Liam's Top Ten Hockey Related Moments
1) Henderson's goal in game eight: (Listen to Foster Hewitt's call. 129kb)
What else in our memory could surpass September 28,1972. It was a Thursday afternoon at approximately 2:30pm est. I was in Pat Jennings grade eight class at St.Leonard's elementary school in Manotick, Ontario and it was the most phenomenal moment I have ever witnessed in sports in my life. It is far and away the most impressive comeback in pro sports history. Fittingly I was sitting beside Phil Byrne one of my best friends to this day and without a doubt the guy who was responsible for me getting involved in hockey trivia to begin with.
2) Henderson's goal in game seven:
Henderson's goal in game seven. If there has been a nicer goal scored with more on the line in hockey history I have yet to see it. Nothing against Mario Lemieux's in 1987, in fact it's on my list a little bit further down however this goal coming with 2:06 to play in game seven was simply a work of art. Henderson beat four Russians before slipping behind the defense and while falling roofing the puck over Tretiak's shoulder. Without that goal game eight is a moot point. He of course also scored the game winner in game six, in the second period and that should be noted however game seven was a school day as well so maybe because of that I also remember it with the same reverence as the series winner in game eight.
3) Lafleur's playoff goal tying game seven in the semi's of 1979.
I was at 344 games at the Montreal Forum. Nothing, absolutely nothing matched this one. That whole series had been tremendous and with all due respect to the Rangers who ever won between Montreal and Boston was going to win the Cup. I'll always remember this game for one other very special reason. I was there with my Dad. We had standing room tickets and anybody who went to the Forum in those days knew that the old fella working the door on the Maissoneuve entrance would always let you in about 20-30 seconds before the other entrances opened. I told my Dad he would have to run if we were going to get a decent standing area. At that time I was 19 and my Dad was 49. When the door opened he fired through the line, smacked a few kids out of the way and I could barely keep up. I will never ever forget that memory of watching him sprint up those steps like a gazelle and I was pretty quick in those days.
This was without a doubt the greatest game Guy Lafleur ever played. He played over 16 minutes in the third period alone and because of that Boston's lines got screwed up and that would lead to the too many men on the ice penalty later in the game. First he set up Mark Napier and Guy Lapointe for the second and tying goals of the game. The never say die Bruins re took the lead with only minutes to play and I felt sick to my stomach. John D'Amico made the call of too many men but he had to. In fact the Bruins had seven skaters out at one point until Jean Ratelle saw all the black sweaters and raced back to the bench. To late. Stan Jonathan had already skated after Mark Napier and checked him and there was simply nothing else referee Bob Myers could do. The call was made and the Habs went back on the powerplay. We've all see the highlights many, many times. Montreal's powerplay was devastating at that time. The season before they set the all time mark still an NHL record of 31.8% completion. I can hear Danny Gallivan now, "Lafleur rather gingerly up to Lemaire, Lemaire crosses the line back to Lafleur, HE SCORES!! I don't think Gilles Gilbert has seen the puck to this day. I swear the railing shook that night, maybe it was just me but I swear Lafleur shook the building that night. For the record Yvon Lambert scored in overtime at the 9:33 second mark assisted by Mario Tremblay, what a game, what a moment, what a hockey player.
4) End of game five, Cup winning game 79.
End of game five, finals, 1979. I was at this game with three friends, again standing room. Kevin Jardine, Tom Bissonnette and Greg Meridith. May 21st was the date, the night before my 20 th birthday. What a gift. To see your team win the Cup. I have a couple of distinct memories from that night. One when the players hoisted Bob Gainey on their shoulders the fans really responded. It was like it was a tribute to the unsung hero, at least in terms of statistics. For all the Jimmy Roberts, Reggie Houles, Claude Provosts and Bugsy Watson's before him the fans really gave Gainey an incredible ovation. Yvan Cournoyer came out on the ice in civvies, he did not play due to injury and this was his last hurrah with the team. He tried to make it back in the next season's training camp but it was not to be. Another star subdued by back injuries.
The other memory I have from that night is that we almost made it into the dressing room. We were on the verge of being at the entrance when a big push came from behind and we along with a healthy number of others were tossed aside. Guess who was coming through with a ton of security? Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. Quite the wild scene. I think we managed to spray some beer on him as he went by. If every player says there is nothing like winning the Cup I can tell you from a fans perspective there is nothing like being in the building when your team wins it either. Pretty special night.
5) May 1/75, my first game at Forum, Lafleur's first playoff hat trick.
