New Brunswick Black History Society

Vincent Manny McIntyre

Vincent Churchill “Manny” McIntyre

Manny was born in Gagetown, New Brunswick and raised in Devon on the north side of Fredericton. He married Rita Vigneault of Montreal in 1955 at the Andover Baptist church and had three children with her – Manny Jr, Marlene and Robert and three grandsons Michael, Matthew and Valentino.

Manny was an exceptional athlete, accomplished in both hockey and baseball. He was considered  a kind, gentle and generous man, but a fierce competitor. Most of all, he was a hard worker and dedicated family man.

It was conceded by their peers that Manny and his linemates, Herbie and Ozzie Carnegie, who formed the Sherbrooke Saints famous “Les Noirs”, the first all black line in professional hockey, could have played on any team in the N.H.L. except for the colour barrier. Through the 40’s, Manny and the Carnegies dominated the scoring stats of the Quebec Senior League, which was considered to be one step away from the N.H.L. One night the trio led Sherbrooke to a 4-2 exhibition win over the Montreal Canadians squad featuring hockey legends Rocket Richard, Toe Blake and Elmer Lach. While playing for the Sherbrooke Rand in the Quebec Senior League, the line dominated the league and all three consistently were among the top 10 scorers. In support of Manny’s submission to the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame, Red Storey, the famous QSHL and NHL referee, wrote, ” The Coloured Line, as a line, could have played on any team, any time, anywhere.”  Manny played baseball in N.B., N.S., and Quebec, consistently batting above .300 with a high of .385 with the Halifax Shipyards in 1943. That same year he led the playoffs with a .448 average. In 1944 Manny was voted the most popular player in the Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League.

(Photo courtesy of The New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame)

He was inducted into the Canadian sports hall of Fame in 2015 and into the NB Sports Hall of Fame in 1997

  • Played high-caliber hockey in the Northern Ontario League, Quebec Provincial League and the Quebec Senior League 
  • Played hockey in Nova Scotia in 1943-44 with the Pictou Shipbuilders and the Truro Bearcats 
  • Played hockey with the Carnegie brothers (Herbie and Ossie) in 1948-49 for the Sherbrooke Saints of the Quebec Senior Hockey League. The trio of Black Canadians became known as “Les Noirs.’’ 
  • Played baseball with the Halifax Shipyards in 1944, helping the team to a Halifax Defense Baseball League Title 
  • Played baseball for Trois-Rivieres of the Quebec Provincial League in 1945 
  • Became the first Black Canadian to sign a professional baseball contract in 1946 when he signed with the Sherbrooke Canadians.