John Wensink vs Nick Fotiu

[Schultz]

Nick told me that none of the Bruins, including Cashman wanted to go with him. But I'm sure he's making this up, like the time when O'Reilly wanted no part of Nick in a meaningless Pre-season game.

[Fight Fan]

I remember reading something (not sure if its Nicks book or not) but Nick is a pompus ass. He had more excuses for losing fights or not fighting certain guys that I have ever seen in my life. He wouldnt give guys credit for beating him he would make excuses as to why he lost. I had a ton of respect for the guy until of read that (the words came out of his own mouth) and after reading I couldnt stand the guy. The guy seems like a selfish prick if you ask me, and he seems to think he's the best ever too.

[Johnny Pie]

Originally Posted by Schultz

Nick told me that none of the Bruins, including Cashman wanted to go with him. But I'm sure he's making this up, like the time when O'Reilly wanted no part of Nick in a meaningless Pre-season game.

Can we please stop with the Fotiu double standard. In this same thread you posted Nick TOLD you His agent told him not to fight with Wensink. Now Nick TOLD you none of the Bruins would fight him. Srehm posts an article that says Cashman elbowed,crosschecked, and sneered at Fotiu and neither of them ran from the other. That article is of course B.S. But this article below that just says Fotiu dropped his gloves and Oreilly didn't means Oreilly ran and of course this article is gospel. The only problem is this article has some basic stuff wrong. Schultz jumped Rolfe from BEHIND. REALLY. And of course because Nick SAYS he could score THAT IS GOSPEL, he proved that over and over during his career.Both articles probably have a little chest beating going on because the author is trying to make a point. The thing that I tend to pay attention to his how many times Nick builds himself up. You never see Oreilly do that. In fact he is always downplaying his effect and toughness. Guess you don't have to talk about things you actually did. Here is the famous article.

FOITU: HE KNOWS HIS WAY AROUND RINK AND RING

A David Goldstein of Brooklyn called the New York Rangers this past summer to complain when they signed big Nick Fotiu to a contract. "The kid is a killer" said Goldstein. "He ran into me 12 years ago in a baseball game and broke my collarbone"
When Rangers coach John Ferguson heard about the complaint he just smiled and rubbed his hands in gleeful anticipation. Big Nick Fotiu sounded like just the man he had been looking for.

Since the night last season when Curt Bennett of the Atlanta Flames knocked out the Rangers Dave Maloney with a sucker punch and not a single New York player went to help flatten teammate.

Since the 1974 night when Dave Schultz jumped New York's Dale Rolfe from behind and all the Rnagers save Ederly goalie Eddie Giacomin stood around and watched their friend get beaten up.

Fotiu, the first native New Yorker ever to play for the Rangers and the man who just might have the most impressive fighting credentials in ice hockey, won't standfor any of that.

"If anyone ever tries to hurt one of my teammates, I'll fight him" said Fotiu, coiling his size-large hands into fists. "I'd Have been there to help out those guys fast because it was one of my guys in trouble. You just don't let that happen to someone on your team." "I know why I'm here. Why I'm here has a lot to do with what happened to Maloney and Rolfe. Fergy was a tough guy when he played. He wants me here because I play tough. I've been a policeman before. If anyone wants to fight I'll fight."

Yes he will. Playing for the Cape Cod Cubs in 1973-74 he totalled 379 penalty minutes, a amrk of which even the wicked Schultz would have been proud. The last 2 season he was with the WHA New England Whalers. In 1974-75 he scored 4 points and 144 minutes. In 1975-76 his scoring improved to 5 points but his penalty minutes fell to 94.

"I was hurt a lot last year" he explained. "I had tendon severed in a fight. I was down on the ice and someone stepped on my hand."

It was down on Cape Cod that Nick met Leslie McCarthy who is now his wife. She is the daughter of Chief of Police and Mrs Daniel McCarthy of Foxbough and was then an usherette at Cape Cod Coliseum where The Cubs played their home games.

