Old Farts Thread

[hockey doc]

Originally Posted by fish7

The Blues matched within an hour or two. I can't ever remember any team matching so quickly. I am just about willing to call him a throw-back player like Scott Mellanby

That pretty much tells you what the Blues Org. thinks of Backes. I think he has all of the tools to be a legitimate power forward in this league for many years to come. The Blues did the right thing by not letting this guy go even if it does seem like too much money right now, he may end up being a bargain.

[canuckfan]

Sorry if I'm a little behind in this thread, but I was just looking over the All Small Team Mags had listed a few pages back and I was thinking back on one of my fave Canucks ever in Cliff Ronning - glad to see he was mentioned there, because talk about a guy with the heart of a lion - I always thought if you put Cliffy's heart and soul into a big body like Jim Sandlak or Sergio Momesso, you might have the perfect hockey player. He had some great seasons in Vancouver and to me remains one of the more underrated guys from the 1990s. What a playoff he had for the Canucks in 1994.

Thing I will always remember about Ronning as how many times he was absolutely flattened with a huge bodycheck or just blasted into the boards - and each time he'd get right back up again. A very sturdy and very tough little hockey player, I don't remember him getting hurt much, if at all. I still feel he was the most important part of that huge steal of a deal made with the Blues in 1991 that also saw Courtnall, Momesso, and Dirk come to Vancouver for Quinn and Butcher - still one of the best trades ever made in Canucks history.

Anyhow - Ronning is one of my all time faves and he had a great, long career in the NHL. He'd definitley get my vote for a spot in the all small team!

[Maggie3and Me]

canudkfan,

Good post and welcome back.

Speaking of getting your vote, Voting is open for the roster spots on the All Small Team. Let,s get tihe roster set first, then we can set the first, second lines, etc.

[mike56]

id like to add dennis polonich

[Maggie3and Me]

Mike,

Stay on the medication, no matter what they say.

He is already on the list, as nominated by the posters. Thanks for the thought any way.

[mike56]

Originally Posted by Maggie3and Me

Mike,

Stay on the medication, no matter what they say.

He is already on the list, as nominated by the posters. Thanks for the thought any way.

i love my meds!!!

[NJDevils17]

Is Darren Pang on the list at any chance?

[Maggie3and Me]

Originally Posted by NJDevils17

Is Darren Pang on the list at any chance?

NJD17,

Sorry, no one mentioned him.

I loved his play. As a Hawk as he was fearless and game little player. With the likes of Parent, Crozier, Francis and all, he would have had a hard time making the team.

[Maggie3and Me]

Originally Posted by mike56

i love my meds!!!

If I had your drugs, I'd through mine away.

Do they treat you well at Happy Valley Estates?

[fansince65]

I have a Trivia question for BigJack :

What three players made up the ""GODFATHER"line on the Rangers in 76-77 ??

I know the answer , just curious to know if you do , it was put together by John Ferguson ....

[bigjack]

Originally Posted by fansince65

I have a Trivia question for BigJack :

What three players made up the ""GODFATHER"line on the Rangers in 76-77 ??

I know the answer , just curious to know if you do , it was put together by John Ferguson ....

Are you sure it was 1976/77? You must be because Fergie was there in 1976/77!
I know the Rangers had the "DON LINE" meaning mafia or godfather in 1978/79 with Espo centering Don Murdoch and Don Maloney. That name was given after Maloney was called up on February 14th of 1979 against Boston and played so great. Espo was raving about Maloney's corner work comparing him to Wayne Cashman and the line just clicked and they were suddenly called the DON LINE. Obviously Esposito is Italian and then both Maloney and Murdoch are named Don!
Let me think because obviously 1978/79 was Freddy Shero as Fergie was gone.
Espo was probably part of the line and in 1976/77 he played with Kenny Hodge as his right wing and had multiple left wingers like the kid Dan Newman and sometimes Pat Hickey!
I'm not sure!
Good question!

[fansince65]

Originally Posted by bigjack

Are you sure it was 1976/77? You must be because Fergie was there in 1976/77!
I know the Rangers had the "DON LINE" meaning mafia or godfather in 1978/79 with Espo centering Don Murdoch and Don Maloney. That name was given after Maloney was called up on February 14th of 1979 against Boston and played so great. Espo was raving about Maloney's corner work comparing him to Wayne Cashman and the line just clicked and they were suddenly called the DON LINE. Obviously Esposito is Italian and then both Maloney and Murdoch are named Don!
Let me think because obviously 1978/79 was Freddy Shero as Fergie was gone.
Espo was probably part of the line and in 1976/77 he played with Kenny Hodge as his right wing and had multiple left wingers like the kid Dan Newman and sometimes Pat Hickey!
I'm not sure!
Good question!

