Red McCarthy

Mirl Arthur "Red" McCarthy (March 12, 1930 – 1995) was a Canadian sportsperson, sport and recreation administrator, ice hockey player, founder and co-inventor of the sport of ringette, and for a time, a professional skating star and barrel jumper. He was inducted into the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame as a Founder in 1998.

Biography "Red McCarthy on Ice" - performing barrel jumping. Postcard: 1933 Century of Progress, Exposition Chicago, Black Forest Village Ice Skating

Born in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario and raised in Sudbury, he grew up to be a star athlete in baseball, football, track and field, and ice hockey. His hockey career included stops with Toronto St. Michael's College, Barrie Flyers, Boston Olympics, Nelson B.C. Maple Leafs, Sudbury Caruso Miners, and Sudbury Wolves of the Canadian Senior Hockey League. McCarthy played in three ice hockey leagues over the course of his career: the Ontario Hockey League, the Eastern Amateur Hockey League, and the Northern Ontario Hockey Association.

At the Chicago World's Fair, in Chicago, Illinois, United States, McCarthy was photographed participating in barrel jumping, a discipline of speed skating, at the Black Forest Village.

In 1954, at the age of 24, he became recreation director of Espanola, Ontario and held the position for forty-one years. He became actively involved in all aspects of Espanola's recreational programs and was instrumental in forming the Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA) Junior A Hockey League, and the Espanola Eagles Junior A hockey team. He coached the team for 18 years, and then managed it for four more. The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League's Red McCarthy Memorial Trophy is named in his honour.

Ringette

McCarthy,

The first ring we used was a felt floor hockey ring, but we found it collected snow easily, so a deck tennis ring was used, which worked much better.

Honours Ringette Canada Hall of Fame - Founder (Inducted 1988)