Copyright © 2012 by Paul Henderson and Roger Lajoie
All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the publisher – or, in case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency – is an infringement of the copyright law.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Henderson, Paul, 1943-
The goal of my life / Paul Henderson, Roger Lajoie.
eISBN: 978-0-7710-4651-3
1. Henderson, Paul, 1943-. 2. Hockey players – Canada – Biography. I. Lajoie,
Roger, 1958–. II. Title.
GV848.5.H4H45 2012 796.962092 C2012-900965-2
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and that of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporation’s Ontario Book Initiative. We further acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program.
Published simultaneously in the United States of America by Fenn/McClelland & Stewart, a division of Random House of Canada Limited, P.O. Box 1030, Plattsburgh, New York 12901
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012932349
Fenn/McClelland & Stewart, a division of Random House of Canada Limited
One Toronto Street
Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario
M5C 2V6
www.mcclelland.com
v3.1
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Foreword Ron Ellis
Introduction Paul Henderson
Introduction Roger Lajoie
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
Appendix 1 Timeline
Appendix 2 Paul for the Hall
Appendix 3 Cops for Cancer
Appendix 4 1972 Team Canada
Appendix 5 Memorable Quotes
Photo Insert
FOREWORD RON ELLIS
ON MARCH 3, 1968, THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS traded all-star left-winger Frank Mahovlich to the Detroit Red Wings, along with forwards Pete Stemkowski and Garry Unger and the rights to defenceman Carl Brewer. In return, the Leafs got the services of Norm Ullman and Floyd Smith, both of whom were NHL veterans, and a young, up-and-coming star by the name of Paul Henderson. This was the first major trade I had witnessed in my career that involved teammates who had become close friends, reminding me that professional sport is a business. Little did I know at the time how this trade would affect the rest of my life.
In my first three seasons with the Leafs, I had lined up for faceoffs against Henderson many nights. He was fast – he could reach full speed in two strides – and he possessed an enviable snap shot that he used effectively coming off the left wing as a right-hand shot. It was obvious to me that I couldn’t give him a lot of room on the ice. After Henny joined the Leafs, he said, “Well, at least I won’t be shadowed by that Ellis guy anymore.” By the start of the 1968–69 season, we had become the best of friends, and so had our wives. We enjoyed many holidays in Florida together as couples after the rigours of long hockey seasons.
A major break in my career occurred when Leafs coach Punch Imlach inserted me on the right side of a line with Normie and Henny, and over the better part of six years we were known to the fans as the HUE Line. It was a pleasure going to work every day knowing that I would be sharing the ice with friends. Even though the Leafs failed to reach the upper echelon in the league standings, our line was as productive as any in the league; each of us tallied more than 150 goals between the trade and the end of the 1973–74 season. Paul led in goals, though I would have gotten closer to him if he hadn’t gotten in the way one night. While I wound up to shoot the puck into an open net, Henny slid across the goal crease after being tripped and took the puck on the chin, breaking his jaw. I didn’t get the goal, and Paul had to wear a cage for the rest of the season. Sorry, buddy!
Henny radiated confidence in his abilities, which was the opposite of his linemate, who was always dealing with self-doubt. His encouragement helped me through more than one scoring slump, and this wonderful character trait carried into his life after hockey. It always amazed me when he would come into the locker room before a game and quietly tell me he was going to notch a couple that night. More times than not, he’d do it. Normie and I would be the beneficiaries, picking up a few points as well.
There was a major buzz in the hockey world in the spring of 1972 around the proposed Summit Series between the Soviet Union and Canada. The Russians were dominating international hockey at the time, and the only defence Canadian fans had was the fact that our professionals were not playing. The general consensus was that our best Canadian pros would give the Russians a thumping.
As the HUE Line was clicking on all cylinders, to our delight Henny and I got an invitation to the Team Canada training camp being held in Toronto that August. The selection committee also decided to choose Bobby Clarke, a young centre from the Philadelphia Flyers on the verge of breaking out as a star, and on the first day of camp assigned him to play between Henny and me. Clarke’s style of play was very similar to Norm Ullman’s, and as a result Paul and I didn’t have to make adjustments to our game. To my mind, this is the main reason our line impressed and played all eight games of the series as a unit.
All of Canada remembers the shock of game one on a September evening in Montreal as we were handed a 7–3 loss. Early in the first period, when we held a 2–0 lead, Henny said to me after a shift on the ice, “This is going to be a long, long series.” How right he was. The Russians were dancing and we were sucking air. This initial setback, however, set the scene for a great Canadian comeback and the heroics of my friend and teammate Paul Henderson. The script that followed was so unbelievable that Hollywood would probably have turned it down. With thirty-four seconds left on the clock in game eight, Paul Henderson scored the goal that was heard around the world. Team Canada won the Summit Series with a 4–3–1 record. Henny scored the winning goal in the final three games in Moscow, which we won 3–2, 4–3, and 6–5. Yes, we really thumped those Russians! I was so proud of my friend, and being able to experience this life event together with him was magic.
