Emblem, Dave

BORN SEPTEMBER 2ND 1960 in Montreal Canada, he attended Loyola High School (1973-77) in Montreal and Broward College (1977-78) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, then studied commerce at Florida Atlantic University (1978-9) and Concordia University (1979-82). In August 1982, he arrived on the Gold Coast with his best mate and line-mate, Kevin Sands, and joined the Gold Coast Vikings in the Queensland league in 1983. He remained there until 1985, winning 2 premierships in 3 years, including a season undefeated. He captained the Macquarie Bears in the New South Wales Super League, playing from 1986 to 1989 — "one or two premierships in three years".

He represented Australia in the inaugural D-Pool of the senior World Championships in Perth in 1987, scoring 15 goals and 18 assists from 7 games. The next year he won the first of two back-to-back Goodall Cups representing New South Wales (1988, '89), the second when he was 31 years-old. Between 2000 to 2014, he played with the Gold Coast Barracudas (later Grizzlys ) in the local Queensland league, winning 11 or 12 premierships over 15 years, including 9 in 10 years.

From 2008-15, he was President and General Manager of the Gold Coast Blue Tongues in the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). He presided over the rebranding of the Brisbane Blue Tongues when the team relocated to the Gold Coast at the start of the 2008 AIHL season; when Bartercard came onboard as naming sponsor; when games were broadcast live over the internet for the first time in addition to Brisbane community television station, Briz 31 (UHF Channel 31). He was there for the club's one and only finals appearance in 2009, losing to the North Stars in the semi-final, 3-5. And he remained throughout the drawn-out demise of the club that had entered the League with the Central Coast Rhinos as part of the 2005 expansion, right up until the bitter end in 2015.

In October 2012 the club's AIHL license was suspended due to its inability to secure a home venue for 2013. Before the problems began, he had campaigned for funding to build a new rink on the Gold Coast. Armed with an architectural design and business plan, he approached the local council and reportedly joined the Mayor’s Trade Mission to China and Taiwan to continue discussions with potential investors. The new dual-rink proposal with gymnasium, sports bar and café did not eventuate and the club's AIHL license expired in 2015. He has been the owner of Queensland Coast Realty since 2003 and a resident for over 30 years. His involvement in Australian ice hockey has now spanned over three decades and included the 'Melbas Cup', one of the all-time best local competitions in Queensland.