After graduating from high school, “Red” Czarnota enlisted in the marines to fight in World War II. After the war, he prepped at Brewster Academy and then went to Boston University where he played football as well as hockey. Czarnota was a legend as the enforcer for the BU hockey team, and he also served that role for the 1952 Olympic team. As a junior at BU, Czarnota was the most penalized player in the New England Intercollegiate Hockey League, and while touring Europe with the Olympic team, he was referred to by the press as the “Little Giant” and the “Bad Boy” of the American team. Czarnota was an active supporter of youth hockey programs in his hometown of Wakefield, Massachusetts. He worked as a surveyor with the State Department of Public Works, and also refereed amateur hockey. After his untimely death from a heart attack, a trophy was named in his honor which is given annually to the outstanding youth hockey player in Wakefield.
United States