A Look At Marcel "Ching" Dheere

Winnipeg's Marcel Dheere had a brief stint with the NHL's Montreal Canadiens in 1942-43.

Marcel “Ching” Dheere was an unheralded hockey player who had a brief but memorable NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens before the onset of World War II halted everything.

Dheere was born in Winnipeg on Dec. 19, 1918, to a Belgian family. Growing up in the St. Boniface area, Dheere played all of his minor hockey in St. Boniface and Elmwood.

The nickname “Ching” comes from his idol Ching Johnson, a Hall of Fame defenseman with the New York Rangers that hailed from Winnipeg. Dheere idolized Johnson and pretended he was him growing up as he played with his friends on the outdoor rinks of St. Boniface.