CARLYLE — Kelly Greenbank lives life focusing on “what is” rather than “what if.”
Born in Moosomin, he grew up in the Kelso area. At eight, he started playing hockey in Wawota with his dad as coach.
At 15, while playing in a Reston tournament, he was scouted by the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. After tryouts, his 140-pound frame wasn’t quite ready, so he was sent to the Melville Millionaires of the SJHL to build strength. A year later, he made the Wheat Kings squad.
After one season, he was traded to the Winnipeg Clubs and took part in the first-ever World Junior Championships, skating alongside future NHL greats Bryan Trottier and Brian Sutter.
In 1974, Greenbank was drafted 35th overall by the Montreal Canadiens. But with a talent-packed roster, breaking into the NHL was tough. He spent three years with the AHL’s Nova Scotia Voyageurs, also playing briefly for the Providence Reds. Realizing his future wasn’t with the Canadiens, he retired temporarily to focus on family and work.
Soon after, while playing senior hockey in Souris, Man., he caught the attention of former NHLer Dennis Hextall, who passed his name to Minnesota North Stars GM Lou Nanne. Minnesota bought Greenbank’s rights for $100 and sent him to their farm team, the Fort Worth Texans, where he helped win a Central Hockey League championship.
Dreams of reaching the NHL resurfaced, but when the WHA’s Cleveland Crusaders folded, their players’ rights went to the North Stars. With an influx of talent, Greenbank’s opportunity slipped away.
In 1978, after Minnesota moved its farm team to Oklahoma, he requested a release to pursue hockey in Europe. He signed with Feldkirch in Austria, where he played 13 years, winning four league championships and serving as player-coach for four seasons.
He also represented Austria eight times internationally, including two Olympics — Sarajevo in 1984 and Calgary in 1988 — where Austria finished ninth, its best-ever result. Becoming an Austrian citizen allowed him to join the national team, though it briefly meant conscription. Thanks to his coach, he avoided frontline service and was assigned a desk role while continuing to play.
Greenbank retired from pro hockey in 1991 at age 36, returning to Wawota to play and later coach senior hockey. He later ran an auto glass business and, with his wife Wendy, operated the Kenosee Mini Mart until 2024.
Today, he divides his time between Wawota and Kenosee Lake. Though multiple sclerosis, diagnosed in 2001, has slowed his golf game, he still works weekends as a marshal. He has travelled North America in his motorhome and returned to Europe three times.
Kelly and Wendy raised four children, though son Jason died before age two. Wendy passed away in February 2024, leaving what Kelly calls a “huge hole” in his life.
Still, he looks back without regret. “What-ifs” about the Canadiens and NHL have been replaced by appreciation for “what is” — a life of adventure, family, travel and the game he loves.
