This week's AGM is one who was able go use the juniors to get to the pros, then back to juniors, then back slowly into the pros. Though the expansion era did allow him to get some NHL time, the teams he played behind didn't do much to help him out in the long run. This week, the profile of Fern Rivard.
Rivard started in the Quebec Junior League with the Quebec Citadelles for parts of three seasons from the 1961-62 until the 1963-64 season (no record indicated), while playing one game in the AHL with the Quebec Aces, which was a win. Rivard was named to the QJHL's First All-Star Team in the 1962-63 and 1963-64 season.
The 1964-65 season saw Rivard play in the Quebec Juniors again with the Thetford Mine Aces and finish there with a 12-7-0 record before moving to the Ontario Hockey Association with the Montreal Junior Canadiens for 26 games and then seven in the playoffs (no records provided). The OHA was where Rivard was again in the 1965-66 season, playing 15 games for the Peterborough Petes.
Rivard went professional full-time in the 1966-67 season with the IHL's Muskegon Mohawks for 68 games (no record), while in the 1967-68 season, Rivard went back to the Quebec Aces and played 46 games, compiling a 19-16-7 record together.
The Flyers held Rivard's rights, but would lose them to the Minnesota North Stars in the 1968 intra-league draft held in the summer. Rivard would play for the North Stars for 13 games in the 1968-69 season, but would not fair well with a 0-7-4 performance. Rivard spent the rest of that season in the Central League with the Memphis South Stars for 29 games. The 1969-70 season saw Rivard back in Minnesota, but he would only appear in 14 games and put up a 3-5-5 record, while he went back to the CHL with the Iowa Stars and go 9-5-4 in 18 games there, then 3-4 in seven playoff games.
Rivard went to the AHL with the Cleveland Barons in the 1970-71 season, finishing with a 15-14-4 record in 36 games and lost his only playoff game he was in. The 1971-72 campaign had Rivard play in 40 games, but would finish 12-19-5 and then he would go 1-2 in four playoff games. The Barons would move to Jacksonville and Rivard would play 65 games, but no record is available.
For the 1973-74 season, Rivard would play in Minnesota for 13 games and finish with a 3-6-2 record, while he would also play for the New Haven Nighthawks in the AHL for 12 games and post a 7-3-2 record. It was another split season for the 1974-75 season, where Rivard would play in 15 games for Minnesota (3-9-0) and seven games for New Haven (1-4-1) before he would hang up the pads for good.
Though with an expansion team, Rivard tried to stick around, but was unable to have a good foothold on the NHL. Though he would get some kind of minor league recognition, but even then it was a breeze by at the best for more casual historians.
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