Family of 'unknown' sports legend visit city birthplace

Published on Thursday 24 September 2009 09:19

HE is a sporting legend who is still virtually unknown in his hometown of Edinburgh.

The first Scotsman ever to win a place in Canada's Hockey Hall of Fame, Charlie "Chuck" Gardiner is still regarded as a local hero in Winnipeg, where he first made his name in the sport.

Now, more than 70 years after his death, as the Capital prepares to host a special ice hockey tournament in his honour, his family are set to visit his birthplace for the first time.

Mr Gardiner's nephew Ted Poulter and his wife Edna will present the Gardiner Cup at Murrayfield Ice Rink on Saturday.

During their stay, they are hoping to visit the house in Henderson Row where Mr Gardiner was born, in 1903. Mr Gardiner lived in the Capital until he was seven, when the family moved to Canada and settled in Winnipeg.

He went on to become one of the game's pre-eminent goal tenders during the 1920s and 30s and was known as the "Wandering Scotsman" as he used to charge down strikers.

He rose to NHL stardom with the Chicago Blackhawks and his greatest achievement came in 1934, when he led the Blackhawks to their first triumph in the Stanley Cup.

Just a few weeks later, however, on 13 June, 1934, he died of a brain haemorrhage brought on by a tonsil infection he had been fighting. He was only 29.

In 1945, Gardiner became the first Scot to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame, and he is still regarded as a sporting legend in Winnipeg.

Mr Poulter, 70, said: "He is still a well-known figure in Winnipeg, and a lot of the old timers will talk about his achievements.

"It was with great pride and emotion that we travelled to Edinburgh for this tournament."

The trophy will be presented to the winners of the Ice Hockey Homecoming tournament, featuring American Hockey League teams the Toronto Marlies and the Hamilton Bulldogs, and UK teams the Edinburgh Capitals and the Belfast Giants.

Scott Neill, managing director of the Edinburgh Capitals, said: "I was proud to discover that Charlie Gardiner was born less than three miles from Murrayfield."