In his 2 years with Hartford Fotiu was voted the most popular Whaler by the fans. "They liked my style of play." He was appreciated by his teammates too. The first time he ever met Teddy Green he told him "when I was a Ranger fan as a kid I wanted to beat you up."

New England let him go earlier this year and the Rangers, whose Emile Francis had put him on the negotiating list years ago, snapped him up. He's a natural in The Big Apple. He grew up on Staten Island, played all his amateur hockey in the local Metropolitian League and won the New York City heavyweight boxing championship.

"But I'm not a goon, I'm a hockey player" noted Fotiu, whose position is a steadily improving left wing. "I'm a team player, I'll go into the corners and dig out the puck. I'll backcheck, I'll skate with the best of them and I can score goals."

The Bruins will attest to this last fact. He scored the game-winner in a 7-5 win over them in a pre-season opener for his team. "I really wondered whether all this was happening to me that night" he laughed. "All my life I've been working to where I am now. I didn't even see that puck go into the net. I'd like to have been sitting with my buddies to see my first goal."

That's where it all started for Fotiu - in the stands at a Ranger game. "I was 15" he recalled. "It was a New York-Philly game in 1968. I loved it. I told myself "you're gonna be a hockey player".

That ambition isn't the easiest for a kid from NYC. There are on rinks on Staten Island. Fotiu rode the subways to Coney Island and farther to play his game. He went to Rod Gilbert's summer hockey school. He went to every Ranger game he could and rooted as hard as he could for them.

The New York fans already appreciate his efforts. In that pre-season opener they chanted "We Want Nicky ". They wanted him to fight and late in the game it happened.

He and Terry O'Reilly bumped and glowered at each other. Fotiu threw his gloves and cocked his fights. O'Reilly didn't. "I was ready to go if he was" Fotiu said. "I guess he wasn't ready"

[JAVALITE]

I think Fotiu beats Wensink, due to his handspeed and strength. I did see a brief clip of the Baron-Fotiu-O'Reilly incident, so maybe O'Reilly was wary of Fotiu.

I always thought Jonathan was the toughest of the 1970's Bruins. He would have been a handful for Fotiu. Jonathan was incredibly strong, had good power, and could throw them with both hands.

As far as all the Fotiu shadow boxing is concerned, I figure it was his opponents that didn't want to engage. With his boxing background, a squareoff was always advantage Fotiu. With Nick, it was best to wrestle, get in tight, and try to negate his handspeed. Fotiu always preferred the squareoff, it gave him a huge advantage.

[KnucklesNilan]

Originally Posted by Fight Fan

I remember reading something (not sure if its Nicks book or not) but Nick is a pompus ass. He had more excuses for losing fights or not fighting certain guys that I have ever seen in my life. He wouldnt give guys credit for beating him he would make excuses as to why he lost. I had a ton of respect for the guy until of read that (the words came out of his own mouth) and after reading I couldnt stand the guy. The guy seems like a selfish prick if you ask me, and he seems to think he's the best ever too.

I share the same sentiment... never said Fotiu wasn't tough, every guy who drops the gloves and fights another man on skates is tough, but not god-like the way some people are making him out to be. I must've watched my Best of Fotiu tape hundreds of times because I have many Ranger fans that want to see him in action... low and behold, I fall asleep halfway through it.

[Schultz]

The article written about the O'Reily-Fotiu incident was from a BOSTON PAPER, not a NY paper. Ask Mark Topez about it. He was at the game and witnessed it. He said O'Reilly wanted no part of Fotiu. By the way Topez is an Islanders fan so please don't say he's a homer.

[srehm1]

Yeah, Fischler is a Rangers fan boy and has been covering them and associated with them for 4 decades? and he stated in the article that Cashman didn't back down from Fotiu. There is video of the incident and it really looks like a little scrum-nothing much at all-yet because Fotiu is involved, well Cashman wanted no part and hid behind his stick and the linesmen! Unbelievable!

