George Faulkner – Athlete

Inducted November 6, 1982

George Faulkner is considered by many Newfoundlanders as the best hockey player ever to lace on a pair of skates in this province.

The highlight of Faulkner’s 30 year amateur and professional hockey career came in 1966 when he starred for Canada at the World Hockey Championships in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia.

That year he was plucked right out of Newfoundland senior hockey to join the nationals. He helped Canada to a bronze medal by leading the team scoring with seven goals and three assists during the tournament.

Faulkner started playing hockey in the Grand Falls senior league as a 15-year-old and two years later took a shot at hockey on the mainland where he played for the Quebec City Citadels in the Quebec junior B League.

Faulkner, a native of Bishop’s Falls, returned home in 1952-53 and played with the Grand Falls Andcos, who won the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League Championship and Herder Memorial Trophy.

There were eight more Herder victories to follow for Faulkner.

Faulkner returned to Quebec the following year to play with the junior A Citadels and they won the Quebec championship.

He had a tryout with the Montreal Canadiens the following year but failed to crack the star-studded Habs’ lineup. He spent the next four years playing with Shawinigan Falls Cataracts in the Quebec Professional Senior Hockey League.

Faulkner returned to Newfoundland in 1958 to join the Conception Bay Ceebees and during the 10 years he was with the club they won the provincial championship four times and never missed the playoffs.

Under Faulkner’s leadership, the Ceebees were the first to represent Newfoundland in Canadian Allan Cup competition in 1967.

Faulkner moved to Corner Brook for the next three years and added two more Herder Memorial Trophy victories before settling in St. John’s. In St. John’s he added another Herder as a coach with St. John’s Capitals and another as a player with Mike’s Shamrocks.