The Goal of My Life
Page 23
• Played in seven All-Star games (1972–78).
• Was First Team All-Star at left wing, 1973–74 and 1974–75.
• Was Second Team All-Star at left wing, 1975–76 and 1976–77.
• Was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.
STAN MIKITA
Born: May 20, 1940, Sokolce, Czechoslovakia
• Played two games in the Summit Series and recorded one assist.
• In 1966–67, became the first player to win three trophies in one season: Hart (MVP), Art Ross (scoring champion), and Lady Byng (most gentlemanly player).
• Won all three trophies again in 1967–68.
• Also won Art Ross Trophy in 1963–64 and 1964–65.
• Won a Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 1960–61.
• Became one of the first players to experiment with a curved blade for his stick.
• Played in 1,394 NHL games between 1958–59 and 1979–80 (541 goals, 926 assists, 1,467 points), all with Chicago.
• Played in nine All-Star games (1964, 1967–69, 1971–75).
• Led NHL in assists, 1964–65 through 1966–67.
• Won the Lester Patrick Trophy for contributions to hockey in the United States, 1976.
• Had the NHL’S third-highest career point total, trailing only Gordie Howe and Phil Esposito (is currently fourteenth).
• Was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.
• Was inducted into the Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002.
• Currently serves as an ambassador of goodwill for the Chicago Blackhawks.
• A statue of Mikita and former teammate Bobby Hull were unveiled outside the United Centre, the home of the Blackhawks, in 2011.
JEAN-PAUL PARISE
Born: December 11, 1941, Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario
• Played six games in the Summit Series, scoring four points and compiling an impressive 28 minutes in penalties, most of which came in the first period of game eight.
• Nicknamed “Jeep.”
• Played in 890 NHL games between 1965–66 and 1978–79, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars and New York Islanders (238 goals, 356 assists, 594 points), which also included time with the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Cleveland Barons.
• Played in two All-Star games (1970, 1973).
• Was a solid two-way left-winger who set career highs in goals (27) and points (75) in 1972–73.
• Was an assistant coach with Minnesota between 1980–88 (with the exception of 1984, when he was the head coach of the North Star’s minor league affiliate Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the Central Hockey League).
• Became a coach and director of hockey at the Shattuck-Saint Mary’s School (alumni include Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, Jack Johnson, and Parise’s son Zach).
• Was named head coach and general manager of the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League for the 2008–09 season, and an assistant the following year.
BRAD PARK
Born: July 6, 1948, Toronto, Ontario
• Played in all eight games of the Summit Series, compiling a goal and four assists.
• Was selected second overall by New York Rangers in the 1966 Amateur Draft.
• Played in 1,113 NHL games between 1968–69 and 1984–85 (213 goals, 683 assists, 896 points) for the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Detroit Red Wings.
• Played in nine All-Star games (1970–78).
• First Team All-Star on defence (1969–70, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1977–78).
• Second Team All-Star on defence (1970–71, 1972–73).
• Was involved in blockbuster trade between New York and Boston in 1975 that sent Park and Jean Ratelle to the Bruins for Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais.
• Won the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance and sportsmanship, 1983–84.
• Following his retirement in 1985, he served briefly as the Red Wings head coach in 1986.
• Was iducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, 1988.
GILBERT PERREAULT
Born: November 13, 1950, Victoriaville, Quebec
• Played two games in the Summit Series, scoring two points.
• Was selected first overall by Buffalo in the 1970 Amateur Draft.
• Combined with Richard Martin and Rene Robert to form the feared French Connection line with the Buffalo Sabres during the 1970s.
• Played in 1,191 NHL games, all with Buffalo (512 goals, 814 assists, 1,326 points).
• Topped 100 points twice (113 in 1975–76 and 106 in 1979–80).
• Played in six All-Star games (1971, 1972, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1984).
• Won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, 1970–71.
• Won the Lady Byng Trophy as the NHL’S most gentlemanly player, 1972–73.
• Was second Team All-Star at centre, 1975–76 and 1976–77.
• Also represented Canada in 1976 and 1981 Canada Cups.
• Won two Memorial Cup championships with Montreal Junior Canadiens, 1969 and 1970.
• Was the only player in Buffalo Sabres history to record a seven-point game.
• Was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 1989.
• Was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, 1990.
• Following his retirement, coached in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, as well as invested in real estate.
• Is currently the corporate and community relations liaison for the Buffalo Sabres.
JEAN RATELLE
Born: October 3, 1940, Lac St. Jean, Quebec
• Played six games in the Summit Series, scoring a goal and adding three assists.
• Played with Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert on the New York Rangers’ GAG (Goal-a-Game) Line.
• Played in 1,281 NHL games between 1960–61 and 1980–81 (491 goals, 776 assists, 1,267 points) with the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins.
• Topped 100 points in 1971–72 (109) and 1975–76 (105).
• Played in five All-Star games (1970–73, 1980).