YEP YOU GOT IT !!!!!

They called it the "GODFATHER LINE" according to Espos autobiography , two Dons and a Godfather is how he described it , he also said it was the most fun he ever had since being traded from the Bruins .
The line was formed after Murdock came back from his 40 game suspension for drug possession ..

[bigjack]

Originally Posted by fansince65

YEP YOU GOT IT !!!!!

They called it the "GODFATHER LINE" according to Espos autobiography , two Dons and a Godfather is how he described it , he also said it was the most fun he ever had since being traded from the Bruins .
The line was formed after Murdock came back from his 40 game suspension for drug possession ..

Yeah actually in NY it was called the Don Line and as I wrote it was made up because Don Maloney came into NY and played great as a rookie and was such a good corner man that Espo became revitalized and scored 42 goals as a 37 year old player. He always harped on first Ferguson and then Shero to get him a corner man ala Wayne Cashman to feed the slot area and 20 year old Donny Maloney became that player! Donny was of course the younger Brother of the then Rangers Captain 22 year old Dave Maloney!
Don Maloney set a rookie playoff record (since broken) with 20 points in 18 games if memory seves me right tying Espo for the team lead during that great 1979 playoff run to the Cup finals.
Murdoch came back in early January and as I wrote Donny Maloney was called up from New Haven on Valentine's Day of 1979. First about that Rangers/Bruins game. If my memory is correct, it was the first period that the Rangers held the Bruins without a shot on goal and won the game I think 5-1. I believe it was also the game when Fotiu and Wensink sparred but didn't fight and lastly a major thing happened earlier that day for the NY football Giants!
Wellington and Tim Mara hired George Young from Miami to be the Giants new GM and a few months later Young had the guts to draft a Moorehead State QB named Phil Simms!
2/14/79 is a very famous day in NY sports history!

[bigjack]

http://wavesintheatlantic.blogspot.c...-scf-game.html

Fellows, here is a 10 minute clip of massive pain for a Rangers fan in 1972!
The Bruins led by the great Orr won the Cup in 6 games!
I just found this reading stuff on Bobby Rousseau and it is from Joe Pellitier's blog!

[fansince65]

Originally Posted by bigjack

Yeah actually in NY it was called the Don Line and as I wrote it was made up because Don Maloney came into NY and played great as a rookie and was such a good corner man that Espo became revitalized and scored 42 goals as a 37 year old player. He always harped on first Ferguson and then Shero to get him a corner man ala Wayne Cashman to feed the slot area and 20 year old Donny Maloney became that player! Donny was of course the younger Brother of the then Rangers Captain 22 year old Dave Maloney!
Don Maloney set a rookie playoff record (since broken) with 20 points in 18 games if memory seves me right tying Espo for the team lead during that great 1979 playoff run to the Cup finals.
Murdoch came back in early January and as I wrote Donny Maloney was called up from New Haven on Valentine's Day of 1979. First about that Rangers/Bruins game. If my memory is correct, it was the first period that the Rangers held the Bruins without a shot on goal and won the game I think 5-1. I believe it was also the game when Fotiu and Wensink sparred but didn't fight and lastly a major thing happened earlier that day for the NY football Giants!
Wellington and Tim Mara hired George Young from Miami to be the Giants new GM and a few months later Young had the guts to draft a Moorehead State QB named Phil Simms!
2/14/79 is a very famous day in NY sports history!

November 7/75 is when Espo was traded to the Rangers , Carol Vadnais was also part of the trade but he refused to report because he had a no trade clause in his contract , he later did after the Rangers gave him a raise and a new contract .
Espo said they gave him the "C" upon his arrival , he thought he did not deserve it .
He made a statement in this Bio that I thought was a real surprise (it was to me) he said "DRUG" use was rampant on the whole team , they had thrown a party for him on his arrival , when he asked for a coke some half naked girl brought him and his wife a tray of cocaine and a couple straws , he said he left as fast as his legs would carry him , he also said every player on the team just did not give a s--t if they ever won a game and most of the wives thought the players were only on it for the money , on this team they were right !!!!