Arnold Wilfred Schmautz

Arnold "Arnie" Wilfred Schmautz was born on July 3, 1933, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to parents Peter Schmautz and Stella Boretsky Schmautz. He was the second of six children and the first of four boys. Saskatoon's frigid winters provided plenty of ice, and the boys quickly made hockey the family sport. Arnie and each of his brothers Cliff, Kenny, and Bobby, enjoyed successful careers, with Arnie and Cliff playing for the Portland Buckaroos, and Bobby heading east for a storied career with the Boston Bruins. After a childhood built on skating and brawling with his brothers, Arnie began his junior hockey career with the Johnston Jets, before signing a pro contract with the New Westminster Royals in 1955. Arnie quickly became their star and fan favorite. During his time with the Royals, he met the beautiful Miss New Westminster, Mary Angelina Basso while she was figure skating at the Royals' home rink. They married August 23, 1957, and a year later, welcomed their beloved son, Patrick. About this time, entrepreneur Harry Glickman bought the Royals with the intention of moving them to Portland. The team spent a year in Victoria while construction of their new arena began in Portland. In 1959, while playing with the Victoria Cougars, Arnie suffered a massive skull fracture during a grueling game in Winnipeg. Brain surgery required the installation of a metal plate to support his damaged skull. Determined to make it back on the ice, Arnie, now a Portland Buckaroo, experimented with different helmets and became the first player to add one to his nightly uniform. His phenomenal skills outweighed his deceivingly small size. With slight, came quick, and this tiny Titan was fierce at heart with attitude to match. He willingly accepted any challenger and was known, at a mere 139 pounds, as " the toughest guy on ice." His comeback season was the Bucks first in Portland, and it proved to be one for the history books. Crowds of 8,000 screaming fans regularly filled the now completed Memorial Coliseum. Arnie scored the inaugural goal in the new "House that Schmautz Built" on November 15, 1960 against the Spokane Comets. At the end of their historic first season in Portland, the Buckaroos brought home the coveted championship Lester Patrick Cup. Arnie and the Buckaroos' popularity and success soared for sometime. The team went on to win another Lester Patrick Cup trophy ending the 1964-65 season. By this time, Arnie and Mary had welcomed their daughter Cheri, who quickly became the light of his eye. With a growing family and a tireless work ethic, Arnie began roofing houses during the off-season. His popularity on the ice translated into so much business, that he founded Buckaroo Roofing and Thermoseal Insulation in 1963. Soon, Buckaroo-Thermoseal grew into one of the largest roofing companies in Oregon. The demands of two successful careers proved exhausting, and Arnie decided to hang up his skates after 627 games in a Buckaroos jersey. On March 20, 1968, to much fanfare at Memorial Coliseum, Schmautz played his last hockey game. Then Mayor Terry Schrunk proclaimed it Arnie Schmautz Day and owner Harry Glickman noted that "he may have the smallest skates, but they will be the biggest to fill." After his retirements from hockey, he dove into his business and kept his competitive spirit healthy, becoming an avid golfer. He enjoyed countless rounds with his buddies at Columbia Edgewater Country Club, which he joined in 1963. Annual family trips to the desert highlighted each spring, and in 1996, Arnie became a founding member at The Plantation Golf Club in Indio. His passion for the game never tired. Arnie is survived by his wife of 59 years, Mary, and their children, Patrick and Cheri; his daughter-in-law, Jennifer and his son-in-law, Andy; grandsons, Kevin and Nicholas (Cheri) and granddaughter, Stella (Patrick); 3 great grandchildren; his brother, Bobby and his sister, Janette; and his many nieces and nephews.