Sadgrove, Mark

BORN ABOUT 1958 in Canada, he attended Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute and played his entire youth hockey in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He then played with the Royal York Royals in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, then San Diego, California USA on a full scholarship, and at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Reportedly a draft pick for the Montreal Canadiens, he arrived in Sydney Australia in April 1982. He played and coached here for three years, initially with the newly-formed Blacktown Warriors in the inaugural NSW Superleague, and later the Macquarie Bears. He also coached the New South Wales state team, winning a Goodall Cup as a player-coach at Narrabeen in 1983.

"Ice hockey has enabled me to travel the world," he told Brian Mossop of the Sydney Morning Herald on his arrival. "And it has paid for my education. It has taught me sportsmanship and how to compete". He started a power skating and hockey school in Sydney with Canadian import goalie, David Turik. It had a code of fair play, designed for parents as much as young players aged 5 to 14 years, with the emphasis on enjoyment rather than winning, and educating parents "to not ridicule their children if they make a mistake". He returned to Toronto and graduated in social work from York University in 1986. In 1989, he founded the Canadian Moose World Travelling Ice Hockey club, formerly the Newmarket Bombers and Toronto Moose. Over the years, its rosters have included former professionals, junior and university players and “weekend” recreational players.

The traveling hockey program has since visited more than 20 countries, playing against the national teams of the Netherlands, New Zealand and Australia. The Australian National Senior Team sometimes practiced against the Toronto Moose in Canada in preparation for World Championships. In July 2010, he survived a heart attack, but is still on the ice at least four times a week. “As Canadians, we take for granted the skills you have and want to share,” he said recently. “We get a chance to play at an international level and want to share what we do.” In July 1998, the Canadian Moose were officially recognized by the Hockey Hall of Fame for their efforts in developing the game of hockey worldwide. Hockey greats such as Hall of Fame inductee Ron Ellis, NHLPA past president Mike Gartner and commentator Brian McFarlane are among the many active Moose supporters.

In July 2016, he again returned to Sydney Australia with the Canadian Moose, 34 years after his first visit. One women’s team and one men’s team played teams from Erina, Liverpool and Canterbury rinks. Long recognised as a world ambassador for ice hockey, Mark Sadgrove, was and still is a significant builder of the Australian game.