George Faulkner

Robert George Faulkner (December 27, 1933 – January 19, 2025) was a Canadian professional hockey player. In 1954, George became the first professional hockey player from Newfoundland and Labrador when he signed with the minor-pro Shawinigan-Falls Cataracts of the Quebec Senior Hockey League.

Playing career Shawinigan Falls Cataracts In 1954, George became the first player from Newfoundland to sign a professional contract with an NHL team. Faulkner played four seasons with the minor-pro Shawinigan Cataracts from 1954 to 1958. The Cataracts were owned by the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League.

Conception Bay CeeBees In 1958, George, at age 24, was hired by the town of Harbour Grace as the community's recreational director. He helped run the hockey program with stadium manager Lorne Wakelin at the new Conception Bay Recreational Centre which opened in January 1958. His first task was to form a senior hockey team. The Conception Bay CeeBees, with George on defense as their playing coach, were immediately a dominant force in the Newfoundland senior league making seven finals appearances in their first nine seasons, including four all-Newfoundland hockey championships.

1966 World Hockey Championships In 1966, at the age of 32 Faulkner won a bronze medal and led Canada's national team in scoring with 6 goals and one assist in 7 games at the World Hockey Championships in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia. He finished 8th in tournament scoring with 7 points and tied for 3rd in goals with 6.

Personal life George was born in the town of Bishop's Falls on the Exploits River in Newfoundland. His parents were Lester, also born in Bishop's Falls, and Olive who was a native of Point Leamington. Lester's mother (Svea) was born in Burträsk, Sweden and his father (William) was born in Sherbrooke, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. George had four hockey-playing brothers (Lindy, Seth, Alex, and Jack) and two sisters (Marie and Elizabeth). He first learned how to play hockey on the Exploits River with his brothers. His brother Alex was the first Newfoundlander to play in the National Hockey League. George started his senior hockey career at age 15 playing with the Bishop's Falls Woodsmen in the Grand Falls Senior League. In 1951 he played Junior B with the Quebec Citadelles.

His biography, titled Faulkner: A Hockey History , was published in November 2011. It was written by Tom P. Rossiter, a retired educator.

As of 2016, at the age of 82, he was still skating and sometimes played hockey. In February 2016, he participated in a parents-versus-kids hockey game with his grandson George Faulkner Jr. "I can say now that I've played with my two sons, Bob and Peter, and now I've played with my grandson," he said.

Faulkner married Marjorie "Midge" Florence Vardy, a Registered Nurse formerly of Howley, on April 28, 1956 in Shawinigan. Midge died on October 24, 2010. In April 2023, while in a nursing home, George married Barbara Paddock.

Faulkner died on January 19, 2025, at the age of 91.

Career achievements Championships 1952: Quebec Junior B Championship with the Quebec Junior B Citadelles. 1952: Ottawa District Hockey Association (ODHA)-Quebec Junior B Championship with the Quebec Junior B Citadelles. 1953: First all-Newfoundland senior hockey championship and Herder Memorial Trophy with the Grand Falls All-Stars. 1955, 1958: Thomas O'Connell Memorial Trophy as Quebec Senior Hockey League champions with the Shawinigan Falls Cataracts. 1955: Edinburgh Trophy with the Shawinigan Falls Cataracts. This was an east-west minor-pro hockey series between the champions of the Quebec Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. 1960, 1961, 1965, 1967: Herder championship as player-coach with the Conception Bay CeeBees. 1975, 1976: Herder championship as Newfoundland provincial senior hockey champions with the St. John's Capitals. He was head coach in 1976. 1979: Herder championship as a coach with the St. John's Mike's Shamrocks.

