HURON COUNTY – According to David Scott, Huron County has been producing some of hockey’s top athletes and coaches for over a century.
Scott’s debut book, titled Huron County Hockey Heroes, highlights Huron County’s hockey accomplishments by profiling over 200 professional athletes and coaches.
“I like to say Huron County’s greatest exports are agricultural commodities and hockey players. It is just what we produce,” he joked.
This book is an accumulated effort over the course of 25 years. Scott has had a long career working in publishing and media since the late 1980s – working for Seaforth Huron Expositor, and American Heart Association’s Stroke medical journal, among others – has also found success in playwriting, with multiple plays having out-of-province productions. He said this book was the marriage of a bunch of his passions.
“I have a love of hockey and statistics but also, more importantly, telling local stories and showing recognition of these players because Huron County is so hockey-centric,” he said.
Scott said his idea for this book initially grew from Hall of Famers and NHL players to be more inclusive for men and women at an international or college/university level.
“When I focused on those parameters it got me a list of 200 profiles,” he said.
The book includes profiles of those who have played or coached in the Netherlands, Scotland, Switzerland, Russia, South Korea, England, Germany, Norway, Austria, and Finland.
“Not only did they go there but they helped increase the caliber of the game… some are still active in the United States and around the world and they started out in little villages and towns in Huron County,” he said.
Scott said the pandemic partly encouraged him to publish the book back in December 2020, but also the passing of his parents motivated him to finish this long-standing project.
“No matter what kind of writing I am doing, it boils down to storytelling and there are stories worth sharing and people worth celebrating in this book,” he said. “Honestly it has helped me keep sane the last two years of the pandemic, losing my parents, and everything else.”
Huron County Hockey Heroes is available for purchase for $60 through Scott’s Facebook page titled Huron County Hockey Heroes. Free delivery to those who live within Huron County, or $25 additional charge for shipping across Ontario or out of province.
The book is also available for purchase at Square Brewery in Goderich, The Citizen Office in Blyth, and the Sewing Centre and Pete’s Paper Clip in Seaforth.
Scott has shared a copy with the Library and Archives Canada and Archives of Ontario, and has plans to send a copy to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Scott is also working on a second volume, which will include active players and professionals as well as definitive lists, for example how many Stanley Cups have been won by Huron County players, as well as other major titles. It will be a companion piece to this book, and is planned to be completed later this year.
“I wanted to treat (this book) like a living document and add to it in the future,” Scott said. “And there are a few older players that I missed just from incomplete records.”
Scott said he is planning to maintain this current guide for hockey in Huron County with future publications but also with his Facebook page.