Now if a guy gets in your face with his elbows and stick and is talking trash, what do you do? You go out there and fight him the first chance you get. but no fight from Fotiu. No picturesque square off with a non fight from him. No kind of retaliation at all. No Fotiu fluff piece from the Patriot Ledger about it. Nothing! Fischler makes it a point to say that the Bruins were out there intimidating the Rangers. He mentioned that if there ever were any doubts about Cash's fearlessness, it was put to rest that night. Sounds like an end game to me for this argument.

Personally I think Fotiu plays up his fights and incidents for his fans. i really do. I remember an article where he was asked about the Schoenfeld fight. He said he chopped schoenfeld down like a redwood, but the video clearly shows fotiu pulling him down to the ice. Ca'mon man!

I like the interview we did over at fightclub where daryl stanley said he took two real good runs at Fotiu but Nicky wasn't interested. every fighter has those moments. whether they're not ready, not interested or are wary of someone. it happens. even to fotiu.

[flamesblackace]

Just wondering why everyone has the big boner for Fotiu?? He maxed out at like 150 PIMs... Did he actually fight any of the Big Big Dogs? He had the look and all the talk WITH OUT A DOUBT... But talk about a dancer... Not a fan... and what an ugly mug on the dude

[srehm1]

Originally Posted by flamesblackace

Did he actually fight any of the Big Big Dogs? He had the look and all the talk WITH OUT A DOUBT...

No they were all afraid. Just ask him. Either that or they had the same agent, were "friends' and would never fight each other, were in awe of how many push ups he could do, or thought he still carried that axe. and don't forget the mob ties....

[BaddaBing Badda Boom]

Originally Posted by flamesblackace

Just wondering why everyone has the big boner for Fotiu?? He maxed out at like 150 PIMs... Did he actually fight any of the Big Big Dogs? He had the look and all the talk WITH OUT A DOUBT... But talk about a dancer... Not a fan... and what an ugly mug on the dude

Fotiu is in all their heads - they either curse him or praise him, but he is in their heads, case closed.

[flamesblackace]

Like I said, He certainly walked and talked the tough SOB role... Just didn't ever see any CLASSIC matchups or Good ol' POUNDINGs by him...

So in their heads makes perfect sense!

[RetardedChimp]

Originally Posted by flamesblackace

So in their heads makes perfect sense!

It absolutely does. Like a figment of their imagination.

Other than perhaps Gordie Howe and Mark Messier, is there anyone who has ever been so over hyped as a hockey fighter then Nick Fotiu?

[Leaf2717]

Originally Posted by RetardedChimp

It absolutely does. Like a figment of their imagination.

Other than perhaps Gordie Howe and Mark Messier, is there anyone who has ever been so over hyped as a hockey fighter then Nick Fotiu?

I think both Shultz and Tiger are "over hyped" by people who know just enough hockey to bore you.

Fotiu was the first guy that NY had who a fan could argue was as tough as other players [mainly B's and Flyers]. He thus holds a special place for Rags fans.

All the best.

[I like Boobs]

Sounds like the Flyers were in Fotiu's head: From an interview with Fotiu:

You didn't ask me my most hated arena. (OK we'll start a new category - Arena you most disliked to play in?) The Spectrum. I hated to play there. I knew it was going to be a rough game. It was unreal. It was very hard mentally. Being a tough player in the NHL - there's a lot of pressure. You couldn't back down. It was really tough to play there. Some teams were beaten before they got off the bus on the ramp. I know that. I said to my teammates, ‘I'll fight your battles, but if someone jumps me, you have to protect me.’ But it was tough, the Flyers used to pound teams."

By his own admission, didn't fight much:
[quote]
Fotiu said his fighting was blown out of proportion in his later years.

