NEWS RELEASE
STAYNER HERITAGE SOCIETY
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Richard Gauthier has been selected as the Stayner Heritage Society's 2023 Thomas Stayner Award for citizen of the year in Stayner.
Mr. Gauthier is a local business owner, and president and director of hockey operations for the Stayner Siskins, a PJHL Jr. C. team he first played for 35 years ago.
The team celebrated its 50th season in 2022/23 and this spring appeared in the provincial final Schmalz Cup tournament for the third time in seven years.
Described as a formidable defenceman playing for the Siskins at 17 years of age, Mr. Gauthier has subsequently -- over 35 years -- held virtually every staff position on the team as assistant coach, head coach and general manager before stepping into his current role. All positions are unpaid, volunteer roles.
Dozens of 16- to 20-year-old hockey players have extended their years of competitive play in Stayner where a small-town team has consistently "punched above its weight" and developed a consistent fan base.
The Siskins have won nine regular season titles and four league or division championships in the past 25 years and appeared in the provincial championship finals for the Schmaltz Cup in 2017, 2021 and 2023 seasons.
Steve Walker, a 15-year-old phenom who played alongside Mr. Gauthier in the 1988 season said his work over the years has been second to none.
“He is truly the heart and soul of hockey in Stayner. Most of the work he does is behind the scenes and is a thankless job," Mr. Walker told local sports columnist Alex Hargrave. "He has given the team and community so much and he’s the reason the Siskins have remained in Stayner.”
Mr. Gauthier owns and operates a local contracting company and is a father and grandfather who supported his own children through the minor hockey system in Stayner.
The Thomas Stayner Award is presented annually to a citizen who has made Stayner a "better, stronger, more vibrant community" and has been presented annually since 2003, with a three-year hiatus during the pandemic years.
Nominations for the 2024 award will be opened early next year.
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