Old Farts Thread

[nighthawk]

Originally Posted by Beaton

First time I have checked out this thread. I'm one those guys that hate to admit the age thing..Anyway I turned 53 today so I wanted to share my first in person NHL game..My father got some tix from a salesman (as cheap as they were back then,theres no way he could afford them). Anyway, this was 1970-Rangers-Bruins..As you all know there was alot of hate going on back then between the 2..When we sat down my Dad said check out #4 for Boston..I was awestruck..It was obvious from the start of the game he could skate backwards faster than 90% of the guys skating forward..Then just before the end of the 1st period Brad Park and Johnny Pie McKenzie dropped the mitts right in front of us..Instant hockey fanatic..Not much of a story fellas but I guess but the old man died the following month and being my birthday I get a bit nostalgic...Thx Mags

That's interesting being the first hockey game I ever attended was a Rangers-Bruins game in 1970 at MSG and wonder if it was the same game?
I don't remember the Park-McKenzie fight but was only 7 at the time so really don't remember much except that I fell in love with the game of hockey.

[hockeybooks]

tried to use DYG's archives for a park-pie fight date , but it wouldn't load, server problems

i worry that site won't be around much longer

[Maggie3and Me]

Ironically Beaton, I was thinking of my first hockey games and how long ago that was.

It was 50 years ago this November at the Old Stadium. That building was called many things, "The Old Barn", "The Mad House on Madison", The Stadium. It was one of the greatest buildings ever, to watch a hockey game in. From the worlds largest pipe organ, with its miles of pipes built into the stadium, to the old horn off the Wirtz yacht, S.S. Black Hawk, to the noise of the crowd, it was amazing. The place at times would shake, especially up in the nose bleed sections where I watched my first games.

To give you an idea of the noise, here is some information on that organ.
One of the things many people remember from Chicago Stadium is the organ. It was built in 1929, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and was so big, it took 24 railroad cars to transport it to Chicago. The organ cost $120,000 and could attain the volume level of 25, 100-piece brass bands playing at the same time

I made a post awhile back about those teams and those times, up to the 1960-61 Cup team. Hope you don't mind seeing it again.

I was asked some questions that stirred my earliest memories of the Blackhawks and of the players, back in the day. I wanted to write some memories of those long ago experiences.It was a magical time that fall of 1959. After moving back to Chicago from California, I was exposed to something that has never been cured. My love affair, with the Chicago Blackhawks.

There are many people whose memories of that era are better than mine. At the drop of a hat they can give you far better statistics than I. In the spring of 1964, until the fall 1970, I was unable to follow the team. I had to be gone for extended periods of time. In those days, there was no 24 hour news or sports channels. Some of the other old timers can verify that the coverage of hockey, especially on a national basis was spotty at best. The reason I mention this is because I am no authority of expert. However, my passion is great and my devotion strong to the game we love and the Chicago Blackhawks.

It was 50 years ago at, the age of 14 that I became a hockey fan and Blackhawk fan. This would be the fall of 1959. At the time I did not know how fortunate I was. My next door neighbor and his family were rabid Chicago Blackhawk Fans. During the fall of that year, in my first season as a Blackhawks fan, they took me to the Stadium. I will post of that experience later. We went on to lose to Montreal, 4 games to none. At that time, for a period five years, the worst the Hawks finished was in the semi’s. They had back to back years in the Finals.

In the 60-61 season WGN TV in Chicago carried the Hawks road games and CBS carried NHL games. What a treat to grow up and see the Blackhawk greats Hull, Mikita, Hall, Reggie Fleming, Moose Vasko, Eric Nesterenko, Wharram, Pilote, Murray Balfour, Bill Hay, and on and on.
Even ,if it was just the away games that were televised. My next door neighbor and I watched all the games we could. He gave me crash courses on hockey and tried to teach me about the game. I tried to learn as much as I could. The more I knew the better the bonus.

The bonus was seeing, Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, J.C. Tremblay, Gump Wosley, ,Andy Bathgate, Harry Howell, Frank Mahovlich, Tim Horton, and Dickie Moore, for the most part in their prime .To learn the game and see them play wow! I was even fortunate to seem some of them in person at the old Stadium.

I saved the best for last. The team we beat for the Cup in 60-61 was the dreaded and hated Red Wings. The series went 6 games with the Hawks winning game 6 on the road in Detroit. Some of the players on that team would go on to become legends. And here in season two of my hockey life I got to see these guys play pretty much at the top of their game. After you hear the names you will see why I thought we would win a lot more Cups, because if we beat this team we could beat anybody.

