photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Richard Wolowicz
Murray Costello, one of the most accomplished administrators in hockey history, passed away at the age of 90 last Saturday, 27 July. He is a member of the IIHF Hall of Fame (2014), the Hockey Hall of Fame (2005), and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (2013), and is also a member of Hockey Canada’s Order of Hockey in Canada (2017).
A former NHL player, Costello became a lawyer after his playing days and was a longtime president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (which later merged with Hockey Canada). He served on the IIHF Council for many years and was an IIHF Life Member.
“The reason I’m president of the IIHF today is because of Murray,” offered Luc Tardif. “He opened the door for me in 2008 to get on the Competition Committee when he was the chair. He was always my guide throughout my life with the IIHF. Every time I had doubts or needed advice, I would phone him. He was my mentor in many ways. And it wasn’t just me. It was many others. He was always there. His passion for international hockey was special. I loved talking to him. A great man is gone.”
Costello was born in tiny South Porcupine, Ontario, and played junior hockey with his brother, Les, at St. Mike’s in Toronto in the early 1950s. Murray went on to play for Chicago, Boston, and Detroit throughout the decade. After retiring in 1960, he became the marketing director for the Seattle Totems in the Pacific Coast league for 15 years, but he later moved to Ottawa and earned his law degree in 1979.
He was named CAHA president that same year and rolled up his sleeves and went to work on growing hockey in Canada. First up was improving the country’s performance at the newly-created World Junior Championship. Costello created a national team in 1982 after convincing the three junior leagues to give up their players for a month, and the team won gold its first try.
“That was a hard sell,” said Costello many years later. “They didn’t want to give up their best players over the holidays because that’s when most of the teams would experience their best crowds. We worked hard at trying to convince them because they could show what their league is to the world, not just Canada. From that point, we never really looked back.”
Several years later, Costello was a key supporter of creating a World Women’s Championship, first held in Ottawa in 1990, and soon after helping get the women’s game into the Olympics for Nagano in 1998. In 1994, he was instrumental in merging the old Hockey Canada with his CAHA, creating one national body that oversaw all aspects of the game, from grassroots to Olympic teams and everything in between.
“Hockey Canada sends our condolences to Murray’s family and friends, and everyone he positively impacted throughout his life and tremendous career in hockey,” added Katherine Henderson, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. “His legacy will continue to benefit hockey in Canada and internationally for generations to come.”
After leaving Hockey Canada in 1998, and being succeeded by Bob Nicholson, Costello joined the IIHF Council and became a Vice-President. He also became chair of the IIHF’s Medical Committee, one of several he worked on over the next 14 years, including the Competition Committee, Historical Committee, Disciplinary Committee, and Statutes & By-Laws Committee.
But perhaps most famously Costello stepped up to the podium in 2010 at an IIHF Summit in Toronto after the Olympics and announced that the IIHF was earmarking $2 million to women’s hockey, a move that was unexpected and which received a tremendous ovation.
Costello retired from active life with the IIHF in 2012. In addition to his IIHF work, he also sat on the Board of Directors of the Hockey Hall of Fame for 18 years and was also on its Selection Committee. His was a much-respected voice, and his integrity stood as the impetus behind everything he accomplished.
A former NHL player, Costello became a lawyer after his playing days and was a longtime president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (which later merged with Hockey Canada). He served on the IIHF Council for many years and was an IIHF Life Member.
“The reason I’m president of the IIHF today is because of Murray,” offered Luc Tardif. “He opened the door for me in 2008 to get on the Competition Committee when he was the chair. He was always my guide throughout my life with the IIHF. Every time I had doubts or needed advice, I would phone him. He was my mentor in many ways. And it wasn’t just me. It was many others. He was always there. His passion for international hockey was special. I loved talking to him. A great man is gone.”
Costello was born in tiny South Porcupine, Ontario, and played junior hockey with his brother, Les, at St. Mike’s in Toronto in the early 1950s. Murray went on to play for Chicago, Boston, and Detroit throughout the decade. After retiring in 1960, he became the marketing director for the Seattle Totems in the Pacific Coast league for 15 years, but he later moved to Ottawa and earned his law degree in 1979.
He was named CAHA president that same year and rolled up his sleeves and went to work on growing hockey in Canada. First up was improving the country’s performance at the newly-created World Junior Championship. Costello created a national team in 1982 after convincing the three junior leagues to give up their players for a month, and the team won gold its first try.
“That was a hard sell,” said Costello many years later. “They didn’t want to give up their best players over the holidays because that’s when most of the teams would experience their best crowds. We worked hard at trying to convince them because they could show what their league is to the world, not just Canada. From that point, we never really looked back.”
Several years later, Costello was a key supporter of creating a World Women’s Championship, first held in Ottawa in 1990, and soon after helping get the women’s game into the Olympics for Nagano in 1998. In 1994, he was instrumental in merging the old Hockey Canada with his CAHA, creating one national body that oversaw all aspects of the game, from grassroots to Olympic teams and everything in between.
“Hockey Canada sends our condolences to Murray’s family and friends, and everyone he positively impacted throughout his life and tremendous career in hockey,” added Katherine Henderson, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. “His legacy will continue to benefit hockey in Canada and internationally for generations to come.”
After leaving Hockey Canada in 1998, and being succeeded by Bob Nicholson, Costello joined the IIHF Council and became a Vice-President. He also became chair of the IIHF’s Medical Committee, one of several he worked on over the next 14 years, including the Competition Committee, Historical Committee, Disciplinary Committee, and Statutes & By-Laws Committee.
But perhaps most famously Costello stepped up to the podium in 2010 at an IIHF Summit in Toronto after the Olympics and announced that the IIHF was earmarking $2 million to women’s hockey, a move that was unexpected and which received a tremendous ovation.
Costello retired from active life with the IIHF in 2012. In addition to his IIHF work, he also sat on the Board of Directors of the Hockey Hall of Fame for 18 years and was also on its Selection Committee. His was a much-respected voice, and his integrity stood as the impetus behind everything he accomplished.