THE LATE KEN HOUSTON HONORED!
Sandwiched between two Detroit Redwings Alumni games, Nicole and I had the pleasure of attending the unveiling of the Ken Houston Memorial Agricultural Centre in Dresden Ontario this past week-end. Ken succumbed to his fight with cancer last March and his name will now be etched on his home town hockey arena.
What a beautiful presentation Gary Patterson, Dave Cameron and their capable committee put together. The community of Dresden is truly proud of their native son as they showed up in big numbers for all activities. It was quite evident that Ken was a family man, that they loved him back and that he never lost sight of his roots. He was a friendly giant. His father Lyle was beaming with pride that the Dresden Center would be named after his son. I recognized the family traits when I shook Lyle's hand, showing the large "mits", a strong grip and a genuine greeting.
Ken was my teammate with the Atlanta Flames and he was a good friend. I also saw him often at some Redwings Alumni outings when he was healthy. A better hockey player than he was given credit for, he was courageous and stood up to any challenge, especially if it meant defending a teammate.
I also enjoyed seeing my former teammate Eric Vail, “The Train”, whom I hadn’t seen in many years. We exchanged a few stories and a few laughs for sure. Former players John Gould, Dennis Hextall, Pat Riggin and Bob Gould were also present to honor Ken.
The book ends of a very busy week-end were highlighted with two victories by the Redwings alumni against the Flint Generals Alumni in Flint and the Michigan State Alumni in Lansing. Two great events to raise money for charity. The Wings Alumni play several hockey games and attend many events to raise funds in the Detroit area.
PHIL MYRE
MAKE THIS DAY THE BEST IT CAN BE!