• Won the Lady Byng Trophy (most gentlemanly player), 1971–72, 1975–76.
• Won the Lester B. Pearson Award as NHLPA’S choice as MVP, 1971–72.
• Won the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance and sportsmanship, 1970–71.
• Was Second Team All-Star at centre, 1971–72.
• Was involved in blockbuster trade between New York and Boston in 1975 that sent Ratelle and Brad Park to the Bruins for Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais.
• Retired as a member of the Boston Bruins in 1981.
• Was assistant coach of the Bruins from 1981–85.
• Was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, 1985.
MICKEY REDMOND
Born: December 27, 1947, Kirkland Lake, Ontario
• Played in one game in the 1972 Summit Series (no points).
• Was the first player in Detroit Red Wing history to score 50 goals.
• Was a member of two Stanley Cup–winning teams with the Montreal Canadiens (1968, 1969).
• Played in 538 NHL games between 1967–68 and 1975–76 (233 goals, 195 assists, 428 points) with the Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings before a back injury forced him to retire.
• Scored 52 goals in 1972–73, 51 in 1973–74.
• Played in the 1974 All-Star Game.
• Was First Team All-Star at right wing, 1972–73.
• Was Second Team All-Star at right wing, 1973–74.
• Since retirement, has had a long-running career as a broadcaster, which currently involves colour commentary for the Detroit Red Wings. He also had a stint on Hockey Night in Canada.
SERGE SAVARD
Born: January 22, 1946, Montreal, Quebec
• Played in five games in the Summit Series, compiling two assists.
• Played in all four of Team Canada’s wins.
• Nicknamed “The Senator.”
• A hairline fract
ure limited his playing time in the Summit Series.
• Won eight Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens (1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976–79).
• Played in 1,040 NHL games between 1966–67 and 1982–83 (106 goals, 333 assists, 439 points) with the Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets.
• Set career highs with 20 goals and 60 points in 1974–75.
• Was the first defenceman to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy, 1968–69.
• Won the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance and sportsmanship, 1978–79.
• Was Second Team All-Star on defence, 1978–79.
• Was part of Montreal’s Big Three on defence that included Guy Lapointe and Larry Robinson, both of whom are also Hall of Fame defencemen.
• Was general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, 1983–95, while also managing Montreal’s junior affiliate the Sherbrooke Canadiens, where he helped guide the team to a Calder Cup in 1985.
• Won two more Stanley Cups as Canadiens’ GM, 1986 and 1993.
• Became an officer of the Order of Canada, 1994.
• Was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, 1986.
• Was made a knight of the National Order of Quebec in 2004.
• Became a partner in a firm of real estate developers.
• Was part-owner of the QMJHL’S PEI Rocket with his son Serge Savard Jr.
ROD SEILING
Born: November 14, 1944, Elmira, Ontario
• Played in three games in the 1972 Summit Series.
• Also represented Canada at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1964.
• Played in the 1972 All-Star Game.
• Played in 979 NHL games between 1962–63 and 1978–79 (62 goals, 269 assists, 331 points).
• Was involved in a seven-player trade between Toronto and New York in February 1964. Seiling, Dick Duff, Bob Nevin, and Arnie Brown went to the Rangers in exchange for Andy Bathgate and Don McKenney.
• Was a steady stay-at-home defenceman
• Since 2006, has been chair of the Ontario Racing Commission.
• Was also president and CEO of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association.
HARRY SINDEN
Born: September 14, 1932, Collins Bay, Ontario
• Was head coach of Team Canada 1972.
• Was a member of Allan Cup–winning Whitby Dunlops in 1957 and 1959.
• Represented Canada at the 1958 World Championships (Canada won the gold medal) and the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California (silver medal).
• Was named top defenceman in Eastern Professional Hockey League, 1961–62 (shared award with Jean Gauthier) and 1962–63.
• Was most valuable player in Eastern Professional Hockey League, 1962–63.
• Was head coach of Boston Bruins, 1966–67 to 1969–70 (also brief stints in 1979–80 and 1984–85).
• Coached Bruins to Stanley Cup championship in 1970.
• Was general manager of the Bruins, 1972–2000.
• Was president of the Bruins, 1989–2006.
• Continues to serve as a senior adviser to the Bruins’ ownership.
• Is a member of the selection committee of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
• Was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder, 1983.
PAT STAPLETON
Born: July 4, 1940, Sarnia, Ontario
• Played in seven games in the Summit Series (no points).
• Was a solid, stay-at-home defenceman paired with Bill White in the series to form a superb defensive duo.
• Played in 635 NHL games between 1961–62 and 1972–73 (43 goals, 294 assists, 337 points) with the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks.
• Played in 372 WHA games between 1973–74 and 1977–78 (27 goals, 212 assists, 238 points).
• Also played for, and was captain of, Team Canada in the 1974 Summit Series.
• Won Dennis Murphy Trophy (top defenceman in the WHA), 1973–74.
