Bobby Orr means a lot to anyone who has any love of the game. Like all greats, he is known for many great things - championships, stats, magical plays, etc. However, great players also have certain subtleties which add to their mystique. In Orr's case, one of things I always loved about him was …
Category: people and places
Lou Angotti, Dennis Kearns and the Kansas City Scouts
After our WOHL game tonite, Mike Paola asked if anyone remembered the name Lou Angotti. Given the age of the guys in the room, most did. I immediately remembered him as a Minnesota North Star (a team he never played for) while most of the others nailed him correctly as a Black Hawk for …
Continue reading Lou Angotti, Dennis Kearns and the Kansas City Scouts
Dave Dryden
Any old-school, hockey-loving Canuck worth his Tackaberries knows Ken Dryden, the storied Canadian / Canadien hero goalie with more Connie Smythe hardware and Stanley Cup rings than "Carter has pills" as my father-in-law would say. (Not sure who Carter was but he's quoted often at the in-laws; however I digress). A lesser known fact …
Backyard Rink No More
Cold day here today in KW. Rain is coming down and bringing leaves with it. For years, when my kids were younger, it was around this time of the fall that I'd start getting things ready to build the backyard rink for the upcoming winter. For several years when I first built it, I just …
The Brooklyn Islanders
I'll admit it - I'm a former Islander fan who gave up on his team along time ago. As a kid, and several years before they ran off four straight cup wins, I was a big fan of the Islanders. In the years following those cups, when Pat Flatley was captain (a player I actually …
Bobby Orr, Guy LaFleur and Dumping It In
After our WOHL game tonight, the discussion somehow got to whether Orr or LaFleur ever dumped the puck in during the NHL days. There wasn't much discussion but one passionate opinion (from a teammate who does not drive, nor will he ever drive, a Mazda) suggested that not only did they never dump it in …
Greats Who Never Won The Cup
I got thinking the other day about some of the great pros I watched as a kid who never won it all. Jean Ratelle comes to mind. I remember him being so good in those late 70's series against the Habs and the Bruins coming so close. Gilbert Perreault is another. Him and his French …
I Never Once Played Goalie
If you played organized hockey as a little kid, chances are decent you threw the pads on for at least one go in the cage. It might have only been for a practice, or a scrimmage or even a mother-son, father-son game. I never did. I had aspirations of doing so. I was all queued …
Who Was First Euro Player in Hockey Hall?
Tretiak! A fitting choice. Check out this blog entry at 3rd String Goalie for more details.
Rockstars and Hockey
Here's a great story about two great Canadian musicians and hockey. My neighbour told this one over dinner a couple of years back. This neighbour knew someone who was friends with Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip and Downie apparently plays goalie. So, this story comes from Downie to a friend who is also a …
Rink Tales 