A story came out of the winning goal, and it changes somewhat depending on who is telling it. Before the final game, Henny said to me in the locker room, “I think you are going to get the winner tonight.” As noted, he was pretty good with his predictions, but I proved him wrong this time. You see, he actually scored the “Goal of the Century.” No doubt about it, I got the best of him … I think.
In September 1973, before the Leafs training camp, we decided to take our wives for a holiday in Switzerland using the Air Canada tickets that were a gift from the series. We had a super time driving around, catching all the sights while breaking bread and sipping wine together at our various stops around the country. This holiday also started a new journey in life for all four of us.
It was decided that I would be the main driver and that Henny would be responsible for reading the maps – and unfortunately also be responsible for looking after the plane tickets. The guy who scored the Goal of the Century misread the time of departure, and as a result we missed our return
flight. To top it off, Paul had to dole out some cash to put his wife, Nora, on a flight with another airline as she had to get home for one of their daughters’ medical procedure. The remaining three of us had to stay over another night and fly out the next day.
On the flight home, Paul reiterated to me a statement he had made on the top of a Swiss mountain: “I am going to find God.” When Paul Henderson makes a commitment to something, look out. A good example is the day he challenged himself to win the open golf championship at the Mississauga Golf and Country Club. In short order, he accomplished the feat after his sixtieth birthday, defeating much younger competitors, many of whom were scratch golfers.
Paul was relentless on his journey and drove people crazy – among them Mel Stevens from Teen Ranch – trying to get answers to his questions. I believe that in the end, as Paul made himself open to Christian principles, God found him, and shortly afterwards Nora invited the Lord into her life. Paul challenged Jan and me to consider our spiritual life, and with the help of godly friends such as Mel Stevens and their prayers, we also became believers.
As professional athletes, we tend to concentrate on developing ourselves physically, intellectually, and emotionally, often neglecting the spiritual side of life. Thanks to someone who cared about me, I finally addressed the issue of what I knew was missing in my life and now feel totally complete in the Lord.
After a storied hockey career, Paul considered the financial investment industry as a possible new opportunity. During our playing days together, he had been very much into the stock market. It was obvious to all around him at the time that he would be very successful in this field of endeavour. But the Lord had a different plan, and after much prayer and discussion with advisers, Paul joined a ministry that would in time find him affecting the spiritual lives of countless executives across our country. I have met many of the men whose lives have been changed through Paul’s ministry. As Rick Warren says in his book The Purpose-Driven Life, these men, myself included, have found that being successful and fulfilling your life’s purpose are not at all the same issue.
Thank you, my friend, for being my linemate and my brother in the Lord. I am truly grateful for the journey we have travelled together following that life-changing event on March 3, 1968.
Ron Ellis
Toronto, Ontario
January 10, 2012
INTRODUCTION PAUL HENDERSON
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF YOUR LIFE?
That’s a question nobody ever asks me because they all think they know the answer when it comes to Paul Henderson. They all just assume that the “goal” of my life was the one I scored on September 28, 1972.
I slid a puck past Vladislav Tretiak that day to give Canada the Summit Series win over the Russians in Moscow, and that goal certainly changed my life forever. No doubt it was the biggest goal I ever scored in a hockey game, and because of it, a lot more people know who Paul Henderson is than would have if I hadn’t scored it. It’s been called the Goal of the Century, after all, and being the player who scored it certainly gives me some instant recognition in our wonderful and hockey-mad country.
Before that epic series in 1972, you had to be a fairly dedicated hockey fan to know the name Paul Henderson. I had a good, solid career, don’t get me wrong, but that goal gave me a stature in this country that would not have been possible unless I’d converted that rebound in game eight.
It certainly was the goal of my life on the ice. When something you did is recognized as the Canadian sports moment of the century, well, it’s very satisfying. When that happens, you can do two things – run away and hide from it or embrace it. I made a conscious decision to embrace it, and I have done just that all of my life. So yes, The Goal certainly was the goal of my life from that standpoint.
And I will talk about it later on in this book, as I have talked about it for many years. I never get tired of hearing somebody’s story of where they were when the goal was scored and what the goal meant to them, or being asked yet again what happened leading up to it. I love talking about all aspects of it. Like I said, I embrace it.
But if you ask me the question, “What is the goal of your life?” then you might be surprised to hear my answer. That goal was my on-ice highlight, without question – how can it not be? – but I read that question differently. The goal of a person’s life has nothing to do with the kind of goals a hockey player scores on the ice; the goal of a person’s life is their purpose, their personal answer as to why they are on this planet and what they want to do with their life.
