As NHL teams are officially eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore national sports editor James Bisson takes a look back at the highs and lows of their season, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The first edition focuses on the Vancouver Canucks.
The Good
Brock Boeser's sensational season. Just about everything good that happened for the Canucks this season centered around Boeser, who was in the hunt for the Calder Trophy with 29 goals and 55 points through 62 games before suffering a season-ending back injury. The Islanders' Mathew Barzal should win the award, but Boeser is a deserving runner-up.
The 2015 first-round pick was particularly dangerous on the power play, racking up 10 man-advantage goals to ensure at least one area of Vancouver's special teams wasn't a total disaster. And with the Canucks potentially freeing up a pile of cash this summer (more on that later), don't be surprised to see them add some help for their 21-year-old phenom.
The first 10 games. It might be difficult for Canucks fans to look back this far, but the team actually got off to a great start with a 6-3-1 record through its opening 10 games. That stretch was punctuated by a 4-1-0 record on its five-game trip through Ottawa, Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, and Minnesota, with the only loss in that span coming at the hands of the Bruins.
Vancouver showed sensational goal-prevention skills in winning five out of six games overall, allowing two or fewer goals in all five of those victories. The goaltending tandem of Anders Nilsson and Jacob Markstrom looked virtually unbeatable. The good times didn't last long, but for at least the first 12.2 percent of the season, the Canucks looked like a playoff threat.
The power play. As deficient as the Canucks have been on offense, their power play actually ranks in the top half of the league as of Friday (20.9 percent). Vancouver has four players who have potted seven or more man-advantage goals as the season winds down, with Boeser joined by Daniel Sedin (eight), Bo Horvat (eight), and Sven Baertschi (seven).
The problem is that the Canucks' somewhat successful power play hasn't been able to mask a penalty kill that ranks 25th overall at 77.5 percent. That, and the fact that Vancouver has been thoroughly outplayed at five-on-five (minus-29 through Thursday's games). But Boeser's return should ensure the Canucks once again roll out a strong PP next season.
Horvat's step forward. Nearly every team has that one young player who divides the fan base - and it's fair to say Horvat is the Canucks' most polarizing skater. But it's hard to deny that the hulking center, who turns 23 on April 5, has improved demonstrably in several areas, even if that betterment doesn't necessarily show up in his final scoring ledger.
Horvat is seeing a career high in ice time (19:17) and is making the most of it, increasing his faceoff success rate to 53.1 percent while also establishing career bests in Corsi For (49.2), Fenwick (48.4), and PDO (100.6). Add in the fact that he's a near-lock to return to the 20-goal plateau, and it's clear he's a player the Canucks can build around moving forward.
Brendan Leipsic's audition. It's impossible to know how Leipsic fits into the Canucks' long-term plans, but from what he has shown them so far, he could find himself as one of the team's key forwards in 2018-19. In addition to racking up six points over his first eight games with the club, he's playing an absurd 18 minutes per night - well above his 13-minute career average.
Leipsic has had a positive impact in limited time, the Canucks' remarkable recent scoring woes aside. And at an absolute bargain cost of $650,000 next season - he'll be an RFA in the summer of 2019 - his emergence will allow Vancouver to slot him in as a top-six forward without paying him like one. Look for Leipsic to be a popular guy in British Columbia next season.
The Bad
The Sedins' graceful decline. It's always difficult for a fan base to see its beloved skill players - particularly those who spend their entire career with that team - lose their effectiveness. And it's doubly disconcerting for Canucks supporters, who have had to watch the only two 1,000-point men in franchise history hit their decline at the same time.
Daniel has actually been slightly more efficient from a scoring perspective but is down to 15 minutes per game, his fewest since 2003-04. Henrik is headed for his first sub-50-point non-lockout showing since that same season. Unless they're willing to take a major discount, their time in Vancouver could be coming to an end. And if it is, they'll go out as they came in - quietly.
Disappointing defense. Vancouver's blue-liners have been a disaster, contributing significantly to the team's season-long goal-prevention struggles. And they haven't provided much at the offensive end, either. Only one defenseman - Michael Del Zotto (six) - has scored more than twice, and the unit has just 15 goals combined.
Vancouver has nearly $19 million tied up in its top-five salaried D-men next season, so look for a shake-up on the back end. It would behoove the Canucks to find someone who can produce offense from the blue line, and to consider moving at least one of their big-ticket defensemen out of town to make room for a blue-line prospect.
Sam Gagner's struggles. Gagner might never have lived up to his promise in seven seasons in Edmonton, but at least he was consistent, producing 10-18 goals and 37-49 points each season. The Canucks only wish he were that prolific this season, as he's on pace for a career low in goals and points in seasons where he played more than 55 games.
Playing for his fifth different team in the past five seasons, perhaps Gagner just can't get settled. And as hard as it is to believe, he's only 28. But with two more years and $6.3 million remaining on his contract, Vancouver needs to get more out of him on the offensive end. Or, perhaps they could trade him back to the Oilers - those guys could use a few more 40-point scorers.
Loui Eriksson's contract. This has officially become one of those things you just don't talk about with Canucks fans, unless you're craving a face punch. Signed to an inexplicably bad six-year, $36-million deal in 2016 that prevents him from being traded until 2020-21, Eriksson's return on investment has been, to say the least, minimal (21 goals, 23 assists in 115 games).
With the deal primarily made up of guaranteed money in the form of signing bonuses, a buyout isn't happening. And while he can hold his own on the defensive end, that contract is a poison pill for the Canucks for at least the next three seasons beyond this one. On the bright side, Eriksson's season-ending injury at the end of February spared him the fans' ire. For now.
Dreadful goaltending. The Canucks' dismal stretch of play that ran for more than a month in December and early January can't be pinned on one or two players - but some were more culpable than others. And the duo of Nilsson and Markstrom didn't do the team any favors over that stretch, each allowing more than their fair share of questionable goals.
The Canucks put together two four-game losing streaks and a five-game skid over that 15-game nightmare stretch - and Nilsson and Markstrom allowed at least three goals in all of those defeats. In fact, Vancouver surrendered five or more goals in seven of the 13 losses - and even surrendered three goals in one of the two wins over that span. It doesn't get much worse than that.
The Questions
Are the Sedins coming back? It's the biggest question of the offseason for the Canucks - and could completely alter the complexion of the team heading into 2018-19. The Sedins, for their part, haven't tipped their hand - but even if they do come back for what might be their final season, it should be at a much lower sticker price than the combined $14 million they made this year.
If the price tag is reasonable, there's no way the Canucks don't re-sign them; allowing them to hit the market would be horrible optics for the franchise. But if they do decide to retire, Vancouver would have enough cap space to take an immediate run at a less seasoned star player while retaining enough money to take care of their gaggle of talented young players.
What happens in net? Based on how Nilsson and Markstrom have performed this season, at least one of them won't be around in 2018-19. It'll be a lot easier for the Canucks to deal Nilsson, who has one year left on his contract at a reasonable $2.5 million cap hit. Markstrom is locked in for the next two seasons at nearly $3.7 million per year against the cap.
Thatcher Demko is having a terrific season with the Canucks' American Hockey League affiliate in Utica (20-10-6, 2.51 goals-against average, .920 save percentage) and should absolutely be given the opportunity to challenge for the No. 1 job. The 22-year-old could make an immediate impact for a team that desperately needs someone to stop the puck.
How do they handle their young players? Vancouver has some interesting decisions to make over the next two offseasons, with seven restricted free agents this summer and another six RFAs at the end of the 2018-19 campaign. Boeser's a slam dunk to be retained when his contract is up next year - but what will the Canucks do with the rest of their RFAs?
Baertschi is due a modest raise from the $1.85 million he made this season, while Markus Granlund, Derrick Pouliot, and Jake Virtanen should also see a slight boost. But with several other prospects coming up in the next two-to-three years, Vancouver won't be able to keep all of them. How they reshuffle the young guys will be an interesting offseason subplot.
Is it time for a free-agent splash? How the Canucks proceed this summer will depend on what happens with the Sedins - and for a team with precious little wiggle room at the moment, the salary relief will be huge. That said, fans shouldn't necessarily expect a major free-agent signing - not with a handful of raises to give out and most of the other big-ticket guys still under contract.
The Canucks have holes to fill at all three levels, but the organization will likely look to improve from within and at the draft rather than make it rain in free agency. And while that might come as a bit of a disappointment to fans, Vancouver clearly needs a long-term fix over a band-aid treatment - so there's more pain to come, the kind that can't be remedied through free agency.
Can the draft provide immediate help? The short answer here is yes - especially if the Canucks win the Rasmus Dahlin sweepstakes. Dahlin would provide an immediate upgrade to Vancouver's beleaguered blue line, giving them the offensive defenseman they need while allowing them to shuffle out one of their current top four for picks or prospects.
James Bisson celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 1992-93 season with a look back at the Montreal Canadiens, who rode one of the most improbable streaks in history to their 24th Stanley Cup title. Several members of the team agreed to share their memories of that incredible run.
After being swept by the Boston Bruins in the second round a year earlier, widespread change was the theme heading into Canadiens training camp. Gone was fiery head coach Pat Burns, who made the trek westward to become the new bench boss of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was replaced by Jacques Demers, who had last coached in the NHL with Detroit in 1989-90.
Gilbert Dionne: Pat was dealing with stress, as I realized later on in my career ... he spent four years in Montreal, faced a lot of pressure there, and things weren't working out, so changes had to be made. So Pat was on his way out and ended up going to Toronto, which back then we thought was our nemesis. The Toronto Maple Leafs, just down the road! (laughs) I'm like, "Wow, Pat's going there?"
Stephan LeBeau: I had played the three years prior under Pat Burns. I was playing great hockey, but didn't have a lot of ice time. I'm not saying it was a big battle between me and Pat - it was a battle between the media and Pat Burns regarding my situation. I was a French-Canadian, I was putting up the numbers for the ice time I had, so often the reporters were challenging Pat - not the best thing to do if you don't want to upset him. I struggled to get more ice time, and I felt it was a conflict of who's right in my situation - the reporters or Pat Burns. With Pat, it was step by step. "You're young, take your time, don't rush things." So when Jacques arrived, it was a complete change.
Burns and Demers couldn't have been more different. While Burns motivated largely through tough talk, Demers was known best for being a player's coach - and that made an immediate impact on a team whose average age among players who suited up that season was 24.9.
Vincent Damphousse: Jacques had a strong message for us. He was a very strong motivator. That was his strength. He was the best coach I ever had in my career. He was able to get the best out of everybody and find a role for everybody. He wasn't an Xs and Os coach or a tactical coach - just a guy who gets you to believe that you're really important, from the first to the last guy.
John LeClair: It wasn't about yelling. It was just his approach to things. Burnsie had his own approach and that's how he was successful, but Jacques' was successful in a way where he was positive, and that positive feeling was something that the team really took in and thrived on.
Dionne: When Jacques came in, we felt totally refreshed. For me, as a younger player, Pat was kind of harder on the young kids coming in. When Jacques came in he was more open to the rookies and made us feel welcome and want to be part of the team. We had a great coaching staff for that, with (assistants) Jacques Laperriere and Charles Thiffault ... these guys were there to teach us, not to punish us. I really enjoyed it when Jacques showed up and brought some positives to the team and helped us believe in ourselves.
LeBeau: Confidence is a key element of success both as teams and individuals; Jacques not only believed in us, he made us feel like we could do it. I don't remember how many exactly, but several players on that team had the best seasons of their career in 1992-93.
Demers' impact on the fresh-faced Canadiens was immediate. No longer was the bulk of the ice time reserved for the team's veteran skaters. Everyone got a chance to contribute across all forward lines and defense pairings.
Dionne: Back then, everyone was looking for a 50-goal scorer. But we weren't going with one man only to get us 50 goals. Jacques and the coaching staff said, "If we can go with four lines, and maybe limit some of these guys' ice time by a minute or two (per game), something good is going to come out of it." And sure enough, that gave me a great opportunity, getting some second-unit and power-play time, and getting a few goals here and there.
