Eric Paterson began his career as an ice hockey goaltender with the Edmonton Maple Leafs of the Edmonton Junior Hockey League, playing with them for two seasons before advancing to the Western Canada Major Hockey League for a year with the Regina Caps. It was from here that he was recruited to join the Edmonton Mercurys as they represented Canada at the 1952 Winter Olympics. At the tournament he minded the net for three matches, all of which were victories for Canada, and took home one of the last gold medals in ice hockey that his nation would see for another half century. Upon his return he spent the 1953-1954 season with the Western International Hockey League’s Nelson Maple Leafs before retiring for several years. In 1958-1959 he suited up for one game with the Edmonton Flyers of the Western Hockey League’s second incarnation, and then played seven games with the WIHL’s Rossland Warriors the following season before retiring for a second, and final, time. Along with Don Gauf he was present in the stands of Salt Lake City when Canada finally reclaimed Olympic ice hockey gold in 2002. As a member of his Olympic team, he was inducted into the Alberta Sport Hall of Fame Museum in 1968. By career he worked for the city of Edmonton as a machinist with the Edmonton Transportation System for over four decades and was active in union politics.
Canada