THE WIZARD OF EUROPE -They ( the Soviets ) had heard he was an exceptional goal scorer and would like to learn from him.
THOSE POOR souls toiling for the Fife Flyers probably didn't know what hit them on that fateful eve of December 11,1953 What started out as just another hockey game between Flyers and the Paisley Pirates of the British Professional League that evening, would end as a world history maker as Hamilton's own Harold Schooley fired 8 goals in leading his team to a lopsided victory.
And just for fun if you check page 178 of the 1955 edition of the Guiness Book of World records, You'll notice that Schooley's feat was indeed a bona fide record of its time.
However if you want a lot more fun, just ask the 60 year old Schooley about it in person.
"I was 23 at the time and I broke the league record for goals that year, scoring 89 in 62 games",recounts Schooley, who now spends his time as general manager of Flamborough's Niagara District junior C entry. " The record before that was 62 in 62 games".
The event was big stuff in its day, but it was just the beginning of a hockey odessy that carried the Cathedral High student through virtually every country in Europe and the Soviet Union before returning to England and finally to North America in the early 1970's
"After I scored the 8, I guess the Russians read it in the paper and got on the phone to Canada House in London. They wondered if Mr. Schooley would come over for one month and tour Russia. They had heard he was an exceptional goal scorer and would like to learn from him"
One year later, Schooley was behind the Iron Curtain, wowing the comrades with his prolific touch around the net. One day he suited up with the East German national team and potted 12 goals in an exhibition game against the Soviet nationals. The next day, he buried a dozen more against a West German club in a tournament.
Needless to say hockey in Europe has never been the same since.
But it wasn't a burning desire to travel that led Schooley to a career of hockey stardom on the Continent. He had signed a professional contract with Eddie Shore's Springfield Indians of the American hockey league early in his career and a combination of Shore's stubborness and Schooley's maverick streak eventually led the latter across the pond.
He did get a try-out with the Boston Bruins early in the 1950's , scoring 9 goals in 5 exhibition games. But when he was eventually sent back down to Springfield, along with friend Billy Cupolo of Niagara Falls, the two decided to bolt for Europe instead of playing for Shore. "Everyone has Eddie Shore stories, he was the Harold Ballard of his era," recalls Schooley. "He just flat out told you he was not going to trade you and back then you didn't argue with management so I just took off."
He shrugs off a suggestion that maybe he was a little timid for the rough and tumble NHL, instead pointing to a face thats seen its share of projectiles.
"Hell one year in the AHL I took 200 stitches. I'm a dumb Irishman, so once i got started you couldn't stop me"
After a couple of season in Britain, Schooley became what he describes as a "freelance" hockey player, playing for teams all over Europe and getting as much as $500 per game. When he was playing in Italy, he got a call one weekend from an Austrian team desparate for his services
"I ended up playing In Italy one night and driving up to Austria the next day. I think we played 3 games in two days and I made $2,500 that weekend."
Schooley earned a litany of nicknames during his playing days. ‘Silver' for his abundance of prematurely greying locks, and ‘THE DEKE' for his scoring and play making abilities that left Europeans shaking their heads.
In many place he was simply known as ‘THE CANADIAN', a revolutionary-style player that had to be seen to be believed. He would drive, sometimes with equipment still on, from one town or country to the next one seeking new crowds to wow.
He was playing 60 minutes a game most nights,11 or 12 months of the year. And he racked up three languages along the way-Italian German and French.
"I was having a heck of a time and as it turned out I was making more money than a lot of the National Hockey League players. It worked out just fine for me"
Just fine indeed . His expertise was such that he coached two Olympic teams ( Italian team 1956, Austrians in 1960 ) when he came back over to North America , he worked with the Philadelphia ( later Vancouver ) blazers and Calgary Cowboys of the now defunct World hockey association. He even coached the Hamilton redwing junior club in 1973.
Schooleys keen eye for athletic talent also led him to a 12 year stint as a Canadian scout for baseballs Philadelphia Phillies when rinks were quiet in the summer. He spent a lot of time in Quebec then , but he always retained Hamilton as his home base
