Amidst whispers and rumours that post-secondary hockey might soon return to Laurentian University comes the nostalgic discussion of those, one generation past, who recall the heyday of the sport on campus.

Few names are as synonymous with the early success of the Laurentian Voyageurs as coach Jack Porter, the man who guided the team for more than a decade in the formative years of the 1960s.

Born in Sudbury, and the only boy in a family of six children, Porter and his siblings were constantly involved athletically, enjoying seasonal pursuits at Bell Park — hockey in the winter, paddling in the summer — among a host of other activities.

“You didn’t think of having a primary sport at the time because you were involved in everything,” Porter said.

A graduate of both Alexander Public School and Sudbury High School, Porter earned a hockey scholarship to Clarkson University, capturing an NCAA championship during his years in upstate New York. He was eventually named to the school’s hall of fame.

Returning home to pursue a career in education, Porter’s arrival coincided with the founding of Laurentian University and the launch of the men’s hockey team not long thereafter.

“Tony Demarco was the first coach, but they weren’t in a university league at the time, they would play intermediate teams locally,” Porter said.

In 1964, LU joined the Ontario Intercollegiate Athletic Association (OIAA), laying the foundation for a championship run that would see the Voyageurs capture the OIAA title in six of the next seven years.

“It was an exciting time,” Porter said. “The university was growing and the hockey team was growing with it.

“The vast majority of the team was always local — names like Dick Proceviat, Mike Fox, Dave Tataryn, John Valiquette — and we would bolster the lineup with a reinstated pro or two.”

The team emerging with the OIAA banner moved on to compete at the Canadian university championships, and while Laurentian never claimed a national title, the team proved more than competitive.

Exhibition opponents featured the Russian, Czechoslavakian and Canadian national teams, as well as the defending NCAA champion Michigan Tech Huskies.

“It was fun, it was competitive, the university was alive,” Porter said. “When we played U of T, there were 2,000 or 3,000 people in the stands.”

The rise in the prominence of the program allowed Porter to be selected to join Team Canada for a three-week excursion to Russia in 1969, meeting with numerous hockey counterparts half a world away.

It was a natural progression for a young man groomed into coaching.

“I had some very influential coaches when I played,” Porter noted. “Charlie Serre at Sudbury High School was way ahead of his time, and Bill Harrison at Clarkson.”

Leaving the university ranks in the 1970s, Porter returned to youth hockey, working alongside his sons and other youngsters in a practice-first-oriented setting. The transition from guiding young men to young boys proved seamless.

“It wasn’t that difficult at all because my philosophy has always been the same,” Porter said. “You have to learn fundamentals. If you can’t pass the puck or receive the puck, there’s no sense understanding anything about positional play.”

Blessed with five children, Jack and Mary Catherine, his wife of more than 50 years, shared sporting passions well beyond hockey, combining tournament treks to Lake Placid with the opportunity to take in some alpine skiing on the slopes.

According to Porter, his wife provided him with some valuable perspective.

“I remember her telling me that I was never happy if we won because we didn’t win right, and I obviously wasn’t happy if we lost,” Porter said with a smile. "That’s when we took up skiing.”

Originally hired as director of intramural athletics at the fledgling university in the early ‘60s, Porter would ascend to dean of students at University College, principal at University College and eventually registrar for both University College and Laurentian.

With the accolades of his sporting achievements behind him, Porter is a member of both the Sudbury Kinsmen Sports Hall of Fame as well as the Laurentian Varsity Athletics Hall of Fame. However, he said it is the people and his family that provide the lasting memories.

“You go through decades and it all kind of blurs together,” Porter said. “But it’s always about the players you played with, the fun you had, the coaches you had — and my family. They’re wonderful.”

Posted by Laurel Myers