by Connie Tabbert
Editor
COBDEN — Stan Keon was humbled when he was named as one of the 100 Hero of Play sponsored by Hockey Canada to commemorate its 100th anniversary.
During the opening night of the Petawawa Showcase, Mr. Keon was invited into the Century Tour caravan where he, as well as anyone else who was in the van at the time, watched a video about why he was nominated.
The caravan is a 20,000 square-foot interactive hockey experience that will be visiting 100 communities across Canada. It began its journey last July and is expected to complete it at the end of May.
Hockey Canada’s goal is to engage more than one million fans over the course of the year.
The event is made possible through the support of Canadian Heritage, Canadian Tire, TELUS, Samsung and Respect Group.
Mr. Keon received a phone call asking that he be available shortly before six o’clock Friday evening for a special event. But, he didn’t know what it was.
He discovered it was to thank him for his 40-plus years of contribution to hockey. He began coaching 38 years ago, and began instructing hockey players with the National Certification Program in 1979.
This year, Stan Keon’s Astrolabe Hockey School will celebrate its 35th anniversary. This is a summer and winter hockey school that takes place in various locations, including Cobden and Petawawa.
While none of his three children play hockey, that hasn’t stopped Mr. Keon from being involved. He recalled his son played hockey for two years (with a year between), but never enjoyed it.
Mr. Keon coached Muskrat Bantam and Midget. He noted there are photos of many hockey teams in the Astrolabe Arena in Cobden, and he is in 17 of them. He coached the Renfrew Junior B hockey team for two years; the Jr. A. Kanata Valley Lazers and the Under-17 team, which is the top 16-year-olds in Ontario that had a three-game series against the Soviet Union.
“They beat us,” he said. “They had a tremendous team. Ours were mostly first round drafts.”
He recalled one of the players on the Soviet team was Pavel Bure, who later became an NHL star. (See blurb about Pavel online).
Mr. Keon also coached competitive girls hockey teams for seven years.
“I love teaching kids,” he said.
After he retired from teaching, which he did for 33 years, Mr. Keon wanted to stay busy.
“Coaching guarantees teaching,” he said.
Mr. Keon believes there are people deserving of this award, and like them, he sure doesn’t do it for rewards.
“There is lots of satisfaction,” he said.
He recalled one father dropping off his five year old son on Day One of hockey school. By the end of the day, the father wasn’t sure this school was for his son, who could just barely stay up on skates. Mr. Keon advised the father not to push his son to come back if he didn’t want to and he would refund the money. However, the youngster returned each day with his mother dropping him off. Five days later, it was the father back to pick up his son.
“The father couldn’t believe how his child had progressed in five days,” Mr. Keon said.
Not only was the youngster skating, but he was jumping while on skates, he said.
“That’s what makes it all worth while,” he said.
There are two very important things taught at the hockey school — positive reinforcement and respect, he said.
Teaching is an opportunity to build a young person’s self-esteem, Mr. Keon stressed.
The presentation Friday evening, saw Mr. Keon, who turned 72 yesterday (April 22), presented with a Jersey with the number 14 on the back and his last name. However, that’s not because it represents Dave Keon, a former Toronto Maple Leaf player who wore that number — it represents Stan Keon and the year, 2014.
Mr. Keon admitted he is related to the former hockey player, and has even met him.
Eventually, Mr. Keon will also receive a special jacket. An Olympic Jersey worn by Jonathan Toews, a Chicago Black Hawk and a member of the Canadian Junior Olympic hockey team that won gold, was cut up into 100 pieces. Those pieces will be sewn onto the cuff of each of the 100 jackets to be presented to the 100 Hero of Play recipients.
A large trophy with the 100 names inscribed on it, including Mr. Keon’s, is also travelling with the caravan.
Mr. Keon said while it’s an honour to be a recipient, he doesn’t consider himself a hero.
“A hero” are those people at Garrison Petawawa, he said. “A hero is someone who does an act of bravery.”
A hero of play is ambiguous, he said.
