With a surname like McGuire, there’s bound to be a Northern Irish link in there somewhere. Pierre McGuire can trace his roots back to Enniskillen.
“My great-grandfather left Enniskillen in the 1800s and went to Smiths Falls, which is just outside Ottawa,” explains the long-time award-winning NHL broadcaster and former Ottawa Senators executive.
So this week is something of a homecoming for McGuire, who is over as a guest at the Friendship Four college ice hockey tournament at the SSE Arena, as well as to speak at the new PER4MANCE conference on Friday morning.
It’s not the first time he’s been to Ireland, not just because of his heritage but also because daughter Justine now works in Dublin. So far, he has loved the experience of getting to see around Belfast ahead of the tournament getting under way on Friday when Merrimack takes on Boston University (2pm).
“Last year my wife and I came over for five days because our daughter was alone for Christmas, so we rented a car and drove the whole Ring of Kerry. We stayed at a fabulous bar in Dingle and it was one of the most enlightened Christmas Eves of my life,” he recalls.
“Most of my European travel has been in Russia or Finland or Sweden, either scouting or broadcasting. To be in Ireland these last two holidays has been a blessing.”
Having worked in top level hockey since 1997 following a brief playing and then coaching career, McGuire knows the game inside and out. He’s watched more games in the NHL than he can remember and has an encyclopaedic knowledge from working as firstly a scout and then senior vice-president of player development with the Ottawa Senators.
And yet the 63-year-old has found something special about Belfast and the Friendship Four. He may have worked in hockey-mad cities during his extensive career, but McGuire believes there is something unique about this corner of the world, even if hockey is still in its relative infancy here.
“I was invited to a press conference for the Friendship Four in Boston and Robert (Fitzpatrick) and Steve (Thornton) invited me to breakfast the next morning, and we must have talked about hockey and Belfast for an hour-and-a-half,” adds McGuire of their meeting in September.
“I was hooked right away. I was blown away by the ambassadorship of them and what the event means to the community.
“I think the community outreach in Belfast is very similar to what happens in America, actually. The Giants are utilising hockey to bridge barriers and that’s very similar to what’s happened in a lot of major hockey cities.
“I used to live in Toronto and Pittsburgh, they use the game to try and be a vehicle to bring people together. I love the passion that Robert and Steve and their entire team have to reach into the community to make things better for everybody.
“I spoke to Bobo Carpenter when I was here and the grin on his face when I ran into him at the rink the other day, he was smiling like a butcher’s dog! He was so excited to be a part of this — it was great to hear the things he was saying.”
The Friendship Four gets under way on Friday with the afternoon meeting of Merrimack and Boston University, with Notre Dame and Harvard clashing in the second Semi-Final at 7pm.
While he sadly won’t get to stick around for Saturday’s Consolation Game and Championship Game, having to head back to the States for other commitments, McGuire already knows this isn’t a one and done trip for him.
“One of the best moments of the week so far was when we got asked if we’d come back next year. As long as they have us, we’ll be coming back. That’s how important this event is to me,” he smiles.
“It is important to give back and watch a community grow. It’s vital to use sport to help a community grow. I’m so grateful to see how this event works and the enjoyment people get from it.
“I can’t wait for the women to get here, too. It will be great for people to get to see how they do it, too.”
Meanwhile, the Belfast Giants are on their travels this weekend with a double-header in Scotland, facing the Glasgow Clan on Friday night (7.30pm) before heading to the Dundee Stars on Saturday (7pm).
Adam Keefe’s side are eight points back of the Cardiff Devils but have three games in hand over the League leaders, and they could have Jordan Kawaguchi and Ciaran Long back this weekend to boost their line-up.