Joseph R. Byrne


Joseph Richard "Joe" Byrne was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Career

Joe Byrne learned the game of hockey from Hall of Famer Alex Connell. After leaving the service in 1946, he joined the New York Rangers organization and worked as a scout in the early 1950s. He was hired by the Grand Falls Athletic Association to coach their hockey team and arrived in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland on December 7, 1949. He was involved in Newfoundland hockey as either a coach, player or referee for the next 40 years until his retirement in the summer of 1989. Byrne operated a sports shop at Grand Falls beginning in the early 1950s.

Awards and honours

Byrne was born in Charlesbourg, Quebec. He had one brother and four sisters. His wife's name was Patricia. Joe Byrne died on August 26, 1990 in Grand Falls-Windsor. On Friday March 22, 1991 in a ceremony attended by his wife Pat, on what would have been Joe's 70th birthday, the Grand Falls Stadium was renamed Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium as a tribute to his contributions to hockey in the community and the province during his 40-year career.