Rick Chartraw Beat Terry O'Reilly?

[Schultz]

Don't remember every hearing about this fight or watching it on tape but I was looking thru some old newspapers from the 1970's that I picked up at an auction(always checking for fight results)when I came across an article from a Jan. 16, 1978 Boston Globe paper taking about the previous nights game. Article was written by Frank Rosa

Terry O'Reilly has a losing fight with Rick Chartraw, who may have played possum on him. "The trouble with O'Reilly is that he can't take a good check," said Chartraw. Chartraw had hip-checked him up on the boards and O'Reilly had followed Chartraw towards the Montreal goal, pushing him in the back a couple of times. Chartraw just kept going and quite suddenly, when he was in front of the crease, dropped his gloves, turned around and hit O'Reilly with a couple of good rights

[Flyer_Frank]

I wouldn't doubt it. Chartraw came into the league spoiling for trouble, especially talking trash at Schultz and apparently doing well in their first bout, don't know if there were others.

Chartraw was an early American player, had good size. Came from Erie, PA of all places, not that far from me in NE Ohio, so the goal of the youth hockey programs in that NW PA area was to turn out another Chartraw.

[bigjack]

Originally Posted by Schultz

Don't remember every hearing about this fight or watching it on tape but I was looking thru some old newspapers from the 1970's that I picked up at an auction(always checking for fight results)when I came across an article from a Jan. 16, 1978 Boston Globe paper taking about the previous nights game. Article was written by Frank Rosa

Terry O'Reilly has a losing fight with Rick Chartraw, who may have played possum on him. "The trouble with O'Reilly is that he can't take a good check," said Chartraw. Chartraw had hip-checked him up on the boards and O'Reilly had followed Chartraw towards the Montreal goal, pushing him in the back a couple of times. Chartraw just kept going and quite suddenly, when he was in front of the crease, dropped his gloves, turned around and hit O'Reilly with a couple of good rights

Chartraw had more of a reputation than results but if this is what is say's it's probably true!
As a Ranger he sure sucked doing everything and you had to wonder how the hell Montreal drafted him so high?

[Flyer_Frank]

I think the Habs brought in Gilles Lupien about the same time too. They were definitely in an arms race there to counter the Flyers.

[bigtufflarry]

Hi guys, Chartraw was actually from Velenzuela and I watched that game that night. He hit O'Reilly about 10-15 solid rights on the jaw/noggin. O'Reilly started it and Big Rick finished it ! Later in the 3rd, Terry O wanted another go but, Chartraw said no thanks,

[brawl lover]

Originally Posted by bigtufflarry

Hi guys, Chartraw was actually from Velenzuela and I watched that game that night. He hit O'Reilly about 10-15 solid rights on the jaw/noggin. O'Reilly started it and Big Rick finished it ! Later in the 3rd, Terry O wanted another go but, Chartraw said no thanks,

He may have been born in Velenzuela but he is an American. He lived there while he was a baby while his father worked.

[BENNETTWOLF]

That's interesting somewhat for the reason that the single clip of chartraw i can recall seeing was when the heavily debated barry beck popped him with a stiff jab in a playoff scrum/fight when he was with LA, i think.

One of those tantalizing clips where bubba looked like he had the goods to match his reputation and actually threw a punch. Really jolted him with a stiff jab.

[fansince65]

Originally Posted by brawl lover

He may have been born in Velenzuela but he is an American. He lived there while he was a baby while his father worked.

Chartraw was three years old when his father came back to the USA from Caracas where he was born , he played his junior hockey for the Kitchener Rangers , he played for the Habs for 7 years if I remember right
If I remember he was quite a golfer as well but choose to play hockey .
I do remember him playing for team USA in the 1976 Canada Cup , I dont remember what team he didn't get his name engraved on the Stanley Cup because he only played one playoff game , I think it was either Edmonton or Calgary , memory is just not what it used to be ..

