Mirl Arthur "Red" McCarthy (March 12, 1930 – 1995) was a Canadian sportsperson, sport and recreation administrator, ice hockey player, founder and co-inventor of the sport of ringette, and for a time, a professional skating star and barrel jumper. He was inducted into the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame as a Founder in 1998.
Biography
Born in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario and raised in Sudbury, he grew up to be a star athlete in baseball, football, track and field, and ice hockey. His hockey career included stops with Toronto St. Michael's College, Barrie Flyers, Boston Olympics, Nelson B.C. Maple Leafs, Sudbury Caruso Miners, and Sudbury Wolves of the Canadian Senior Hockey League. McCarthy played in three ice hockey leagues over the course of his career: the Ontario Hockey League, the Eastern Amateur Hockey League, and the Northern Ontario Hockey Association.
At the Chicago World's Fair, in Chicago, Illinois, United States, McCarthy was photographed participating in barrel jumping, a discipline of speed skating, at the Black Forest Village.
In 1954, at the age of 24, he became recreation director of Espanola, Ontario and held the position for forty-one years. He became actively involved in all aspects of Espanola's recreational programs and was instrumental in forming the Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA) Junior A Hockey League, and the Espanola Eagles Junior A hockey team. He coached the team for 18 years, and then managed it for four more. The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League's Red McCarthy Memorial Trophy is named in his honour.
Ringette
McCarthy, a member of the Northern Ontario Recreation Directors Association (NORDA), set up the first on-ice activity, or "game", of ringette which took place at the Espanola Arena in the fall of 1963. He drew up the first set of rules and set up the very first game between Espanola high school girls who had played high school ice hockey.
McCarthy had been present at a meeting when Sam Jacks brought up the fact that there was a need for a new winter team sport for girls. After Jacks's presentation, McCarthy volunteered to experiment with the new sport in Espanola where he was the recreation director and arena manager. Equipped with Jack's basic idea, McCarthy then created the first set of rules for the sport of ringette. These rules were then presented at a NORDA meeting at Moose Lake Lodge in Onaping, Ontario, on January 19–20, 1964. Today the title of "birthplace of ringette" is shared by both North Bay, Ontario, and Espanola, Ontario, though Espanola is still recognized as the "Official Home of Ringette". To date, McCarthy has not had a trophy or any other award in the sport named in his honour.
Mirl "Red" McCarthy Memorial Award The Red McCarthy Memorial Trophy is the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League's award given annually to the "Coach of the Year".
MIRL "RED" MCCARTHY MEMORIAL AWARDNOJHL Coach of the yearSeasonCoach of the YearTeam2022–23 Peter GouletPowassan Voodoos2021–22 Brandon PerryTimmins Rock2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic2019–2000 Dave ClancyEspanola Express2018–19 Marc LafleurHearst Lumberjacks2017–18 John ParcoSoo Thunderbirds2016-17 Kyle BrickBlind River Beavers2015–16 Ryan LeonardCochrane Crunch2014–15 Jordan SmithSoo Thunderbirds2013–14 Jordan SmithSoo Thunderbirds2012–13 Marc Lafleur Kirkland Lake Gold Miners2011–12 Tom McCarthyNorth Bay Trappers(now the Hearst Lumberjacks)2010–11 Bruno BragagnoloSoo Eagles2009–2010 Paul GagnéAbitibi Eskimos(now the Timmins Rock)2008–09 Ian SwalucynskiNorth Bay Skyhawks(now the Hearst Lumberjacks)2007–08 Paul GagnéAbitibi Eskimos2006–07 Todd StencillBlind River Beavers2005–06 Darryl MoxamSudbury Northern Wolves(now the Greater Sudbury Cubs)2004–05 Toots KovacsSoo Thunderbirds2003–04 Paul GagnéAbitibi Eskimos2002–03 Paul GagnéAbitibi Eskimos2001–02 Paul GagnéIroquois Falls Jr. Eskies(now the Timmins Rock)2000–01 Jim CapySoo Thunderbirds1999–2000 Ken MacKenzieRayside-Balfour Sabrecats1998–99 Ron GuyParry Sound Shamrocks1997–98 Ken MacKenzieRayside-Balfour Sabrecats1996–97 Ken MacKenzieRayside-Balfour Sabrecats1995–96 Jeff BrickRayside-Balfour Sabrecats1994–95 Kenn SullivanTimmins Golden Bears1993–94 Guy BlanchardPowassan Hawks1992–93 Kenn SullivanTimmins Golden Bears1991–92 Guy BlanchardPowassan Passports1990–91 Guy BlanchardPowassan Passports1989–1990 Brian SmithSudbury Cubs1988–89 Not AvailableN/A1987–88 Not AvailableN/A1986–87 Not AvailableN/A1985–86 Not AvailableN/A1984–85 Not AvailableN/A1983–84 Not AvailableN/A1982–83 Not AvailableN/A1981–82 Ken MacKenzieOnaping Falls Huskies1980–81 Richard PagnuttiNickel Centre Native Sons1979–1980 Pat TremblayOnaping Falls Huskies1978–79 John DedianaNickel Centre Native Sons1977–78 No LeagueN/L1976–77 No LeagueN/L1975–76 No LeagueN/L1974–75 No LeagueN/L1973–74 No LeagueN/L1972–73 No LeagueN/L1971–72 Ab CarricatoSoo Greyhounds1970–71 Ab CarricatoSoo Greyhounds1969–1970 Marcel ClementsSudbury Wolves1968–69 Walter DubasSoo Greyhounds1967–68 Walter DubasSoo Greyhounds1966–67 Walter DubasSoo Greyhounds1965–66 Red McCarthyEspanola Eagles1964–65 Howie ParkerNorth Bay Trappers(now the Hearst Lumberjacks)1963–64 Howie ParkerNorth Bay Trappers(now the Hearst Lumberjacks)1962–63 Red McCarthyEspanola Eagles
Honours Ringette Canada Hall of Fame - Founder (Inducted 1988) Sudbury Sport Hall of Fame (2007, inducted posthumously) Mirl "Red" McCarthy Memorial Trophy - awarded to top Coach in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Recreational Director of Espanola, Ontario for 41 years. Athletic complex in Espanola named the "Red McCarthy Memorial Athletic Fields". Ringette is one of four sports featured on the "Canadian Inventions: Sports" series issued by Canada Post stamps on August 10, 2009.
See also Sam Jacks Ringette Ringette in Canada
Further reading Collins, Kenneth Stewart (2004). The Ring Starts Here: An Illustrated History of Ringette. Hall, Margaret Ann (2016). The Girl and the Game: A History of Women's Sport in Canada. University of Toronto Press. Hall, Margaret Ann; Pfister, Gertrud. Honoring the Legacy: Fifty Years of the International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women.
References
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