ROANOKE, Va. – 1974 was the first time a Roanoke hockey team won a league championship. The Roanoke Valley Rebels was a fierce team that featured a core of French Canadian players including Claude Piche who would become a Roanoke hockey legend.
“My first-year professional I signed with the Minnesota North Stars,” Piche said in a recent sit-down interview.
Inside a man cave, you’ll find walls full of pictures and memories, but more importantly, an outline to a story linking the love of hockey with the Roanoke Valley.
“And over here it’s Montreal Junior Canadian, over here is when I signed with the Boston Bruins,” Piche said as he pointed out a plethora of old pictures.
Claude Piche has become synonymous with hockey in the Star City, thanks to a decision he made during the second year of his professional contract with the Boston Bruins.
“Tom Johnson said, ‘Would you like to go to San Diego or Roanoke? Let me tell you what’s going on in Roanoke. You have a bunch of Frenchmen there, would that be okay with you?’ because I was on the second-year contract and I said, ‘Absolutely.’ So, Diego goodbye, Roanoke welcome baby.”
The Montreal native helped the Roanoke Valley Rebels win 53 games in the 1973-74 championship season.
“I got the MVP of the League. We didn’t make any money then but boy we had a good team,” laughed Piche. “Three of them went to the NHL and three of them went to the World Hockey, from here to that.”
The sport looked a bit different in 1974. No helmets, limited padding and — Piche’s skates?
“I wear a size 11. My skates were a size eight. You didn’t wear any socks, they were tight as they can be...I couldn’t even get into them today.”
But the man who was given the nickname “Mr. Smooth” says one thing has stood the test of time.
“It doesn’t matter when — in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s — intensity is always there.”
Intensity is what has been present at the Berglund Center where the Rail Yard Dawgs, just like the Rebels, captured a league championship in its seventh season of existence.
A welcomed sight after Roanoke had a ten-year drought without a hockey team in the mid-2000s.
“It was no reason not to have a professional hockey team here and we waited for the right person and certainly he came in and made the deal with the City and here we are today,” Piche said.
“He” being principal owner Bob McGinn, who has developed a close relationship with Piche.
“He first purchased the team, I introduced myself and we clicked since day first,” Piche said.
Another chapter in the book of hockey history for Roanoke with more pages to be written and maybe a little jewelry to go with it.
“Yeah give everybody a ring, they’re well-deserved baby,” Piche said as he showed off his championship ring from 1974.
While he’s a champion in hockey, Piche is also a champion in life. Just two days after he celebrated with the Rail Yard Dawgs for winning the SPHL President’s Cup, Piche officially became a citizen of the United States of America.
“The fans here give 100% support, are loud, and know their game. I love Roanoke, Virginia and the people here. It’s like being a big fish in a small pond.”