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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the fifth of seven profiles we're running this week to highlight this year's Midland Sports Hall of Fame inductees. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the induction ceremony scheduled for September month has been postponed until September of 2022. However, the Town of Midland has declared September to be Sports Hall of Fame Month.
Today, we profile Earl Scott, an inductee in the builder category.
Earl was born and raised in Midland and in his youth played both hockey and baseball at a local level as well as the former at an elite level.
During the course of his athletic career, he has been a member of two provincial championship teams, played internationally and officiated in provincial, national and international competitions.
Earl was a member of the 61-62 Ontario Champions Midland Bantams Red Wings hockey team, played Junior 'C' hockey for the Penetang Hurons and played on the all-Ontario Finalists Midland Flyers Intermediate 'A' hockey team.
He then turned professional playing for the Long Island Ducks of the Eastern Hockey League and then travelled overseas to play in the International Ice Hockey Federation tourney for the South Africa Canadian Maple Leafs.
Following his final season with the Midland Intermediates, he joined the former Midland Penetang Referee Association where he continues to referee local recreational hockey leagues and tournaments for both men and women.
During his 45 years of refereeing, he has officiated at all levels of hockey from the OMHA minor hockey league to league and playoff games for OHA Major Junior A (OHL); Provincial Junior A; Senior A; Intermediate A and Junior C.
During this time, he officiated in the Provincial Jr. A Centennial Cup All Canadian Finals in Guelph, participating in three of the seven games including the final match.
In 1980, he was honoured to officiate a pre-Olympic touring Russian team when they played a Senior A all-star team in Orillia.
For more than 20 years he refereed in the OWHA from local leagues to provincial divisions including the provincial championship games. During that era, he refereed in the OBSA at all levels of ball hockey including men's, women's, the minors and Premier A leagues, both locally and at the provincial level during championship games.
He was often called upon to officiate community fundraising games that included the visiting Flying Fathers and at different times the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leaf Alumni games.
For years, he also officiated CARHA Old-Timer hockey tournament games at the local level and the provincial playdowns.
In 1988 he was the recipient of the Midland Celebration 88 Awards which recognized his dedication and involvement in the community. In 2000, he refereed in the inaugural Ontario Winter Senior Games sponsored provincial OSGA.
In his spare time, he spent five years coaching a team in the local women's hockey league.
It's fair to say that hockey and a referee's whistle are synonymous with Earl Scott.