[bigjack]

Originally Posted by bigtufflarry

Hi guys, Chartraw was actually from Velenzuela and I watched that game that night. He hit O'Reilly about 10-15 solid rights on the jaw/noggin. O'Reilly started it and Big Rick finished it ! Later in the 3rd, Terry O wanted another go but, Chartraw said no thanks,

Hey Larry. Wow that must of been some impressive fight! It's like anything else back in the day. Without tape and a VCR, we unfortunately don't have so many fights and brawls.
Chartraw always carried a big reputation but I never saw him fight and usually Bowman used him on the wing.
Later I saw the amazingly powerful Barry Beck left jab that opened him up and knocked him down and Chartraw was never heard from again that series.
Then the Rangers claimed him on waivers in 1983 and frankly he was a disaster as a hockey player and not a physical presence. His turnovers and inability to handle the puck made Michel Petit look like Bill White later as a Ranger. The Rangers used Chartraw mainly on defense and he was a horrible passer, was a turnover waiting to happen, and contributed no offense and frankly stunk and was a disaster!
Petit on the right side was also turnover city making all kinds of dumb plays but compared with Chartraw he looked like Mr Stable on the blueline!
Maybe Chartraw was a good fighter but I never saw it due to no clips or tape and what I observed as a Ranger and against Beck and that later brawl and rest of that series!
The Kings were usually patsies with Montreal getting fleeced regularily and they gave up a 2nd round pick for Chartraw so I'm not surprised!
Sam Pollock used to wear a mask whenever he dealt with LA and California in the 1970's!

[Johnny Pie]

Originally Posted by bigtufflarry

Hi guys, Chartraw was actually from Velenzuela and I watched that game that night. He hit O'Reilly about 10-15 solid rights on the jaw/noggin. O'Reilly started it and Big Rick finished it ! Later in the 3rd, Terry O wanted another go but, Chartraw said no thanks,

You are partly correct, Oreilly tried to get him to go again in the third, the fight was a toe to toe bout with Chartraw maybe having the edge. No 15 solid rights. If you want to read accounts of the fight from Chartraw himself look at the montreal Gazzette jan 16 1978. He says both landed some solid punches and he doesn't know if he won even if some give him the edge. Also Chartraw might have had the edge in a fight against Wensink later that year. In that game Lupien beat Oreilly in a one sided bout, Park jumped in and Wensink was cut. That game also had a wrestling match between Robinson and Jonathan. Chartraw also had a toe to toe bout with Al Mcadam of the seals. That is on video. Probably not on you tube so some don't know about it.

[bigtufflarry]

Thanx Pie, I'll look that up. VCRs in Canada back then were going for $1500-$3000 bucks, ! My memory is fuzzy but I do remember those other bouts well from a 1978, 7-1 win for the Habs with Pierre Bouchard scoring twice. Also, Wensink flattened Chartraw in the fight you mentioned.

[bigtufflarry]

Originally Posted by bigjack

Hey Larry. Wow that must of been some impressive fight! It's like anything else back in the day. Without tape and a VCR, we unfortunately don't have so many fights and brawls.
Chartraw always carried a big reputation but I never saw him fight and usually Bowman used him on the wing.
Later I saw the amazingly powerful Barry Beck left jab that opened him up and knocked him down and Chartraw was never heard from again that series.
Then the Rangers claimed him on waivers in 1983 and frankly he was a disaster as a hockey player and not a physical presence. His turnovers and inability to handle the puck made Michel Petit look like Bill White later as a Ranger. The Rangers used Chartraw mainly on defense and he was a horrible passer, was a turnover waiting to happen, and contributed no offense and frankly stunk and was a disaster!
Petit on the right side was also turnover city making all kinds of dumb plays but compared with Chartraw he looked like Mr Stable on the blueline!
Maybe Chartraw was a good fighter but I never saw it due to no clips or tape and what I observed as a Ranger and against Beck and that later brawl and rest of that series!
The Kings were usually patsies with Montreal getting fleeced regularily and they gave up a 2nd round pick for Chartraw so I'm not surprised!
Sam Pollock used to wear a mask whenever he dealt with LA and California in the 1970's!

True story, Jack, Sam Pollock would always carry a hanky with him as he was caught lying to some of the teams he fleeced back in the day. Word got around eventually that when Sam was lying, his nose and his eyes would run,

[spiderarms]

But, he had good size and strength though it didn't help him against Dave Brown of the flyers when Chartraw was a Ranger.

As I recall, Brown laid some pretty good lefts on Chartraw before they went to the ice. Brown was doing the enforcer thing and Chartraw had just laid out one of the flyers "non-fighters" with a check.

[bigtoughguy]

Nice account of Chartraw by Ken Dryden in The Game.

Hockey writer in Boston was named Fran Posa I believe.

[Schultz]

Frank Rosa