U.S. hockey world mourns Hall of Famer from Fort Frances, Ont.
Art Berglund, who died Dec. 19 at the age of 80, was GM of several U.S. men's national and Olympic teams
As the World Junior Hockey Championship unfolds this week in Edmonton, members of the U.S. hockey community are mourning the loss of a giant in their sport who was born and raised in Fort Frances, Ont.
Art Berglund, who died Dec. 19 at the age of 80, was the leading scorer for the Colorado College Tigers during his senior season and played professional hockey in Switzerland and Austria, according to USA Hockey, but his most celebrated contributions to the sport came as an administrator – notably as the manager of several U.S. men's national teams and Olympic teams, as a scout for the St. Louis Blues and as director of player recruitment for the Colorado Rockies.
"Art's passing is mourned not only by USA Hockey, but the entire hockey world," USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher said in a news release. "His influence on both American hockey and the international game was profound, and his charisma and passion will never be forgotten."
Berglund is a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame, and the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, which inducted him in 2004.
"His acceptance speech obviously [acknowledged] that none of his success would've developed if he hadn't developed that passion and knowledge of the game in Fort Frances right here in northwestern Ontario," hall of fame executive director Diane Imrie told CBC.
"Fort Frances is very unique in that a lot of their players go into the U.S. system. Bill Selman, Bobbie Peters – sort of the same sort of era – went into the States and were coaches and took the game there ... All three of those gentlemen actually all acknowledge that it was their grounding here in northwestern Ontario that gave them the knowledge of the game."
Berglund began his career as an administrator by spending 13 years as the manager of Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, Imrie said.
He served as general manager for the U.S. men's national teams from 1973-75 and from 1985-90, according to USA Hockey.
He was the GM of the 1976 and 1988 U.S. Olympic teams and of the U.S. national junior teams in 1977, 1981, 1986-87, and 1989-92.
"A lot of Canadians actually have influenced the game in the States, and Art was one of them that really influenced their ability on the international scene," Imrie said.
"Prior to that, their junior system was not successful or popular. But he was very active with the IIHF in really making it what it ... is today. We're all following it quite extensively."