It took me a long time to answer that question for myself, and a lot of soul-searching. But the goal of my life has nothing to do with any hockey game.
INTRODUCTION ROGER LAJOIE
JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE WHO IS OLD ENOUGH TO remember Thursday, September 28, 1972, I have a Paul Henderson story about where I was when The Goal was scored.
I was fourteen years old, in grade eight at LaSalle Catholic Comprehensive High School. Unlike some other students, I didn’t take the day off school to watch the game, even though I was a huge hockey fan (still am to this day, of course). I didn’t have to because there were television sets at school so students could watch, as there had been all week.
Because of the time difference, it was the middle of the school day while the games from Russia were on, and the ever-wise teachers at our school decided that if students knew the game was on TV at school, maybe they’d actually go to school instead of skipping class. That fact – and the fact that my mother would definitely not have approved of skipping class to watch a hockey game – ensured I was at school when game eight from Moscow was on.
Even though there were televisions all over the school, if I remember correctly, the prime viewing locations for the game were in the gym or in the library.
We had a teacher at the school named Edna Gardner who was a stern disciplinarian. You did not fool around with Mrs. Gardner, but even she realized that the magnitude of this hockey game took precedence over the run-of-the-mill day at school in late September.
She was stationed in the library, where there had to be hundreds of kids gathered around the TV taking in the final minutes of the game. Clearly she did not approve of such a mass of students in one area, and normally she was so stern that she’d just stare any student down who dared not to be in class at any given moment in the day (I was scared to death of her, I freely admit that now). But even she laid low, just surveying us all with her steely eagle eyes while we watched the final minutes unfold.
When that Paul Henderson shot slid past Vladislav Tretiak, the library, normally a sanctuary of silence, exploded into a crescendo of noise that only several hundred students delirious with joy could have possibly made. I mean, so help me God, the walls in that room shook from the eruption of sound.
I remember the delirious cheers, I can even remember Foster Hewitt’s infamous “Henderson has scored for Canada!” call. But I can also remember Edna Gardner’s screams too, as she demanded that we all calm down as she snapped off the TV set in an attempt to quell what I’m sure she thought was going to be a riot.
She needn’t have worried. There was no anger in that response, just pure joy mixed in with a palatable sense of relief. We all believed that there was no way Canada was going to lose that Summit Series to the Russians, and by God, we didn’t. Thanks to Paul Henderson, of course.
So fast-forward nearly forty years later, and my friends at Heritage Hockey ask me to help to put together the story of Paul Henderson in time for the fortieth anniversary of the Goal of the Century. We’ll call it The Goal of My Life, they tell me, which is a sort of double entendre of The Goal in Russia and Paul’s ultimate goal of the purpose statement that he follows in his life.
To many Canadians under the age of forty, Paul Henderson is as much known for being a Christian as he is a hockey player. To those of us on the north side of forty, he’ll always be better known as the player who scored the biggest goal in the history of hockey in this country (
and sorry, Darryl Sittler, Mario Lemieux, and Sidney Crosby, his goal was bigger. Trust me, you had to be there to understand. There is really no argument – if you were alive in 1972, you know why).
So my task was simple: meet with Paul Henderson as often as possible, listen to his stories, and write eighty thousand words in his voice. And the end result of that is what you hold in your hands today.
This was my pleasure, believe me. In many ways it was my honour, without trying to sound too sappy about it. Paul Henderson’s final story to the world, in his words, all about The Goal of His Life – I was just thrilled to do it.
Paul has lived a dynamic and fascinating life both on and off the ice. He beat the odds just by making it to the NHL out of Lucknow, Ontario, and enjoyed a solid professional hockey career. He scored the most important goal in Canadian hockey history, but he battled demons after that for several years. He finally found his calling to his ministry, but only after being denied careers as a broker and as a broadcaster. It was an interesting road he travelled.
Paul Henderson’s life story can teach us a lot of things about perseverance and discovering what really matters in life. But it taught me – or I guess I should be honest and say it reminded me, as I’ve always really known this – that no good or bad things happen to us: everything is indifferent. It’s our attitude and how we react to life’s challenges that make an experience good or bad for us.
Paul had a challenging relationship with his father, for instance, which can be bad; but without it, he knows he wouldn’t have become the player that he became. His father was clearly a driving force in his life, but he was also a demanding man, as you’ll read later, and could be very hard on Paul. As Paul says many years later, he spent a lot of his life, especially his younger life, trying to please his father.
Paul Henderson scored the biggest goal in Canadian hockey history, which can be great; but that fame led to perhaps the darkest period of his life. He was denied careers as a broker and broadcaster, which can be bad; but those roadblocks led him to his true calling and a satisfaction that he could never have achieved without that adversity.
The Goal of My Life Page 1