The Wings had Gordie Howe, Norm Ullman, Alex Delvecchio, Pronovost,Vic Stasiuk, and Murray Oliver Howie Young to name just a few. The finals were tied at two apiece. The Hawks won at home to go up 3-2. Each team was unbeaten on its home ice. Game Six was to be played at the Olympia in Detroit. I don’t remember the exact date. I know it was a Sunday in April.

The most vivid memory of that last game was not of any one of the players, or who scored what goal, and who had the winning goal. I will leave all that for you guys to look up. The one thing that stays with me to this very day, was what the announcer on CBS said in the final minutes of that game.

The once boisterous crowd, that had been cheering on the home team throughout the game grew silent. In the last minute the announcer , whom I have since forgotten, said words to this effect, listen to the crowd as it is silent. You can only hear the sounds of the skates on the ice. That is the ultimate salute to the Stanley Cup Winners.

This is what I recall to the best of what my memory will allow. Keep in mind I write a to do list today. At that age, I don’t think it hit me that some of the players I was watching would become icons of the game, or as we sat glued to the television , watching what I later would learn was the last of our cup wins. The same way I took the players from my first love, baseball, going back to the early 50’s. You just thought that these guys would be around forever. It is only now that I realize how privileged and fortunate I was.

[bigjack]

Originally Posted by Johnny Pie

Maggie3 congrats on this thread. Thats an awful lot of posts and views. You, fan,nighthawk, Bj and others do put in a lot of time. BJ for all his crazy Fotiu stuff actually does know something about hockey. I mean he knows #4 IS THE GREATEST OF ALLTIME. It is a great place to relive the old days. As soon as my home computer is fixed I will post some fight pics from the 60's and 70's. If you guys get a chance Ross at nhlfightclub has posted audio fights I taped in the 70's and you might like hearing them. I taped them in my room over 35 years ago. some classic fights not on video. Any way keep up the good work.

Like I said, Steve loves Wendel or Arnie loves Fern Flaman-does that make them bad guys?
The Rangers used to get abused from 1970-76 before Fotiu arrived and rarely did when he was dressed. That is number 1. He also has one of the most remarkable stories ever to never have skated until age 15-16 and to be from Staten Island New York and yet somehow he made it to the WHA and NHL and was in a uniform at least one game from 1974-89. That is remarkable and it's why he is my all time favorite player.
Not a good player and he should of fought more in my opinion and he was too honest and nice on the ice but he gave the Rangers respect and was a great bodychecker and intimidated with his hitting and to see him live when he would hit the ice and you would hear a buzz was awesome!
Who knows-if I had started watching the Rangers in 1964 when my Cousin began doing work for Emile Francis, my all time player could of been Orland Kurtenbach or Reg Fleming as they were Rangers a year or two after 1964 or if Hadfield and Park hadn't developed into fatcats it could of been them!
Bert Wilson played around 70 games in total as a Ranger and probably had around 5 fights in total and yet he is one of my alltime Rangers. He gave the Rangers some muscle in 1973/74 and 1974/75 and I always loved him for that. Too Bad Francis was so impotent in the muscle department!
Before Fotiu, my main man was and still is Eddie Giacomin!
Maybe I need to write about Eddie more!
Lastly, I HATED THE BRUINS when I lived in Massachusetts but Bobby Orr was and is THE MAN!

[bigjack]

Originally Posted by nighthawk

That's interesting being the first hockey game I ever attended was a Rangers-Bruins game in 1970 at MSG and wonder if it was the same game?
I don't remember the Park-McKenzie fight but was only 7 at the time so really don't remember much except that I fell in love with the game of hockey.

Mine was also 1970 and Bruins/Rangers but it was game 2 of the 1970 playoffs in Boston Garden. The Rangers lost 5-3 in Terry Sawchuk's last ever game. He would be dead in 6 weeks!

