BC HOCKEY AWARDS: HONOURARY LIFE MEMBER - BILL GREENE
By MARIO ANNICCHIARICO
Being named a BC Hockey Honourary Life Member is the second-best thing to ever happen to Bill Greene. The first – as any good husband will tell you – being your spouse.
A smart man, that Greene.
“It’s an incredible honour to be awarded a Life Membership with this organization. I can hardly describe my feelings. I’m humbled by the whole thing. The names associated with the award – somehow, I never thought my name would be on that list,” he said in all honesty.
“When you sit down and look at names on that list of individuals, like Frank Lento, Don Freer, Don Schmaltz and Alan Matthews - those guys have been my mentors all the way through hockey for the last 44 years. Bob Nicholson and Tom Renney. They’re incredible people.
“I was looking through the list and I thought, ‘Geez, I must have been around too long because I know a lot of those guys.’ To get my name in with those guys is very humbling and it’s an honour. The second most important thing to happen to me, after my wife, of course.”
Greene, now retired, began coaching as a teenager in Saint-Bruno, Quebec. His commitment to hockey has spanned from grassroots minor hockey to junior operations, leaving a lasting impact on players, teams and communities.
He has served in numerous leadership roles, including as a past Chair of the Board for BC Hockey from 2018-2022. He was instrumental in launching two Junior B franchises in the North Okanagan: the Enderby Kings in 1993 and the North Okanagan Knights in 2009. There are also his contributions to player safety and education as he served as a master course instructor for BC Hockey’s Speak Out and Hockey Canada Safety programs.
As a long-time director with the Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association, Greene provided guidance and oversight for many years. Today, he remains a passionate promoter of the game, continuing to inspire the hockey community through his lifelong dedication.
“I was fortunate. I had great people to learn from and they’ve taught me well,” said Greene.
One of those people is Freer, a BC Hockey Life Member, who nominated Greene for this great honour.
“What sticks out for me most are two things - when he was a registrar in the Okanagan, he dealt with me on a daily basis, almost. That’s how I came to know him. He was a really good guy and I liked him from Day 1, and he believed in teamwork,” said Freer, who spent 28 years as an Executive Director with BC Hockey.
“It wasn’t about Bill Greene. It was about the team and that to me was important. That stuck out for me, from the start, and I’ve known him for about 50 years. Then he became president of the association and I was impressed with the job he did. He was that good,” Freer added.
“He coached hockey as a teenager; he was referee; a referee-in-chief; president of minor hockey associations; and then became president of the provincial association – that’s pretty impressive. His involvement in hockey is 100 percent and it’s hard to find someone to commit like that.”
Greene has learned from every step of his journey.
“When you’re 17 or 18, it’s mind-moving stuff getting a chance to work with kids; you have an opportunity to do things for them and with them and to watch them have success is always fantastic as well,” said Greene, who has experiences too numerous to mention.
“I can bore an entire room in 10 seconds if I sat down and talked about the things that meant so much along the way.”
None, more so, he said, than this Life Member honour.