1974 – Bruce Peckham

Three of my Hamilton friends (Dan Luker ‘77, Reed Bergwall ‘77, and Billy Kahl ‘77) who, like me, did not make Hamilton’s varsity that year, opted to play for the Clinton Flyers junior team – run by Archie Burton and Jack Kane – rather than play Hamilton JV hockey. I had loyalty for the Hamilton JV hockey coach, Manfred von Schiller (Coach von coach) because he was also my Hamilton soccer coach. The Flyers were short of players one game, and the boys convinced me to play for them in that game. I had a hat trick – likely the only goals I scored the whole season. Unfortunately, the Clinton paper had a write-up the next day on the game, and the von reads the paper. I was scheduled to play a JV game on that following day, and prior to the game the von called me into his office to explain. “Please tell me that this Bruce Peckham in the paper is a different Bruce Peckham from you.” Not wanting to tell a lie, I merely shifted awkwardly in my seat in his office, offering no verbal response. Needless to say, my JV career was over for that season. I finished the season with the Flyers, never again matching my promise from the first game.

– Bruce Peckham