Tom Miller, a St. James legend, remembered

St. James-Assiniboia

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This article was published 07/02/2024 (845 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A legendary figure in the St. James hockey world is being remembered fondly by the community following his recent passing.

Tom Miller, who co-founded and then served as president of the St. James Junior Canucks for 37 years, died on Jan. 19 at the age of 85.

“We were all shocked and extremely saddened,” Justin Steeves, current Canucks president, said in a statement. “If it weren’t for Tom, we wouldn’t be where we are today. He turned the Junior Canucks into a very special organization. He shaped many young men and had a profound impact on my hockey path, as well as many others.”

“He was a go-getter, and nobody ever turned him down,” said Bob King, a former longtime secretary of the St. James Minor Hockey Association. “He was amazing man.”

Born in Winnipeg on Dec. 30, 1938, Miller worked early in his career with the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Following the derailment of the train on which he was working, Miller decided to switch careers and take up sales, eventually founding his own office machine company, Century Business Machines, which he sold in the early 2000s, when he retired. He was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2013, and was a recipient of a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medal in 2022.

“My dad could always talk,” said Tim Miller, one of Tom’s three children.

“A lot of people knew my dad,” Tim Miller added. “If we went to the grocery store, it was a half-hour before we could get out of there because he’d run into how many people on the way out. He was a well-known guy. My dad was a straight-shooter, you always knew where you stood with him. He was passionate, loud and direct. He was very passionate. When he believed in something, he gave it his entire being.”

Two of the things Miller was passionate about were hockey and giving back to the community. A volunteer with local community centres and the St. James Minor Hockey Association, Miller also acted as co-chair of the Lions International Hockey Tournament, which drew top tier international youth teams every year.

“As a kid, he was always at the rink,” Tim Miller recalled. “Up until I was about seven years old, I thought my dad owned the St. James Civic Centre, because we were there so often.”

“He told me once the reason he got involved in it was his son was playing with the community club, and he was unhappy with what was happening,” King recalled. “Somebody said to him, ‘Well, maybe you should become the hockey conven0r.’

“He said, ‘Yes, I will.’ And he did!”

While working with local youth hockey, Miller noticed a lack of opportunity for local players once they passed the juvenile level. So, in 1978, he co-founded the St. James Junior Canucks of the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League.

“His first commitment was to St. James kids, and if the roster couldn’t be met he would fill it with St. James players,” Tim Miller said.

In 2010, the SJMHA sponsored an annual volunteer award in Miller’s name, which is awarded annually at the Junior Canucks’ fundraising banquet. Steeves, who played for Miller as a Junior Canuck in the late 1990s and later coached the team before taking on the club presidency when Miller stepped down nine years ago, said he strives to maintain Miller’s legacy.

“Tom cared deeply about the players and was extremely loyal to these St. James athletes,” Steeves said. “The value of loyalty is one that we try to carry with us in our organization today. Even after Tom stepped down as president, he has always been there to lend a helping hand behind the scenes.”

The Canucks won a league championship in 1997-98 season, then again in 2021-22 and 2022-23. The current team sits atop of the MMJHL, with 10 games remaining in the regular season.

“He handed it off to the right group of folks,” Tim Miller said. “Justin (Steeves) and Gavin (McLachlan) are former players who share his passion for the Canucks. They’ve continued that legacy and grown the team to champions and my dad was proud of that.”

Filling Miller’s shoes is something Steeves admits will be difficult, if not impossible.

“For years, until he was 76, he ran the team himself,” Steeves said. “For context, we have four people running the team full-time, and we’re always bringing in people to help out. He did that all himself. He had an impact on the lives of literally thousands of St. James hockey players over the years. He’s a legendary figure. We literally call him ‘Mr. Hockey’ here in St. James.”

Away from the rink, Miller also enjoyed camping trips with his family during the summer. A casual golfer in his early years, he joined the Assiniboine Golf Club in 1983 and was involved with the club until his passing.

“He attended the last AGM on his birthday, in fact,” Tim Miller said. “He was looking forward to spring and teeing it up again.”