, they'll get a deja vu feeling of what it was like to be in Niagara Falls during the heyday of junior A hockey in the city," said Hewitt, a freelance hockey writer and historian.

The author of Garden City Hockey Heroes, Hewitt said the Niagara Falls book will feature biographies on all 106 players the city sent to the National Hockey League, including Niagara

Falls native Derek Sanderson, Philadelphia Flyers goaltending great Bernie Parent, and ex-Buffalo Sabre Jim Lorentz.

Those will be accompanied by several photos, stories and statistics.

The book will also trace the history of the Niagara Falls Flyers of the Ontario Hockey Association, first from 1960-1972 and then in the second incarnation from 1976 to 1982. It will go on to the Niagara Falls Thunder of the Ontario Hockey League, from 1988 to 1996.

To illustrate the book, the St. Catharines native spent hours at The Niagara Falls Review poring through old photo negatives. He visited collectors and people's homes to gather documents that would add to his story.

"I'm in the midst of the graphic design of the book," said Hewitt. "I've done most of the research and collected photos. The Review was generous enough to allow me to come in and look at its collection. I'd like to thank (Review publisher) Dave Martineau and (city editor) Joe Wallace for all their support. They've been wonderful to me."

Hewitt said he currently has more than 80 negatives and several individual photographs. He hopes anyone who has memorabilia that could be helpful to the book's development will email him at or phone his home at 905-646-2169 or cellphone at 905-941-3636.

He said there are several intriguing junior A hockey stories that unfolded in Niagara Falls over the years, but a couple in particular stand out to him.

"The 1968 run to the Memorial Cup. I was a season ticket holder.

Eighth game against Kitchener. One of the most celebrated games ever played at Niagara Falls Memorial Arena.

"Kitchener was favoured to win it all, and Niagara Falls beat them. The place was packed. It was electric. It was memorable - one of those nostalgic games."

He is also intrigued by the rise to broadcasting fame of Rick Jeanneret, the Buffalo Sabres announcer who got his start behind the microphone for the Niagara Falls Flyers in 1963 in games that were broadcast locally.

"The regular announcer got sick, Rick filled in and really kicked off a successful broadcasting career from there. It's just one of those interesting stories."

Hewitt credits Bob Gale, owner of Gales Fuels, for suggesting he write a Niagara Falls hockey book. Hewitt said he hopes to have the book ready for launch when the four-pad arena at the new Bob Gale Centre opens in May or June 2010.

"Bob Gale has been really great with providing me pictures and even this Niagara Falls doll, all dressed up in a sweater that was knitted by (the Flyers' colourful owner) Happ Emms' wife. The doll has skates and socks and a helmet.

"Bob told me at one time, it sat in the lobby of Niagara Falls Memorial Arena. It's really neat."

Article ID# 1595506