Tales of old time hockey abound in Greater Sudbury.

For the most part, the ones that have circulated frequently in local rinks surround individuals within the game who enjoy strong, strong ties to the nickel city.

The truth, however, is that there are also a whole slew of stories to be told from folks who are recognizably proud Sudburians – but whose arrival to these parts came well after their playing days of note.

Howie Scruton is likely far more well-known as the father of Brittany, Courtney, Lindsay and Nathan, all of whom enjoyed some level of Sudbury sports involvement, the last three of whom were extremely immersed in that scene.

The best of their friends might not realize that Mister Scruton qualifies as a legitimate former NHLer. Sure, it was limited to just a four-game stint with the Los Angeles Kings during the 1982-1983, his rookie year with the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL – but that kind of NHL exposure is far more common than casual hockey fans might realize.

Besides, the journey that took him to that point is quite an interesting one – as long as one takes the time to dig into it a little.

A family of British descendancy, Howie’s father actually played some junior hockey with the Toronto Marlboros at a time when Harold Ballard was general manager of the organization. The Scruton clan – Howie has both an older brother and sister – were raised in Etobicoke, not all that far from the airport, his minor hockey talents leading him initially to the Royal York Rangers.

But his real break came courtesy of the same door that was opened for his father, recruited to the Marlies in his early to mid-teens. “It was the team to be on to make your way in hockey in Toronto at that time,” said Scruton.

A strapping 6’3” blueliner by the time he turned pro, Scruton was far more prototypical of a defender that might fit the current ilk of say Jaccob Slavin. “My dad had always stressed to me the importance of those stalwart defensemen of the seventies and early eighties, a stay back take care of your own end kind of player,” he said.

“To be honest, we didn’t really have the ability back then to take the puck and go. Unless you were Bobby Orr, you were not allowed to take the puck and go for a ride with it. I based my whole basis of play on defending, on guys like Guy Lapointe, Rod Langway, Serge Savard who kept the back end clean.”

In his OHL draft eligible year, Scruton suited up with the St Michael’s Midgets, an ultra-talented unit that captured the provincial crown and was acknowledged to be among the best in the country in their age group.

For as much as the “OHL draft” did not enjoy nearly the same clarity that it does for the typical U16 AAA player of 2025-2026, the lads were also not oblivious to what they could see happening at the rinks.

“We knew that there was “a list” – but we didn’t see it,” said Scruton. “We knew that there were scouts coming out to our games, the guys with the fedoras and clipboards. We had a pretty good idea that we were being looked at, but nobody knew where they were placed.”

In the case of Howie Scruton, that would be in the fourth round of the talent dispersal festivities, selected by the Niagara Falls Flyers and joining the likes of Steve Ludzik and Steve Larmer and a few other future NHLers. “Back then, we did not have the school options that the kids have now,” said Scruton.

“It was all in for major junior hockey.”

His second year would see him traded to the Kingston Canadians and for as much as the team enjoyed limited success, Scruton largely prospered, named team captain in his final year of OHL hockey, even as he battled some injuries. “I was a second team all-star in my last year, but I also got hurt, dislocating my shoulder.”

“Teams (NHL) were a little bit nervous, so I went undrafted. But as soon as the draft was over, I had two or three calls from NHL teams wanting to sign me as a free agent.”

“We decided to choose L.A. because they were one of the worst teams in the league.”

A groin injury in his second training camp with the Kings did not help matters and although Scruton had clearly established himself as a legitimate AHL d-man, suiting up for nearly 200 games over three years, he could see the window closing.

“I saw what I was playing against and that I was going to need some breaks – and I wasn’t getting those breaks,” he recalled. “The game was starting to change; they were looking for defensemen who had that offensive ability. I was still more of a stay at home defenseman – and there were a lot of us in the league.”

“I didn’t want to be an AHL lifer,” Scruton continued. “I knew that if I didn’t get out early enough, I wouldn’t have time to get myself situated either in school or a job and career.”

Earlier this year, Scruton celebrated his 40th anniversary of work Lafarge Canada. A happen-stance encounter at the Kingston Shopping Centre gave way to the employer that would eventually station Scruton and family in Sudbury in 1999.

And the game of hockey remained part of his life.

Not all that long after arriving at the home of the Big Nickel, Scruton would find himself playing in the local men’s leagues where former pros or darned good local AA/AAA who continued to improve would congregate once or twice a week. The Sudbury Nooners became a staple of his schedule.

And even when the skates were hung high out of reach, Scruton could not escape the fact that he and minor hockey and Kingston junior teammate Mike Stothers had married sisters, his brother in law a career hockey coach currently on staff with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

These gents can spin a hockey yarn with the best of them, I am sure – because you certainly don’t need to be from Sudbury to be part of the incredible history of Canada’s sport in our fair city.