LeClair: Any time you get a new coach, there's always that boost of energy. Guys are excited to play for a new guy and show him what they can do. He gave guys different roles, me being one of them. I had a little bit of a bigger role with Jacques there than I did with Pat. You're a little bit more excited to play, and I think we proved that in our game.
LeBeau: I don't remember exactly when, but very early in training camp, Jacques brought me in his office and said to me, "Stephane, I know what you've been through, but I really need you this year. And you're going to have a big impact on the hockey team." That was his first message to me, and I walked out of his office, and I was relieved. I was lighter. For once, I felt the trust that my role was going to increase. And it did happen - and that's why I had my best season.
Demers wasn't the only new face in town. The Canadiens made two significant moves just prior to the start of the season; they acquired Damphousse from Edmonton for Shayne Corson, Brent Gilchrist, and Vladimir Vujtek, and snagged Brian Bellows from the Minnesota North Stars for Russ Courtnall.
While goal prevention was the trademark of the Patrick Roy-led Canadiens, the addition of Damphousse and Bellows - who combined for 68 goals and 96 assists in 1991-92 - was expected to bolster a moribund Montreal offense that ranked 14th in the 22-team league a season earlier.
Damphousse: I was traded in August, a week before a training camp. For me to come home and wear that jersey was unbelievable.
LeClair: With Bellows, he was a pure goal-scorer. He knew how to put the puck in the net. And obviously Vinny was a big offensive guy, too. Adding those two guys, you hope that you will see some increase. Shayne was more of a two-way player. He could score, but he had more of an all-around game. (Courtnall) was a goal-scorer, but he was streaky. With what we got, we were hoping to get more consistent goal-scoring out of those two guys.
Dionne: I think that helped big time; teams were coming in and they were confused, because even if the top line was shut down, we had the second and third lines stepping in and doing the job.
Despite the influx of scoring and an emphasis on youth, nobody was picking the Canadiens to go all the way - nobody, that is, except for Demers, who came out prior to the season and proclaimed that Montreal would shock the world and win the Cup.
Patrick Roy (as told to Hugo Fontaine of canadiens.com in March 2017): I remember when Jacques came out on the ice for our first practice and said that, we all just looked at each other with these confused expressions and wondered if maybe we hadn't heard him correctly or something.
LeBeau: I always think that we were underestimated. No, we weren't the favorite, and I won't argue that we weren't the best team in the league that year, but we were certainly one of the best. We didn't have a Mario Lemieux or a Steve Yzerman offensively, but our team was a quality one - and that's why I think we were underestimated. But it didn't feel like we were young. The way we handled adversity and success made it feel like we were a mature team.
Also working in the Habs' favor that season: leadership. Not only did they feature Guy Carbonneau as captain and a host of vocal veterans in Mike Keane, Kirk Muller, and Patrick Roy, but Canadiens players had access to more than a few guys who had played for the Cup before.
LeClair: Guy was huge. When you talk about us being a young team, the reason we were able to be successful was because of the leadership we had - and that started with Carbo. The guy doesn't panic, he doesn't change, he's the same temperament no matter the situation, always says the right thing. His leadership on the ice was fabulous. He's the biggest team guy I ever played with. He's one of those guys that everybody loves to play with. I have tremendous respect for the guy.
Dionne: We had great support up top with Serge Savard winning Stanley Cups, and with Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau and Guy Lafleur coming in the dressing room. I would ask them, "What did you guys used to do back in the day?" Communication with the alumni guys was huge for me. It helped me big time. Mario Tremblay worked for a local radio station, and he would come to practice. I would say, "Mario, I'm struggling on the wing here. What's up?" And he would guide me. That worked for me, and I appreciated it.
The Canadiens came out on fire, putting together a 13-1-1 stretch from Oct. 17 to Nov. 17 en route to a 14-4-2 start to the year. But an 8-10-2 stretch over the next 20 games quelled much of the enthusiasm over the hot start - and typified the regular season for Montreal, which ran hot and cold for the majority of the campaign.
LeClair: I can't speak for everybody, but that was only my second full year in the league. I wasn't by any means a polished pro, and it takes a while to get that consistency in your game. Any pro has ups and downs throughout the year, but the guys who have been in the league a while, theirs are a lot shorter because they know how to handle it and they get out of it a little quicker. I do think being young did (contribute) to a lot of that roller-coaster ride.
Dionne: I think sometimes that's what happens with young players, and especially forwards like me. You gotta get goals, gotta get assists, and if you don't, you feel the pressure. I didn't want to go back to Fredericton. People talk, and the media puts pressure on you. And believe it or not, although you all like each other, sometimes when you're with the same players, you get grumpy. You get frustrated. Then you might start blaming others, saying, "I don't get the puck enough. I'm not getting enough playing time. I'm not getting enough power-play minutes." The forwards blame the defense, and the defensemen blame the forwards. And it snowballs.
LeBeau: Jacques was always in search of the right move to put us in the right spirits. Sometimes he was hard on us, and sometimes he would flatter us. The strategy depended on the situation. He could feel the mood of a dressing room and adjust accordingly. So sometimes we would be playing well and he would be tough on us, while sometimes we would be in a slump and it was time to release the pressure - and he would do that. Jacques always had a way to hold on to the dressing room.
While the Canadiens found themselves in a battle for top spot in the Adams Division with the Boston Bruins and Quebec Nordiques, the Journal de Montreal ran a poll in mid-January asking whether the team should trade Roy, who was having a good-but-not-great season to that point. The result: 57 percent of respondents said yes.
It spoke to the immense pressure both media and fans were placing on the Canadiens to go all the way - and the players noticed.
Dionne: There was so much stuff being said. You had a dozen reporters for one newspaper. I would drive to the rink with Carbo and we would hear things, and I would always look at him and ask, "Is this true? Is this true?" We had to listen to the radio so Guy was prepared to say something and wouldn't be caught off guard after the game or before the game when he met with the media. I personally said a few things I shouldn't have said, but you can't take it back. Though I wish I could, because I'd probably still be playing. (Iaughs)
LeClair: I thought Montreal fans were supposed to be knowledgeable fans, so I don't really understand that. For me, everybody had so much respect for Pat, and we believed in him more than everybody else. There's nobody I trusted back there more than him.
LeBeau: The mentality in Montreal has always been to win the Stanley Cup. If you don't win, you failed. Even though we were among the top teams in the league, the fans are demanding. So it wasn't a surprise to see that kind of pressure if we weren't on the top of the pyramid. And of course Patrick was our superstar; he had to make a difference every night. So when things weren't going well, people were complaining or criticizing us more than perhaps other fans would. But that's part of playing in Montreal.
Dionne: It was all about team camaraderie - and it wasn't easy back then. We had 10 French guys and nine English guys, and the media kept throwing things at us. We had to stick together.
In a precursor to their playoff run, the Canadiens closed the regular season with overtime outcomes in three of their final four games. They won just one of them, finishing with a 48-30-6 mark, good for 102 points and a third-place finish in the competitive Adams. Their first-round foe: The rival Nordiques.
Damphousse: Boston had 109 points, Quebec had 104, and we had 102. We had a very tough matchup in the first round, and it was split on who the experts thought was going to win. Quebec had a lot of punch on the attack with Sakic and Sundin, and a lot of young guys ... a lot of talent.
Jacques Demers (as told to Hugo Fontaine of canadiens.com in 2013): Just as the playoffs were about to start, I heard the song "Nothing's Gonna Stop us Now" by Starship. I went to my captains, Carbo, Muller, Damphousse, Roy, and Keane, and I asked them what they thought about playing that song before each of our games. Like the song says, "We can build this dream together ... nothing's gonna stop us now." The guys liked the idea.
Things got off to a rough start for the Canadiens, who dropped a pair of one-goal decisions in Quebec - including the lone overtime loss they would suffer all postseason. Demers had a major challenge on his hands in trying to keep his young roster from feeling discouraged.
LeClair: It wasn't panic at all. Everybody understood that we had to play better, and Jacques was relaying that message, too. He said, "There's a lot more that we can do, this isn't our best, and we need to bring our best."
Damphousse: I think we felt a bit down, but at the same time, we still believed in our chances. I remember Jacques having conversations with me at the morning skate, because I didn't really have an impact the first couple of games. He said, "You know we need you, I don't have to tell you. But you need to step it up the way you did during the season."
LeBeau: In those two games in Quebec, we were right there in the game. We knew we couldn't drop the third game, but if we win those two home games, we're back in the series. And I believe winning the third game was the key moment that brought us back, because we played two good games in Quebec, we won the third game, and we said, "We're back in the series; we can beat these guys."
At that point, the hockey gods took over. Damphousse scored the overtime winner in Game 3, kicking off an incredible stretch that saw the Canadiens win four straight games - two in extra time - to eliminate the Nordiques, then reel off a four-game sweep of the Buffalo Sabres in which three of the games were decided in OT. Indeed, something special was happening with the Habs.
Damphousse: Game 3 was the first of our 10 (overtime wins) in a row, and it really started something incredible. I don't think it'll be matched.
LeClair: I think when we got into Games 3 and 4 against Buffalo, we could see the bounces are going our way, and you could see there was something special going on with Patrick that was easy to ride with the way that Patrick was going in net.
LeBeau: For me, personally, (it felt special) after we beat Buffalo. The first two rounds are pretty tough mentally and physically; you're so far away from your goal and your dream. After you win the second round, now the trophy is within reach. And this is where you start to say, "Hey, there are only four teams left. Anything is possible."
The catalysts: a combination of balanced scoring - four different players contributed overtime goals in the first two rounds - and clutch goaltending from the oft-maligned Roy, who was steady, if not spectacular, in the first two rounds of the playoffs. And a little luck didn't hurt.
Damphousse: We felt very comfortable playing in tight games. You almost go into a routine in overtime. You get your equipment dried up; you don't know how long it's going to be. Trainers are running left and right. But everybody stayed very calm. Patrick made key saves in all the overtime games, and that made a big impact. Every game was a different guy, different story.
LeClair: It's a little calmer. You're not as nervous when you go to overtime when you've had so many in the playoffs and been on the right side of them. But it all comes back to Patrick. He says, "I'm not going to let them score," and everybody respects and believes him. We know they're not going to score. So it wasn't a matter of if, but when.
Dionne: We weren't getting nervous during overtime; we had the best goalie in the world. Patrick was so confident in himself, and we were confident in him. All he was asking is for us to score more than two goals. He would promise us and say, "I'm not gonna let more than two goals in, boys. If any." Every player had a job to do, every line had a job to do, and that's what we did. The further we went, the more confident we were in overtime. We were in the locker room and would say, "Who gets this winner, guys? Whose line is going to get it?" It was so much fun.
LeBeau: We had a quality team, but it takes some breaks. Boston had had our number in the playoffs, but lost to Buffalo. Break No. 1. And then the Pittsburgh Penguins are upset by the New York Islanders. Break No. 2. That made a big difference; if Pittsburgh wins, we get on a plane and we start the semifinal in Pittsburgh; if the Islanders win, we start the series in Montreal. We were in our hotel on the seventh floor, and the Islanders won in overtime, and we all got out of our room and high-fived. Between Boston and Buffalo, and between Pittsburgh and the Islanders, I think 99 percent of the players would have chosen Buffalo and the Islanders.
After riding two more overtime wins to a five-game elimination of the Islanders, the Canadiens found themselves in the Stanley Cup Final against Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings, who were coming off a grueling seven-game series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It didn't appear to affect the Kings, who prevailed 4-1 in Game 1 and held a 2-1 lead late in the third period of Game 2. And it was then that Demers pulled off one of the gutsiest moves in Stanley Cup history, asking for a measurement of Kings defenseman Marty McSorley's stick blade. The decision completely changed the complexion of the series.
