Saskatchewan hockey legend Kartusch dies at 82
Wayne Kartusch, who was the SJHL’s president for 25 years, died Thursday in Red Deer. He was 82.
Kartusch has been enshrined in the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame (2007), Regina Sports Hall of Fame (2007) and Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame (2014).
He played in the SJHL with the hometown Regina Pats for the 1958-59 and 1959-60 seasons. His defence partner was future NHLer Terry Harper.
Although Kartusch had drawn the interest of the NHL’s New York Rangers, he decided to join the University of Michigan Wolverines on a hockey scholarship and, in addition to playing in the NCAA ranks from 1960 to 1963, earned an education degree.
He subsequently played for the IHL’s Windsor Bulldogs (1963-64) before receiving a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
Kartusch returned to Regina in 1965 and spent 31 years in the educational system until retiring as the principal at Miller Catholic Comprehensive High School to become the SJHL’s full-time president.
After leaving the SJHL in 2003, Kartusch received numerous honours — including Hockey Canada’s prestigious volunteer-of-the-year award.
He was also presented with lifetime memberships by the Saskatchewan Hockey Association and Canadian Junior Hockey League.
Beginning in 1965, Kartusch also spent six seasons as a player with the Regina Caps senior team while also becoming involved in coaching and officiating.
While coaching a junior B team in the Pats organization, he also refereed in the SJHL.
In 1971, Kartusch took over as head coach of the Regina Pat Blues and spent six seasons with that team. He was named the SJHL’s coach of the year in 1974. He became the league’s president in June 1978, succeeding Glen Young.
“You know how a kid feels on Christmas?” one SJHL governor told the Regina Leader-Post’s John Chaput after Kartusch’s appointment. “I think Wayne’s going to do a great job for us all.”
Wayne’s father, Mike, was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 1974. He was a longtime minor hockey administrator before spending 30 years with the Pats organization. He received the Order of Canada (1974) and Queen’s Jubilee Medal (1977).
Mike Kartusch was 88 when he died on July 12, 1996. The Pats honour a player each season with the Mike Kartusch Community Service Award.
Wayne Kartusch was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in December of 1998 but nonetheless remained at the helm of the SJHL for another four and a half years.
He is predeceased by his wife, Myrna, who passed away on July 13, 2018, at age 75. The Kartuschs had three children — Mark, Lisa and Mick.