Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Ken Hitchcock AKA 'Mini Ha Ha'

07/24/2015 at 9:06am EDT

from Patrick Little of Alberni Valley Times,

"Mini Ha Ha" was grotesquely oversized for a teenage boy. His weight, I was told, was between three and four hundred pounds. I knew golf course superintendents who cringed knowing Mini was playing their course due to the weight he exerted on the greens with each step he walked. Wearing a signature pork pie hat and carrying clubs, he appeared to waddle down the fairways. I was always surprised how well he managed hitting the ball given the physical disadvantage.

Mini treated me as one of the boys. While he never won any tournaments of significance I was aware of, he did possess a self assurance and confidence that silently seemed to ignore his disability.

All I knew of Mini, outside of golf, was he worked at a bicycle shop in Edmonton's east end. Years later, he etched his name in history as a coach at Canadian junior hockey levels.

His nickname today is Hitch and Ken Hitchcock has become a legendary, respected and well-known National Hockey League coach with a Stanley Cup ring on his finger. Looking at him now though, one might think the greatest win was a battle within himself during those formative years as "Mini Ha Ha."

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