One of the province’s best players to ever to lace up the skates has passed away.

George Faulkner of Bishop’s Falls was 91.

Faulkner was the first player from Newfoundland and Labrador to go pro, and while he never did get to the NHL, many fans from this province saw him as even more talented player than his brother, Alex, the first Newfoundlander to play in the NHL—for the Detroit Red Wings.

Faulkner was playing for the minor-pro Shawinigan-Falls Cataracts in Quebec in the 1950s, a time when the Montreal Canadiens had first dibs on every top player in that province. It was also a time when the Habs won five straight Stanley cups, a record which stands to this day.

The New York Rangers wanted to trade for George Faulkner, but Montreal was not willing to do a deal.

The Faulkners were also synonymous with the Conception Bay Cee Bees in Harbour Grace, where George served as the town’s recreational director.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.