LeBeau: Back then, it was more common to see teams trying to measure hockey sticks. Just behind the (Montreal Forum) dressing room was a hallway, and this is where we were cutting our sticks. And in between periods, the visiting teams would put the stick racks right there. During the regular season, we had access to those sticks. But during the playoffs, teams weren't putting the stick racks there. So we had to take a guess.
LeClair: It was a nervous time. We just didn't play that well in the first game, but we played pretty well in the second game. It wasn't do-or-die, but it was a desperate time; we didn't want to go down 2-0 heading back to their place.
Dionne: I'm sitting next to Guy on the bench, and Jacques is speaking in French to Carbo. It's unfortunate, because Marty and I are good friends, but even his backup stick was illegal. So Jacques decided to do it. And Carbo said, "Yes! Do it. Might as well do it now." And once I saw Kerry Fraser using that stick blade measurer at the penalty box ... everyone was so nervous, but I was confident. "That thing's illegal! There's way too much curve."
LeBeau: We were targeting (Luc) Robitaille and McSorley. We knew those two guys had illegal sticks. We had players on our side using illegal sticks; Vincent Damphousse played with a huge curve. But they always carried an extra stick, a good stick, just to make sure near the end of the game that, if it was going to get measured, it was going to be legal.
Damphousse: It was a turning point for us. We knew there was some guys that had illegal sticks, but to be able to call that was a gutsy move. If you make a mistake, you look a little dumb.
LeClair: There's no in-between on that one. You're a genius or an idiot.
The rest is Canadiens history. Eric Desjardins ended a lengthy Montreal power-play drought with the tying goal at 18:47, and completed an unlikely hat trick 51 seconds into overtime - Montreal's eighth straight OT triumph.
LeClair: We needed that extra advantage, and Eric got us a big goal.
Damphousse: Desjardins scored three goals that game, but the second goal was basically because of Jacques' guts.
Dionne: Eric Desjardins with a hat trick, plus an overtime goal ... who expects a defenseman to score three goals? It confused everybody.
LeClair, who had been under the radar for most of his first two NHL seasons, burst out in a big way in the 1993 playoffs. His virtuoso performance came in Tinseltown, when he potted overtime winners in Games 3 and 4 - contests in which Montreal squandered multi-goal leads - to give the Canadiens a 3-1 stranglehold in the series.
LeClair: You're a team, and you want everybody to succeed, from the first guy and the last guy. And when you have everybody in there contributing and pitching in, it just makes everybody feel part of it. For the most part, we played four lines, so everybody was a part of it. Everybody felt happy for everybody, and it made it that much more enjoyable.
Dionne: I remember flying back from L.A. after the two big overtime goals from LeClair, and I turn around in my seat and I'm looking at Carbonneau and the guys at the back of the plane, and I ask, "We're not coming back, are we? You think this is it?" I was personally getting tired, and the emotions were running high. I said, "Are we flying back? We're not flying back, are we?" And Carbonneau said, "Just sit down and eat your ice cream and relax." (laughs) Everyone was so calm, but I wasn't. I was excited, and I really didn't want to lose in Montreal. I wanted to win the Cup in Montreal.
LeBeau: I was injured. I had a right ankle injury, and then in the semifinal against the Islanders, when I scored that goal in the second overtime, during that game I was hit in the knee and I didn't play Games 3 or 4. I ended up finishing the playoffs on one leg, almost, so my offense wasn't as sharp as the regular season because I wasn't able to skate as well.
Despite this, LeBeau - who came into the game with just two goals in 12 postseason games - wound up scoring the biggest goal of the postseason in Game 5 at the Forum. His tally 11:31 into the third period gave the Canadiens a 3-1 lead, and the Kings wouldn't threaten again.
LeBeau: That goal was a big one. It was a rush, and if I remember, it was Mike Keane that dropped the puck to me about the top of the circle, and I was able to almost get by myself in front of Hrudey. I lost the puck a little bit but Hrudey lifted his leg a little bit, and I shot it between his legs.
LeClair: It was nice. It made the last part of the game a little more enjoyable; you're not holding your stick so tight. But it's a weird feeling knowing you're going to win but still seeing time left; that clock looked like it wasn't ticking.
LeBeau: As the playoffs went on, we became invincible. We felt that in the dressing room; I did, anyway. So at 3-1, the way we were playing, the way we were controlling the game, we knew it was going to be very difficult for them to beat us. And we were in complete control after that.
Montreal cruised to a 4-1 victory, securing its 24th Stanley Cup in front of a delirious Forum crowd. Roy was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner for the Canadiens, who, nearly a quarter-century later, remain the last Canadian-based team to win the NHL championship.
Guy Carbonneau (as told to Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette in 2013): It's everybody's dream if you ask everybody that played hockey, especially in Canada. Here we play hockey in the streets and you dream of scoring the wining goal in the Stanley Cup Final and hoisting the Cup. To be able to do it for me was unbelievable in '86 and even better in '93 because we were able to do it here in Montreal and I was the captain. It was fun. For me, having the chance to win the Cup the second time and the third time (with Dallas in 1999) kind of made me reflect on it. I was able to sit back a little and enjoy it a lot more than I did the first one.
Dionne: It was very special, especially for my family. My older brother Marcel had a wonderful career, he's a Hall of Famer and a Top 100 player all time. We looked up to Marcel, we watched him all year, and saw how frustrating it was for him to play in L.A., and how disappointing it was for him to never have a chance to reach the Stanley Cup Final. My late father was so happy, he said to Marcel, "We finally did it! We finally won the Cup!" (laughs) Marcel was in the stands, and I said to him, "Just come on down to the room. We got it." I could tell in the pictures that he was so proud of what I had accomplished with Montreal.
LeClair: It's a great memory of mine. Any time you win the Stanley Cup, it's a special memory. I still get a chance to see some of the guys. It was so much fun to go through it with them.
Kirk Muller (as told to Hugo Fontaine of canadiens.com in 2013): I remember going to sit with Mike Keane in the Forum stands a few hours after the end of the game. We each sat there with a beer in one hand and a cigar in the other, and we looked out at the empty rink, saying to ourselves: "Oh my God, we just won the Stanley Cup!"
LeBeau: Twenty-five years ... I cannot believe it went so fast, but at the same time, it feels like yesterday that I was in the dressing room after that fifth game against L.A. with my teammates, and living my dream. It went so fast, it's unbelievable.
Damphousse: A lot of people underestimated our team. But when you look at everybody's career, how they turned out, we had a really solid team. LeClair turned out to be a 50-goal scorer in the league; he had just started his career, he was 22 at the time. Eric Desjardins made the Canadian national team. Patrice Brisebois played 18 years. Mathieu Schneider became one of the best defensemen in the league. We really had a lot of talent - and nobody knew how good we were except for the guys inside. And Jacques really believed in us. He said we were going to shock the hockey world. And we did.
A 21st birthday is cause for celebration - particularly in the United States, where young men and women are can partake in certain fun activities they weren't legally allowed to enjoy the day before.
Edmonton star Connor McDavid officially joins the over-20 club Saturday - and in the party capital of North America, no less, as the Oilers visit the Vegas Golden Knights. You can't blame McDavid for being a bit distracted - but regardless of how he fares, it'll be interesting to compare his performance to those of other NHL greats who hit the ice on their 21st birthdays.
Here's a list of the five most notable players to have done just that:
Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings (March 31, 1949)
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
SOG
1
0
1
--
2
--
"Mr. Hockey" celebrated turning 21 in style, scoring the final goal of a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 of their Stanley Cup semifinal. It was Howe's sixth goal of the series; he added a seventh in a Game 6 loss before opening the scoring in Detroit's 3-1 triumph in Game 7. Howe's scoring surge ended there, as he was held goalless in a four-game final loss to Toronto.
Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins (March 20, 1969)
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
SOG
1
0
1
0
2
3
Like Howe nearly 20 years earlier, Orr had a successful 21st birthday, scoring to help the Bruins earn a 5-5 tie in the first of a home-and-home series with the Chicago Blackhawks. It was the 21st and final goal of the regular season for Orr, who added 43 assists in 67 games. He would officially make the leap the following season, recording 120 points to cement his place as one of the greatest defensemen to ever lace up a pair of skates.
Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers (Jan. 26, 1982)
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
SOG
1
1
2
0
0
3
Birthday, Valentine's Day, garbage day ... there wasn't a slot on the hockey calendar where Gretzky wasn't a threat to score. And that goes for "The Great One's" 21st birthday, as he potted a goal and an assist in a 6-4 triumph in St. Louis. It was Gretzky's fifth consecutive multi-point game, and kick-started a five-game goal streak in which he lit the lamp seven times. #GOAT
Dale Hawerchuk, Winnipeg Jets (April 4, 1984)
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
SOG
0
0
0
-1
0
5
We hope Hawerchuk had a huge piece of cake after this one. The future Hall of Fame center was on the wrong end of a 9-2 thumping at the hands of the Oilers in the opener of their first-round playoff series; Gretzky, Jari Kurri, and Paul Coffey combined to record 11 points and effectively ruin Hawerchuk's special day. Winnipeg went on to lose the series in three games.
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (Nov. 19, 2009)
G
A
P
+/-
PIM
SOG
1
1
2
1
0
3
Kane is no stranger to big performances - and his 21st birthday fits that bill, as he converted one of Chicago's four second-period power-play goals and added an assist 36 seconds later in a 7-1 drubbing of the host Calgary Flames. That win was the fifth of an eight-game streak for the Blackhawks, during which Kane recorded five goals and four assists.
Over the course of the 2017-18 season, theScore will run a series of interviews with former players in which they recall some of the greatest moments of their career. This edition focuses on former forward and current NHL Network analyst Mike Rupp, who played 610 NHL games with six teams and won a Stanley Cup with New Jersey in 2003.
On being drafted ninth overall by the New York Islanders in 2000 but ultimately not signing a contract:
We just couldn't come to an agreement on where things were as far as where I was drafted and the structure of the contract. It got to a point where we just kind of parted ways - and I knew I had to go back into the draft. And that was kind of scary; I didn't really want to do it, because chances are you're not going to be drafted anywhere near where you were the first time.
It ended up working out, because I got picked up by a team in New Jersey where those guys were really patient with their players that were going through the system in Albany at the time. I had to do some catching up in terms of adjusting to the game; I didn't take a normal route and wasn't playing at the highest level before I was drafted.
On nearly leaving the sport while in the minors:
I was in Albany, and I played two full seasons there and didn't get a sniff. I just started thinking about things; I had always dreamt about playing in the NHL ... but some of the guys I was drafted with and some of my peers had been called up. So I didn't know if this was going to work out.
It's funny; the Professional Hockey Players' Association had a program where you'd go somewhere in Canada and take a firefighter course. And I always wanted to be a firefighter as kind of a backup plan when I was a kid, so I got some information on that. I had one more year left on my entry-level contract, and I remember telling my wife and family, "I'm gonna play out this year, and if it looks like it isn't gonna change, we might open a new chapter here."
That summer was interesting because Bobby Holik had left to go to the Rangers, and there was a vacancy at the center position. I remember Lou Lamoriello flew me in. He was saying what an opportunity it was (for me) with Bobby leaving to come into camp and make it. I remember working my tail off that summer. And I come to training camp, and Pat Burns was there coaching, and I was in the first group of guys sent down (laughs).
I was so upset about it, and thought that I would just play out that year. But I ended up getting called up on my birthday, Jan. 13. That was my first NHL game, playing against the Florida Panthers. It was crazy.
On winning the Stanley Cup as a rookie in 2003:
I think you can look at it from two sides. I was able to be part of a team that won a Cup in my rookie year, but it also really set the bar high - and I think you're naive at that time as a young player.
I thought, "This Devils team won the Cup in '95, 2000, 2003 ... eight years, three Cups. If I can just stay with this team, with Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Patrik Elias, I'm gonna be playing for multiple Cups." But it didn't happen that way (laughs). It took a long time to even get out of the first round after that.
Now that everything's done and I know that I'm not lacing them up in the NHL anymore, I can appreciate it more.
