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HE SHOOMS:... HE SCORES! One of the great sights of winter in Scu- gog is the hundreds of kids skating on frozen ponds playing Canada’s favourite winter pastime, hockey. This country offers huge opportunities for would be hockey giants and one of the benefactors of the system is Port Perry’s own Michael Amodeo. For those of you not familiar with the name, Mike played NHL hockey for the Winnipeg Jets as well as a number of other leagues and teams. In fact, after meeting with him I was amazed at how intricate the hockey world really is. Mike was a late bloomer and did not begin his hockey career until he was ten. “The truth be told,” Mike explained, “I was too shy to play.” At the age of 12 he managed to get on Former NHLer now makes his home on Scugog Island Mike Amodeo lives on Scugog Island and is seen here at the Scugog arena. the Eastern Freightways lineup, one of the most sought after teams, as they had the ‘coolest’ jerseys, a winning track record and a great coach. In 1965 Mike, by now a defenceman, won the Pee-Wee World tournament, which launched his professional career. At 17 and living in Scarborough, Mike went on to play for the Toronto Marlboro organization and developed the reputation of being the most traded player in the OHA, ending up with the Oshawa Generals at the age of 18. “I was making $60 a week playing hockey and loving it. Of course, I had to take on other jobs so I could afford to eat.” He smiled as he spoke. Some of those jobs included working as an engine builder for Herb Robinson Motors, at a local Canadian Tire store and at a car dealership, doing whatever needed to be done, but hockey was Mike's passion. Mike took another landmark step and married his high school sweet- heart, Catherine Davidson. The couple purchased a cottage in Graven- hurst and lived there during the off seasons. Both Mike and Cathy developed a fondness for country life and vowed they would return. Hockey took a bold step in 1972 when the World Hockey Association (WHA) was formed and new gateways were opened. Mike was drafted Mike as a Toronto Toro about 1973. Please turn to page 22 FOCUS - FEBRUARY 2009 23