Dick Roberge Explained

Played For:Johnstown Jets
New Westminster Royals
Pittsburgh Hornets
Position:Right wing
Shoots:Right
Height Ft:5
Height In:9
Weight Lb:168
Ntl Team:United States
Birth Date:7 April 1934
Birth Place:Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Draft:undrafted
Career Start:1954
Career End:1972

Dick Roberge (born April 7, 1934) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey forward and coach. He holds the record for most minor-league goals scored with 752. He is thought to be the inspiration behind Paul Newman's character, Reggie Dunlop, in the movie Slap Shot and appears in the film in an uncredited role as a referee.[1] [2]

Playing career

Roberge spent the majority of his career with the Johnstown Jets, joining the team at the start of the 1954-55 IHL season. He stayed with the Jets until the completion of the 1955-56 season where he led the league in goals scored (64) and points (118) before spending a season with the New Westminster Royals of the Western Hockey League. After playing three games with the Royals, Roberge returned to the Jets for the 1957-58 season. Roberge would lead the Jets with 37 goals but finished second in EHL scoring that season, finishing only one point behind linemate Don Hall and nine points behind Ken Coombes.

With the exception of a one-game call-up with the Pittsburgh Hornets during the 1962-63 season, Roberge remained with the Jets until his retirement after the 1971-72 EHL season. Roberge finished his career with 1,232 minor league games played, which is currently the 9th highest all-time total[3]

Despite being born in Canada, Roberge spent a season on the U.S. National Team in 1965-66[4]

Roberge's #11 was retired by the Johnstown Chiefs during the 1990-91 season.[5]

Coaching career

Roberge spent several years with the Jets as a player-coach, but eventually asked to relinquish his responsibilities as coach so he could focus on playing hockey. On July 22, 1971, GM John Mitchell granted a release to Roberge from coaching the Jets[6]

He eventually returned to the team as a full-time coach during the 1974-75 season where he led the team to the Lockhart Cup as winners of the NAHL playoffs.[7]

Roberge later returned to Johnstown to coach the Johnstown Wings but was not nearly as successful, finishing 25-42-3.

Awards and accomplishments

Eastern Hockey League

North American Hockey League

Acting career

Roberge had a brief cameo in the movie Slap Shot, which was filmed in Johnstown. He appears in the film as referee Ecker, who throws the Hanson Brothers out of a game.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Jackson. Johnathan. The Making of Slap Shot: Behind the Scenes of the Greatest Hockey Movie Ever Made. September 24, 2010. Wiley. 127. 9780470678008. 1 November 2016.
  2. Book: Jackson. Johnathan. The Making of Slap Shot: Behind the Scenes of the Greatest Hockey Movie Ever Made. September 24, 2010. Wiley. 75. 9780470678008. 1 November 2016.
  3. Web site: Tailing The Komets: Coverage of the Central Hockey League's Fort Wayne Komets . Blake Sebring . News-Sentinel.com . January 11, 2011 . January 13, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110711021409/http://fwnextweb1.fortwayne.com/ns/sports/tailingthekomets/?p=5665 . July 11, 2011 . mdy .
  4. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?encode=TRUE&pid=12200 HockeyDB.com: Dick Roberge player profile page
  5. Web site: No. 8 joining Johnstown's elite . Mike Mastovich . Tribune-Democrat.com . October 12, 2003 . January 13, 2011.
  6. Web site: This Week in EHL History - July 20–27 . theEHL.com . July 30, 2010 . January 13, 2011.
  7. Web site: Jets History . JohnstownJets.net . January 13, 2011 . January 13, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110114161229/http://johnstownjets.net/?page_id=50 . January 14, 2011 . dead .
  8. Book: Jackson. Johnathan. The Making of Slap Shot: Behind the Scenes of the Greatest Hockey Movie Ever Made. September 24, 2010. Wiley. 127. 9780470678008. 2 November 2016.