Louis Robert "Bob" Blake
Richard "Dick" Rondeau
Harold "Hal" Trumble
LOUIS ROBERT (BOB) BLAKE
1985 United States Hockey Hall of Fame Enshrinee
After starring as a three-sport star at Hibbing, MN High School, Bob Blake’s professional career began in 1933 at the age of 17 when he joined the hometown Miners of the Central Hockey League. After moving into the top 10 in league scoring, Boston Bruins scout Perk Galbraith signed him to a contract with the Bruins farm club, the Boston Cubs, where Blake led the team to a pair of league titles in as many seasons before joining the Minneapolis Millers in 1937.
The Cleveland Barons bought the speedy winger’s contract during the 1938 season, and he responded by leading the club to the International American League title in 1939.
The 1941 season began what was to become a long love affair between Blake and the city of Buffalo. That’s when he came to the American A League Bisons after the start of the season. Injuries depleted the defensive corps and he was switched to defense with great success. Blake’s speed, durability, and aggressive play made him a great fan favorite. He was selected Buffalo’s most popular player in 1942 and captained the team that season and the following when they won the title.
After two years off for World War II service in the Pacific with the Army Air Corps, Blake rejoined Buffalo for another championship year late in the 1946 season. Blake was a Bison star for two more seasons before moving to Houston for the 1948 season. His steady play that year helped the team win the United States Hockey League’s Loudan Trophy. Many critics rated him the best defenseman in the league.
RICHARD “DICK” RONDEAU
1985 United States Hockey Hall of Fame Enshrinee
If it were not for Eddie Jeremiah, another United States Hockey Hall of Fame (USHHF) enshrinee and long-time Dartmouth Coach, Dick Rondeau might have wound up starring for the Boston Bruins rather than becoming one of Dartmouth’s all time greats. Rondeau had come out of Mt. St. Charles Academy in Woonsocket, Rhode Island as a heralded high school player. In 1939, his senior year, he centered the second line and was named All-State center on a team composed entirely of Mr. St. Charles players. Mt. St. Charles was proclaimed unofficial nation champions based on their record of 21 wins and two losses as Rondeau won the league scoring title with 27 goals and 11 assists.
The following year, Rondeau was ineligible for further high school competition and joined the Boston Junior Olympics, then a Bruin’s farm team. The Olympics played the major Eastern colleges and were runners-up in the national junior tournament. It was then that Eddie Jeremiah entered the picture convincing Rondeau to enroll at Dartmouth, rather than continuing with the Olympics. After a solid freshman season, the winger centered the famous line of Jack Riley, also a USHHF member, and Bill Harrison, as Dartmouth was proclaimed national champions in 1942. The team won 21 games and lost two while Rondeau led the nation in scoring with 45 goals and 32 assists. But there was more to come as Dartmouth was on a roll which would see them win 41 consecutive games over a four year period.
Rondeau captained the 1943 team as well, and also served as coach when Jeremiah entered the Navy in mid-season. (He was captain again in 1944.) Over his four-year college career, Rondeau shattered nearly off of the school’s scoring records, tallying 103 goals and 73 assists for an average 4.4 points per game.
After graduation, Rondeau entered the Marine Corps and played for Sand Diego and in the Pacific Coast League while stationed in California. A recreational swimming accident ended his active playing career in 1945, but not his involvement with the sport. The post war year saw him involved as a coach at both Holy Cross and Providence College and as a linesman in the American Hockey League. He later moved to Texas, where he continued to remain active in youth hockey and as a minor official in the Central League.
HAROLD “HAL” TRUMBLE
1985 United States Hockey Hall of Fame Enshrinee
When Hal Trumble took over the reins of the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (AHAUS), it was largely a part time operation with a deficit of 18,000. In 1985, AHAUS was a prosperous full time, professionally staffed organization headquartered in its own building in Colorado Springs, CO. It had become so, to a great extent, because of the driving, professional competence of Trumble, its first full time executive director.
AHAUS, now called USA Hockey, is the national governing body for hockey and is the sport’s exclusive member to the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Under Trumble’s direction, USA Hockey grew from 7,015 teams in 1971-72 to 11,543 in 1983-84. During the same time span, referee registration increased from 3, 178 to 8,434 and a complete program of coaching and referee clinics as well as hockey publications were developed. On the international level, the United States won the Olympic gold medal in 1980 and iced strong teams in the 1984 Canada Cup and 1985 World Tournaments.
Trumble enjoyed hockey at an early age and played through high school and senior amateur hockey in the 1950s. When his playing days were over he began officiating, first in high school, then at the college level and finally internationally. His officiating career included refereeing both the gold and bronze medal games in the 1968 Olympics. Such experience led him to service as Technical Director of the International Ice Hockey Federation Referees’ Committee from 1972-1982.
In addition to his officiating expertise, Trumble was active at the team management level. He managed the 1972 United States Olympic Team which won the silver medal at Sapporo, Japan. This team featured such future National Hockey League regulars as Henry Boucha, Robbie Ftorek, and Mark Howe. In 1983 Trumble returned to team management as the United States won the “B” Pool tournament and the right to advance to the “A” Pool for the 1984 Olympics. A man of many interests, Trumble was an international caliber baseball and softball umpire in his career, working the Softball World Championship Tournament in 1959. He served as President of the National Council of the Youth Sports Directors in 1980-1981.