Leighton “Happy” Emms NHL player and team owner

Leighton “Happy” Emms: Builder, Mentor, Legend

On my walk last week through the beautiful Barrie Union Cemetery in Barrie, Ontario, I discovered the grave of a hockey giant — Leighton “Happy” Emms.

Born in 1905 in Barrie, Hap quickly stood out as a six-foot-tall natural athlete. A left winger by trade, he played over a decade in the NHL with the Montreal Maroons, the New York Americans, and finished his career as a defenceman with the Boston Bruins.

But it was after his playing days that Hap Emms truly left his mark on hockey.

In 1946, he founded the Barrie Flyers, a junior team he ran with strict discipline and a deep love for the game. Under his watchful eye, the Flyers produced a wealth of talent — including Dick and Don Cherry, Doug Mohns, Eddie Westfall, and junior sensation Real Chevrefils (see Real’s grave profile on my website).

After 14 years, Emms moved his struggling franchise in 1960 to Niagara Falls, where they became the Niagara Falls Flyers. There, he built a powerhouse. His team won the Memorial Cup in both 1965 and 1968, with rosters that included Don Awrey, Jim Lorenz, Bernie Parent, Derek Sanderson, and Barry Wilkins — among many others.

Even after selling the Niagara Falls team in 1972, Hap wasn’t done. He immediately purchased the St. Catharines Black Hawks and once again built a contender, this time with names like Wilf Paiement and Gary McAdam.

A pipe smoker, a frugal spender, and a fiercely religious man, Emms was known as much for his stern presence as he was for his mentorship. He shaped not just players, but men.

Hap Emms died in Niagara Falls on October 22, 1988. He was 83.

He is remembered through the Emms Division in the Ontario Hockey League — a lasting tribute to one of Canadian hockey’s great architects.

1905-1988