On playing for the Danbury Trashers of the United Hockey League during the 2004-05 NHL lockout:
My wife and I were expecting our second child, and when he was born, he had a bit of a breathing issue where we had to monitor him pretty closely. So come December, January, before the season was canceled, I didn't feel like (playing). We had a few scary moments where we had to rush him in, so I didn't want to be in another country.
So I got a phone call, and apparently there was this team in the United Hockey League where the owner really wanted to win the league. I figured it was worth a shot. It was a good situation because I would just practice in Erie with the (OHL's) Otters, and then I went, and all I had to do was make 10 roster appearances and then I could play for them in the playoffs.
There were actually some really good players in that league, AHL players that were pushed down because of the trickle-down effect (of NHL players going to the AHL during the lockout). But I just wanted to get my legs going; I didn't want to fight. I knew how NHL players were viewed when playing in other leagues, there was kind of an opportunity for other guys to make a name for themselves. And I didn't want to do that.
And the owner assured me, "You've got nothing to worry about. You take a look at our roster, and no one will touch you, I'm sure." So I look, and there are like four or five guys with 300 penalty minutes (laughs). I always felt bad for the other team; most teams have one tough guy, and we had six who wanted a piece of the action.
On the best trash talker during his playing days:
Scott Hartnell was one for me. I thought I was good at it on occasion and pretty quick on my toes, but Scotty Hartnell was good.
I remember that he signed a big deal in Philly. And I don't know what it was exactly, but he had probably a goal or two around Christmas, and was making some pretty good money, maybe like $4 million a year. And I remember thinking before the game, "I'm gonna be all over this guy, lettin' him know." And we get on the ice, and I'm like, "What a flop, Hartsy. You're a bust."
And Scotty Hartnell doesn't even care. He just kind of looks at me, shrugs his shoulders, and says, "Better to be overpaid than underpaid." And I'm like, "Huh. That's a pretty good answer. As a matter of fact, it is." (laughs) He was a slippery one in the verbal department.
On his run-in with Hall of Fame official Bill McCreary:
Sometimes in the heat of the moment, when you feel like a penalty should have been called or something happened, you get hot-headed and you yell. And I felt like it happened with Bill a number of times where, before the next game, I'd see on the list that we got Bill McCreary, and I would say, "Oh, man, I gotta patch things up with him."
This one time, I remember we were playing in New Jersey. He was on the ice, and I was on the bench. And there was what I thought was a missed call against us. So I stand up on the bench and I start yelling, "Hey! Where's the trip?" And I start banging my stick on the boards. And that's a bad look; you're basically showing up the referee.
So he whips his head around and looks at me, and I say, "Wake up!" And I remember there was a whistle, so I bent over to tie my skates. And I look up and Bill McCreary is eye to eye with me. And he said, "You'd better shut your mouth! Do you have a problem with me?" And I said, "Yeah," and he said, "If you got a problem with me, why don't you come do something about it?"
So I say, "Really? Are you challenging me to a fight?" And he just backs away, like he's a player. And he says, "You got a problem, just climb over the boards." And that just set me off even more. "Are you serious, Billy? I'm not wasting my time doing that, I'll never play in this league again!" But he knew exactly what he was doing (laughs).
On the controversy surrounding his famous Jaromir Jagr salute at the 2012 Winter Classic:
A lot of people are like, "Hey, was that premeditated?" Absolutely not. I don't know how it could be. I didn't score consistently enough to be like, "Hey, I'm gonna score today, and piss off everybody in Philly."
I'll give you the backstory. I was a free agent before I signed with the Rangers; I was UFA. And the situation in Pittsburgh was, myself, Pascal Dupuis, and Tyler Kennedy were the UFAs. And this was when Jagr was coming back from Russia. And because he was coming from Russia, he could talk to teams before July 1. So he kind of had a head start on things.
He had showed interest in coming back to Pittsburgh. We were reading that he wanted to make things right by Mario (Lemieux), and come back to Pittsburgh, where it all started. And certainly Pittsburgh was capable of being a contender. His quotes were, "I want to go out the right way and win a Cup."
I wanted to stay in Pittsburgh more than anything, that was my home. And I was coming off two pretty good years there. But what ended up happening was, myself, Pascal Dupuis, and Tyler Kennedy were put on the back burner because they had to figure out the Jagr situation. And I'm thinking, I didn't want to get to July 1. But this kept dragging along.
And the next thing we know, Jagr turns around and signs in Philly. So I was like, "What a jerk." This affected my situation. He said all he wanted to do was win, and he goes and signs with a worse team because they paid him more. So I was like, "Okay, whatever." And I never thought about it again, but then we're playing in that atmosphere (at the Winter Classic), and ... yeah.
So we're going into that game, and there's quite a bit of a buildup. We played them a number of times, and I didn't realize the level of hatred between the teams until I became a Ranger. And I get this pass from Brandon Prust and shoot through a screen and beat Sergei Bobrovsky, and as soon as I scored, it was like, "Screw these guys." I don't know where the salute came from.
After I did it, I was thinking, "Maybe I shouldn't have done that." But as soon as I saw the reaction ... every Flyer on the ice is yipping at me and focused on getting me, I was thinking, "This is perfect. We have a game to win, and they aren't even thinking about that. They want to get me." And we got the momentum going and scored the next two goals (to win).
I relished the opportunity to play on the road and get booed in other places. There's something about going into certain barns and pissing off 18,000 people. It was kind of cool.
On eventually resolving things with Jagr:
Last year in L.A., I was covering the All-Star Game with NHL Network. And I don't know Jagr, I had never spoken with him. I had my daughter with me, and we were going to Disneyland. So we went to a rental car place, and I walk in, and the only person in the rental car place is Jagr - at the desk, renting a car.
He turns and looks at me - and I didn't even know if Jagr knows who I am. And he goes, "Hey Rupper, how are you?" And I go, "Yep, okay, I guess he does." (laughs) So we make small talk, and I'm standing back with my daughter, and I think, "Okay, I gotta say something."
So I walk back up to him and say, "Hey, listen, man. You might not even care, but I just wanted to say, back in the Winter Classic, I didn't mean to be disrespectful to you. That was my job, just to be an annoying person to play against. I don't know, it just happened."
He was like, "Oh, don't even worry about it. Whatever. I don't even care. I thought it was funny." And I said, "You're one of the greatest players. I wasn't trying to insult you." And he said, "No problem at all."
Then he pauses and goes, "Hey, great job on TV. You do really well." I say, "Thanks." And he says, "Yeah, you're way better at that than you were at playing." And I was like, "You asshole!" (laughs) But he was a pretty good guy about it.
__________
Rapid Fire
The best player he ever played with: Sidney Crosby
The best player he ever played against: Evgeni Malkin
The best goaltender he ever faced: Jaroslav Halak
His favorite head coach at any level: Tony Granato
His favorite visiting arena: Bell Centre, Air Canada Centre
__________
Fact File
Born: Jan. 13, 1980, Cleveland, Ohio
Drafted: First round (ninth overall), 1998, New York Islanders (unsigned); third round (76th overall), 2000, New Jersey Devils (re-entry)
Teams: New Jersey Devils (2002-04, 2006-09), Phoenix Coyotes (2004-05), Columbus Blue Jackets (2005-06), Pittsburgh Penguins (2009-11), Minnesota Wild (2013-14)
Awards: Stanley Cup (2003)
STATS
GP
G
A
P
PIM
Regular Season
726
395
299
694
1241
Playoffs
93
57
32
89
168
(Mike will be providing pre- and post-game analysis on NHL Network for the Winter Classic game between the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers at Citi Field on Jan. 1 beginning at 11 a.m. ET.)
Over the course of the 2017-18 season, theScore will run a series of interviews with former players in which they recall some of the greatest moments of their careers. This edition focuses on Hall of Famer Cam Neely, who galvanized his place as one of the game's premier power forwards with 395 goals and 1,241 penalty minutes in just 726 career games:
On being a part of the Memorial Cup-winning Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League as a 17-year-old in 1983:
To be honest with you, I didn't know much about the Western Hockey League. I was just playing to have fun, and all of a sudden I was getting invites to Western Hockey League camps.
I ended up playing a midget tournament in Portland over the Christmas break (as a 16-year-old) and one of their scouts invited myself and a defenseman on our team to go practice with the Winter Hawks. I said, "I don't think I can do that, I believe I'm property of the Victoria Cougars," and he said, "No, no, they took you off their list." I had no idea. (laughs)
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
So I went and practiced with the team that following September, got an invitation to training camp and made the team. And I don't even really recall knowing that that season would have been my NHL draft year.
It was a close group of guys, even though the age limits made it so that there was a decent gap between the oldest and the youngest. A lot of us were probably living in the States for the first time in our lives, so that was something that wasn't common for us.
On his first NHL goal:
I was on a line with Darcy Rota and Thomas Gradin at the time. We're breaking out of our end, and I ended up on the left-hand side. So I crossed through the neutral zone, and took a pass on my backhand as I was coming into the offensive zone. I quickly moved it to my forehand and shot it top shelf and scored.
Doing it at home, with some of my family there ... it was a really cool moment.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
On his most memorable interaction with an official:
Well, Paul Stewart ... for whatever reason, whenever he reffed in Boston, I knew that I was getting a penalty. Regardless of whether I deserved it or not, I was getting a penalty.
I would always give him shit about it, because he's from Boston ... I would get into it with him on the fact that, for whatever reason, he had to single me out and put me in the penalty box in Boston.
On who he considers the most underrated player of his era:
Dave Poulin ... even though he was recognized as being this great defensive forward, I don't think that people recognized the details in his game.
He was in the right place at the right time. He didn't look like he was doing a whole hell of a lot, but he was doing it smart. I didn't play with him a ton, but you could really see the hockey sense he had. And I think his hockey sense was his skill set.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
On honing one of the most lethal shots of his generation:
Certainly natural ability was a big part of it. But as I matured as a player and understood goaltenders more, I realized the tendencies of some goalies and instinctively knew where to put it and give myself the best chance to score without really having to take the extra second or half-second and see if something was available.
So it was more natural ability, but also some thought about the goaltenders that I'm facing and what their tendencies are, and where is the best opportunity to score from is on that particular goalie.
There was certainly no video like there is, no scouting reports on individual goalies. It was just playing against them over time, and where I want to be, and where I want the puck to shoot, and finding those soft open areas and getting it away as quick as possible.
On being a strong defensive forward in addition to an elite goal-scorer:
When you break in as an 18-year-old as I did, in those first few years, it's certainly brought to your attention by your coaching staff that you have to be more than a one-dimensional player. And you have to make smart decisions with the puck instead of just throwing it away blindly. You have to make sure your'e good along both blue lines, and at getting it in and getting it out
One of the problems in my third year was, the coach at the time (Vancouver's Tom Watt) didn't really have a lot of trust in me in that part of the game, and it was something that I really wanted to work on as my career went on.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
On playing alongside fellow Hall of Famer Ray Bourque:
Ray was a family man first and foremost. He had his kids around a lot, especially on weekends. Off the ice he was a devoted father and husband.
From a leadership perspective, when your best player is one of your hardest workers, you should sit up, take notice, and follow. His leadership qualities, to me, weren't so much about what he said or how he said things, but rather leading by example. And it was a prime example.
When he did speak, there was a purpose and a reason behind it. It wasn't often, but when he did, you sat and listened.
On playing in two Stanley Cup finals with Boston early in his career:
On the first team, we learned a lot going into the finals. For a lot of us, it was our first time there, and I think we were just, "Oh my God, we're in the Stanley Cup finals," and just happy to get there.
Beating Montreal for the first time in 45 years, it was such a big deal ... that was such a major accomplishment for the city of Boston and for our fan base, because of so many frustrating years against Montreal in the playoffs, that once we did get to the finals, we weren't really prepared. Maybe we were more excited.
So we learned off that. The second time around, many of the same teammates - now instead of just being happy to be there - were more like, "Here's an opportunity; we may not get another one."
