Old Farts Thread

[Johnny Pie]

Originally Posted by JAVALITE

Cool, that's a nice story. I'm not sure how many games I attended at MLG. My guess would be between 15-20. I've only been to 2 games at ACC. The two biggest highlites from all the games I saw live at MLG would be the Tocchet-Clark fight, and game 3 in '86 when the Leafs swept the Hawks.

My first game at MLG was a preseason game in 1980 vs Montreal. The Leafs won 5-3. Sittler was in the lineup for the Leafs, Robinson and Lafleur both played for the Habs, I can't remember now if Salming played that night though. Regardless it was nice to finally see these guys live.

Java, never got the chance in the 70's or 80's to get up there and to tell the truth before my son started going for the Leafs I didn't think about it too much. But now I am really happy he made it a priority. That was a cathederal,A shrine. I have been back to Toronto a few times for Hockey Tournaments, vacation and I want to get tickets to the ACC but its like going to Boston. They can't replicate the Gardens.

[Maggie3and Me]

Originally Posted by JAVALITE

OK, Johnny Pie, I'm here, tell me about the game. It was Pat Quinn's first year with the Leafs, and boy did he turn things around here. I'm thinking the Leafs won that night.

Thanks for stopping by, Java.

Hope to see you here more. All contributions are welcome.

[Maggie3and Me]

Originally Posted by JAVALITE

Cool, that's a nice story. I'm not sure how many games I attended at MLG. My guess would be between 15-20. I've only been to 2 games at ACC. The two biggest highlites from all the games I saw live at MLG would be the Tocchet-Clark fight, and game 3 in '86 when the Leafs swept the Hawks.

My first game at MLG was a preseason game in 1980 vs Montreal. The Leafs won 5-3. Sittler was in the lineup for the Leafs, Robinson and Lafleur both played for the Habs, I can't remember now if Salming played that night though. Regardless it was nice to finally see these guys live.

In game 2 of that series, with the Hawks at home, Denis Savard scored 4 goals. In spite of his heroics, the Hawks still lost the game 6 to 4 to the Leafs.

[fansince65]

Originally Posted by Flyer_Frank

Sean Hill?

Nope , Not Hill ..

The thing with trivia it is like a history lesson , fans get info that is little known or just forgotten over the years .
This will be the last one I will do .

Bryan Berard was the first NHL player to be caught .
This is not the kind of fist a player wants on his record , but Berard will forever be remembered as being the first NHL player busted for steroid use after he tested positive for the banned substance 19-norandrosterone in November 2005 .
Ironically Berard did not face any disciplinary measures from the NHL for the result because the test was not part of the leagues program , as a candidate to be a member of the U.S. Olympic team , he was caught by the U.S. Anti-doping agency and was banned from all international hockey for two years .
Of the 250 players tested who were eligible to play for Olympic teams Berard was the only one that tested positive .
Later during drug testing in January 2006 Jose Theodore tested positive , the drug he was busted for was a banned "HAIR RESTORATION DRUG KNOWN AS PRODECIA" .
Berard stated "no question I am embarrassed about it " who insisted it was a supplement he took to get ready for the 2005-06 season ..

[BENNETTWOLF]

Originally Posted by fansince65

Nope , Not Hill ..

The thing with trivia it is like a history lesson , fans get info that is little known or just forgotten over the years .
This will be the last one I will do .

Bryan Berard was the first NHL player to be caught .
This is not the kind of fist a player wants on his record , but Berard will forever be remembered as being the first NHL player busted for steroid use after he tested positive for the banned substance 19-norandrosterone in November 2005 .
Ironically Berard did not face any disciplinary measures from the NHL for the result because the test was not part of the leagues program , as a candidate to be a member of the U.S. Olympic team , he was caught by the U.S. Anti-doping agency and was banned from all international hockey for two years .
Of the 250 players tested who were eligible to play for Olympic teams Berard was the only one that tested positive .
Later during drug testing in January 2006 Jose Theodore tested positive , the drug he was busted for was a banned "HAIR RESTORATION DRUG KNOWN AS PRODECIA" .
Berard stated "no question I am embarrassed about it " who insisted it was a supplement he took to get ready for the 2005-06 season ..

Now that's interesting. I recalled his really bad eye injury but not a steroid thing.

[Flyer_Frank]

Originally Posted by BENNETTWOLF

Now that's interesting. I recalled his really bad eye injury but not a steroid thing.

Yeah, I remember when Berard got busted. The international comps have always been tougher than any pro leagues. It was out of hand with the old Eastern bloc countries juicing their athletes to the gills and with some events turning on a fraction of a second, even the smallest edge makes a difference.

In hockey, if you think something in an over-the-counter cold medicine is going to help you beat me, then go for it. Hockey's too crazy a game to worry about that. Steroids, HGH etc, is a different matter.