Awards and honours Bronze medal winner with Canada's National Team at the 1966 World Hockey Championships. Inducted into the Sport Newfoundland and Labrador Hall of Fame in 1982. Inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame in 1994. Honoured by the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame as a member of Canada's National Team of 1966. Manitoba was home to the National Team from 1965 to 1970. Voted Best Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Player in a 1994 poll by The Telegram. Named Top Newfoundland and Labrador Athlete of all time in 1999 by The Telegram. Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2010. Torchbearer at the 1992 Newfoundland Summer Games. Torchbearer at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Career statistics Note: GFISL = Grand Falls Inter-town School League, GFSHL = Grand Falls Senior Hockey League, QJBHL = Quebec Junior B Hockey League, NAHA = Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association, QJAHL = Quebec Junior A Hockey League, QHL = Quebec Hockey League, NSHL = Newfoundland Senior Hockey League Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM +/- PP SH GW GP G A Pts PIM 1946–47 Bishop's Falls Station Midgets ———— — ———— 1948–49 Bishop's Falls Academy GFISL ———— — ———— 1948–49 Bishop's Falls Woodsmen GFSHL ———— — ———— 1949–50 Bishop's Falls Woodsmen GFSHL ———— — ———— 1950–51 Bishop's Falls Woodsmen GFSHL 24 8 11 19 0 ———— — ———— 1950–51 Bishop's Falls Academy GFISL ———— — ———— 1950–51 Grand Falls Junior All-Stars NAHA-Jr. ———— — ———— 1951–52 Quebec 'B' Citadelles QJBHL — — —— 1951–52 Bishop's Falls Woodsmen GFSHL ———— — ———— 1952–53 Bishop's Falls Woodsmen GFSHL 12 27 17 44 — — — —— — — — — — 1952–53 Grand Falls All-Stars NAHA-Sr. 12 16 11 27 4 — — — — 4 5 4 9 0 1953–54 Quebec Citadelles QJAHL — — —— 1953–54 Quebec Frontenacs QJAHL — — —— 1954–55 Shawinigan Falls Cataracts QHL 59 18 25 43 — — —— 1955–56 Shawinigan Falls Cataracts QHL 52 17 16 33 ———— — ———— 1956–57 Shawinigan Falls Cataracts QHL 55 19 26 45 — — —— 1957–58 Shawinigan Falls Cataracts QHL 51 19 17 36 ———— — ———— 1958–59 Conception Bay All-Stars NAHA-Sr. 14 20 13 33 ———— — ———— 1959–60 Conception Bay CeeBees NAHA-Sr. 13 11 11 22 ———— — ———— 1960–61 Conception Bay CeeBees NAHA-Sr. 1010 16 26 ———— — ———— 1961–62 Conception Bay CeeBees NAHA-Sr. 7 3 6 9 ———— — ———— 1962–63 Conception Bay CeeBees NSHL 16 12 14 26 ———— — ———— 1963–64 Conception Bay CeeBees NSHL 20 15 24 39 ———— — ———— 1964–65 Conception Bay CeeBees NSHL 20 19 45 63 ———— — ———— 1965–66 Canada's National Team IIHF 22 11 13 24 ———— 76282 1965–66 Conception Bay CeeBees NSHL ———— — ———— 1966–67 Conception Bay CeeBees NSHL 40 35 46 81 ———— — ———— 1967–68 Conception Bay CeeBees NSHL 40 34 35 69 ———— — ———— 1968–69 Corner Brook Royals NSHL 38 6 31 37 ———— — ———— 1969–70 Corner Brook Royals NSHL 32 14 37 51 ———— — ———— 1970–71 Did not play senior hockey ———— — ———— 1971–72 Jacksonville Rockets EHL7 0 0 0 4 ———— ———— 1971–72 St. John's Capitals NSHL26 12 23 35 — ————— ———— 1972–73 Gander Flyers NSHL 33 13 27 40 ———— — ———— 1973–74 Gander Flyers NSHL 2 0 1 1 ———— — ———— 1974–75 St. John's Capitals NSHL 7 2 11 13 ———— — ———— QHL totals 217 73 84 157 NSHL totals (1962-1975) 263 162 293 455 76

Head coaching record Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T OTL Pts Finish W L Win % Result St. John's Capitals 1975-76 1st 4 1 Won league championship (Herder Memorial Trophy) St. John's Mike's Shamrocks 1978–79 2nd 7 4 Won league championship (Herder Memorial Trophy)Total 2 Herder championships