On when he started to think about life after hockey:
At 26, I went in for what I thought was just gonna be a routine knee scope, maybe clean up some meniscus. And when I came out of surgery, the doctor said, "You're done for the season and I'm concerned about your career."
As you can imagine, that was extremely difficult to take at that age, and not really going into the surgery thinking it could be bad. So it was very shocking to me. And it was then that I said, "OK, at some point this is going to be over, but I don't want it to be over soon."
So I just really focused on getting back to playing, but that was kind of the age were I started thinking about there being life after hockey. And when I did finally have to retire at 31 with the hip injury, that's when reality really set in. I hadn't really said, "OK, I know what I'm going to do when hockey's over." I still really had no clue.
(Photo courtesy: New Line Cinema)
On landing the role of Sea Bass in the 1994 film "Dumb and Dumber":
I met the Farrelly Brothers (who directed the movie) through a mutual friend here in Boston; he grew up with them. They're big New England sports fans.
I remember getting a call from Peter and Bobby saying, "Listen, we're doing this movie, we've got this part, we'd love you to be in it." I said, "Guys, I'm not really an actor." And they said, "No, no, you'll be fine. You can do this."
When we played out in L.A., I met up with them and they gave me the script and said, "OK, just go over some of these lines. You'll be fine." And all of a sudden they got Jim Carrey involved in the movie, and then Jeff Daniels, and I connect up with them again and said, "Are you guys sure you want me in this movie?" (laughs) And they said, "No, this'll be great."
On whether he still gets called Sea Bass:
I do, I do. Yeah. (laughs)
__________
Rapid Fire
The best player he ever played with: Ray Bourque
The best goaltender he ever faced: Grant Fuhr
His favorite head coach at any level: Mike Milbury
His favorite visiting arena: Montreal Forum
__________
Fact Files
Born: June 6, 1965, Comox, British Columbia
Drafted: First round (ninth overall), 1983, Vancouver Canucks
Teams: Vancouver Canucks (1983-86), Boston Bruins (1986-96)
Awards: Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (1993-94), Second-Team All-Star (1987-88, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1993-94), Hockey Hall of Fame (2005)
Over the course of the 2017-18 season, theScore will run a series of interviews with former players, coaches, and officials in which they recall some of the greatest moments of their careers. This two-part edition focuses on Kerry Fraser, who spent 30 years as an official and worked 13 Stanley Cup finals. (You can find Part I here.)
On his favorite memory of the 1998 Olympics in Nagano:
Before we went over, we had a meeting in Toronto. And (IIHF president) Rene Fasel was there, and he was giving us the difference between the international rules and the NHL rules. Most of the top guys were in attendance.
Rene said, "All officials will wear a helmet and visor as mandated in international hockey." Ray Scapinello raised his hand and said, "Mr. Fasel, I don't wear a helmet." Rene said, "If you don't wear a helmet, you won't work in the Olympics." Ray said, "I take a size 7 1/2 helmet." (laughs)
What was interesting was, the Japanese culture dictates that they revere the oldest, most senior. I was the senior referee, and probably the most recognizable at that time. We had a room attendant for the games, and he would say, "Mr. Fraser, I have family that would like a picture for you." So I go out and take a picture. I was getting photographed everywhere I went.
It was a terrific experience. (NHL VP of hockey operations) Brian Burke was terrific. He ran the officials like he was the general manager of a team.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
On controlling his emotions when dealing with players:
I worked very hard on developing positive relationships with players. As you will recall, back in the 70s and the early 80s, the game was really aggressive. And the intensity - forget the playoffs, even just the rivalries - you really had to control it. So I worked at developing relationships, especially with the tough guys or the leaders of a team.
In the course of that, I recognized that my Type A personality - that aggressive little hockey player that hated bullies and fought a lot and stood up for his teammates - that while it may have served me well as a player, it was not going to serve me well as an official.
My body became a thermometer - and when I would be in a confrontation with a player or a coach, and they're F-bombing me, and we're nose to nose, I needed to bring that temperature down. So if I felt my internal thermometer start to rise, before it got to my neck, I'd take a breath and face the player with palms open, which is a gesture of peace.
That, most times, would bring the confrontation down to the level where we could at least have a conversation.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
On his encounter with former NHLer and ex-convict Mike Danton:
It's a preseason game in New Jersey. And I looked at (Danton's) eyes, and I went, "Uh oh. There's trouble here. This guy is trouble." I saw something in his eyes. Everybody wanted to kill him.
He scored a goal, and he came back to the center-ice faceoff circle. And I said, "Mike, that was a terrific play. Really nice goal." And he looked at me sideways, turned his lip up and said, "Are you serious?" And I said, "Mike, you made a terrific play. Keep playing like that and you're gonna stick here." He said, "Man, thanks a lot. I never had a referee talk to me like that."
There was a moment right there between him and I. This guy expected every referee to talk down to him, to give him penalties, to show him disrespect. And he, in turn, showed disrespect to everyone else. He was still the focus of a lot of shit, but I could go to him and say, "Mike. Whoa. Calm down."
(Photo courtesey: Getty Images)
On impressing former NHL tough guy Georges Laraque:
He was playing for the Edmonton Oilers at the time. The Vancouver Canucks were the visiting team, and they wanted to give Georges lots of space because they didn't want to have to battle him.
So he's in the corner, he's got the puck, and the defenseman's playing off him, fronting him. And George is handling the puck in the corner, doing this and that, moving the puck around. He had the puck for about 30 seconds on his stick; he kept it below the goal line, going behind the net.
The play turns up ice, and the whistle blows. Inside the blue line, we have a scrum, and in comes big Georges. Linesman Brad Lazarowich is getting ready to rock and roll with these guys. And I skated up beside Georges and gave him a tug on his jersey - and he's a big man. And he's looking down at me.
I look up at him and say, "Hey, Georges. Georges. Have you been working on your puck-handling skills?" And he looked at me and said, "Are you serious?" And I said, "Seriously! You handled the puck down there like I've never seen. They couldn't get it off your stick. You had puck possession for 30 seconds."
He said, "As a matter fact, I have been working on my puck-handling. Thank you very much." (laughs) So they all part, and Brad Lazarowich is standing there, and he says to me, "I don't fucking believe this. I wrestle with these guys all game - and all you had to do was go up and tell Georges Laraque he has great puck-handling skills, and he thanks you and walks away." (laughs)
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
On being on Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Chelios' bad side:
It was Chris Pronger's rookie year; he and the Hartford Whalers were facing the Chicago Blackhawks at Chicago Stadium.
Brian Propp had joined Hartford from Minnesota. And he and Chris Chelios had a long-running feud. When Chelios was with Montreal (during the 1989 playoffs), he hit Propp with an elbow that looked to me like it was a shoulder. Propp's head hit the stanchion, it knocked him out and he fell backwards. His helmet stayed on, but his head was cut and he was taken off on a stretcher.
I asked Chelios, "You just hit him with a shoulder, right?" And he said, "Oh, no, I hit him right in the effing head with an elbow. I got him good." So I said, "Thanks for that, I'll remember that." That was the playoff year where (Flyers goalie) Ron Hextall went apeshit and pounded him with his blocker, and he got a seven- or eight-game suspension into the next season.
In this particular game, Hartford was winning handily. Early in the third period, Brad McCrimmon was on defense for Hartford, and Jeremy Roenick, who never knew when to take the foot off the gas, ran McCrimmon into the boards with a couple of minutes left in the game. And in the ensuing scrum, over by the bench, Chelios sucker-punches Propp right in the kisser.
So Chelios is in the middle of this, and he wants to get over to another fight. And his jersey and shoulder pads are off, and the linesman was trying to control Chelios - and he was water-skiing behind Chelios on his suspenders. So Chelios gets to the fight, and sucker-punches Adam Burt right in the eye.
I go back to Chicago Stadium after Chelios serves his suspension. And I wanted to get my skates sharpened, so I walk down to the trainer's room and I start talking to Randy Lacey, the Blackhawks' equipment guy. And he's sharpening my skates, and Chelios comes out with his skates tied and all of his lower gear on.
He looks at me and says, "What are you doing here?" I say, "I'm just talking to my friend. He says, "You don't have any fucking friends." So I went, "Lace, I probably shouldn't be here. When you're done with my skates, please send them down to the (officials) room."
(Photo courtesy: Kerry Fraser)
As I'm walking away, Chris says, "You're fucking right you shouldn't be here - and I'm going to shoot a puck right at your head tonight." I turned and said, "What did you say?" And he said: "You heard me. I'm going to shoot a fucking puck at your head tonight."
I said, "I'll tell you what." And I pointed at him and said, "You might not want to finish getting dressed, because you might not be playing tonight." And I turned, and walked away. Chelios dressed, but he never said anything, never looked at me. Game over, no incidents.
The next year, we're in Chicago Stadium, and the Penguins are the visitors. One referee. Midway through the third period, the Hawks are down by a goal. Pittsburgh dumps the puck down. Chelios goes back and gets the puck behind the net. I'm following Tony Amonte, a left winger, down his side. I go as deep as the deepest forechecker, eight feet from Amonte, up the wall.
There was no outlet beyond me for the Hawks. If the puck comes to Amonte, he could stop and skate with the puck, or throw it to the far side. But he had no outlet. Chelios fired an excessively hard pass along the ice. Tony, being a left-hand shot, has his stick ready to take the puck. At the very last second, he saucered the stick, which launched the puck up toward my face.
I put my elbow up immediately to try and block the puck with my elbow pad, and I just missed it. It came through, broke my nose, cut my lip for seven stitches down the middle, and broke a tooth. I blew the whistle to kill the play, and blood went flying out of the hole.
I stop the game, go over to (Chicago head coach) Darryl Sutter, and say, "Suds, we gotta stop the game here. I gotta get stitched up. And typical Sutter, he says, "Holy fuck, Frase. Hurry up and get back, we're pressing." I went into the locker room, the doctor zips seven (stitches) in really quick, and I came back out and finished the game.
Chris and I developed a positive relationship after that, but I never asked him how they set it up. It just didn't make any sense that on the power play, with no outlet up top, that Amonte would saucer his stick to redirect the puck into my face. You be the judge.
(Photo courtesy: Kerry Fraser)
On officiating the NHL Alumni game on Hall of Fame weekend, just two weeks after revealing he has a rare chronic blood disorder:
The thing I miss is the relationships with players and coaches. That's what I miss the most. I love the game, I love being on the ice. My reflexes and instincts of knowing where the puck is going to go are still intact.
So I'm back in that setting, now dressing in the same dressing room, and looking around and seeing Wendel Clark, and Mark Messier, and Dave Andreychuk, and Paul Kariya, and (Teemu) Selanne, all of the guys. Every time I see a player's face, I have a story. I have a personal situation that flashes from my memory banks of that player.
I was recently diagnosed with this rare form of leukemia; they have no treatment for it, it's incurable. But it's a good one - it's as good as you can get, because if it stays in this form, and I manage it - and I can, and will - the over/under is 10 to 20 (years). And I'm betting on the over. I'm gonna be around for a while. But it's a shock.
All of the players see me individually, and I can see their concern in their eyes: "Kerry, how are you? How are you doing?" And I wanted to make them feel better. "It's okay, Mess. I'm really fortunate. What I have is the very best you can possibly get. So I'm in good shape. All I have to do is keep my weight down, watch my cholesterol, and keep my emotions under control."
I got an email from (longtime coach Glen Sather) before I went to the game, a few days before. His first email was really short, but I read between the lines. He didn't know what to say. I responded with a lengthy email outlining what I have, hoping to make him feel better. He then responded back with a lengthier letter. It was almost like it was a release for him.
The day of the game, he comes in the dressing room. Mark Messier was walking across the floor, and Sather walked across the room. And Mess' eyes lit up, and they both extended their hands. And I could see the love. And Slats then came up to me, and we hugged and chatted. We had a really good conversation, a good visit.