[Maggie3and Me]

Originally Posted by bigjack

Like I said, Steve loves Wendel or Arnie loves Fern Flaman-does that make them bad guys?
The Rangers used to get abused from 1970-76 before Fotiu arrived and rarely did when he was dressed. That is number 1. He also has one of the most remarkable stories ever to never have skated until age 15-16 and to be from Staten Island New York and yet somehow he made it to the WHA and NHL and was in a uniform at least one game from 1974-89. That is remarkable and it's why he is my all time favorite player.
Not a good player and he should of fought more in my opinion and he was too honest and nice on the ice but he gave the Rangers respect and was a great bodychecker and intimidated with his hitting and to see him live when he would hit the ice and you would hear a buzz was awesome!
Who knows-if I had started watching the Rangers in 1964 when my Cousin began doing work for Emile Francis, my all time player could of been Orland Kurtenbach or Reg Fleming as they were Rangers a year or two after 1964 or if Hadfield and Park hadn't developed into fatcats it could of been them!
Bert Wilson played around 70 games in total as a Ranger and probably had around 5 fights in total and yet he is one of my alltime Rangers. He gave the Rangers some muscle in 1973/74 and 1974/75 and I always loved him for that. Too Bad Francis was so impotent in the muscle department!
Before Fotiu, my main man was and still is Eddie Giacomin!
Maybe I need to write about Eddie more!
Lastly, I HATED THE BRUINS when I lived in Massachusetts but Bobby Orr was and is THE MAN!

Jack,

Anyone who says you are a bad guy for loving your favorite player the way you do or for the passion you have for the game and the Rangers is an asshole.

I have not been able to post the way I have wanted to and missed some of what has benn going on. The only thing that I know is you have always brought the love of the game to this site and to this thread.

They say you can't help who you fall in love with. I don't if that is true or not, but I if it is, it could be said about your favorite hockey player. It doesn't matter if any body else likes him, you do and that is all that counts. No matter what.

Your love of the Rangers, mine of the Hawks, or Steve's for Toronto, it makes no difference. That is the team you love. I wish that everyone brought the love of the game and passion you, Steve, fan, and a lot of the posters bring here.

Like I said Jack, because you like a player, it doesn't make you a bad guy. If some one doesn't agree with you, that doesn't make them bad guys either.

[bigjack]

[quote=Maggie3and Me;1806517]Jack,

Anyone who says you are a bad guy for loving your favorite player the way you do or for the passion you have for the game and the Rangers is an asshole.

I have not been able to post the way I have wanted to and missed some of what has benn going on. The only thing that I know is you have always brought the love of the game to this site and to this thread.

They say you can't help who you fall in love with. I don't if that is true or not, but I if it is, it could be said about your favorite hockey player. It doesn't matter if any body else likes him, you do and that is all that counts. No matter what.

Your love of the Rangers, mine of the Hawks, or Steve's for Toronto, it makes no difference. That is the team you love. I wish that everyone brought the love of the game and passion you, Steve, fan, and a lot of the posters bring here.

Like I said Jack, because you like a player, it doesn't make you a bad guy. If some one doesn't agree with you, that doesn't make them bad guys either.[/QUOTE]

True we are all entitled to our opinions which is what I think I have expressed here many times. I always say the only thing missing is the bar stool and the beer and nuts!
About why we fall in love with a player, it could be a totally tangible reason like a Bruin fan saying Orr is his alltime favorite player and who could argue with that logic or in my case and baseball, it was totally illogical!
It's 1970 and I am living in Massachusetts and get a few packs of my first cards within a few weeks. I've already told the Al Kaline story and won't again!
Anyway, in a pack is a card of Boog Powell and for whatever reason, he became and is to this day my baseball main man! Why?
I haven't a clue except I studied his card and became obsessed with the guy. He was the 1970 AL MVP and won a WS that year but that had nothing to do with my obsession.
I was one of those kids who's favorite teams were my old man's teams-hence while was living in Massachusetts, my teams became-Rangers, Knicks, Mets, Giants not in that order. I did like the Red Sox living up there and when I became hooked on Powell always made Baltimore my favorite AL team followed by Boston!
I was so obsessed with Powell that every morning during the baseball season, my first place to look in the sports page was to see how J Powell or B Powell or usually Powell did! That was till the day he was released by the Dodgers in August of 1977. I was a major Mets fan and yet before checking out my Mets boxscore and story had to look to see how ole Boogie had done!
I also became attached with guys like: Frank Howard, Willie McCovey, Lee May in 1970 so maybe power and size had something to do with it.
Anyway an obsession was born!
With Nick, it was a more tangible reason as I have written but with Powell I haven't a clue.

[hockeybooks]

1965 semis Game 5 hawks-wings is the featured CLASSIC game

NHL Network , 1-3pm PST today, FYI { Canada }

[hockeybooks]

at the risk of double posting previously seen material

YouTube - Keith Magnuson - Highlights

YouTube - Keith Magnuson Video Tribute (Dec. 21,...

[Maggie3and Me]

Hb,

Thank you.

I always get emotional seeing the tribute tape. Big Jack did post it, but I never get tired of it. I love the part where he throws down the gloves with #5.

