Today's show features former Aviemore Blackhawks and Nottingham Panthers forward Gavin Fraser.
Raised in the Scottish Highlands, Gavin regularly walked six miles to reach his local ice rink. Although a keen skater from a young age, he didn't take up ice hockey until he was thirteen after attending a game on a whim. That decision would change his life.
Following a recommendation from former Aviemore teammate John Bremner, Gavin joined the Nottingham Panthers and initially arrived on what he expected to be a short holiday. Instead, he played a full season, appearing in 45 games and scoring 29 goals with 18 assists, mainly from right wing.
At the end of that season Gavin returned to the Highlands, convinced city life wasn't for him — only to quickly realise rural life was too quiet. By August 1983 he was back in Nottingham, where he has lived ever since.
Over the next eleven seasons Gavin became a Panthers mainstay, playing in two Autumn Cup finals (winning both) and two Wembley Playoff Championship finals, lifting the trophy once. He eventually retired early in the 1992–93 season after finding his ice time limited.
Just as memorable as his on-ice contributions was Gavin's larger-than-life personality. Renowned for his one-liners, practical jokes and rink-side commentary, he remains fondly remembered by teammates and fans alike, earning glowing tributes from Marc "Smurf" Twaite, Graham Waghorn and Robin Andrew.