Being around hockey people really makes me feel better.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
On what fans might not know about him:
I wear my heart on my sleeve, but ... and I think this is true of everybody who performs in front of a crowd ... people have a preconceived notion of what Kerry Fraser is like. They wouldn't necessarily understand that that little hard-ass that they didn't like or who they thought was a hot dog who was more worried about his hair, they wouldn't know how much I loved the game.
I always tried to give more than I got. It's something I learned from my father who, when I signed my first contract with the NHL, said, "Kerry, you're gonna see the same people on the way up as you do on the way down. Treat everyone the same, and how you want to be treated." And it was great advice.
I think people have this vision of the guy who missed the Gretzky high stick because he didn't have the courage to give Gretzky a penalty. And that bothers me, because if there's one thing I know I have, it's courage.
Certain things trigger certain referees. I would rather be cursed at in a vile form than have someone call me gutless. If someone said I was gutless, or a homer, it was an automatic trigger to me - and I would bang them with an unsportsmanlike misconduct.
The suggestion that I would favor a player like Gretzky and not call a penalty that I saw is ludicrous. It's offensive to me. And the fans that think that don't know Kerry Fraser at all. They haven't really followed my career and the decisions that I had to make that were not popular, but took courage.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
On the lingering anger among some fans over the Gretzky non-call in the 1993 Western Conference Final:
The Canadian hockey fan is like no other with the emotion, sometimes anger, leaning toward animosity, and I would go so far as to say, hatred.
I recently had dinner with my daughter, Jessica, and her family. And she is the most loyal person. She was in a Twitter war with some clown who was saying, "Good for (Kerry), I hope he dies so I can piss on his casket," that sort of thing. I started laughing because she was getting so worked up about it.
I said, "Jess, there are certain things that you'll change, and there are certain attitudes that you can't. And some people will just never, ever, ever forgive Kerry Fraser for missing that high stick in '93." And I understand that.
Over the course of the 2017-18 season, theScore will run a series of interviews with former players, coaches, and officials in which they recall some of the greatest moments of their career. This two-part edition focuses on Kerry Fraser, who spent 30 years as an official and worked 13 Stanley Cup Finals.
On growing up a hockey fan:
Every Saturday, the whole family gathered at Grandma Fraser's house; she cooked a huge pot of spaghetti and meatballs. My dad and his brothers played guitar, and my grandfather played the violin. After dinner, we gathered in the living room, and the guys got the instruments out and played - everybody sat around and tapped their feet.
And then, at 8 o'clock, the guitars were set aside, the violin was set aside. It was Hockey Night in Canada with Foster Hewitt. We were just glued to the television to watch the Leafs play. That happened every Saturday night for as long as I can remember. I remember being in that house and watching the Leafs win the Stanley Cup in '67.
On switching career paths from hockey player to official:
I gotta tell you, I fell out of the sky. My ascent to the NHL was very unique.
I'm looking at a picture of my desk of the Haliburton referee school I attended after playing my final season of Junior B hockey as the captain of the Sarnia Bees. I was a good little player. There was a lot of players in that league that ended up moving on to bigger and better things.
I had a bunch of U.S. Division I hockey scholarship offers. I wasn't so inclined academically at that point to take advantage of what I had offered to me. A friend of my dad, who was coaching the Port Huron Flags in the IHL, he said, "Listen, you're a good little player, you're tough ... you could certainly play in our league, but that'll be the extent. Why don't you get into officiating?"
He handed me a brochure for a referee school. And 1972, as you'll recall, was the initial formation of the World Hockey Association. There were opportunities for players, and there also were for officials. Bill Friday had jumped from NHL officiating to the WHA for a million bucks. So I went to this referee school, paid $250, and I really applied myself. I was going to learn to be an official.
During that week, I knew I was getting some attention from the instructors. And on the Thursday night, I was scheduled to referee 10 minutes of an intermediate-quality men's league.
Frank Udvari, former NHL referee and Hall of Fame member, attended the camp. I get off the ice after my 10 minutes, and Mr. Udvari met me and said, "I really like what I saw. I would like to invite you to the NHL training camp for officials. But if I get you a spot, you gotta get a haircut." I had a Beatle cut at the time. I said, "That's an easy fix."
So I get up really early ... 2 a.m. on Sunday morning. And I'm standing at the front desk at the Hilton Hotel (in Toronto) at five minutes to 5. And I say, "I'm Kerry Fraser, I'm here to check in with the National Hockey League officials." And the guy looks at me and says, "Man, you're awful early. You guys aren't supposed to be here until 5 o'clock tonight." (laughs)
On breaking into pro hockey in the mid-1970s:
The veterans would check out the invitees, and see whether they were decent guys, whether they were people they wanted to associate with. And after three days, I was welcomed into the fraternity. Dave Newell came up to me and said, "Man, I wish I could skate like you."
I knew enough as a rookie that you just had to keep your mouth shut and your eyes open, and you'd learn a lot. And I did. We didn't have a lot of coaching or supervision back then. I learned so much by sitting around the veterans, listening to them, and having them accept me into their hierarchy.
My first exhibition game I did as a linesman, it was the Minnesota North Stars and the Detroit Red Wings. I really didn't know what I was doing; I had to learn on the job. The following year, they put me in the American Hockey League. I did about 60 games that year. It was a real learning experience.
On his funniest colleagues:
Lloyd Gilmour was a very funny guy.
We had 10 days of training camp, and the days were long. And each day in the afternoon, we'd sit in the chalet in Mississauga by the ski hill, and (head of officiating) Scotty Morrison would have us reading the rule book, going through it rule by rule by rule. Reading them. Talking about them.
We were talking about spearing - and back in 1972, there were two parts to the spearing penalty. At the referee's discretion, it could be a minor penalty, or a major penalty. So I looked over to Lloyd and asked him, "What's the difference between a two-minute spearing penalty and a five-minute penalty?"
Lloyd looked at me, deadpan, and said, "Kid, if you see the stick go in, that's two. If you see it come out the back, that's five."
On the challenges of working with different officials:
When I started, there was no question that the referee was the boss. It was a rite of passage. The referee was in control; he made the call on everything. It was almost like serfdom, to the point where the junior linesman would arrange the cab, while the referee made the decision on where we would have lunch. It was really a strange dynamic.
When I was on the ice, I was in control. There was a situation that I had with (John) D'Amico in the first year I worked the Stanley Cup Playoffs; it was in Round 1. I was in St. Louis, and it was a three-out-of-five, and I had Game 4 in the St. Louis-Chicago series. It was very intense; the rivalry was incredible. More fights in the stands than there were on the ice.
Al Secord was playing for the Black Hawks. St. Louis wins the game and forces a deciding Game 5 in the series, but we had a line brawl near the end of the game. Any time there was a secondary fight, you had to eject the player with a game misconduct. Al Secord got into a secondary fight, and had accumulated a one-game suspension because of the misconduct.
As John D'Amico was escorting Secord off the ice, the fans were throwing shit and booing. And Secord gave the fans a gesture that was offensive to D'Amico, a man of very proud Italian heritage. He came to me and said, "You gotta give Secord another game misconduct. I said, "What did he do?" And John said, "He just gave the crowd an Italian salute." (laughs)
If I give him another game misconduct, he's suspended for the final game. D'Amico said, "I don't give a (blank). If you don't give him one, I will." I said, "OK, John, I just want you to realize, he's not playing two nights from now." So I get home, and the phone rings as soon as I walk in the door. And it's Scotty Morrison. And he says, "What the hell were you thinking?"
I explained the situation. And Scotty just said, "Oh my God." And then he called D'Amico. So that was my indoctrination into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
On working his first Stanley Cup Final:
The first one was special; it was 1985, between the Flyers and the Oilers.
I was the young kid on the block, the young gun. I received a tremendous among of media respect, and was being touted as the new "good" referee. It created some jealousy, and there is certainly that among peers. While it was exciting for me to be in my first Stanley Cup Final, I had to deal with some of the on-ice jealousy that moved into nastiness among a couple of colleagues.
It's disappointing, but I ended up working through it. John McCauley was a terrific mentor for me; he put me in Game 7 of that '85 playoff run (Quebec vs. Montreal) where I really broke out. The season before, I had worked two rounds in the playoffs; the season before that, I did one round. So I went one round, two rounds, boom. Stanley Cup Final. It was quite an ascent.
On his most memorable run-in with The Great One:
My success, I think, resulted from an awakening in a confrontation with Wayne Gretzky in 1980 in the Northlands Coliseum.
On his very first shift, Wayne took a dive. The guy just touched him, and Wayne went into the air - and he turned his head looking for me to see if my arm was up before he hit the ice. And my Type A personality was such that I thought, "I'm gonna show you." Every shift, the more he dove, the more stubborn I got. There wasn't one penalty he drew that night.
In saying, "I'm in control, I'm in charge," I was gonna make him pay. We didn't have a diving penalty at that time; the worst thing, for me, was to be fooled by a player. I didn't want to reward people that were trying to fool me or cheat.
The Philadelphia Flyers were up by a goal with just over a minute to play. And the crowd was on me all night; every time Wayne took a dive, they went crazy. The best opportunity (for Edmonton to tie the game) was a power play.
(Flyers netminder) Pelle Lindbergh caught the puck. I blew the whistle, killed the play. Wayne was standing behind the net, in his office. After I blew the whistle, he jumped in the air, threw his hands out one way, his feet out the other way, and boom - did a belly flop on the ice.
Bobby Clarke skated over to him with no teeth and said, "Get up, Gretzky, you (expletive) baby." I said, "Wayne, what are you doing? There was nobody within 15 feet of you." And Wayne said, "You wouldn't haven't called it anyway. You haven't called a (expletive) thing all night."
I said, "You're right. I'm gonna start right now. You've got two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct." And he said, "Thanks. It's about effing time you called something." He stormed off the ice. And the Flyers won the game.
On how he dealt with the aftermath:
I went back to the hotel room after eating and having a few drinks with the guys, and I replayed the game. Was there something I could have done better? And it hit me like a board between the eyes.
I said to myself, "Kerry, you got into a battle with a player. And not just any player, but the best player in the game. You compromised your integrity, you compromised the rules, and you compromised your employer. You've gotta be better than that. You've gotta be bigger than getting involved in a confrontation with a player." And it was an amazingly valuable lesson for me.
I had to be part of the solution; instead, I was part of the problem. I needed to bring the temperature down. I needed to communicate better with players. So really, Wayne Gretzky taught me a valuable lesson that night. I had to be better. And from that moment, I did my best to be the best I could be.
Over the course of the 2017-18 season, theScore will run a series of interviews with former players, coaches, and officials in which they recall some of the greatest moments of their careers. This edition focuses on Dennis Maruk, who averaged nearly a point per game over 888 NHL regular-season contests with four teams and had a 60-goal season with Washington in 1981-82.
On whether he felt he should have been drafted higher than 21st overall in 1975 following a successful junior career:
I think in that situation, I had good numbers ... but truthfully, I thought I would have been drafted the year before as an 18-year-old due to the fact that I was pretty good. We had played exhibition games against the Washington Capitals in London (while with the OHL's London Knights), and I had scored a bunch of goals in those games, so I was disappointed at that time.
And of course, having that great last year of junior, and then not being drafted in the first round ... yeah, I know there was a lot of great talent in that draft. But I think the reason that I wasn't drafted higher was because of my size (5-foot-8, 158 pounds). It was a negative. I think I had all the skill teams were looking for, but basically it came down to them going with the bigger guys.
On his first NHL goal:
My first goal was in Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens, against Wayne Thomas. My parents, my brothers and sisters, friends, and relatives were all at the game. I remember that one more than I remember (No. 50 in 1980-81) and (No. 60 in 1981-82) ... when I wrote my book ("Dennis Maruk: The Unforgettable Story of Hockey’s Forgotten 60-Goal Man"), (co-writer Ken Reid) had to tell me the dates and all that. But I remember that first one.
On playing for the California Golden Seals in the mid-1970s:
In the 70s and early 80s, I don't think people realize how it was compared to the game today. I call it "survival" ... there was a lot of hitting, spearing, slashing, fighting. And you still had to play your game despite all that.
