Gerry Devaney
Sport: Hockey: Year Inducted: 2006
In a time when senior hockey was just a step behind the professionals, Gerry Devaney ranked as a premier puck blocker who in the NHL expansion era might have found himself playing in prime time.
Gerry was a 17-year-old goaltender in Halifax when he caught the eye of legendary Toronto Maple Leafs’ scout Bob Davidson. He was given a coveted invitation to attend the Toronto Marlies junior “A” training camp and came within a whisker of cracking the highly touted lineup.
On the final day of the training camp only Devaney and a 16-year-old prospect remained, but future NHLer John Henderson landed back from an NHL tryout and Gerry was the odd man out. The next season he played for St. Patrick’s High School in Ottawa. Then in 1953 and 1954 he was blocking pucks for the Ottawa Junior Montegards.
In 1954, he came to Cornwall to play for the Senior “B” Colts and the following year was named to the league All-Star team.
In 1957, the Cornwall Chevies were born and joined the powerful Ontario Hockey Association Senior “A” League. Devaney was general manager Ray Miron’s choice as starting goaltender. The league produced two World Champions, the Whitby Dunlops and the Belleville MacFarlanes, and Devaney was not out of place.
In 1960, with senior hockey on the skids in Canada Gerry was signed by the Jersey Larks of the Eastern U.S. Hockey League and backstopped the Larks through the 1960 and 1961 season.
When age caught up with Devaney he kept the competitive juices flowing by playing oldtimers hockey. He spent two seasons with the Cornwall Oldtimers.
Gerry lived in Cornwall in the offseason and married a Cornwall girl. He has resided in the Prescott area for the last 40 some years.