RinkWise podcast: A tribute to Mount St. Charles legend Bill Belisle with his sons

From left: Kirk Luedeke, Mark Divver, David Belisle and Peter Belisle on New England Hockey Journal's "RinkWise" podcast.

David and Peter Belisle, sons of legendary Mount Saint Charles Academy hockey coach Normand “Bill” Belisle (Manville, R.I.), join New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver and Kirk Luedeke on the latest episode of NEHJ’s “RinkWise” podcast.

In a celebration of their father’s life and coaching career, the brothers, who both went on to successful coaching careers, share personal insights. From how it all came together in 1975, key elements to an unprecedented 26 consecutive state championships from 1978-2003, 1,000 career victories, a life-threatening accident and much more.

Join us for the retrospective on the life, character and man who died last month, but whose hockey legacy lives on at Mount Saint Charles and throughout New England and the USA.

On the remarkable nature of Mount’s success: 
Divver: “The Mount Saint Charles hockey legacy and Bill Belisle is the stuff of fiction, almost. If you were to lay out the timeline and all of the events, it’d be easy to say, ‘What do you mean this small, somewhat rundown city of Woonsocket was the hockey capital of New England for a quarter-century at least?’ You’d say, ‘Well, come on. That doesn’t sound like it could even be possible.’ But yet it was and the man who made that happen was Bill Belisle.”

On his father’s values — putting the team first and building a culture of selflessness:
David Belisle: “One of the first things he did, I still remember it to this day, he took us to center ice, hadn’t even skated a stride yet, and the first thing he said was ’You are no longer playing for the names on your back. You are going to play for that emblem on the front.’”

On how his father molded great teams and players in practice:
Peter Belisle: “It was discipline. It doesn’t matter if it’s the best player, they’re not going to get away with it. … If you’re not ready or you’re not on the ice, well too bad — you’re not practicing today. … And if you don’t like it, you can leave — the door’s right there. And that attitude was very, very simple.”

On the golden age of Rhode Island hockey:
David Belisle: “He focused on the season. He didn’t focus on getting kids scholarships or scouts or coaches coming to watch his kids play. I think that’s the reason why he was so successful. … He was so focused on his team and team play that, as you know, you’re only as good as the five guys that you have on the ice with you. He emphasized that and that’s what made these kids better. … Moving the puck, skating, that style of play just ignited some of the talent that we were blessed with. But my father had the ability to bring that individual talent, incorporate it into a team play and just make scouts drool.”

On what stuck out over the years of success:
Divver: “A lot of times Mount had the best team, the best talent. But not every year. There were years when Mount won anyway because of the force of your dad’s personality — his will made it happen. Those kids would do anything for your dad and they’d reach down as deep as it took to get it done. That says so much about a coach and a man that he can inspire kids to react that way.”

On the lasting impact of his father at Mount:
Peter Belisle: “The spirit of Bill Belisle is what is going to transcend forever. And it’s in (current coach) Matt Plante and the coaching staff now. It’s just an incredible story in that a father and son team takes hockey at a religious school, with the spirit of doing it the right way. … I’m going to give everything of myself but you’re going to give it back to me and that’s it. And if you don’t respect that on both sides, you know where the door is — don’t let it hit you in the you-know-what. And that was their motto. It’s just an incredible story.”

On what resonated most from former players and coaches reaching out after his father’s death:
Peter Belisle: “Compete at whatever you’re doing. If someone pushes you down, you pick yourself up. He taught us how to compete and to be proud of what we’re doing — whatever it is. The minute you walk into the rink, the minute you walk into that classroom, are you proud of that work? … I think that’s what dad taught us. Compete at whatever you’re doing. Make sure if you’re going to do it, you’re going to do it a full, 120 percent. And when you look back, are you proud of it?”

Listen to the full episode of NEHJ’s “RinkWise” podcast on all major platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or online at hockeyjournal.com/podcast.

“RinkWise” is brought to you by Paul Vincent Hockey, Laura Stamm Power Skating, Sacred Heart University and University of Nebraska High School.