In my first year, I was a 5-foot-8, 158-pound hockey player. My body got beat up a lot. But playing in California was great ... I was 19 years old, the sun was shining, driving around in a Corvette, shorts and a T-shirt on, and great travel - we had those big planes. Our team wasn't the greatest, but we did okay. We just didn't have enough talent.
And then they moved to Cleveland. That was a big change.
On landing with the Capitals at the start of the 1978-79 season:
When (Minnesota and Cleveland) merged, (North Stars general manager) Lou Nanne contacted me and said, "We're staying with our centermen. I'm going to trade you for a first-round pick." I said, "Okay, well make sure you do it before the season starts so I can go to that city and get settled with my family."
Over the summer, Lou said, "Well, we didn't make the deal. We want you to come and play for the Minnesota North Stars. The fans will really like you." I called my lawyer and he said, "There are two teams that are really interested. When you get to Minnesota, just rent a home and go to training camp."
I had two games (with Minnesota) - I dressed for one and didn't play in the other one. I had one shift. Harry Howell was the coach, and I asked him after the first period what was up, and he said, "Well, we can't really play you. There are two teams interested."
I was all ready to go to the next game. I was about to be picked up by J.P. Parise and Brad Maxwell at five o'clock, and I got a phone call from (Capitals GM) Max McNab at twenty to five - I was being traded. And then a few minutes later, Lou Nanne calls me. So I found out from Washington first.
On the origin of his trademark Fu Manchu mustache:
You have to let it just grow, kind of like a beard. And then you put it into a goatee, and then you just shave the middle part from your lip down to your chin about two inches depending on how thick you want your Fu Manchu. That's how I grew it out - and I've always grown my hair pretty fast.
One year, I saw this pitcher from the Kansas City Royals, Al Hrabosky. He was going nuts on the mound. And I looked at him, and he's got the big Fu Manchu. And I thought to myself, "I'm going to keep it. Al can do it, I'm going to do it, too. It's going to be my mark in the NHL." And it was.
Everyone keeps saying, "Grow it back, grow it back." But I pretty much can't, because the girlfriend doesn't like it. (laughs) She likes the goatee better.
On the biggest talkers of his era:
There weren't a lot of guys who really chatted at me, because I gave it back. So I got a lot of respect right away.
When I played in Washington, the Philadelphia Flyers always chatted on the ice. Ken Linseman was a chatter. Mel Bridgman was a chatter. I can't say the words that were said, but it was a battle - with your sticks, and your hands, and what you would say to each other. But I have a lot of respect for guys like Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach. Those guys had great careers.
On some of his favorite teammate pranks:
When I was with Oakland, Jim Neilson, the former Ranger ... we had a big party and he was sleeping in the lobby, and we lit his shoe on fire. And he had had so much to drink that he woke up, looked at it, and fell back asleep. We had to put it out for him. (laughs)
We'd have a big dinner, and one of the guys would take the head of a big fish and take it back to the hotel and put it in a guy's pillow case. You always had to check your skates and your helmet because you never knew what was going to happen. You could put your hand in your glove and pull your hand out ... and I can't say what would be on your hand, but you always checked.
There was always something done to someone every day. Every day.
On how he became one of the best goal scorers of the early-80s:
I'm not going to say I was a great goal scorer; I worked on things, and I learned a lot from goalies that played on my team. I would ask them a lot of questions, like what they looked at when a good goal scorer was coming down. I tried a few things like that in a game, and it worked.
I think it was mainly my quick release. I had a pretty good slap shot, but I kind of caught a lot of goalies off-guard with my quick release. I had a short stick and I kept the puck close to me, just like (Calgary Flames forward) Johnny Gaudreau. You lose a little reach, but you have the puck close to you and you can snap it quick where you catch goalies not thinking you're gonna shoot.
Of course, I had a lot of help from my linemates. You can't do that yourself - you have to have support. People talk a lot about my goals, but I consider myself more of a playmaker. I had more than 500 assists, and I could have had many more. I loved to make plays, and I loved to score goals.
On being traded out of Washington:
We had just gotten into the playoffs in Washington, and I was really shocked when I got traded back to Minnesota.
I had played one year at left wing, and Bryan Murray and David Poile met with me in the summer and said they were moving me back to center. And one week later, I got traded! I was really confused.
So I went to Minnesota, a good hockey team, and ended up not playing much. I was getting 60, 70 points as a fourth-line player; if I had played as much as I did in Washington, I probably would have had 100-plus points. It wasn't because of my talent, we just had too many good players.
We had to go up against the Oilers (in the playoffs), and they were a phenomenal team. You won't find a team with talent like that again. We just couldn't beat them. But to be able to play in the playoffs and go for the Stanley Cup was any player's dream. I struggled my first four, five years not getting into the playoffs. But that's the way life goes.
On being a Roller Hockey International coach after his playing career:
It was a lot of fun for the short time I was involved. I even played one game. (Former NHLer who coached the RHI's Chicago Cheetahs) Randy Boyd put himself in the lineup, so I said, "Well, if he's going to play, I'm going to play." (laughs) So I ended up playing a game.
Going from skates to wheels wasn't a problem. You just had to get used to the wheels, and how you had to turn and stop and that sort of thing. Going from wheels to skates was a little different. If you rollerbladed for a while and then put on a pair of skates, it's amazing the different muscles you use on blades versus hockey skates.
On playing for the WPHL's Lake Charles as a 43-year-old:
I was coaching there for a year and a half, and I got released. I was still living in Lake Charles, and the new coach and I had met a couple of times to talk about players because he had just come in from out west.
They had a couple of injuries and suspensions, and the coach asked me if I would be interested in skating in practice to help him with his lines. So I did it for a few weeks, and he goes, "Would you be interested in signing a five-game contract?" And I said, "Yeah, right. Why would you want me? These guys are all in their 20s and I'm in my 40s."
I ended up talking to the team by myself, and I said, "I'm not here to take any of your ice time away. I'll sign to play, but I'm only going to play a few shifts. I'm here to have fun with you guys." They made the decision for me that they wanted me in the lineup. So I ended up playing some games.
I had a lot of fun with it, but I got the weirdest names when I was out there. "You old man, you old fart ... you're losing more teeth." I would come back with, "Okay, how old are you? Where are you playing? Where did I play? You played in the NHL yet?" (laughs) They put those names away pretty quick.
On who he considers underrated from his era:
I would say Kent Nilsson. I was on the same line with him and Brian Bellows in Minnesota. Out of all the players that I played with, I don't think he got the respect for how great he was.
This guy had so much talent. Unbelievable. He was so shifty with the puck and had such a great shot. I don't think he got the breaks until he got to Edmonton. That happens with some guys. But he would be my choice for most underrated.
On what he would have done differently in his career:
I would have started out going to college.
My son went to Notre Dame. He didn't go on to play in the NHL but he has a wonderful job. When you hear stories of people getting ready for college ... I got traded when I was 15, 16 years old. I had to leave my family and go live with people in London. Those things were hard - you had to grow up fast.
When I think back to it, I would have liked to have gone to college rather than going straight to junior. I missed four years of what a lot of people get to do in their life, meeting people and getting an eduction, getting some structure. I think that's the way I'd go.
__________
Rapid Fire
Best player he ever played with: Ryan Walter
Best player he ever played against: Wayne Gretzky
Best goalie he ever faced: Ken Dryden
Favorite coach of all time: Bryan Murray
Favorite visiting arena: Chicago Stadium
__________
Fact File
Born: November 17, 1955, Toronto, ON
Drafted: Second round (21st overall), 1975, California Golden Seals
Teams: California Golden Seals/Cleveland Barons (1975-78), Minnesota North Stars (1978, 1983-89), Washington Capitals (1978-83)
Over the course of the 2017-18 season, theScore will run a series of interviews with former players, coaches, and officials, in which they recall some of the greatest moments of their career. This edition focuses on diminutive forward Theo Fleury, who averaged nearly a point per game over an eventful 15-year NHL career spent mostly with the Calgary Flames:
On being drafted 166th overall by the Flames in 1987:
Obviously it was a huge thrill; when you play hockey and you dream about playing in the NHL, it's one of those milestones toward the big goal that you have. There were a lot of people who doubted whether I could play, and I just wanted an opportunity. And the Flames gave me that opportunity.
On dealing with trash talk during his career:
I think every team had one or two of those guys. I always got a kick out of guys like Tie Domi and Matthew Barnaby. Sean Avery was an interesting human being. (laughs) But it's all part of the game, and about trying to get under people's skin. And I was pretty good at it, too. It was a tool that I used a lot as part of my game.
There were certain guys where it was certainly easier to get under their skin than others. But you have to have wit, and you have to have a bit of intelligence. It's definitely an art. It's not something that everybody can do.
On who made him laugh the most:
Sheldon Kennedy was funny. Very funny.
Kenny Jonsson, who used to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, had a bit of an acne problem. So one night, Kenny was on the blue line in our zone, and Sheldon kind of leaned over the boards and said, "Hey Kenny, you're supposed to eat the pizza, not sleep on it." (laughs)
On his relationship with officials:
I've made it very public that I wasn't very fond of any referees. (laughs)
I threw my helmet at Kerry Fraser one night in a playoff game in Chicago. And obviously he threw me out of the game. He was one of those guys where, if I saw that he was reffing, I might as well have stayed in the dressing room, because I was going to be in the box all night.
For some reason, he just didn't like me. Maybe he was jealous because he was reffing and I was playing and he wanted to play, and he didn't have the talent or the ability to do that. I don't know.
On his 10-game appearance with Tappara Tampere of the Finnish League during the 1994-95 NHL lockout:
I had an amazing experience over there. It was so much fun to try something different. I had great teammates ... it was such a cool experience to play over in Europe for a little while.
I loved playing for Tappara. It's an amazing little town. And it's funny, because they had a rivalry there similar to Calgary and Edmonton. There were two teams in Tampere; the other team was called Ilves. And we played against Ilves one night, and I scored the overtime winner - and I sort of did a thing similar to when I slid across the ice in Edmonton:
When I got there, they weren't a very good team; they hadn't won a game in a long time. When I got there, we started winning. It was a fun experience. And did you know that there are five million people in Finland, and there are five million saunas there? That's their thing. Chicken wings and sauna parties.
On finishing his playing career with the Belfast Giants of the British Elite Ice Hockey League:
Obviously the hockey there isn't the greatest - I think it's the 15th-best league in the world. But more importantly, the life experience was amazing. The history of the UK, the history of Europe ... I was able to do a bit of traveling. And the people were absolutely incredible.
Our games were pretty close to being sold out every night, so that was fun, to play in front of fans like that. It was a really cool experience. And we played a stone's throw away from where they built the Titanic, which was awesome. We played at the Odyssey Arena, and right across the street is where they built the Titanic.
I was impressed with the passion and the knowledge that the fans have. And I guess that league has existed since World War II. A lot of the Canadian soldiers married British girls and ended up living over there, and they started playing hockey, and created the league that's in existence right now.
On playing for a loaded Flames team that won the Stanley Cup in 1989:
You could just go from top to bottom on that roster ... what an amazing team, and an amazing group of guys. For a young player like me, I don't think I could have been mentored by a better group of guys like that.
I loved playing with Doug Gilmour; my one and only 50-goal season I had was with him. Then the next year, I think I had 32 goals at Christmas, and then they traded him to the Leafs, and I ended up scoring only eight goals the rest of the season. (laughs)
On the only time he tried to set a personal milestone:
One year, I had 190 penalty minutes going into the last game. And I tried to get the ref to throw me out of the game so I could get to 200 - and he absolutely refused to do that. (laughs) I tried my hardest. I called him pretty much every name in the book, and nope. I wasn't getting thrown out.
On planning for life after hockey:
When I retired from the game, all had was a Grade 12 diploma from Vanier Collegiate in Moose Jaw, Sask. I basically had no clue what the rest of my life was going to look like. I knew I had more than half my life left to live.
