COLLINGWOOD’S JUDGES IS OJHL EQUIPMENT MANAGER OF YEAR
March 30, 2023, Mississauga, ON – …. Richard Judges of the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Collingwood Blues has been selected OJHL Equipment Manager of the Year, the league announced today.
The lifelong Collingwood resident joined the Jr. A franchise as a stickboy at age 16 while forgoing his final two years of eligibility as a player. He worked with the Blues from 1993-99 and rejoined the franchise in 2019 when junior hockey returned to Collingwood with the relocation of the Kingston Voyageurs.
“I love being around the guys,” he said, while preparing for a road trip to Milton yesterday. “I’ve always been around the game, whether playing, coaching or officiating. But I do it for the kids, rather than my own satisfaction. As long as the kids are happy, the room is done up nicely… Whatever it takes to make it easier on them just to show up and play.”
Between doing dozens of loads of laundry, sharpening skates and ordering equipment and sticks, Judges works 40 to 50 hours a week for the Blues.
He also holds down a full-time job in the community and works part time for the Town of Collingwood at the local arenas, which includes his “dream job”– driving the Zamboni.
“I’m always around the rink,” he said.
Judges will be honoured along with the other OJHL award recipients at a ceremony before Game 1 of the OJHL Nutrafarms Championship Series in late April. The OJHL is announcing its 2022-23 award winners throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs.
TOMORROW: Volunteer of the Year
About the OJHL – “League of Choice”
The Ontario Junior Hockey League is the largest Junior ‘A’ league operating under the auspices of the Canadian Junior Hockey League with 22 member clubs. A proud member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey Association, the OJHL was originally named the Ontario Provincial Junior ‘A’ Hockey League and it was formed out of the Central Junior ‘B’ Hockey League in 1993-94. With a long and storied history of developing players for the next level, including U SPORTS, the NCAA, CHL, minor pro ranks and the NHL, the OJHL had more than 90 NCAA, U SPORTS, CHL and professional commitments in 2021-22 – including more than 25 NCAA Division I scholarships.
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