[JAVALITE]

Originally Posted by Maggie3and Me

In game 2 of that series, with the Hawks at home, Denis Savard scored 4 goals. In spite of his heroics, the Hawks still lost the game 6 to 4 to the Leafs.

Yes, the Hawks were up 4-2 halfway thru that one. That was the game Wilson was taken off on a stretcher after a collision with Kotsopoulos and I think Ludzik was involved as well. Chicago also lost their goalie to injury in that game as well, if I am remembering right. We also had our mandatory Al Secord- Bob McGill fight as well.

The Leafs had Chicago's number that year, going 6-2 in the regular season, and, more painfully for Hawk fans, 3-0 in the playoffs.

[Johnny Pie]

Weren't the Leafs nothing special that year. I remember something about the Chicago goaltending in that series. I thought it was they were horrible. Didn't realize it was an injury that made them switch. That was the same year the Smurfs in NY beat the Flyers who were so much better during the regular season.And Java, Secord and McGill really didn't care for each other did they .

[fish7]

Originally Posted by Johnny Pie

Weren't the Leafs nothing special that year. I remember something about the Chicago goaltending in that series. I thought it was they were horrible. Didn't realize it was an injury that made them switch. That was the same year the Smurfs in NY beat the Flyers who were so much better during the regular season.And Java, Secord and McGill really didn't care for each other did they .

The regular season meant very little in the Norris division back in the day. It seems like there were playoff upsets just about every year. The only thing you could count on were tons of penalty minutes in each series.

[canuck2]

Originally Posted by fish7

The regular season meant very little in the Norris division back in the day. It seems like there were playoff upsets just about every year. The only thing you could count on were tons of penalty minutes in each series.

Sounds like the Adams division with Montreal, quebec, Hartford and Boston. Lots of upsets and lots of fights.

[Johnny Pie]

Originally Posted by canuck2

Sounds like the Adams division with Montreal, quebec, Hartford and Boston. Lots of upsets and lots of fights.

The only think was when it came to my Bruins in that 84 thru 87 playoffs when we played the Habs every year they would win as the favorite no upsets and when we were the favorites UPSET TIME. 1988 Playoff win was like a dream for me.

[JAVALITE]

Originally Posted by Johnny Pie

Weren't the Leafs nothing special that year. I remember something about the Chicago goaltending in that series. I thought it was they were horrible. Didn't realize it was an injury that made them switch. That was the same year the Smurfs in NY beat the Flyers who were so much better during the regular season.And Java, Secord and McGill really didn't care for each other did they .

No, they were pretty bad, finishing with 57 points. They still cruised to the playoffs though, Detroit finished with 40 points that year. It was a horrible start to the season, with only one win in about their first 15 games.

Three of the four division winners lost in the 1st round. Philly, Chicago, and Quebec all bit the dust. The Oilers only lasted to round 2 that year.

Today's league would be so much better if they would go back to a division based playoff format. The anger carries over from the playoffs to the following season, and presto, you have some really nice rivalries.

[Maggie3and Me]

The 1985-86 season was a pretty good one for the Hawks. They finished first in the division and we had high hopes for them to make some noise in the playoffs. On the other hand, the Leafs had a mediocre season and finished 4th, in the division. I looked it up and here is the order of finish for the season.

Norris Division :
Chicago Black Hawks-----86
Minnesota North Stars--- 85
St. Louis Blues-----------83
Toronto Maple Leafs----- 57
Detroit Red Wings--------40

Denis Savard had 47 goals and over 100 points and Troy Murray had 45 goals and 99 points. Murray also won the Selke Trophy that year for best defensive forward. Secord chipped in 40 goals and Larmer had over 30. We had every reason to think we could make a showing in the playoffs.

Goaltending, which had been a problem for us all year, once again bit us in the ass in the playoffs. Bannerman and Sauve combined for a GAA of over 5.5.

In that Secord/McGill fight, I think it was Secord’s strategy to have McGill wear his right arm out hitting Secord in the head, then stage a big rally. We’ll never know, as the refs broke it up. (LOL)

I have always thought the Hawks looked past the Leafs that year.

I remember after the season the Blackhawks went to the one word name, instead of the two, Black Hawks. It was said that someone was looking over old records of the team and discovered the team’s original contract with the NHL. The name was spelled as one word. So, before the stat of the 1986-87 season, the team became the Blackhawks.

[fansince65]

Ok guys one more trivia question .

What Number did Gordie Howe wear in his rookie season with the Red Wings ..

[mikebflorida]

Originally Posted by fansince65

Ok guys one more trivia question .

What Number did Gordie Howe wear in his rookie season with the Red Wings ..

I'm going with the #17.

I think I remember reading that somewhere along the line but that's a very little known fact I believe because it was so long ago.

His rookie cards don't seem to show a number either so it's hard to find out.