Mississauga dedicates rink to hockey legend Paul Henderson

The City of Mississauga is paying tribute to Canadian sports legend Paul Henderson by naming a local rink after the hockey great.

Henderson, now 68, scored the winning goal in the 1972 Summit Series against the former Soviet Union.

“When I saw the puck go over the line, I thought of my father. He had died in 1968 and I actually said out loud, ‘Dad would have enjoyed this,'” Henderson told CityNews on Friday.

“There was that moment of melancholy, but it didn’t last very long because I jumped into [Yvan] Cournoyer’s arms and we’ve been celebrating for 39 years,” he added.

Mississauga dedicated “rink one” at Tomken Twin Arena to Henderson. Mayor Hazel McCallion was hand for the 7 p.m. ceremony.

“A report went out to city council with the recommendation and of course they were very happy to do so,” city spokeswoman Dolores Bartl-Hofmann told CityNews.ca.

“The recommendation was made for a number of reasons. One was of course the pride from that goal in 1972. He also lives in Mississauga, and he helps out the Mississauga community and communities across Canada with his charity work,” Bartl-Hofmann added.

Normally, the city won’t name a facility after a person until after their death. That requirement was waived for Henderson. Mississauga has also named a street – Paul Henderson Drive – after him.