May 1, 1975. This was the first game I ever went to at the Montreal Forum. Phil Byrne who I mention in an earlier post arranged to get the tickets. He, myself and Kevin Jardine were driven to the Voyageur bus station in Ottawa by Kevin's dad that night in '75. None of us were sixteen yet so no driver's licenses. My Dad would pick us up after a very memorable night featuring game three of the Montreal/Buffalo series. For anybody who has been on a voyageur bus you probably know there are three seats together right at the back of the bus. This is where we sat. Most of the rest of the bus was made up of university students. I'm sure we looked like three little boys that night when I think back on it. The 'guys' offered us a beer, neither Kevin nor Phil accepted but both chimed up, "Liam will take one he's the drinker." Hardly. I was having maybe three of four sips a week out of Dad's Molson Export in those days but I took the pint and I was so nervous I hammered it back in about three minutes. Funny when you think back now because Phil drinks rye so he still might have passed but Kevin, heh, heh, let's just say that was probably the only time in his life he passed on a free pint. The night was of course magical. First time at the Forum, who can ever forget. Montreal was down 2-0 in the series so this game was key. We had standing room and we were as high as you could go. Top of the blues baby, in the raucous, partisan crowd on a Saturday night in Montreal in the mid seventies. Hard to imagine it being any better really. Montreal won that game 7-0. Guy Lafleur scored his first playoff hattrick and his third goal was an end to end rush on a delayed penalty to Buffalo. It was so good it was almost an out of body experience. The fans right in front of us were a couple of 'older' guys from Buffalo. Probably in their forties. I remember them saying that was the most outplayed they had seen the Sabres all season but they would prevail and beat Montreal in six games and go on to the finals before losing to Philadelphia in six.
For the record Roger Crozier and Gerry Desjardins were the goalies for the Sabres and Lafleur victimized both of them. Ironic because Gary Bromley saw the most action of any Sabre goalie that season. It was an incredible memory, one of many I have from that building. One other thing I always remember was when we were leaving with the crowd that night I tried to touch some part of the wall the whole way out. It was like I was trying to feel it as if it was skin, I wanted to live there, I just wanted to say goodbye to the guys and make a right turn and go find a little bed somewhere until the next game. For a hockey fan, especially if you were a Montreal fan, the Forum on a Saturday night was the place to be no question about it.
6) March 11/96, last night at Forum.
This really brings the whole Forum experience for me full circle so it's very appropriate that this story follows the one above. First night followed by the last night. March 11, 1996 found me at the ripe old age of 36 years married with an expectant wife in the middle of a fairly busy hockey season for myself personally. Still, some things have to be done and attending the last game ever played in a building that meant more to you than any other except your own home was a definite. Couple of oddities about this game. For one it was a Monday night. Odd that it would not have been scheduled on a Saturday. Two, the opposition of the day were the Dallas Stars, a very ordinary club, should be almost a guaranteed win night for Montreal and how ironic is that now? And last the date. Whether by design although probably not, the irony of the last game ever on Forum ice falling on March 11 was eerie to say the least. 59 years earlier on that same night Howie Morenz's funeral was held the only time such an event was held inside an NHL building so I personally found this very, very ironic. Of course my warped mind always takes things a step further and seeing as I was born in 1959 and the number of years since these two events was 59 I felt a personal connection, get it? Now we're getting to the depths of my craziness with regards to hockey.
Well, what a day. I was I believe the first media person to arrive at the Forum that day. I drove down very early, left home shortly after 8am arriving in Montreal roughly ten or so. I went directly to the grand old building and went in. I had secured media credentials but not a seat. I had indicated to Donald Beauchamp, media director of the Habs that I would gladly stand however I also decided that I wanted a ticket for a souvenir so I bought one from my good buddy Julio, one of the most recognizable scalpers that ever graced Atwater Street and in fact during the third period I sat in the seat for the rest of the game and post game show.
I won't go on and on about the whole night but suffice to say that the day itself was awesome. I was mostly in the company of Dick Irvin who I think did upwards of a dozen interviews with media outlets from all over including Sweden. It was incredible. I went everywhere with him, he kept introducing me to everybody and then would proceed to do another interview. We were there the rest of the morning and into the early part of the afternoon. I had lunch with Gary Craig and then shortly after that went back to the Forum to take in the festivities.
The night started with a tape of Roger Doucet (RealPlayer) singing the national anthem. Amazing, they picked an old game that had footage of Gainey and Jarvis being shown as they do so often during the playing of the anthem and that was so appropriate seeing as they were both back with Dallas being in town. Needless to say the post game celebration was in a word outstanding. Montreal did their part winning the game 4-1. Carbonneau came back on the ice with a Montreal sweater which delighted the crowd, the players who were introduced had won I think 110 Stanley Cups between them, the passing of the torch was spine tingling but nothing, nothing I have ever seen before in my life and probably ever in my life again will be like being in the Forum that night for Rocket Richard's standing ovation. It just kept going and going and going.
