The Essence of Brenda Howard

Sister ~ Aunt ~ Great Aunt ~ Volunteer Retired Teacher ~ Hockey Fanatic

Statistician Extraordinaire, Brenda and one of the games she summarized.

Never judge a book by its cover. I used to think only guys knew anything about hockey, especially its history. How arrogant was that?

I am a neophyte when it comes to the serious history of the game. The hockey alumni lunch group confirmed just how little I knew. It's not that I ever thought I knew everything, far from it. It's hard to appreciate the depth of knowledge these walking, talking hockey encyclopedias possess. One conversation would go like this. Do you remember when they came up with the name “the Gordie Howe hat trick”? Or who the referee was in such-and-such a game? Who was traded for so and so?

I can hardly remember someone’s name after being introduced ten minutes ago.

One such surprise, with incredible depth of hockey knowledge, is Brenda Howard. I met her at the hockey alumni lunch series. I should have realized she was a statistician or record-keeper extraordinaire. The first time I met her, she was jotting down my name and email address as an attendee in her little notebook at the luncheon.

It wasn’t until we went to the Hockey Hall of Fame and had lunch that I began to understand not only her depth of knowledge of this sport but also her understanding of both the men’s and women’s games. It wasn’t just knowledge of the game; it was her adventurous spirit that made me a fan of hers. Not many teachers go to the extremes she did for adventure.

I don’t know any teacher who could describe attending an outdoor hockey game in Russia when the temperature was minus 40 degrees (by the way, that’s the same number in Fahrenheit or Celsius). It’s cold. So cold that the hockey players wore tuques over their helmets. The moral of the story is that everyone has a story, everyone! The next time you meet someone, get past the weather or the Maple Leafs – there are other, much better stories out there.

Thank you once more to Paul Patskou for the introduction.

Outside the Hockey Hall of Fame.

At some point, you reached a fork in the road. At the time, it didn’t feel like a big moment, but looking back, you realize it was. One that changed your life. Describe yours.

Early in my teaching career with the North York Board of Education, I learned of an opportunity to teach overseas with the Department of National Defence. After many sleepless nights, I decided to apply. Following an extensive vetting process and a lengthy long-distance phone interview, I was selected to teach Grade 4 on a Canadian Forces base in Baden, Germany. My 2 years and three summers from 1976 to 1978 were filled with memories that still put a giant smile on my face. I had no idea I was about to enjoy such amazing experiences.

Teaching with staff from every region of Canada was an education. I soaked up their fascinating stories and incorporated many of their creative ideas into my teaching practice. One of the expectations, in addition to our regular teaching duties, was to take our students on day trips and a week-long outdoor education experience. I don't know who was more excited about these adventures, me or my students. In the first year, we stayed in a castle in the Black Forest, and in the second, we travelled to Colmar, France.

When not teaching, I became very involved in the community by coaching a boys' minor hockey team, serving as a statistician for the men's Hockey League, playing broomball, hiking, and organizing a women's learn-to-play hockey program.

One of the amazing perks of this teaching assignment was the travel opportunities we could tap into. Before I left Canada, I did not expect to see so much of the world. I sent postcards and letters to my family and friends from Kenya, Israel, Egypt, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Iceland, and Germany. I have photo albums I pull out from time to time to remind me how fortunate I was to see these places I had only dreamed of visiting.

Each trip had a moment that will stay with me forever, including watching young Russian boys play hockey on an outdoor rink, wearing winter hats over their helmets in -40° weather; a giraffe peeking through our bedroom window; a camel taking off with me in Cairo; picking oranges on a kibbutz in Israel; an ocean cruise in Scandinavia; and climbing the Eiffel Tower in Paris. All the fascinating people I met along the way are just a few I keep close to my heart.

When it was time to return to Canada, I had to make a major decision about my teaching appointment. I chose to return to the school I had left before my overseas appointments.

At her Mecca

Other forks in my life

After 40 years of teaching, I considered how to put my passion for hockey and history to use in retirement. The answer was volunteering at the Hockey Hall of Fame Resource Centre. I considered attending Teachers College or a university. I chose Teachers College and took U of T courses in the evenings and summers throughout my teaching career.

What challenges have you faced and overcome?

My biggest challenge has been my health. In 2003, I had my first hip replacement. During June rehab at St. John's, a SARS outbreak hit the hospital. We were advised to call anyone who had visited to tell them to quarantine in place. I felt so guilty, even though I had more than a week of rehab left. The staff encouraged me to leave and quarantine at home. They put together a grocery box, ensured I could get around safely with a walker, and ordered a cab to take me to my apartment. Was I scared? You bet. The cab driver carried my box of groceries up to my apartment. SARS was such a scary outbreak that I don't know where that driver found the courage, but I was so grateful.

Being locked away with no contact with the outside world except by phone was terrifying. Daily phone calls with my sisters kept my spirits up.

During my second hip replacement recovery, COVID closed the city. If that wasn't bad enough, I received a phone call from my doctor informing me that all the tests she had ordered indicated I had cancer that would require surgery and radiation therapy. Because of COVID, I had to rely on the kindness of others to keep my spirits up. I was blessed with the best care anyone could ask for. I went through a roller coaster of emotions over the five years of follow-up examinations. Family and friends gave me the strength to carry on. I'm excited to tell anyone who will listen that I am now five years cancer-free.

What Gem would you tell a younger version of yourself or a newcomer to judo?

If you feel passionate about something, give it your all. Who knows what the future may bring? From a young age, I fell in love with hockey. I was lucky to grow up in Don Mills in the 1960s, when girls' hockey was played at the Don Mills Civitan Arena on Sundays. I played there until the end of high school.

Over the years, hockey has provided opportunities for me to play, coach, serve as an on-ice and off-ice official, run tournaments, preside over leagues, serve as a team trainer and manager, volunteer at Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) provincials and nationals, serve as a committee member for the IIHF Women's World Championships, and attend clinics. Since retiring from teaching in 2010, I have set aside time to volunteer at the HHOF Resource Centre. I became a member of the Society of International Hockey Research and helped with the IIHF World Juniors held in Toronto. I became a Marlie season ticket holder and attend NHL Alumni Luncheons.

Being involved in women's hockey for 50 years has given me a lifetime of cherished memories. I love that I can now turn on the TV and watch a PWHL game featuring such talented players and an incredible fan base.