MINTO, N.B. — Kirk Firlotte has two championship rings to show for his puckstopping ability, but he hasn’t forgotten the one ring that slipped out of his fingertips.
Firlotte, a 52-year-old native of Dalhousie, N. B. who now lives in Minto, N.B., was an import goalie for the Port aux Basques Mariners of the now-defunct Newfoundland Senior Hockey League for a brief stint during the 1980s.
Firlotte played between the pipes for the Mariners during the 1984-85 provincial senior hockey league season after winning the Hardy Cup — symbolic of the top Intermediate team in Eastern Canada at the time — with the Charlottetown Islanders of the Prince Edward Island Senior Hockey League the previous year.
Leading the Islanders to the Hardy Cup proved to be an exciting time in Firlotte’s life because he got an invite to the New Jersey Devils training camp the following year. Prince Edward Island native Billy McMillan had just been relieved off his general manager duties with the Devils and had returned to the island. McMillan seen him play and eventually got him a tryout.
Unfortunately, his NHL dream came to a halt after three weeks at the camp. He was shaken with disappointment, and ended his dreams of playing in any pro league with that. Eventually, he moved back to New Brunswick.
“I was, like you would be at the time, pretty devastated about it,” Firlotte said of his one shot at making an impression at the pro level.
Once he was home from his stint in New Jersey, he starting fielding a few calls from teams in Newfoundland hoping to lure him to the province. He settled on Port aux Basques because of his close friendship with Tony Currie — brother of Sheldon Currie — the Mariners playing coach at the time.
He enjoyed his time playing at the Bruce Arena, despite the days he couldn’t take a few shots at practice because it was too cold inside. He has fond memories of the great fan base and the generosity of the people, while he enjoyed playing with some of the top players to play in the league. He said he has no regrets of his decision to play senior hockey in Newfoundland.
The Mariners bowed out of the playoffs in the first round to the Stephenville Jets in his only full season. Financial troubles that plagued a lot of senior hockey teams back in the 1980s hit the Mariners the following year. Firlotte and company were shocked with the team folding at Christmas.
The Allan Cup experience with the Royals, despite the fact he never played a game and only dressed for a couple as back-up, would prove to be another disappointing chapter in a hockey career that included his second Hardy Cup — captured as a member of the Campbellton Tigers during the 1987-88 season.
He remembers the excitement of the Allan Cup run as if it was yesterday. He had one of the best seats in the house for one of the most exciting senior hockey series to be played.
The Corner Brook Royals were stunned by the Thunder Bay Twins in a best-of-seven final that saw the Royals take a commanding 3-0 advantage before being defeated four games in a row before a capacity crowd at Humber Gardens.
“I thought I was getting another ring,” he said.
Who could blame Firlotte for thinking he would get a championship ring. Anybody who witnessed the Allan Cup final that year probably remembers the shock of losing the series after the Royals had been so dominant for the first three games.
“I felt so bad for them that this could happen at home,” he said. “To be up three games to nothing, and pretty well dominating, to lose the next four games was just terrible.”
“For them to be able to do what they did come back and win four games in Humber Gardens unbelievable,” he added.
Firlotte wouldn’t be a factor in the series, but he appreciates that players and management made him feel a part of the family and valued his presence. According to Firlotte, Royals star goalie Dave Matte was nursing an injury and there was a moment or two where he thought he might be called to play upon during the Allan Cup run, but it didn’t materialize as Matte went on to play every single minute of the seven-game affair.
But, losing in dramatic fashion tugged at his heart because he was a team member, and that meant a lot to him.
“I was pretty close to the action, and you get to know all the guys and how hard they worked at it, and at that time they hadn’t won an Allan Cup,” he said. “And I know the celebration would have been unbelievable, and it seemed like it was going that way.”
All these years later though, he did want to get something off his chest. He thought the officiating was atrocious, particularly one referee from New Brunswick who he didn’t identify.
“I know the guy well and he’s a successful guy now, but he was pretty awful that series and I thought that really changed the tone of the series,” he said. “You hate to blame it on the refereeing, but I thought it was the worst I had ever seen.
“I remember after one game they had to get him a police escort to get him out of the rink and I thought it was quite justified at the time,” he said with a big chuckle.
He has been away from the senior hockey game for years now and keeps busy working with Sun Life Financial, but he has reason to be excited about Newfoundland senior hockey again.
His son, 27-year-old Zack Firlotte, has signed an import card with the Western Royals of the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League for the 2013-14 campaign.
Firlotte is skating with the Royals this weekend as the team holds training camp at the Hodder Memorial Recreation Complex.
Of course, dad had some advice for his son before departing for the island. He told Zack to be prepared to work hard every shift and understand that fans have high expectations and will let him know if they aren’t pleased with his performance
“His skin has to be a little thick I think,” he said. “I just told him to play his game and he will be just fine. He’s excited about playing the game again.”
Dad may just have to make a trip back to the island to see his son play and say hello to some familiar faces.