• Played in four All-Star games (1967, 1969, 1971, 1972).
• Was Second Team All-Star at defence (1965–66, 1970–71, 1971–72).
• Was WHA First Team All-Star at defence, 1973–74.
• Was WHA Second Team All-Star at defence, 1975–76.
• Was head coach of the WHA Chicago Cougars (1973–75) and Indianapolis Racers (1978–79).
• Is a member of the advisory board of the Junior B Strathroy Rockets of the Western Ontario Junior Hockey League.
DALE TALLON
Born: October 19, 1950, Noranda, Quebec
• Did not appear in the 1972 Summit Series.
• Was selected second overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1970 Amateur Draft.
• Played in two All-Star games (1971, 1972).
• Played in 642 NHL games between 1970–71 and 1979–80 (98 goals, 238 assists, 336 points) with the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
• Set career high in goals (17) in 1971–72 and points (62) in 1975–76.
• Won the Canadian Junior Golf Championship in 1969. Has played on the Canadian PGA Tour.
• After his retirement in 1979–80, became a broadcaster for the Chicago Blackhawks.
• Was Blackhawks director of player personnel from 1998–2002.
• Was assistant general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks from 2003–05.
• Was general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks from 2005–09.
• Became senior advisor of the Blackhawks in July 2009.
• Became general manager of the Florida Panthers in May 2010.
• Although the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in June 2010 after Tallon’s departure to Florida, his name was still engraved on the Cup for being such a large contributor to the development of the championship team.
BILL WHITE
Born: August 26, 1939, Toronto, Ontario
• Played seven games in the Summit Series, scoring a goal and adding an assist.
• Was paired with Pat Stapleton in the series to form a solid duo on defence.
• Was 28 when he made his NHL debut with Los Angeles in 1967.
• Played in 604 NHL games between 1967–68 and 1975–76 for the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks.
• Played in six All-Star games (1969–74).
• Was Second Team All-Star on defence, 1971–72 through 1973–74.
• Suffered a neck injury during 1976 playoffs that forced him to retire.
• Was interim coach of Chicago Blackhawks in 1976–77.
• Later returned to coach the Toronto Marlboros.
APPENDIX 5
Memorable Quotes
SO MUCH HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THE 1972 CANADA–Russia series, but some comments just stand out. In closing, here are a select few that really encapsulate what happened at that great event.
“This was the greatest series played in any sport. This was war!”
— Don Cherry
“What Team Canada ’72 accomplished was incredible. There has never been a greater victory in any sport.”
— Bobby Orr
“This was a cold war. Our way of living against their way of living.”
— Rod Seiling
“It wasn’t a game anymore. It was society against society.”
— Phil Esposito
“This is really life and death here. Down on that ice it is just sheer war.”
— Foster Hewitt
“If we didn’t win, it would be a mark for the rest of our lives.”
— Frank Mahovlich
“It scared the hell out of me that I would have killed them to win. That scared me.”
— Phil Esposito
“The greatest emotional moment a player can have is when he is standing on the ice surface in a foreign country and they are playing your national anthem.”
— Bobby Clarke
“Nothing in hockey ever brought me so low or took me so high. And nothing meant so much.”
— Ken Dryd
en
“I believe the biggest highlight of my hockey career was in 1972 when we were able to win that series that became so important to hockey.”
— Peter Mahovlich
“There’ll never be another one like it and I was proud to be a part of it.”
— Tony Esposito
“I’ve never been prouder of a bunch of guys in my life. That team had a lot of heart.”
— Gary Bergman
“Regardless of all the tension, these games contributed to establishing more human, more normal relations between people. The ‘72 series was absolutely one of the most brilliant events in world hockey in the twentieth century.”
—Vladimir Putin, president of Russia
Looking pretty sharp, I must say – at the ripe old age of two.
The Lucknow Flax Flyers peewee team, circa 1954–55. I was a year or two younger than the rest of my teammates. Top row, left to right: Alan Chin, Bruce Baker, Gerry Mowbary, me (in the hat), Doug Schmidt. Bottom row, left to right: Fraser Ashton, Jim Peterson, Bill Robinson, Harold Howald, Barry McDonagh.
My yearbook photo from Lucknow District High School, 1957–58 school year.
At the prom in Lucknow in 1961. Eleanor was the only girl in the room wearing an orchid, and look at me, decked out in my Hamilton Red Wings jacket.
From my rookie season as a member of the Detroit Red Wings, ready to go, in 1963–64.
From my second season with the Red Wings, circa 1964-65.
My 100th NHL goal, scored against the New York Rangers and Gilles Villemure, at Maple Leaf Gardens. It was a nice one, as I put a shot into the top corner.
My Team Canada picture, taken before the Series started in 1972.
With Eleanor in Moscow’s famous Red Square, taken during the 1972 Summit Series.
Hockey fans in Moscow liked autographs as much as Canadian fans did, and it was great to meet and mingle with some of them in Red Square.