Joseph R. Byrne

Joseph (Joe) Richard Byrne (March 22, 1921 – August 26, 1990) was a Canadian ice hockey player.

Joe Byrne learned the game of hockey from Hall of Famer Alex Connell. After leaving the service in 1946, he joined the New York Rangers organization and worked as a scout in the early 1950s. He was hired by the Grand Falls Athletic Association to coach their hockey team and arrived in Grand Falls, Newfoundland on December 7, 1949. He was involved in Newfoundland hockey as either a coach, player or referee for the next 40 years until his retirement in the summer of 1989. Byrne operated a sports shop at Grand Falls beginning in the early 1950s.

In 1982 he was presented with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association Gordon Jukes Hockey Development Award which is an award for national achievement

Byrne was inducted into the Sport NL Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.

Byrne was born in Charlesbourg, Quebec City on March 22, 1921. He had one brother and four sisters. His wife's name was Patricia (Pat). He died on August 26, 1990 in Grand Falls-Windsor. On March 22, 1991, as a tribute to his contributions to hockey in the community and the province during his 40-year career, the Grand Falls Stadium was renamed Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium on what would have been his 70th birthday.