At 76, Oscar (Big O) Gaudet is still scoring goals
and setting up teammates in recreational hockey.
By Eddie St Pierre and Steven Boyce
When I met Oscar Gaudet for the first time, I felt as
though I had known him all my life. (Probably because
my friend Eddie St Pierre would not stop talking about
him for the last 12 months and insisted that we write
an article about him in Primetime. Eddie did provide
me with an extensive file of past news clippings and
documents that
allowed me to learn
about the Big O’s
career). It was an
honour to meet such
a humble, extremely
talented man who
is a perfect example
of what we can all
become with a little
discipline, dedication
and passion... a
passion and natural
talent for Hockey is
what was bestowed
upon Mr. Gaudet.
When I was sitting in
the dressing room with
Oscar and his teammates prior to one of the 3-4 games
a week that he plays during the hockey season, I could
easily conclude that Oscar was not just a good hockey
player but a great friend and mentor to many. (S Boyce)
Very few Moncton-born hockey players have stamped
their mark on the game locally as effectively as the
smooth-skating Big O. Coming up through the minor
ranks, it was quickly obvious that Oscar had the talent
to pursue the sport at the professional level. An all-star
junior, he was key performer with the 1963 Moncton
Junior Hawks team that fought its way to an Eastern
Allen Cup Final.
Turning pro shortly after, Oscar Gaudet spent seven
years in the Central and American Hockey Leagues in
the Chicago Black Hawk farm system during the NHL’s
“original six” era. He
had amassed 197 goals
and 253 assists, won the
Central League goal-
scoring title in 1965-66
with St. Louis and led
the League in assists in
1969-70 with the Dallas
Black Hawks.
Retiring as a pro, he
returned to the local
senior scene, playing
on two Hardy Cup
winners, the 1975
Moncton Bears and the
1979 Moncton Hawks.
In the summer, you can
sometimes see the “Big
O” swimming in the bay near his cottage in Shediac.
(He estimates that the distance between the two buoys
he uses as markers is about 1.2 kilometres).
PHOTO BY SYLVIE MOUSSEAU
(some excerpts used from Times & Transcript articles
written by Eddie St. Pierre and reproduced from the
Moncton Wall of Fame 1986 program.
Edited by Steven Boyce).
À 76 ans, le hockeyeur Oscar (Big O) Gaudet compte encore
des buts et fait toujours de belles passes à ses coéquipiers
Par Eddie St Pierre et Steven Boyce
La première fois que j’ai rencontré Oscar Gaudet,
j’avais l’impression que je le connaissais depuis
toujours. (C’est probablement parce que mon ami
Eddie St Pierre n’a jamais cessé de me parler de lui
depuis 12 mois et qu’il a insisté pour que je rédige
un article à son sujet dans PrimeTime. Je dois avouer
qu’il m’a remis un dossier complet d’anciennes
coupures de journaux et des documents qui m’ont
éclairé sur la carrière du Big O.) Quel honneur de
rencontrer un homme aussi humble et talentueux
qu’Oscar Gaudet! Il est le parfait exemple de ce que
nous pouvons tous devenir avec un peu de discipline,
de rigueur et de passion. En effet, il est animé d’une
grande passion et a un talent inné pour le hockey.
Assis dans le vestiaire aux côtés d’Oscar et de ses
coéquipiers avant un des trois ou quatre matchs qu’il
dispute chaque semaine pendant la saison de hockey,
je me suis vite aperçu qu’il n’est pas qu’un bon joueur,
WINTER/HIVER 2017 PrimeTime
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