Roger Alan Jones - Hockey - Coach, Mentor

Year Inducted: 1991

Roger Jones was born in Port Huron, Michigan, the son of Carl and Nora Jones, and grandson of well-known athlete Red Jones.  Roger spent his lifetime, 37 years, participating in athletics in the Port Huron area.

Roger Jones entered organized hockey in 1963 at age 10.  He played throughout the Port Huron Minor Hockey Association system, including time with the outstanding Fogcutter Junior team.  At an early stage of his career, Roger played on the hockey pond located at the corner of 23rd and White Streets where Fred Lamlein would bring the boys to practice hockey.

In 1982, at the age of 29, Roger Jones began his coaching career with the Midas Bucs Pee Wee hockey team of the Port Huron Minor Hockey Association.  Thereafter until his untimely death, Roger Jones spent in excess of 20 hours per week on a volunteer basis coaching the boys in the Pee Wee age group.  Roger was not just another coach – he was outstanding.  He set standards for the boys – and lived himself by those standards – that have caused hundreds of hockey boys to idolize him and to follow his life style and character.  Each boy on Roger Jones’ teams played equal time.  Roger Jones knew very well each and every boy, not only when Roger was coaching that boy, but forever after.

During the tenure of Coach Roger Jones, the Midas Bucs became a highly respected travel hockey team.  In 1987, the Midas Bucs became the first minor hockey team from Port Huron to ever win a Silver Stick hockey game.  In 1988, Coach Roger Jones’ Midas Bucs won two games during the Silver Stick tournament, and in 1989, the Midas Bucs team went to the finals of the consolation round of Silver Sticks.  Shortly before Roger’s untimely death, the Bucs took the next step in Silver Sticks, winning the consolation finals.

Over the years, the Roger Jones hockey program became well-known statewide for its success and quality.   The goal of every young Port Huron boy who took up hockey was to play for Roger Jones’ Midas Bucs - to be a buckaroo.