Harvey Roy remembered for his dedication to bringing junior hockey to Kamloops

Sep 18, 2018 | 2:11 PM

KAMLOOPS — If it wasn’t for Harvey Roy, there may be no major junior hockey in Kamloops. 

Roy, who passed away unexpectedly on Friday in Moose Jaw due to complications from diabetes, first established the Kamloops Chiefs in 1973 to begin the city’s connection with the Western Hockey League.

“Harvey was one of the biggest catalysts in helping the Kamloops Chiefs, the Kamloops Blazers of the old, become an established franchise,” said Blazers COO Don Moores, who played under Roy with the Kamloops Chiefs from 1974-76. “He started off as a coach. He had originally come from being a scout with the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1970s when they were the ‘Broad Street Bullies.’”

After the Chiefs moved to Seattle in 1977, Roy worked to bring the New Westminster Bruins to Kamloops where the franchise became the Junior Oilers in 1981. Roy served as the team’s first general manager. 

“Harvey was connected with a lot of hockey people and he always recognized the importance of having a junior hockey club, a Western Hockey League club, in Kamloops. That was always a big thing for him,” said Moores. “At the time that was happening, he was instrumental not only out front but also behind the scenes as far as making it happen.

Moores remembers him being a tough coach but great person, coming to Kamloops after his days as an NHL scout in Philadelphia. 

“He was an amazing person. He was quite a fiery coach and had a lot of passion and loved to win,” he said. “As a person, he would do anything for you. He had that real kind side of him where if you needed help personally he would always do that. I know that a lot of the players really respected him for that, and a lot of us remained friends with Harvey for years.”

Roy finished his hockey career as the general manager of the Moose Jaw Warriors.