NHL player, little league coach inducted into Glace Bay Miners Hall of Fame

Doug Sulliman and Henry Boutilier were inducted into The Glace Bay Miners Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Sulliman played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League and was drafted 13th overall in 1979.

“To come home in front of the people you grew up with, friends and family, and to be honoured in this way is humbling,” said Sulliman.

After a standout junior career with the Kitchener Rangers, Sulliman played 631 career NHL games, scoring 160 goals and 168 assists for 328 points.

He has many memories playing the game, but one stands out, when he was assigned to shadow Guy Lafleur.

“I was standing next to Lafleur and the puck dropped and all of a sudden he was gone. I saw him across the ice and I charged across the ice and then he was gone again. He ended up with two goals and one assist in the first period and that was the end of that experiment,” said Sulliman.

Joining Sulliman in the Hall of Fame is long-time little league coach Henry Boutilier.

He passed away at the age of 67 from cancer, and was well known for his time as coach of the Glace Bay Colonels, helping the team to five national titles, along with several trips to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

But he also spent a lot of time at the rink as a coach and referee.

“He would be saying, ‘What's all the fuss for?’ But I’m sure he'd be honoured and humbled. He really would appreciate it,” said Cynthia Boutilier, Henry’s widow.

The Hall of Fame pays tribute to those who have contributed to the game of hockey in Glace Bay over the years.

“We had both ends of the spectrum covered. We had a great hockey player, a great coach and we had another great coach in Henry Boutilier and an official. So it's very important to the community,” said James Edwards, Glace Bay Minor Hockey President.

Sulliman and Boutilier's pictures will now be displayed in the Glace Bay Miners Forum for all to see and to learn about their contributions to the sport.