Let me finish by saying this. I purchased a seat, a red one in the auction. On it I have four dates. May 1, 1975 my first game their. May 21, 1979. The night before my 20th birthday when Montreal beat the Rangers. September 10, 1993, the night I proposed to my wife at center ice at the Forum and March 11, 1996, the final night in the old building. On the bottom I put "Je me souviens" and I think that pretty much says it all.
7) April 24/69. First game I watched in it's entirety. Beliveau scored in ot to eliminate Boston.
April 24, 1969. Approximately a month before my tenth birthday and a night that remains as vivid in my mind as any other. Game six of a great series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins. At that time that was the furthest Boston had gone in the post season with Bobby Orr in the lineup.
This was the first NHL game that I watched in it's entirety. I remember the first period of some games from the 1966 finals, many moments from the 67 finals funny though I don't really have a lot of memories from the 1968 finals. 1969 though I remember very, very well. Montreal won in overtime that night and Jean Beliveau scored the winner on Gerry Cheevers. The Habs would go on to win the Cup against St.Louis four straight. The game ended shortly after midnight E.S.T. and I remember falling asleep the next day in school, Mrs. McKaskill's grade four class at St.Leonard's Elementary in Manotick, Ontario. When she shook me awake I jumped up and yelled, "he scores". Hey I was in grade four, give me a break!
By the way, for you die hard trivia buffs the date has another neat association. April 24, 1983 was the date and the year that the last player who had played in the original six era played in the NHL. That season Carol Vadnais, Serge Savard and Wayne Cashman all were left over from what has been called by many the glory era in hockey. They would all retire that season however Cashman would play the longest due to the Bruins advancing farther down the playoff road. Savard was a member of the Winnipeg Jets that season and they were beat first round. Vadnais was with the New Jersey Devils and they missed the playoffs. The Bruins went to the semi finals however Cashman was healthy for only eight games that playoff year the last coming on the night of the 24th. Just a little FYI for you die hards.
8) Game three 87 Canada Cup finals.
This was of course as good as it got. A three game series that went the distance, two of them in overtime, the deciding game won in the dying moments and again, a victory for Canada. Ironically by the very famous 6-5 score.
What a moment this was. I wonder if maybe even more so for those of us who vividly remember 1972. One thing is for certain, for another generation of Canadian hockey fans they now had their own 1972. Gretzky to Lemieux. Mario scored a tournament leading eleven goals, number 99 assisted on nine of them. Canada lost game one 6-5 in overtime but managed to win game two, a nail-bitter for all time, in double ot no less, who else, Mario with an assist from Wayne. I was fortunate enough to play golf with Grant Fuhr last year (1999) and although I've interviewed him before this was an opportunity to be a little less formal. After the first few holes not much was said but we had an opportunity to talk a little on the third hole at Eagle Creek in Dunrobin home of the Eagle Creek Classic and I put my hand out and said, "Grant, I just want to thank you for that save on Krutov in game two, in overtime in the 1987 Canada Cup finals." I can tell you truthfully it was an honour to shake his hand and tell him that to his face. Without that save we have no game three. Sounds familiar eh? Without Henderson's incredible goal in game seven, game eight is a moot point. So along comes game three. Starting for Canada were Gretzky, Lemieux and Messier, we had momentum, the crowd, the country tuned in again and what happens, Russia scores the first shift. Shades of things to come as Canada quickly found themselves down 3-0. Well, when the going gets tough Rick Tocchet gets going. 3-1 and the boys were off. Amazing that it was Tocchet, Brent Sutter and Dale Hawerchuk who were really responsible for getting the ball rolling in that final game. Then the big boys took over.
We were seven or eight watching the game. I remember we had played cards earlier in the evening and we were having a few ales of course to help relieve the tension. The tension was all but eliminated when we received a phone call in the third period. Peter Oliver, one of my closest friends was summoned to the phone and came back with some shattering news that a very good friend of all of us had passed away the night before, suicide in fact, nine years later to the day of his car accident that had left him in a wheel chair. To say it was a wet blanket being put over a flickering match is an understatement. As Canada completed the comeback and took the lead I thought for sure somehow Jack was pulling the strings up stairs. Then Russia tied it up again and it looked like we were headed for overtime number three as incredible as it may seem.
Of course we all know what happened. Completing his coming out party number 66 fired another laser to his favourite spot top right corner with 1:26 to play and lo and behold it was another 6-5 win, the third in a row making the association with 1972 all the stronger. Another fantastic moment on the Canadian hockey scene and another one of the greatest nights of my life as we celebrated the win and privately all knew that Jack Guindon was now in a better place.
9) September/95 final night at Boston Garden, Ray Bourque brings out Normand Leveille on skates.
10) Feb 15/75, listening on radio as my favourite player of all time Yvan Cournoyer scored five goals and picked up two assists.
