Our sport says good bye to a friend.
In 1974 three ball hockey leagues decided to band together and form the Ontario Ball Hockey Association (OBHA). Those leagues were Orillia (John Forrest), Streetsvillle (Paul Coulter & Mike Bernard) and Toronto (Ken White). There were probably eighteen teams in total between them.
The idea was to create a Provincial organization and have a Championship. The four men got together in Port Credit over a barbecue and discussed ball hockey and of course a few stories were shared. The outcome was that rules & regulations would be established for the first Championship. The tournament, which would be hosted in Orillia, produced the inaugural Ontario Ball Hockey Association Champions, the Toronto Redskins, who defeated the Mississauga Marauders 3-2 in the final to claim the provincial title.
John’s influence in getting our sport off the ground can't be underestimated and to think it all started around a barbecue.
He was wise beyond his years with a personality and charm that worked wonders in growing the OBHA and getting recognition with Sport Ontario.
The major undertaking was to approach the government and establish ball hockey as a sport. Really, with 18 teams?
Ken White, co-founder of the OBHA said, 'one rule set up that has stood up to the test of time is the floating blue line. John's skills at negotiation helped guide us through setting up new leagues and dealing with the government. Remember, we got grants to set up our organization. Their trust in John was amazing. Well, he pulled it off and the initial grant was $30,000.’
Four years later the same lads were at the table when the National body was set up. There should be no doubt that the OBHA and a national body would not have been established at that time without John's thoughtful, intelligent hand. He was the recipient of the Special Achievement Award from the Province of Ontario in 1979 for his contribution to fitness and amateur sport in starting organized Ball Hockey, provincially, nationally, and now it has gone international.
John would return as the key note speaker at the OBHA’s 25th anniversary celebrations and shared stories only as he could and presented the game ball from the 1974 championship game.
Mauro Cugini, President of the OBHA said, 'he was a pioneer, one of the original building blocks of ball hockey in Ontario.'
He continued, 'he set the tone and paved the way for the great sport that has developed and have left a legacy of which we, our families and future generations around the world can and will be very proud.'
The World Ball Hockey Federation recently hosted their Championships in Prague and there he was streaming the games from his home and offering congratulatory emails and well wishes for the team after every game.
He was exactly how every person should be, so accepting of everyone, loving, kind, engaging, entertaining, humbling. He was one of the finest gentlemen in the sport and those are who shared a moment or a story were humbled to have known him.
Our sport will miss him and we owe him a huge debt and our gratitude. An untold number of people enjoy organized ball hockey because of John Forrest.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to his wife, family and friends.
