Richard (Pete) Payette
Sport: Hockey
Year Inducted: 1986
Richard “Pete” Payette was born in Cornwall in 1927, the 16th of 17 children.
While attending Nativity School, Pete received his initiation into hockey under the supervision of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart on the open air rinks at Nativity and Dollard Park. It was not unusual for anywhere from 50 to 100 boys to chase and fight over one puck. It was under these conditions that he developed the stick-handling, skating, quickness and scoring skills for which he became noted when he entered organized hockey.
In 1944-45, he played for Kinsmen in the Service Club Juvenile Leagues and were finalists.
In 45-46, Pete led the Prowdell and Alexander to the City Industrial League Championship, topping the league in scoring.
The next year he joined Ray Miron’s Cornwall Falcons, advancing into the Allan Cup play-offs. On the way the Falcons eliminated Hull Volants, Buckingham, Thurso, and a strong and favourite Ottawa army team. The Moncton Hawks, loaded with imports eliminated them in the Allan Cup quarter finals. Pete led the team in scoring.
At the start of the 47-48 season he attended the training camp of the Dallas Texans coached by Len Cook but at 135 pounds soaking wet he was rejected for his own safety.
Pete accepted an offer to go to England where he played for Harringay Racers in the Senior Class English League, all players being Canadians. The Racers won the Championship two of the three years he was there.
Returning to Canada, he played for the Cornwall Calumets in the Eastern Canadian Senior League in 1950-51 and part of the next season.
He split the next season between Sarnia in the senior OHA and Val D’or joining his brother Jean Paul.
For the next three years, he played with the Cornwall Senior Colts and Chevies in the Inter-Provincial and Eastern Ontario Senior Leagues. At the end of the 1956-57 season he made the decision to quit the game.
Frank Orr once wrote that he was one of the few players on the club who would go into the corner with a great amount of enthusiasm. More often he would come out with the puck!