Our Grand Finale Reunion #20

RHODES-ON-THE-PAWTUXET – AUGUST 21, 2022

The wait was finally over. After a two-year hiatus due to COVID restrictions and the sad loss of more than a dozen former players over that time, our 20^th Reunion had arrived. And to put the exclamation point on it, this was, indeed, a Grand Finale – the best yet.

Friday night had an early bird Meet and Greet to get things started.

Saturday night was the occasion of the RI Hockey Hall of Fame’s Annual Enshrinement Celebration at Rhodes. It was a great event in every way. The highlight for the Reds Heritage Society was the Hall’s awarding of the Malcolm Greene Chace Trophy to our beloved Society founder, Buster Clegg, for “Lifetime contributions to the game of hockey by a Rhode Islander”.

On the following day, a cheerful and sunny Sunday afternoon, we returned to the Ballroom at Rhodes – our first and only reunion ever held indoors. And it had all the air-conditioned amenities we could ask for. Players, families and fans gathered and greeted each other in the spacious and elegant lobby, sharing their favorite memories.

As the 150 attendees entered the dining room, they took in the sight of the HOF banners of RI’s greatest hockey legends, many of them former Reds players and officials already enshrined in the Hall. The stage was decorated with illuminated letters spelling out “RI REDS” in four-foot-high blocks. A vintage goal net with a life-size cutout of the great Reds goalie, Gil Mayer, stared out from the stage.

The served sit-down dinner, featuring Chicken Parm and Baked Scrod, highlighted the 4-course meal. And Reds merchandise at the Grand Finale just flew off the tables.

Ray Morgan and Gerry Letourneau were presented with Sage Family Service Awards. The Ross family presented Joe Exter with the Ray Ross Perseverance Award and Brian Boucher received the Native-Rhode Islander award. Tom Woodcock was honored with the Tops Award, accepted by good friend and fellow HOF trainer, Pete Demers.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was the stage interview of Reds legends Ross Brooks, Bob Leduc and Stan Baluik led by Board member, Joe Rocco. They spoke of their times as Reds players and shared some great stories. They spoke of the faithful Reds fans from their playing days and what the Society has meant to them over the years. Each stayed in RI after their careers and were great supporters of the Society, as were so many other players.

Of equal importance, our Grand Finale Reunion was the occasion for our Heritage Society to commit to the many new initiatives necessary for us to continue to flourish, including a new and more modern website to chronicle and showcase the Reds illustrious history, more frequent newsletters featuring even more entertaining and revealing content, and a promise to continue to be a positive influence on the growth of the game.

Our 20 Reunions have been special. Unique in pro hockey circles in many ways. The camaraderie and friendships they have forged have been magical. The people and the gears have been put into place with our new relationship with the RI Hockey HOF to assure our Heritage Society will continue to preserve the memories and showcase the legacy of the Reds for generations to come.