Mirl Arthur "Red" McCarthy (March 12, 1930 – 1995) was a Canadian sportsperson, sport and recreation administrator, ice hockey player, founder and co-inventor of the sport of ringette, and for a time, a professional skating star and barrel jumper.^[2] He was inducted into the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame as a Founder in 1998.^[1]

Born in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario and raised in Sudbury, he grew up to be a star athlete in baseball, football, track and field, and ice hockey. His hockey career included stops with Toronto St. Michael's College, Barrie Flyers,^[3] Boston Olympics,^[4] Nelson B.C. Maple Leafs, Sudbury Caruso Miners, and Sudbury Wolves of the Canadian Senior Hockey League.^[2] McCarthy played in three ice hockey leagues over the course of his career: the Ontario Hockey League, the Eastern Amateur Hockey League, and the Northern Ontario Hockey Association.

At the Chicago World's Fair, in Chicago, Illinois, United States, McCarthy was photographed participating in barrel jumping, a discipline of speed skating, at the Black Forest Village.^{[citation needed][when?]}

In 1954, at the age of 24, he became recreation director of Espanola, Ontario and held the position for forty-one years. He became actively involved in all aspects of Espanola's recreational programs and was instrumental in forming the Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA) Junior A Hockey League, and the Espanola Eagles Junior A hockey team. He coached the team for 18 years, and then managed it for four more.^[5] The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League's Red McCarthy Memorial Trophy is named in his honour.

The Red McCarthy Memorial Trophy is the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League's award given annually to the "Coach of the Year".^[7][8][9]

More information MIRL "RED" MCCARTHY MEMORIAL AWARDNOJHL Coach of the year, Season ...

MIRL "RED" MCCARTHY MEMORIAL AWARD NOJHL Coach of the year
Season	Coach of the Year	Team
2022–23	Peter Goulet[10]	Powassan Voodoos
2021–22	Brandon Perry	Timmins Rock
2020–21	COVID-19 pandemic
2019–2000	Dave Clancy	Espanola Express
2018–19	Marc Lafleur	Hearst Lumberjacks
2017–18	John Parco	Soo Thunderbirds
2016-17	Kyle Brick	Blind River Beavers
2015–16	Ryan Leonard[11]	Cochrane Crunch
2014–15	Jordan Smith[12]	Soo Thunderbirds
2013–14	Jordan Smith	Soo Thunderbirds
2012–13	Marc Lafleur[8]	Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
2011–12	Tom McCarthy	North Bay Trappers (now the Hearst Lumberjacks)
2010–11	Bruno Bragagnolo	Soo Eagles
2009–2010	Paul Gagné	Abitibi Eskimos (now the Timmins Rock)
2008–09	Ian Swalucynski	North Bay Skyhawks (now the Hearst Lumberjacks)
2007–08	Paul Gagné	Abitibi Eskimos
2006–07	Todd Stencill[13]	Blind River Beavers
2005–06	Darryl Moxam	Sudbury Northern Wolves (now the Greater Sudbury Cubs)
2004–05	Toots Kovacs	Soo Thunderbirds
2003–04	Paul Gagné	Abitibi Eskimos
2002–03	Paul Gagné	Abitibi Eskimos
2001–02	Paul Gagné	Iroquois Falls Jr. Eskies (now the Timmins Rock)
2000–01	Jim Capy	Soo Thunderbirds
1999–2000	Ken MacKenzie	Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats
1998–99	Ron Guy	Parry Sound Shamrocks
1997–98	Ken MacKenzie	Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats
1996–97	Ken MacKenzie[14]	Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats
1995–96	Jeff Brick	Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats
1994–95	Kenn Sullivan	Timmins Golden Bears
1993–94	Guy Blanchard	Powassan Hawks
1992–93	Kenn Sullivan	Timmins Golden Bears
1991–92	Guy Blanchard	Powassan Passports
1990–91	Guy Blanchard	Powassan Passports
1989–1990	Brian Smith	Sudbury Cubs
1988–89	Not Available	N/A
1987–88	Not Available	N/A
1986–87	Not Available	N/A
1985–86	Not Available	N/A
1984–85	Not Available	N/A
1983–84	Not Available	N/A
1982–83	Not Available	N/A
1981–82	Ken MacKenzie	Onaping Falls Huskies
1980–81	Richard Pagnutti	Nickel Centre Native Sons
1979–1980	Pat Tremblay	Onaping Falls Huskies
1978–79	John Dediana	Nickel Centre Native Sons
1977–78	No League	N/L
1976–77	No League	N/L
1975–76	No League	N/L
1974–75	No League	N/L
1973–74	No League	N/L
1972–73	No League	N/L
1971–72	Ab Carricato	Soo Greyhounds
1970–71	Ab Carricato	Soo Greyhounds
1969–1970	Marcel Clements	Sudbury Wolves
1968–69	Walter Dubas	Soo Greyhounds
1967–68	Walter Dubas	Soo Greyhounds
1966–67	Walter Dubas	Soo Greyhounds
1965–66	Red McCarthy	Espanola Eagles
1964–65	Howie Parker	North Bay Trappers (now the Hearst Lumberjacks)
1963–64	Howie Parker	North Bay Trappers (now the Hearst Lumberjacks)
1962–63	Red McCarthy	Espanola Eagles

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• Ringette Canada Hall of Fame - Founder (Inducted 1988)^[1]
• Sudbury Sport Hall of Fame (2007, inducted posthumously)
• Mirl "Red" McCarthy Memorial Trophy - awarded to top Coach in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
• Recreational Director of Espanola, Ontario for 41 years.
• Athletic complex in Espanola named the "Red McCarthy Memorial Athletic Fields".
• Ringette is one of four sports featured on the "Canadian Inventions: Sports" series issued by Canada Post stamps on August 10, 2009.^[15]

• Sam Jacks
• Ringette
• Ringette in Canada

• Collins, Kenneth Stewart (2004). The Ring Starts Here: An Illustrated History of Ringette.
• Hall, Margaret Ann (2016). The Girl and the Game: A History of Women's Sport in Canada. University of Toronto Press.
• Hall, Margaret Ann; Pfister, Gertrud. Honoring the Legacy: Fifty Years of the International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women.