Biography:

A Memorial 

Dick Power passed away recently after a battle with cancer. As he did on the sports field he held himself with class in his last days. Choosing not to let us know of his plight. He was very happy and proud of his induction into the CBHA Hall of Fame. The association is lucky to have such a great player be one of the players that we hold up for the young players of today to aspire to. We are saddened with the loss. But Below is a memory of the man. With his words to inspire and remember. He will be dearly missed.

One of the CBHA's more legendary early powerhouse teams came from Newfoundland. In the early days the power of the sport lived there, with its hard working, and relentless players. One of its most storied teams was the India Bears. The kingpin player on those teams was Dick Power. You speak to people about Dick, and a couple things always get said. When the game was riding on the line, Power would always make the big play, or score the big goal. Even more of a compliment, to the highly decorated star, is that people who speak of him, speak of his class as a player both on and off the floor. Just a great person. He was a highly skilled athlete in many sports, a natural in soccer, which led to his ascension to becoming a bonafide ball hockey star in the CBHA.
It is through his skill as a player that Newfoundland became an early power. It is the reason why in the early 80's the province of Newfoundland hosted the first ever International exchange of ball hockey, filling the rink to capacity in Powers' beloved province, as they played an All-Star team from the United States, and led by Dick, won decisively.

Power also brought his knowledge of big game ball hockey to the last legitimate power the province had, assisting the Best Western Travellers to victory in Calgary in 1987. The last competitive CBHA game he ever played. Dick Power's game of skill, drive, sportsmanship, discipline and excellence became the blueprint that many Newfoundland used to achieve National prominence. That is why he has been enshrined with his prize pupil Sean Donovan as the only Newfoundlanders to date in our Hall. The province has not reached the same heights since players of this ilk have gone away, but can take a look at what made them the best in the past, to lead them back to the forefront in the future.

Interview:

Here are the words of the late, great Dick Power...

What type of player would you describe yourself as? 
I would consider myself to be a team player but also a leader on the team. I lead by example in the fact that I was a hard worker & would do anything that it took to win.

Why did ball hockey become so important to you? 
I think it was always with me. I loved all sports as a kid and we always played street hockey in our neighbourhood & the city held street hockey tournaments. As a result, we always looked forward to street hockey to develop our skills. When ball hockey moved into rinks, it was a natural fit & then as I got older I realized I was learning new life skills as well. Travelling to the Nationals was always the goal, you'd raise money even before you won the provincials. Secondly, because our team (India Bears) became so close but with such diverse backgrounds, we treated each other like family and with that came good times, arguments & parties. It seemed to have a life of it's own.

What would you say to young players if you had a chance to. Regarding reaching for National prominence at our game? 
It is an excellent sport that anyone can play and most likely already has, not expensive, excellent fitness and team oriented. With a group of friends for a team, hard work and a good attitude you could make it to the National tournament and possibly the National Team. Well worth the fun in getting there.

What was your most memorable game, or memory at the Nationals? 
It would have to be the championship game in 1982 when we won our 1st championship. We had been close on three occasions & this one didn't get away. I remember throwing everything up in the air and celebrating as a team. We had worked out hard for this for at least 5 full years and raising money as well - it was all worth the effort.

Dick you played on one of the greatest early powerhouses of the CBHA. The legendary India Bears. Tell us about that team? 
The India Bears were a very unique team. Two guys got together and drafted a list of their friends who played ball hockey and we started the team from that. As we started to play and really gel, our thoughts came to winning not just participating. We had a mix of all types of personalities on that team and boy did it show. As we grew closer, we stuck together through thick and thin we joked & laughed, teased each other, worked out hard and even fought at times. When we were doing fitness training & raising money, we spent a lot of time together and we always had team parties so we could enjoy a few beverages with our better halves. Our team was now a family and by the time we won in 1982 we had peaked at all aspects of our game. I loved playing ball hockey with the Bears because we all had a common style - Our game was ball possession & we won and lost by that philosophy. Using the floating line was our speciality, get the line and hang onto the ball.

Who were some of the early teams or players that you remember for excellence that you played against at the Nats? 
Dino Ciccarelli, Ken Linesman & Lou Francischetti played against us in our early years. It really showed how different a game ball hockey was than ice hockey.

You also played the first International Ball Hockey Canada ever had in 1982. What are your memories of that?
We played this at home and the crowds were great and very noisy, we actually beat them pretty handily. We were supposed to go play them at home but they didn't invite us because we beat them so badly.

Why do you think Newfoundland has been a strong power in our sport through the years? 
Street hockey was always big in Newfoundland, I think the simplicity of ball hockey, sneakers, and a stick originally made it accessible & easy for the numbers to play, everyone seemed to play and it grew from there.

What would it meant to you if you could have played for Canada in your hey day? 
I would have loved to play for Canada if there was a National team when I played. I think it would have been excellent to play on a team of excellent players from around the country and see all the different styles of play.

After all these years. What has your career in our sport done for you as a person?
I think the friends I have gained through ball hockey are live long friends and the experiences we shared through the years bonded us and certainly improved my interpersonal skills as well as having the ability to deal with all types of personalities.

What do you see ahead for our sport? And what does it mean to you to be inducted into our Hall?
I think the sport has stepped up in the international scene and this is excellent. I also have seen the move to Minor Ball Hockey since I played and that is fantastic. Go after Health Canada for Funding - sell the obese child idea. Ball hockey is easy to play, good fitness and builds friendships, what better sport to play. Health Canada would do well to attach itself to your organization to increase health attitudes in kids.

Being inducted to the Hall of Fame has meant a lot to me. I feel honoured because, I know how many great players from Newfoundland alone played at such a high level, and to be inducted from this group as well as the rest of the great players in Canada has really humbled me. I also appreciate being inducted with all the other great players before me. I would also like to thank all my teammates who made it possible for me to attain this award, I would not have done it without them.
 

CAREER

• 1980's India Bears
• 1987 Best Western Travellers