07-13-2012, 03:07 AM
|
 |
Coach
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 3,843
|
|
One of my favorite old school stories from the WHL was when Odelein was playing Juniors with the Moose Jaw Warriors. His hands were beat up from fighting and his teammates and coaches knew it... Basically he was hurt so bad he could hardly grip his stick because they were infected... Something happened during the game and Odelein ended up fighting one of the heavies in the league (Mark Janssens) and took a beating because he could hardly throw. The coach of the Warriors, Gerry James, traded all 5 players on the ice the next day (including the goaltender) because nobody came to Odelein's aid.
Quote:
Odelein shone in James gang
RED FISHER. The Montreal Gazette. Dec 24, 1995
Last Monday's late-game heavyweight bout involving Hartford's Mark Janssens and Canadiens forward Rocky Recchi had Lyle Odelein thinking back to his junior hockey days.
It seems that one night, Odelein's Moose Jaw team went into Saskatoon, where he got into fist fights with a couple of chaps named Wendel Clark and Kelly Chase. These western boys don't fool around when they start swinging. Odelein came out of his 12-rounders with raw knuckles that quickly became infected.
``I've got to get these things fixed in the hospital,'' Odelein told Moose Jaw coach Gerry James, who was an ornery piece of work himself during his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
``Play one more game,'' James urged. ``I need you against Regina.''
Odelein, needless to say, agreed. After all, hadn't coach James once told him: `Kid, you ain't gonna make it to the NHL on talent.' (It may be the best advice Odelein received in his career.)
Moose Jaw and Regina players didn't particularly like one another in those days. They still don't, it's imagined. Janssens didn't like Odelein. Fight time.
``I can't fight,'' Odelein told Janssens. ``I've got bad hands.''
Ordinarily, the tough-guy code would have prompted Janssens to look elsewhere for a head to hit, but not on this night. The remaining Moose Jaw players watched with interest while Janssens administered a thrashing to Odelein.
There was, however, a happy ending to the story.
The next day, coach James traded the five on-ice players, including the goaltender, who had failed to come to Odelein's aid.
|
__________________
"The Hand is fine, I got a shot of chromosone yesterday." John Kordic on the status of his hand.
"Let's get out of this sh*thole."
Phil Esposito, on Winnipeg, after Team Canada lost game 3 of the 1972 series to the Russians.
 
|