Career
Hodgins crossed the Atlantic in 1946 to play for the Paisley Pirates, after answering an advertisement in a Timmins newspaper. He played a second season for Paisley before being taken to England by Harvey "Red" Stapleford to join the Streatham Royals of the English National League. Hodgins was the only player to be retained by Stapleford when he rebuilt Streatham in 1950 and at 23 was made Captain.
He remained with Streatham until the rink closed its doors to ice hockey in 1954.
He then joined the Harringay Racers in the inaugural season of the British National League. After a short retirement due to sinus trouble Hodgins signed for the Nottingham Panthers in 1959-1960 after a brief spell with the Brighton Tigers.
In 1961 he was appointed player-coach of the newly formed Altrincham Aces. He then went to play for Milan in Italy.
lieutenant was in Milan where Hodgins earned his other nickname, "Il Leone" or "The Lion".
During a game he received a stick to the face, shattering his nose, and left the ice for treatment. Convinced this was the last they would see of him the Milanese crowd were amazed to see him take to the ice minutes later to shore up the defence. Hodgins returned to Britain when the Wembley Arena re-opened its doors to hockey in 1963 with the Wembley Lions.
Hodgins died in March 1988 in Nottingham, England after losing his battle with lung cancer.
He was elected posthumously into the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.