#5 was Carol Vadnais when he played for the California Seals. He gave Maggie a couple of cheap shots earlier in the game. I love the ref saying go to it. You know that in the old days that happened when a ref felt things needed to be evened out.

I love that fight as Magnuson cleaned Vadnais' clock.

Magnuson was a true gentleman and truly a gentle man. He did so much Black Hawk Alumni functions. Let me post this, as this is what he was about.

About BHAA
In 1987, a group of retired Blackhawk players got together to discuss their future in the Chicago community. Their main objective was to “give something back” to Chicago and to the sport of hockey. In that meeting they developed a three-fold mission statement for their non-profit Alumni Association.

* To provide a scholarship fund for the “most deserving” high school hockey players in Illinois.
* To become involved in community affairs and charitable causes.
* To protect and take care of their fellow alumni: “Players helping Players.”

Through the hard work and dedication of the late President, Keith Magnuson, and other key individuals, this organization truly became second to none. Alumni Associations not only in the hockey world, but the sports scene still look to the Blackhawks for what they have established in the Chicago community.

The highlight of each year is the Scholarship Awards Luncheon honoring the ‘most deserving’ high school hockey players in Illinois. Since its inception the Alumni have awarded over 50 scholarships in 17 years.

They continue their support through various charitable causes throughout the year. Their annual events have expanded past the scholarship luncheon to the Stan Mikita Golf Outing, Annual Blackhawk Alumni Family Picnic, alumni games versus other alumni teams, as well as game appearances during the regular season.

In paring up with their sponsors over the years, they have helped to make dreams come true for many young athletes. The Blackhawk Alumni believes strongly in the dreams of their young people. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Dreams make goals, and goals become the keys to life.”

The Blackhawk Alumni is an ever-growing group of dedicated individuals that support and help one another. It is truly a family that welcomes new individuals with open arms and makes members feel a part of something special. The game of hockey has not only promoted an outlet to learn and have fun, but to maintain life-long friends through this organization that is truly ‘second to none’.

Magnuson was loved as a Hawk. Not for being a tremendous fighter, though his biggest asset was letting his teammates know he always had their back. They loved him because he never let them down. Because he played every game as his last. His work ethic and integrity stood out among a team of stars. The fans loved him because of all of these things.

He brought those assets to all aspects of his life. He touched many lifes in many different ways in the time he had here. I am truly glad mine was one of them.

[Killah_punk]

Keith Magnuson one of many tough boys from Saskatchewan. Another solid player who never got his name on the cup.

[canuckfan]

Sad reading this stuff on Magnuson.

And right now, kind of ironic in the sense of a life being taken too early, as I'm reading Mark Zwolinski's biography of John Kordic, written only a year or two after his death. I found it in a used bookstore on the weekend and already I've almost finished it. What a tragic, depressing story - a combination of a guy who just got type-cast into a role and couldn't get out of it, and being overwhelmed and swallowed up by the lifestyle and dangers of being a pro hockey player. Its almost like he didn't have a chance.

I thought I knew most the story of Kordic, but many of the details I never heard of before I still haven't got to the events surrounding his death. But if there's anything comical about the whole story was the lack of knowledge/research done by the Leafs when they traded Courtnall for him - they had absolutley no idea what they were getting in John Kordic, and they got burned by it.

Anyhow - a helluva book, if a sad one, and a must for any fan of tough guys.

[Maggie3and Me]

canuckfan,

Thanks for your post and the tip on the book about Kordic. I agree, it is sad, though some would say he did it to himself, it is still a waste of a career and a person. That is sad.

[fish7]

M3M the one thing about Magnuson that I have not seen posted was the way he would hit the ice and skate full speed at the beginning of the game and each period. I have not seen any one else hit the ice for warmups with as much intensity.

[bigjack]

Originally Posted by fish7

M3M the one thing about Magnuson that I have not seen posted was the way he would hit the ice and skate full speed at the beginning of the game and each period. I have not seen any one else hit the ice for warmups with as much intensity.

I think Eddie Shack did and Fotiu did. Fotiu was always number 2 in line behind the Ranger goalie. He'd come zooming out and then at the end would stay on by himself and toss maybe 15-20 pucks to fans. He had a great arm and could hit the blue seats with his tosses.
The Rangers 3 stars give out a puck after the game now at MSG and have been doing it since the lockout but Fotiu was doing that and more over 30 years ago after the warmup and always came out for the warmup or each period the same way.
Number 2 in line and about 100 mph!