So I had been retired for a few years when I ran into an old media guy who covered the Flames when I played there. He asks me what I'm doing; I say, "Nothing." We go back and forth with small talk, and at the end of the conversation I say, "Hey, do you know anyone who would be interested in doing a book with me?"
He said, "Funny you should ask; my wife's a writer." And so I asked him to set up a meeting, and three days after that conversation, I met with his wife. And three days after that, we started writing "Playing With Fire."
The process of writing that book and going out on that book tour really changed my life, gave me purpose and gave me a whole new outlook. I realized that I could help people who had had similar experiences as myself - and since 2009, when the book came out, I haven't stopped. I'm a motivational speaker now, I'm an author.
If you would have told me 20 years ago when I was a player that this would be my post-career job, I would have said you were crazy. But it has been amazing - and I'm truly grateful that I get a chance to help people and change their lives.
On how he views his hockey career 15 years after retiring from the NHL:
I truly believe that I played in the greatest era of superstars that we'll ever see in the NHL. The names that come to mind are Gretzky and Messier and Lemieux and Sakic and Yzerman ... the list goes on and on and on. I played with Joe Nieuwendyk, Doug Gilmour, Lanny McDonald, Hakan Loob, Al MacInnis, Mike Vernon, and Gary Suter.
Our era was just full of incredible hockey players. It was fun to play against those guys. It made me a better player, it made me have to elevate my game in order to compete at the same level they were competing at. I have a tremendous amount of respect for our era, and the amazing, talented people that played at that time.
I don't have a whole lot of regrets. I believe everything happens for a reason. I had an amazing career, played with a lot of incredible guys, and had lots of winning experiences. I don't think I would change anything about my life.
With where I'm at today, and with all the things I've been able to overcome, and to take all that experience - good, bad, or indifferent - and be able to reach out to people and touch them on a spiritual level is pretty cool stuff.
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Rapid Fire
Best player he ever played with: Wayne Gretzky
Favorite coach of all time: Terry Crisp
Favorite visiting arena: All the Original Six arenas
Over the course of the 2017-18 season, theScore will run a series of interviews with former players, coaches, and officials in which they recall some of the greatest moments of their career. This edition focuses on Bernie Nicholls, who racked up more than 1,200 career points and had a 70-goal, 150-point season next to Wayne Gretzky in the late-1980s.
On what he remembers from his first NHL game:
My first game was in Calgary, at the old Calgary Corral, where the boards seemed like they were five feet high, and hard. I remember Jerry Korab got hit from behind into the boards, it might have been my first shift out on the ice. And there's a fan banging on the glass, and I go over, and (Jerry's) teeth are sitting on the ledge of the boards.
So, I'm sitting there going, "Damn, here's my first shift in the NHL and a guy just got his teeth knocked out on a hit from behind." (laughs) I don't remember who won the game, or how well I did, but that's what I remember.
On his first NHL goal:
We're in Colorado. I get a breakaway, and I deke Chico Resch and score.
I actually had someone send me a picture of me deking past him and shooting it into the empty net. And that was back before we had iPhones and things like that. I actually have that picture with my jersey hanging up, where I'm shooting the puck into the empty net. And Chico Resch signed his goalie stick for me, so I have that.
It was actually a pretty nice goal for my first NHL goal.
On adjusting to life in L.A. after growing up in West Guilford, Ontario:
I'll never forget flying into L.A. ... where I come from, there may be 75 people in my hometown. There are trees, it's back in the bush. I'm flying into Hollywood ... you actually fly right over the (Great Western Forum). I remember that. And then you land, and there are, like, 10 million people. I go from one extreme to the next.
I love horse racing; Hollywood Park was right there. (Lakers owner Jerry) Buss had celebrities there all the time. Tom Hanks would be at the games. Sylvester Stallone, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell. We played every Saturday night and the Lakers played every Friday night. I'd go to the games and stand on the floor, and hang out with Magic Johnson and the rest of the Lakers.
I always found I can adapt anywhere. You want to take me to Alaska, I can go live there. I love that part of the world. Hollywood was an easy transition, and I enjoyed it. I got my pink silk suit; I could dress the part. It was pretty cool.
On whether he still fancies wearing fur coats as he did in L.A.:
You know what? I still have one; I haven't worn it in a while.
When I was in junior, my billet owned a fur store. So that's where I kind of got the reputation there as an 18-year-old, playing junior hockey, traveling out with a full-length wolf coat. I guess it followed me out to L.A.
On his favorite on-ice talkers:
Ken Baumgartner was tough. He'd always give you the old, "Daddy's home!" or, "You want to party?" But he could back it up. He was good that way.
Another one was Glen Sather - he was so fitting for the Oilers. Cocky young kids, and their coach was cocky and arrogant, but they could all back it up. Glen would have that shit-ass grin on his face behind the bench, chirping at you, but he could really back it up.
A lot of the tough guys would just kind of tell you what they were going to do. Marty McSorley was one of those guys. I love Marty, and I got to play with him, but I'll never forget one time when we're in L.A., and the whistle goes. And the referee, he's over by the penalty box. And Marty's giving me a face wash, 'cause he knows there's nothing I can do about it. (laughs)
So I turned and punched him as hard as I can right in the head, and then I skated as fast as I could to the penalty box and stood right beside the referee and said, "He's comin'." And sure enough, he came and speared me right in front of the referee. (laughs) That's our friend Marty.
On his favorite referee interaction:
I remember Andy Van Hellemond was a big horse guy, and he knew I was. So when he'd come to L.A., he'd be at the track, and we'd be on the ice and he'd tell me he had a good day, or ask me, "Do you know anything for tomorrow?" I lived with a jockey there, and was a friend with a couple of them ... they used to be in the penalty box in L.A., opening the door on the visitors' side.
Andy knew I was friends with them, so he'd always ask me if I had any tips for him, or just tell me how well he did that day.
On how he developed into one of the best shooters of his era:
I think that was more natural ability than work. I've always said, if I could ever do one thing over again in my career, it would be that. We never worked on our craft like kids do today. We never worked out. I didn't start working out until I got to Chicago in '94. We never even had a bike in L.A.
When I got to Chicago, with Chris Chelios, all of a sudden I'm doing push-ups and sit-ups in the sauna, working out every day and loving it. But that was much later in my career. So for me, I think most of (my shooting ability) was God-given. My endurance was probably as good as anybody's. But I still loved shooting in practice.
People always said I had a deceptive shot, or that when I came down the ice, they never knew where I was going for the puck. I guess that was fortunate for me, when goalies couldn't read me. A lot of guys telegraph their shot, and I guess mine was a little different.
On the moment he found out the Kings had acquired Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers:
I was actually in Tahoe at a celebrity golf event, and Jeremy Roenick said he had just heard that (the Kings) had got Wayne Gretzky. I was absolutely shocked. And I was good friends with Bruce McNall, who had just taken over. He had never really mentioned anything about that.
But it was like Christmas day; I was like, "You gotta be kidding me." I was just so excited to have the opportunity to play with Wayne.
On his relationship with Gretzky during their time together:
I've asked different people - and I don't know how Wayne was in Edmonton or on other teams, if he had one player that he hung with - but I was Wayne's shadow. Every day Wayne took me to lunch. When we went on the road, it was Wayne and I. Went to dinner, went to movies. Every day, I was with him.
We had a McDonald's 200 yards up the street (from the arena). Wayne loved McDonald's. Wayne would say, "Hey, Bern, let's go to lunch." When Wayne says "Let's do something," we're doing it. Let's go. So it's McDonald's. And to this day, I hate McDonald's. (laughs). We went every day.
I'll never forget game days. Wayne was a quiet leader, obviously leading by example. And he would come over to me - and he might have gone over to everybody, I don't know that - but he would give me a little tap privately on my knee pads and say, "I need you tonight." And in your mind you're going, "Oh my God, that's Wayne."
Great players bring out the best in everybody. They always do it. And that's how it was with Wayne. Obviously you want to play well for your team, but I always wanted to play well with Wayne. He had that kind of an impact on me. It was just a dream for me to play and hang with Wayne.
On whether being traded out of L.A. in a 1989 deal with the Rangers might have cost him a shot at the Hockey Hall of Fame:
Oh, absolutely. Any time you get traded ... obviously, after you get traded once it's a little easier ... but the toughest part for me was because of that.
You score 70 goals, you play with the greatest player in the game, and all of a sudden, it's like they tease you: they let you play with him just for a little bit, and that's it. For me, I was absolutely honored and fortunate to play with him for a year and a half, but wow, would it have been fun to play with him for a few more years.
That was absolutely the toughest part. That hurt.
On who he considers most underrated from his era:
I couldn't imagine what it would have been like to play with Gretz for 10 years. It was so much fun. But I've always said that if I could play with one person for my entire career, it would be Chris Chelios.
Chris' work ethic was second to none. He gave me nine stitches in my ear in practice one time as I was trying to go around him. He battled you in practice like it was a game. He always said he wanted to play 60 minutes, and I really truly believe he could have. If I had been the coach, I would have let him try.
Everybody knows that Chris would party hard off the ice at times, but he was the first person on the ice the next day. Always. And Chris was always the hardest-working player out there. No one battled harder than him. He was unbelievable.
On winding down his career with the San Jose Sharks in the late-1990s:
The role was going to be different. I know when I signed there, I talked to the general manager, and he had a plan: "We want you to lead the team." They had just drafted Patrick Marleau, and said, "Later on, we want you to take on a lesser role, be more of a role model for the younger kids and teach them."
I loved the idea. To me, there's nothing better than watching young kids in any sport do well. And I've always said that the older players play such a big role to the younger kids. When I first broke in, you know that you gotta take someone else's job. You're not going to get support from the other center. It's the older guys that know that you're going to be a valuable part of the team going forward that take you under your wing.
For me, going there, I had an opportunity to help young kids, Patrick Marleau, Marco Strum, guys like that. And I really loved that idea.
On an unsatisfying end to his NHL career:
This one is a touchy one. I knew I wasn't done yet. The problem is, Darryl Sutter was the coach. I love Darryl, I had him twice. But he had his brother there, Ronnie. And Ronnie was playing that fourth-line role. But I already had an agreement with (GM) Dean Lombardi. Dean brought me in for that role.
So Darryl decides he's going to keep his brother ahead of me. And I can understand that; I probably would have done the same thing. But it's up to Dean Lombardi, the general manager, who knows I'm a better fit. And Dean wouldn't stand up for me against Darryl.
A year later he apologized, but my thought is, you didn't have the balls to stand up to Darryl and do the right thing for the team. So I was done. That didn't sit well for a long time. And like I said, I had no problem with Darryl; he kept me on as a coach there, and he hired me in L.A. as a coach. I can understand from his point; you do a lot of things for your family.
Dean knew I was the better person for the job, and that was the deal when I signed there. So that part stung - and it still hits a nerve.
On how he wished things had ended:
I wanted to play 20 years. And if I couldn't help the team, then I would know it's time. Obviously my goal scoring wasn't there, but I could still play well on defense, still take faceoffs, still really good for the young kids. And I loved the opportunity to play that role.
Even when I was coaching with the Kings, I hung with the players more than with the coaches. I loved being around the players, loved helping the players. I didn't get to do it enough (as a player), and I really would have liked to do it for a couple more years.
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Rapid Fire
Best goalie he ever faced: Patrick Roy
Best player he ever played with (aside from Gretzky): Mario Lemieux
Favorite coach of all time: His dad, Pat Quinn, Jacques Lemaire
Favorite visiting arena: Chicago Stadium
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Fact File
Born: June 24, 1961, Haliburton, ON
Drafted: Fourth round (73rd overall), 1980, Los Angeles Kings
Teams: Los Angeles Kings (1981-89), New York Rangers (1989-91), Edmonton Oilers (1991-93), New Jersey Devils (1993-94), Chicago Blackhawks (1994-96), San Jose Sharks (1996-98)