“When I got the NHL, I really didn’t have to fight that much,” he said. “People thought I fought all the time, but I think the most fights I had in one year was 12, then it was four. In the WHA, I had to prove myself, and obviously I did have some battles, but in the NHL it didn’t seem like I was fighting a lot.”
[quote]

Liked his story about the Flyers and trying to intimidate the Flyers:

“I knew it was going to be a tough game, so I told someone to let me know when the Flyers were coming off the bus,” Fotiu said.

In the meantime, Fotiu did four sets of 40 pushups, taped his wrists and got his arms all pumped up. Then he put on a tight T-shirt and stood near the door where the Flyers came in. He was sweaty and looked upset as he prepared his sticks for the game, knowing the Flyers would look at him and see his muscles bulging out.

“I kind of played my own mind games,” Fotiu said. “They thought I was just sawing sticks, but I had already done all this workout stuff. They’d start thinking, ‘Look at this freaking guy.’ ”

When the Flyers got ready for the game, Fotiu ran a lap around the concourse and dumped water on himself to make it appear he was sweating even more. Then he went near the Flyers locker room and told the trainers he wasn’t playing, that he just ran three miles to get warmed up.

Fotiu knew the Flyers players could hear what he was saying, and having set his trap, he buzzed around during warm-ups and made an immediate impression in the game.

“When I got my first shift, I came out like a bat out of hell, just banging guys and scaring the heck out of them,” Fotiu said. “I just knew they were on the bench saying, ‘Man, this freaking guy is nuts. He just ran three miles and look at him.’ They didn’t want anything to do with me anyway, but that was just my psychological thing.

“As long as nobody was touching or hurting my teammates, I really didn’t care. That’s what it was all about, protecting my teammates. As you get older, you start getting better and better.”

I think he's a tad overrated by New York guys who needed a guy when they had nothing and Fotiu was a hometown New Yorker. He was tough for sure but how many fights of his ever go down as all time battles or highlight reel fights? 3? Maybe 4? As far as his scoring ability goes he hid it prett well, only scoring 60 goals in 650 games lol... Love reading about his work ethic and how hard he tried off ice but the "God told me to be a hockey player," and "I was good at everything," comments are turn offs... I liked him, but I think sometimes he gets more credit than he deserves for his overall body of work. Similar maybe to Larry Robinson in that regard (fight rep wise).

[Fight Fan]

[quote=I like Boobs;2500526]Sounds like the Flyers were in Fotiu's head: From an interview with Fotiu:



By his own admission, didn't fight much:
[quote]
Fotiu said his fighting was blown out of proportion in his later years.

“When I got the NHL, I really didn’t have to fight that much,” he said. “People thought I fought all the time, but I think the most fights I had in one year was 12, then it was four. In the WHA, I had to prove myself, and obviously I did have some battles, but in the NHL it didn’t seem like I was fighting a lot.”

Liked his story about the Flyers and trying to intimidate the Flyers:



I think he's a tad overrated by New York guys who needed a guy when they had nothing and Fotiu was a hometown New Yorker. He was tough for sure but how many fights of his ever go down as all time battles or highlight reel fights? 3? Maybe 4? As far as his scoring ability goes he hid it prett well, only scoring 60 goals in 650 games lol... Love reading about his work ethic and how hard he tried off ice but the "God told me to be a hockey player," and "I was good at everything," comments are turn offs... I liked him, but I think sometimes he gets more credit than he deserves for his overall body of work. Similar maybe to Larry Robinson in that regard (fight rep wise).

Good read Boobs. Nick is not as great as people make him out to be. I remember people were saying this and that about him and I thought wow he must be a giant, then I got a fight tape of his and was far from impressed and then when you hear the guy talk makes you think he beat up all the tough guys in the NHL. The guy was tough no doult but he wasnt a monster like some claim him to be. I wouldnt even put him in top ten all time, he didnt do enough for that.