And speaking of Winthrop sports, former Winthrop Viking hockey player Andrew Montone has launched an excellent plan to commemorate Winthrop High’s 50th anniversary of its boys’ ice hockey program. Montone was a member of the first-ever WHS hockey team (when it initially was a non-varsity program) in 1963 and wants to bring back those players for a ceremony and celebration in conjunction with the current WHS hockey team.
It may seem hard to believe, but back in those days, before the era of Bobby Orr and the big, bad Boston Bruins, ice hockey was a fairly esoteric sport in many Greater Boston communities, including Winthrop.
But thanks to the foresight of local citizens such as Mort Buckley and others, ice hockey soon became synonymous with the town of Winthrop, providing not only recreational opportunities for many of our local citizens, but also educational opportunities and beyond for our students-athletes, of whom Mike Eruzione is emblematic.
So we hope that the town will support Andrew’s efforts and join in recognizing Montone and the other “pioneers” who brought high school ice hockey to this town.