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Paris Park to be named after local Hockey Star Jay Wells
When you talk to the people of Paris about the NHL, they will undoubtedly mention Syl Apps Sr., one of the Parisians to make it to the big leagues. Syl Apps hung up his skates in 1948 after an illustrious career and two Stanley Cups with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he is now enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
But there is another Parisian, Jay Wells, that also made his mark in the NHL and brought home the Stanley Cup to Paris. He was born on May 18, 1959, and drafted into the NHL in 1979 as a six-foot-one, 210-pound defenseman who built his muscles doing chores on his father’s farm at the end of Keg Lane It’s also where he learned to skate and play hockey on the fabled Wells Pond.
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Jay is the youngest of three brothers (he also has two sisters), and hockey runs in the family. Brothers Don and Bill played senior "A" with the Cambridge Hornets, and before that, Bill helped the Toronto Marlboros win the Memorial Cup in 1974 Jay learned the game in the Ayr minor system. His father (Scott) used to play for the Ayr Rockets, he knew more people there, so that's where Jay played, even though they were eight miles closer to Paris. From the Ayr minors, Jay went on to play junior "B" with the Preston Raiders. Then he was drafted by Kingston. Until then, he hadn't really thought about playing junior A or the NHL He didn't think he was good enough.
Working during the off-season on the family farm kept Jay in pretty good shape. It's a cash-crop farm, with pigs and cattle. His brother Don lived there too and co-owned the farm with his dad. Jay came home every summer and helped out.
Wells was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the NHL Entry Draft (16th overall). He made his debut with the Kings during the 1979-80 season, playing in 40 games and recording 10 points Wells quickly established himself as a physical defenseman, known for his hardhitting style of play and his willingness to drop the gloves when necessary, he was nicknamed "The Hammer".
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