Given the rich heritage of hockey in these parts, perhaps there will be a case to be made, eventually, to have at least one dressing room at local arenas painted in the colours of the primary teams of local NHLers, with some sort of personalized recognition to honour those who enjoyed long and successful careers in the best league in the sport.

For now, however, the Valley East quartet of Frank St Marseille, Ron Duguay, Dan Frawley and Andrew Brunette will owe a debt of gratitude to long-time City worker (and big time hockey fan) Brian Beaupre for coming up with an idea to spotlight their accomplishments.

Not that Beaupre can take complete credit for this wonderful brainchild.

"The Copper Cliff (McLelland Arena) staff were painting their rooms with the (colours of the) Canadian teams," said Beaupre, a member of the NOHA Board of Directors for much of the past 7-8 years or so and the in-rink voice of the Greater Sudbury Cubs.

"My first thought was to go with the original six (NHL teams), but then I thought about the four guys from the Valley East Hall of Fame who played a lot of hockey in the NHL."

With the rooms now painted, the City partnered last week with Northern Transit & Arena Advertising Agency to add a more personalized element for each of the four players who have been recognized:

Frank St Marseille: St Louis Blues (10 NHL seasons - six with the Blues) - 140 goals - 285 assists - 88 playoff games

Ron Duguay: New York Rangers (860 NHL games) - 274 goals - 346 assists - Sudbury Wolves jerseuyy (#10) is retired - played at World Juniors (1977) and in the Canada Cup (1981)

Dan Frawley: Pittsburgh (273 NHL games) - the last team immediately prior to the "C" being given to Mario Lemieux - member of the Rochester Americans Hall of Fame - won Calder Cup with Rochester in 1996

Andrew Brunette: Minnesota Wild (1110 NHL games with seven teams) - amassed 162 points in final OHL year with Owen Sound Attack - played in 509 consecutive NHL games at one point - coached the Florida Panthers to the President's Trophy in 2021-2022

"The old school St Louis Blues was the toughest, trying to match up with their original colours," said Beaupre.

Pictures of all four players, prepared by the staff at NTAAA, were presented to the arena staff at the ceremony last week.

"We are the agency of record for the City of Greater Sudbury community arena advertising," noted Blaine Smith, the Sudbury-born Sports Administration graduate who enjoyed a career of more than thirty years on the management side of things in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves.

"We market all of the arenas to the business community: rink boards, floor decals, wall posters. With this, we were trying to create some recognition for these players."

It's a concept that Ward 5 city councillor Mike Parent found quite easy to endorse.

"As someone who has spent more than 15 years in the local arenas - especially in this arena (Centennial), in particular - the change rooms is really where the games start," said Parent.

"To have some of that civic pride, some of these local heroes, I think that's a nice way for a coach to be able to start a conversation."

Don't be surprised if this idea catches on, right across the region