The Assante CBS Junior Renegades hosted their 3rd Annual Steve Gillard & Jersey Night November 22nd at the CBS Arena. Held in honour of their late general manager who passed in 2023, it was a special Renegades-Caps hockey game with Steve’s mom Nancy Gillard, 83, his sister Cynthia Millington-James, who travelled from Ontario, and his son Andrew Gillard, himself a former Renegade, attending the pre-game ceremony and puck drop. The Gillard family brought a $2,000 cheque and $700 in cash to donate in Steve’s memory. The cheque was arranged by Gillard’s father, Jack, who couldn’t make the trip from Ontario, but helped arrange a special letter of thanks and donation from the Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans of Canada Unit 400, in Orilla, Ontario. The money is to be used provide an opportunity for children to experience and play minor hockey in CBS by helping cover the registration costs for families that need it. Each year since Gillard’s passing, the Junior Renegades have paid for the registration of children who needed help with costs. Gillard, who had enjoyed a distinguished career as a hockey and soccer coach, served as the Renegades GM from the team’s inaugural year in the St. John’s Junior Hockey League in 2010 to his passing in 2023. On hand for the ceremonial face-off were, from left: St. John’s Capitals’ captain Andrew Veitch, Nancy Gillard, Cynthia Millington-James, Andrew Gillard, and Renegades’ captain Morgan Porter. Photo by Ulf Teschendorff. The letter from the veterans’ association president, Val Hart, read, in part: “Research shows that even one stable supportive adult can significantly improve a young person’s confidence, resilience, and long-term outcomes. We know that Stephen was one of those dedicated individuals.”
