Cobourg Community Hockey League

For over forty years Clarke Harnden was a mainstay of the Cobourg Community Hockey League!

A volunteer, a member of the executive, a tournament organizer, but to all of those who were lucky enough to know him he will always be remembered first and foremost as a coach. Clarke gave his time, his knowledge, and more often than not his patience, in teaching prospective young hockey players the fundamentals of the game. But perhaps more importantly, Clarke also passed along his passion and pure joy for the game to generations of young boys and girls in our community.

In addition to his time on the rink, Clarke also leant his coaching expertise in the summer on the diamond, coaching teams to the Tyke EOBA championship in 1970 and 1987. As a player he was a long-time fixture in the Cobourg Town League, winning a number of league batting championships as well as playing on the 1949 Dunham Aces championship team and as a member of the 1953 OASA Intermediate B Eastern Ontario Softball championship team. In 2000, Clarke began coaching in Baltimore with a dream to keep coaching until he coached his great-grandchildren … a dream that he fulfilled.

One of those countless youngsters who learned the game from Clarke was future three-time Stanley Cup Champion and longtime NHL coach Steve Smith; “Clarke truly made you feel better about yourself every time he crossed your path. I wish more people got to see just how special he was … he was the Pied Piper when he opened the doors to the old Cobourg Arena. I treasure my memories of his charismatic smile and inviting spirit that only a lifelong coach could give. His kindness, generosity, and selflessness were second to none. All these years later, I still try to emulate his patience, wisdom and knowledge with the players I am lucky enough to coach – passing on the true gift that he gave to everyone he met”.

In 1965, Faye Gaudet began her sporting career as the bat girl with the Coverdale Aces. The following year she began playing Fastball and has continued to be on the diamond ever since in both a player and coaching capacity.

Faye was a member of the Provincial Championship Bantam B Fastball team in 1970 and in 1975 and 1976. Faye played on the Cobourg Angels Junior B Ontario Championship Team. Running concurrently, Faye began her own Fastball coaching career, winning a Bantam B Ontario Championship in 1977, leading the same team to the Silver Medalists of the Bantam A division in 1978 and then back-to-back provincial finalists in 1979 and 1980 in the Midget division.

At the rink, Faye began playing organized hockey on a Cobourg Women's team at the age of 14. Faye joined the Rice Lake Rebels the following year and played with them until heading to Centennial College to play for the Colts. After 2 years with Centennial Faye played 4 years with Brampton Canadettes Senior team. Prior to leaving for College Faye helped to establish the first Cobourg girls hockey league, which eventually led to her coaching an all-girls team sponsored by St. Michael's Church and christened “The Flying Nuns”. Faye also served as a member of the CCHL executive for years.

Faye began refereeing in the OMHA and the OWHA while umpiring in the summer with Softball Ontario. In the late 1980's, Faye was part of the organizing committee for the Cobourg Jr. Angels. Faye continued to coach a Jr. Angels team. In 2000 Faye again coached a Jr. Angels team to the Bantam Tier II PWSA Ontario Championship.

Those years also saw Faye coach boys teams for the Cobourg Legion. Faye has served on the executive board of both Cobourg Legion Minor Softball and Cobourg Baseball Association at the same time coaching her two sons in baseball and hockey. Faye returned to the Cobourg Junior organization to coach in 2003 and has been with the organization ever since in both a coaching and executive capacity. In 2017 her Novice team won the Eastern Canadian Fastball Championship. Faye also volunteered her time coaching Basketball teams in the Cobourg Youth Basketball League from 2004 to 2007.