Local goalie reaches impressive milestone
Local softball followers will remember Billy Macumber
It sounds like fun – a man standing in front of ‘a sort of cage’ and guys firing pucks towards him right, left and centre.
Billy O’brien, a goaltender with Pearl Vision Combines of the South Colchester Oldtimers Hockey League, knows the feeling.
Reaching quite a milestone recently, the Gays River resident played his 1,500th game in goal verses Vantage Motors. Before the opening faceoff at the Don Henderson Memorial Sportsplex in Brookfield, his teammates responded.
“We presented Billy with an engraved plaque congratulating him for playing 1,500 games as a goaltender,” teammate Danny Nolan said. “It was a case where we knew Billy was thinking of retiring and with him approaching a milestone game, we decided to celebrate it. Billy is pretty special, we think a lot of him. Billy has been our goaltender for 15 or 16 years now.”
During October, 1984, O’brien was in goal for Keiths, a team playing out of the old Lantz Arena.
“I started keeping a journal at that time,” O’brien, 65, said. “I just wanted to keep track of what I was doing hockey-wise. I had no idea I’d be still keeping the journal more than 34 years later. The journal is getting pretty ratty, the covers are off it.”
Playing for numerous East Hants teams, O’brien eventually suited up for all 10 teams in the Lantz Gents League. It was 198889 that he played in an amazing 112 games.
“That year, I played for BJ’S, a tournament team East Hants Eagles and another team, Nova Scotia Sand and Gravel,” he said. “Besides that, teams would call me all the time asking me to fill in.”
Well known around the Lantz Arena, O’brien won an MVP Award and he was named the league’s top goaltender on a couple occasions. In 1989-90 he began playing old-timer’s hockey at the sportsplex in Brookfield, with Nova Scotia Sand and Gravel.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” said O’brien. “If I could have one wish, it would be to have got into organized hockey as a young guy. I was late starting, that’s my only regret.”
Former outstanding Nova Scotia softball/fastball player Billy Macumber, 73, passed away Jan. 22 in Windsor. The Newport, Hants County native, well
known in local ball circles, was a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher who also played first-base and the outfield.
Keith Mackenzie, a longtime local playing coach, recalled a 1970 senior B playoff series between Truro Olands and Macumber’s Brooklyn Mooseheads.
“Billy Macumber beat us out,” Mackenzie recalled. “Billy had a rubber arm, he could pitch both games of a doubleheader. I remember Brooklyn had a real
veteran team, but Macumber was the anchor.”
Mackenzie and I recalled big catcher, Than Spence, dangerous hitting Reid Lowther, Blaine Cochrane, Wayne Trask, Junior Hunter and others who teamed up with Macumber. Attending the funeral last Friday, I travelled with former Salmon River and Brookfield Elks pitcher Howie Maclean. We were both touched by the large
Turnout – 360 people attended the service. Maclean commented on the outstanding job Tim Macumber did in delivering the eulogy.
“For Tim to stand up there and talk about his father’s love for family and softball – it must have been hard but he did ‘a basesloaded’ job. It was wonderful hearing Tim describe his father.”
Tim, who resides in Valley, is the coach of Fundy Thunder who play in the Nova Scotia Minor Midget AAA Hockey League. Following in his father’s footsteps, Tim was an outstanding pitcher/ first-baseman. Inducted into the Softball Canada Hall of Fame in 2011, Tim’s career saw him lead Team Canada to a gold medal in the 2003 Canada Pan American Games. He starred for Broken Bow, Nebraska when they won a world title in 2010 and the list goes on – Tim did it all.
On a personal note, I played with Billy Macumber in 1966- 67 with the senior A Halifax Mahars Transfer. Billy was a great teammate, a great competitor. I’ll always remember his tremendous wit and his contagious laugh.
Hockey fans are reminded the Dartmouth Steel Subaru Major Midgets play a home game against Pictou County Weeks Wednesday, Feb. 6 at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre.
This is a good opportunity for fans to check out a number of promising local and provincial hockey prospects. Opening faceoff will be at 6.45 p.m.