Perseverance and hard work sum up the hockey career of former Carman Collegiate teacher Bob Fitchner.
Fitchner spent most of his childhood moving through different small towns across Western Canada, culminating in playing junior hockey with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
“Learning how to play in Roblin, Manitoba, our game of hockey was road hockey, and we’d play it all day until we had to go in for supper, and then we’d come back out and play all night,” said Fitchner. “Playing road hockey and pretending you’re Jean Beliveau, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Boom Boom Geoffrion or whoever it might be, I never thought I’d ever meet these guys or play against any of them, so when I look back, I think how the heck did that happen!”
After a couple of seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings, the 6’0”, 190-pound Fitchner was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1970 NHL Entry Draft. After stops in the Central, International, American and Southern Hockey Leagues between 1970 and 1973, Fitchner was signed by the Edmonton Oilers of the WHA for the 1973-74 season.
“I played a lot against Gordie Howe when he was with Houston and New England. It seemed we were on the ice against each other quite often. I treated him with the utmost respect, partly out of not wanting to get a slash or one of those wicked elbows to the head. It was a complete honour to play against Gordie, Bobby Hull and Dave Keon. To me, being on the ice with those guys was a real career highlight.”
Taken by Indianapolis in the 1974 WHA Expansion Draft, the Quebec Nordiques traded for Fitchner in February of 1976. It was in Quebec that Fitchner found a role as a defensive forward on a Nordiques team loaded with firepower. An underrated player, he was a crucial faceoff specialist and an excellent penalty killer. Lining up against opponents’ top lines every night, he was a valuable member of the Nordiques squad that captured the 1977 Avco Cup.
“The biggest highlight of my career was probably winning the Avco Cup with the Nordiques in 1977. Game seven in the finals against the Winnipeg Jets is something I’ll never forget because it was about 93 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and it was boiling in the building, but we just seemed to rally and play really well and score some key goals. I was able to squeak in the first goal of the game, which didn’t happen very often. When JC Tremblay scored to make it 4-1, I knew we had won the Avco Cup. We ended up winning 8-2, and it was a very sweet feeling getting to win that Avco Cup with that group of guys!”
When the WHA merged with the NHL for the 1979-80 season, Quebec was an absorbed club. Fitchner played 70 games, chipping in 11 goals and 31 points while adding 59 penalty minutes in his only full campaign in the NHL. His point totals were good enough to place him in the top ten in team scoring during the Nordiques’ inaugural NHL season. The 1980-81 season would be Fitchner’s last in pro hockey.
After 817 professional games, he returned to Brandon, where he earned himself an education degree and a new career in teaching. Fitchner lived in Brandon until 1986 when he moved to Carman to teach and help with the hockey program in town.
“I taught at Carman Collegiate, starting off with Special Ed, before I moved into mostly geography, social studies and Canadian history. We had a great school principal in Frank McKinnon, who was the president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, and he was very supportive. My wife and I have three daughters that all went to Carman Collegiate, so everything worked out.”
Nowadays, Fitchner is retired and living in Winnipeg. He still plays hockey weekly with his old buddies and enjoys cheering on the Winnipeg Jets. Fitchner was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019 for his remarkable sports career.
“At the end of the day, perseverance and hard work is what really allowed me to play the game for eleven years, and I’m very proud that I was able to live out my childhood dream of playing professional hockey.”
