The Story of the Donkey
One of the best parts about being a fan of OHL hockey is experiencing the traditions around a team that sometimes span over decades. Additionally, fans usually enjoy razzing the opposing players or referees after a questionable call. That’s what the “stuffed donkey” tradition encompasses at Peterborough Petes home games.
The tradition was made popular by a die-hard Petes fan named Don Muir, however the toy donkey was originally the property of St. John Ambulance as they would have Paramedics at games during the early 60’s. After their departure, they thought Don Muir would make better use of it as he was a season ticket holder at the time. Muir would make the stuffed Donkey in referee uniform into a Peterborough Petes icon with his antics, said Don’s son Mike Muir.
“When there was a call or a player on the ice that the crowd didn’t like my father would stand up with the Donkey and shake it at the referees and make the “hee-haw” sound, which the fans loved,” said Mike.
The Donkey would remain at the Memorial Centre between games in the referee’s room and while retrieving it for games, Don would usually chit-chat with the referees whom he had built a friendship with.
“The refs knew [the Donkey gesturing] was all in good fun!” said Mike.
One of the refs may have even inspired the name for the Donkey. Mike Muir was unsure about the official name of the cotton heckler, but did say that there was tag on it that said “Lynch.” He believes this could mean it was named after an OHL referee in the 80’s and 90’s named Dave Lynch.
The Donkey and Don were staples at Petes games until December 1992, when Don passed away. The tradition had become so much a part of Don and OHL hockey in Peterborough that it was used as a centre piece at his funeral and memorial service – even some of the referees including Dave Lynch would come to pay their respects to the popular heckler.
“[Don] enjoyed the opportunity to have fun with referees and improve the fan atmosphere and it really fit into his personality as a bit of a jokester and certainly a person who felt comfortable kind of mocking the plays on the ice,” said Mike of his father.
Mike would hand over the Donkey in early 1993 to the Management of the Peterborough Petes because he was not going to the Petes games himself and he thought somebody else might want to carry on the tradition his father started. However, the Donkey would remain dormant until nearly a decade later when a new fan would become heckler royalty in Peterborough.
Dave Rogers was awarded the right to accompany the Donkey to Petes home games in 2003. Rogers had previous connections with the Donkey as his father, Jack, was a season’s ticket holder and sat beside Don Muir at every game. Dave grew up watching Don and the legendary tradition and Mike Muir is glad the tradition is alive and well.
“It’s great to see something my father enjoyed so much carry on,” reflected the younger Muir. “The crowd in and around Dave and the Donkey always get a lift from seeing them in action and seeing the tradition carry on.”
Are you a Petes fan? Cheer on the mighty maroon and white in 2016/17 in a unique way to start your own tradition! Noisemakers, signs, and even stuffed animals are always welcome.
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