Jamie Leach

Jamie Leach may never be known as one of the greatest Aboriginal players to don the blades, but he’s a winner.

The evidence is worn on his fingers, two Stanley Cup rings (92 and 93), two Allan Cup rings (03 and 06) and a Calder cup ring (96) as well.

It doesn’t end there either.

Leach won two British Elite League titles while playing overseas for the Nottingham Panthers (99 and 2000) and Sheffield Steelers.

He ‘s had experience coaching junior hockey as well, spending time as the bench boss of the MJHL’s Southeast Blades and the BCJHL’s Powell River Kings.

But life in hockey comes at a price.

“I never really stopped moving around since I was a teenager,” says Leach. “From junior right through pro hockey and back into coaching it was a constant move.”

Now he’s in an ideal spot, serving as an assistant golf pro at St. Boniface golf course in Winnipeg and loves every minute of it. “I always wanted to get into the golf business somehow,” said Leach. “I took my playability test in August of last year and passed.”

While what he does now sounds ideal, he learned what he needed to about developing into a carded professional golfer while playing hockey, learning early on what commitment was all about.

After spending time with the WHL’s New Westminster Bruins as a 16 year-old, he was bounced around in training camp.

He didn’t like that first experience, and did something about it.

He made the Ontario Hockey League’s Hamilton Steelhawks the next year, and put on about 20 pounds of muscle.

The change was noticed as Leach spent three seasons as a top scorer in the OHL earning him a chance to play pro hockey.

He credits his junior coach, Bill Laforge, for teaching him what it took to make it.

“He told us that he knew there were going to be nights where we wouldn’t quite be at our best,” said Leach. “But he wanted us to bring something to the table and make a contribution. He made me fight and I lost, but I got better at it. He taught us what it took to make it and the true meaning of the word team and that’s what made my career possible.”

But what happened next left him puzzled because he had reached the epitome of his profession, the NHL.

Leach says there was a lack of communication and that left him shocked and surprised. “There was a barrier between coaches and players. Scotty Bowman didn’t say a thing to you. He left that to his assistants but if they had told me to do something I would have done it,” said Leach. “But I did win two cups so I guess it wasn’t a bad deal.”

Eventually, he ended up with the Buffalo Sabres and in GM John Muckler’s doghouse.

He was sent down to the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League and won a Calder Cup ring.

But he left confused yet again. They still didn’t tell him what to work on.

Instead of being bitter, Leach left the organization entirely for the British Elite League for five years, before calling it a career.

He views his time spent as a professional differently now that his playing days are over.

“I always wanted to outthink the guy lining up against me because I wasn’t the most talented player. But when I look at it now, I was able to play thirteen years as a pro and that’s a privilege.”

“How many people can say that? I had what I had because I respected the game and today though the game I play has changed the same principles apply.”

“I still have to work at my game to be a carded professional golfer.”