Hockey Heroes: NHL Legends at the Garden City Arena

A staple in the St. Catharines community for more than 80 years, the Garden City Arena has seen countless hockey heroes pass through its doors, including Stan Mikita, the Hull brothers, Bobby and Dennis, Marcel Dionne, and Brian Bellows.

Stan Mikita's commemorative plaque that was hung in the Garden City Arena. The plaque commemorates his time in the Garden City Arena, all he gave to St. Catharines hockey, and his many achievements in the NHL.

Stan Mikita

Born in Czechoslovakia in 1940, Stanislav Gvoth moved to St. Catharines in 1948 to live with his aunt and uncle in a free country. It was in St. Catharines that Stanislav Gvoth fell in love with hockey and became Stan Mikita. Mikita played three seasons with the St. Catharines TeePees from 1956-59. When Mikita began his historic career in the NHL in the 1958-59 season, it was for the TeePees’ NHL affiliate, the Chicago Blackhawks. Two seasons later in 1961, Mikita won the Stanley Cup with his former TeePees linemate, Bobby Hull. Mikita retired with 1,467 points in 1,396 games played, all for the Chicago Blackhawks. The first jersey retired by the Chicago Blackhawks, Mikita’s number 21 was sent to the rafters in 1980, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, and was named one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players” in league history in 2017. In the words of Bobby Hull, Mikita was, “Pound for pound, the greatest hockey player who ever played.”

Every contributor old enough to watch Mikita recounted going to see him play as a member of the beloved TeePees. Even today, long after the relationship between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Catharines Junior A hockey came to an end, Mike Schram mentioned how people in St. Catharines remain loyal to the franchise because of the lengthy affiliation and the many accomplishments of players like Mikita.

Mike Schram with Bobby Hull.

Contributed by Mike Schram.

Oldtimers Hockey Challenge 16th anniversary program signed by Bobby Hull.

Contributed by Dan McKnight.

Bobby Hull

Bobby Hull was born in Point Anne, Ontario, in 1939. Hull’s two-year stint with the St. Catharines TeePees began in 1955, where he played alongside long time teammate, linemate, and friend, Stan Mikita. Hull and Mikita played several seasons together for the Chicago Blackhawks where they won the Stanley Cup in 1961. Hull retired after 23 seasons of professional hockey with 1,170 points in 1,063 games played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets, and the Hartford Whalers. Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, and named one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players” in league history in 2017. 

Dan McKnight called Bobby Hull the “Wayne Gretzky of our generation.” McKnight recalled going to the Oldtimers’ Hockey Challenge when Hull was one of the coaches. An Ontario native, McKnight and his wife wore Winnipeg Jets jerseys to honour Hull. Hull signed both of their jerseys, and before the game started Hull was given a microphone where he reminisced about his time in the Garden City. McKnight recalled Hull said:

"The great hockey fans in St. Catharines. And just look at those two people over there,” he points at me and my wife, “came all the way from Winnipeg. Stand up.” I came all two kilometers, like I didn't want to you know, but I'm wearing a Winnipeg jersey. So, I get where he got it from. So, I stood up and my wife stands up and we get an applause from coming all the way from Winnipeg.

Mike Schram with Dennis Hull and Fred Stanfield.

Contributed by Mike Schram.

Dennis Hull

Dennis Hull was born in Point Anne, Ontario, in 1944. Hull played four seasons for the St. Catharines’ Junior A franchise as a member of both the TeePees and Black Hawks from 1960-64. A feeder team to the NHL, Hull played in 959 games for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings and amassed 654 points. In 1972, Hull represented Canada in the Summit Series, the most important hockey series Canada ever played. After retiring from professional hockey, Hull earned a degree in History and Physical Education from Brock University. 

Dennis Hull “had a shot that you couldn’t believe,” Schram said. Schram shared a story of his father attending one of Hull’s games with friends. During intermission they went across the street to the Queensway and were late returning to the game when Hull took one of his infamous shots. Schram recounted:

It went off the cross bar. It went out over everybody's head, went through one of the windows at the back, went out into the street…It had lost enough juice by that time that it didn't kill him. But here he is walking back from having a beer with a few guys at the Queensway…Then this is a shot. It hit him. And so, [Hull] goes to see him after that. And they've been friends ever since then.

Oldtimers Hockey Challenge Puck signed by Marcel Dionne beside a photo of Robert McKnight with Marcel Dionne.

Contributed by Dan McKnight.

Former St. Catharines Falcons Mike Kobylansky.

Contributed by Mike Kobylansky. 

Marcel Dionne

Marcel Dionne grew up in Drummondville, Quebec, but chose to play Junior A hockey for the St. Catharines Black Hawks where he became the first player to win back-to-back Ontario Hockey Association scoring titles (1969-70 & 1970-71). Dionne was drafted second overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1971 NHL Entry Draft, and he amassed 1,771 points in 1,348 NHL games for the Detroit Red Wings, LA Kings, and New York Rangers. The LA Kings retired Dionne’s number 16 in 1990 and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2017, Dionne was named one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players” in league history. 

Former St. Catharines Falcon Mike Kobylansky recounted signing autographs next to Marcel Dionne at the Garden City Arena. Kobylansky played only 15 games for the Falcons but that did not matter for the kids who idolized every player to put on the jersey. He said:

We got our Falcons jerseys on, the kids just love us. They think it's the greatest thing that we’re these big deals for autographs…I had Marcel right beside me. And, you know, these kids don't even care about the old man, not to be rude, not to be rude, but like, they were more ecstatic to see us cuz we had our jerseys. They knew of the younger guys with the jerseys. Meanwhile, Marcel Dionne…he’s signing his name and then NHL HOF 92. He's in the NHL Hall of Fame. So he's right behind Gretzky and all the points and all that stuff and he's signing it Hall of Fame and they're excited to see us, the Falcons.

Brian Bellow's plaque of recognition that was hung in the Garden City Arena. The plaque commemorates his time in the Garden City Arena, St. Catharines hockey, and his achievements in the NHL.

Brian Bellows

Born in St. Catharines in 1964, Brian Bellows played one season with the Junior B St. Catharines Falcons before moving up to the Junior A Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. Bellows was drafted second overall by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. Bellows played 1,188 games in the NHL. During his career, Bellows played for the Minnesota North Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, and Washington Capitals, and retired with 1,022 NHL points. Bellows became a Stanley Cup Champion in 1993 with the Montreal Canadiens, the last time a Canadian franchise won Canada’s oldest and greatest trophy.

Carol Gregor recalled participating in a charity hockey game at the Garden City Arena. The game was played in 1983 between the doctors and nurses at the St. Catharines General Hospital to raise money for the city’s first CAT Scan. The nurses arrived at the game in an ambulance and the game was played in front of a sold-out crowd. While the doctors took momentum of the game, the nurses had a secret weapon. Gregor recalled:

Some of our spouses and siblings were hockey players much more than we were. And they dressed in disguise and joined our team. And one of them, I'm not sure how the connection was, but Brian Bellows I think was one of the ones that helped us out. And as my husband said, he thinks he remembers we won, but I can't remember clearly because it was such an exciting night. Amazingly successful. We, well, we got our CAT Scan.

Retired NHL player Doug Rombough also played for the nurses in disguise.