Forbes MacPherson gets goosebumps every time he shares the news that the UPEI Panthers will host the men’s hockey nationals in 2021.
“Every time it comes out, I still get chills,” a beaming MacPherson said in his office at MacLauchlan Arena. “As I keep saying, to be excited is just a massive understatement.
“There’s been so much work put in by so many people and this is something that we’ve been striving for and dreaming about.”
MacPherson, 47, grew up in Stratford in an era when the Panthers were the biggest game in town and perennially mentioned among the top programs in the country. It was before the NHL was on TV every night of the week from October to June and before major junior came to town.
He remembers going to the jam-packed Charlottetown Forum and watching games with heated rivals from the Université de Moncton and the other Atlantic counterparts.
“That's what you did at my age,” MacPherson said. “You went to watch the Panthers play and you watched Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night. Those were your only avenues to see hockey.”
MacPherson played two seasons for the Panthers, posting 25 goals and 26 assists in 24 games in his final season of 1995-96.
That season is remembered by many Panthers’ supporters.
UPEI had a great squad. They defeated Moncton in the semifinal and met Acadia in the best-of-three final. All three games were decided in overtime.
The Panthers were down two late in the deciding game at the then Charlottetown Civic Centre when John Nelson etched his name into Panther lore by scoring two goals in the final two minutes to force overtime.
Unfortunately, for Panthers followers, the storybook ending was not meant to be. Acadia scored to advance to the nationals.
“Sometimes the hard losses are engrained in your mind more than the victories,” MacPherson said. “That game was one of those losses, and I’m not exaggerating, that literally took years to get over.”
It was MacPherson’s final game as a Panther. He turned pro but always followed the team from afar.
He moved back to the Island in 2009 and took over as the Panthers’ interim head coach during the 2009-10 season. He’s been at the helm ever since.
MacPherson knew what it would mean to the program to host the nationals. After attending the University Cup at UNB in Fredericton, N.B., early in his tenure, he came back and began discussions with then athletic director Ron Annear.
The university bid a few times since those initial meetings but were not the chosen site. It made the recent news so much more gratifying for MacPherson and the group that has worked tirelessly to bring the event to Prince Edward Island.
“It’s like anything in life, the harder something is to get the more the reward is,” MacPherson said. “Because we went through the years of disappointment when you finally get it, that’s why it feels so good.”
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