Ex-OHL star now practises law


By
November 26, 2016

It was a chance meeting in a Detroit hotel bar where I happened to be sitting at a table adjacent to where a former Peterborough Petes scoring star from more than 30 years ago was seated.

And it turned out to be just another example of how small the hockey world — in this case the Ontario Hockey League world — can be.

It was after the American Thanksgiving game of a few days ago following the Detroit Lions latest come-from-behind, National Football League victory. My wife and I returned to our hotel to watch the next NFL turkey day game on TV when I happened to strike up a conversation with a chap sitting at the next table.

Thinking I recognized him as someone from Sault Ste. Marie, I called out to him and asked him if he was “from the Soo.

“No,” he replied, “but I used to play a lot of hockey up in the Soo.”

Well, one question led to another and then he told me that he used to play for the Peterborough Petes and that he had a lot of memories of playing against the Soo Greyhounds back in the early-to-mid 1980s.

Turns out that the fellow who I struck up a chance conversation with was Scott Tottle, who was a prolific scorer during a three-year OHL career with Peterborough that included spectacular seasons of 73 and 64 goals, playoffs included.

I told Tottle that as a hockey writer of many years, I remembered him very well. He ended up joining my wife and I at our table for about half an hour and Tottle and I exchanged dozens of names of former OHL players and coaches from his era.

A third-round National Hockey League draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 1983, Tottle never did make it to “the Show” despite his exploits as an OHL standout.

But he did return to university after playing at the minor-pro level and went on to become a lawyer and to set up practice in London, Ontario where he is now a partner with a personal injury firm.

More than 30 years after I watched him light the lamp as an impact right winger with the OHL Petes, the small world that is hockey led me to meet up and have a beer with the now-51-year-old Tottle and to chat it up about many mutual acquaintances who we have met through the game.

Funny how even while on a family trip and as an NFL fan of the Detroit Lions that the hockey writer in me is never far removed from the game that I have been around as a media hack since 1975.

It was nice meeting Scott Tottle. And it was nice to hear that the former star OHLer who did not make the NHL has nonetheless made something of himself as a partner in a successful law firm.

And let me add that physically, Tottle does not look much different from the 5-foot-11, 180-pound winger who could skate and score with the best of them during his OHL days.


What you think about “Ex-OHL star now practises law”

  1. That’s a great story Randy, and those are some of my favourites to hear about too!I’m glad that the sports writer in you never takes a vacation!With all the social media now at our disposal,most fans don’t realize how easy they have it now. Those stories of yesteryear , and we’re only talking 30 years ago in this case, are that much more special! We , as fans were so reliant on the print media and radio broadcasts back in those days to keep us informed about the goings on with our favourite teams. Its probably the reason why I have been so steadfast in hanging on to all those articles by the likes of yourself, MacKenzie, Buist, Ruicci and so many others!
    As for Scott Tottle , remember him as a factor in the 84/85 League Championship series vs the Hounds in that memorable 6 game series that propelled the Hounds to their first Memorial Cup run in Quebec!

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