Larry Godin

Larry Godin’s love of hockey began at the age of 5 in Ottawa, using frozen horse droppings as pucks and a beat up garbage can lid as a goal. He continued playing until he was 18, when he turned his passion for playing into coaching. He has fond memories of sneaking into local arenas with friends and playing hockey all night long – with the blessing of local police as long as they stayed out of trouble.

Fast forward and Larry Godin has contributed to the betterment of hockey in Medicine Hat as a coach, official and builder for nearly five decades. Larry is a Level III coach certified by the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP), and has coached PeeWee, Bantam and Midget house, competitive and recreational hockey leagues in Medicine Hat since the 1980s.

Though coaching was a rewarding exercise, Larry soon reached for a new avenue to inspire young players and became a referee. As a Level III official, he took the time to learn the rules, multiple levels and genres of hockey, including women’s hockey and sledge hockey, making him one of the most flexible and adaptable referees in the city. He was known as a caring and engaged official with a reputation for guiding and encouraging players, even when they broke the rules. When coaches, parents and players recognized Larry was their game’s ref, they instantly knew they would have a fun game.

Larry also spent time mentoring younger referees and nurturing the referee pool in the city. Officiating an average of 100-120 games per year provided many opportunities to pass on wisdom, skills, and a few jokes along the way. He inspired young officials to continue refereeing by allowing imperfection, reasoning that they may make more than 300 judgement calls per game – “even if you get 50 wrong, that’s still a great average.”

An ambassador on and off the ice, Larry is a proud member of the Medicine Hat Hockey Hounds who have been involved in supporting local hockey in Medicine Hat for 50 years. Through the club, Larry was particularly instrumental in developing the female game in Medicine Hat, and was integral in the establishment and maintenance of the Sledge Hockey program. Larry volunteered for the Alberta Summer and Winter Games, and the ATB Financial Female Alberta Challenge.

Larry worked tirelessly to promote, support, and officiate hockey for the physically challenged. He refereed exhibition games for the visually impaired, and advanced the para sport of sledge hockey. He served as Chief Referee on the board of Sledge Hockey of Canada and refereed Sledge Hockey for over 30 years.

In recognition of his volunteerism and contribution to hockey, Larry earned the following accolades: Alberta Amateur Hockey Coach of the Year – Silver (1987), which resulted in a visit to the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, and a City of Medicine Hat Civic Recognition Award in Sports (2003). During Hockey Alberta’s Centennial year in 2007, the association selected Larry as one of 100 Hockey Alberta Centennial Award winners for major contributors to minor hockey in the province.

Larry’s crowning achievement was when, in front of the Emperor and Empress of Japan and two billion live broadcast viewers, his name was announced as a Sledge Hockey referee at the Nagano Paralympics in 1998 as ‘Larry Godin from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada.’ “There is no greater joy than representing your country and your city on the international stage,” says Godin. Not only was he the first Canadian ever invited to officiate at the Paralympics, he was also the oldest official there at 56 years of age.

Outside of hockey, Larry has had many successes in his work life. After a brief stint in the seminary, followed by accounting in Manitoba, he spent 30 years as the City Clerk at the City of Medicine Hat where he admittedly “got into more trouble than you’ll ever know.” He notes that between himself and his predecessor Bill Keith, they amassed 60 years of City Clerk duties – with Larry narrowly beating Bill as the longest consecutive serving clerk in Medicine Hat.

Larry amassed many civic achievements in his career, such as the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), Alberta Centennial Medal (2005), the Court of Canada Citizenship plaque, and the first ever 30 year service award from the Alberta Municipal Clerks Association.

Larry is described by peers as kind, caring, compassionate and funny. Moreover, he is known as a joker and a trickster and never takes himself too seriously. He’s been known to come out on the ice wearing a Superman cape, put baby powder in his colleagues whistles, unscrew the tops of water bottles, and even went as far as embroidering the nickname “Good Call” on the back of his referee jersey. When notified of his nomination for this Sports Wall of Fame, he joked that a “Wall of Shame” would be much more fitting. Above all, he likes to have fun and make others chuckle.

When asked about his proudest accomplishment, his answer is simple: the life he built with his wife and family. Celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in 2019, Larry and his wife Pam raised three children: John, Amanda and Darren, who gifted them with seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. “All that other stuff is just fluff,” claims Godin. “The real foundation is my family.”