REMEMBERING JIM GREGORY

No one in the game is more deserving of the title "hockey-lifer" than Jim Gregory, who passed away on October 30. After being born in Port Colborne, Ontario, Gregory spent his early years in Dunnville, Ontario, but moved to Toronto to attend St. Michael's College School in 1953.

Besides the chance to receive a quality education, Gregory hoped to become a part of St. Mike's highly respected hockey program.

"We had won a couple of playoff rounds with my hometown team," Gregory told me in a 2014 interview in his office at the NHL headquarters in Toronto. "I was finishing my midget year and I was playing on an advanced team with four or five really good hockey players. Three of us got invited to join a junior camp in Hamilton, Ontario, by Eddie Bush."

As Gregory went on to explain, there was another option for him to consider.

"I thought if I had a chance to make the Hamilton team, maybe I had a chance to make the St. Mike's club. I had a cousin who was already at St. Mike's and his two brothers went there. They loved it and talked about it all the time. Our whole family thought that if you had a goal to get educated, St. Mike's would be the place to go."

Once the decision was made, Gregory made his way to Toronto.

"The hockey practices back then didn't start until October. I was there a month and got in a little bit of skating. I went to the junior practice, but by the second or third practice, I was cut." Showing his dry sense of humour, Gregory added, "It wasn't pretty."

When Gregory thought his window on having a hockey career had closed, another window opened.

"Father Bauer was my homeroom teacher and I went to talk with him and he noticed that I was desponded. I told him I was thinking of leaving and going home because I still had the opportunity to go and workout with Hamilton."

The legendary Father Bauer, after listening to his student from Dunnville, was responsible for opening the window that allowed Gregory to enter a new phase of his life. A Basilian Father, Bauer had a huge impact on Gregory.

"In addition to teaching, Father Bauer was coaching the Majors and he invited me to come out and skate with him to keep in shape."

And Father Bauer also promised Gregory that he would arrange another tryout with the junior B squad.

"He arranged the tryout and I got cut again," Gregory recalled, as though it had only occurred. "I was better in my head than I was on the ice."

To stay connected to the game, Gregory continued to assist Father Bauer.

"Of course, they had no money and he asked me if I'd be the trainer and help manage the St. Mike's Majors. From then on, Father Bauer became my mentor and he really helped me."

When former NHL defenceman, Bob Goldham, took the coaching job at St. Mike's in 1957, Gregory was able to continue his hockey education.

"I couldn't describe how he helped me," Gregory said of the five-time Stanley Cup champion with Toronto and Detroit. "He made an impression and provided an imprint. I learned from him that this is what you do and how you do it. I was not only influenced by his hockey knowledge, but by the person and the kind of family man he was."

After helping Father Bauer and the Majors win the Memorial Cup in 1961, Gregory found himself in a new situation. St. Mike's shutdown the Majors and Gregory joined the junior A Toronto Marlboros. He went captured two more Canadian junior championships with the Marlboros, who were sponsored by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

When he became a scout with the Leafs, Gregory was well situated should any opportunities develop in management. And that opportunity came in 1969, when Toronto Maple Leafs general manager and coach, Punch Imlach, was dismissed.

At the age of 33, Gregory was hired to take over one of hockey's most historic teams.

"My first assignment will be to sign Johnny McLellan as coach," Gregory said of his choice to be behind the Leafs' bench. Also, he had plans for the scouting department. "We're going to complete our scouting first and then get ready for the draft meetings."

Looking back at Gregory's time as GM, one skill-set emerges and that was his ability to assess talent. Under his leadership, the Leafs drafted Darryl Sitter, Errol Thompson, Rick Kehoe, Lanny McDonald, Bob Neely, Ian Turnbull, "Tiger" Williams, Mike Palmateer, and John Anderson. When Borje Salming is added to this mix, the foundation for a competitive team was put in place by Gregory. Behind the bench, Gregory hired McLellan, Red Kelly and Roger Neilson.

Gregory's last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs was in 1978-79.

He remained in the game with NHL Central Scouting and became the vice-president of Hockey Operations for the NHL. He remained in this position until his passing. Also, he served on the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee.

In 2007, Gregory was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builders category. His acceptance speech was passionate and emotional. His love for the game and the people he encountered along the way was clearly evident.

Statements released by the National Hockey League and the Toronto Maple Leafs reflect the sentiments of all those who knew Jim Gregory.

The statement from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman: "It is impossible to express the extent to which the National Hockey League family adored Jim Gregory and the loss we feel as a result of his passing. Jim Gregory wasn't just a great 'hockey man,' though he certainly was that. He was a great man - a devoted husband to Rosalie, his wife of 60 years; father to Andrea, Valerie, Maureen and David; grandfather of 13; and mentor and friend to too many to number."

The statement from Toronto Maple Leafs president and alternate governor, Brendan Shanahan: "The Toronto Maple Leafs are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jim Gregory. Jim was one of the great gentlemen of hockey. He was a friend to so many within the game - the Leafs, the League, the Hall of Fame and beyond. His friendships and contributions to hockey were so deeply rooted. He was a living breathing piece of hockey history. He will be greatly missed."

ANOTHER HONOUR FOR JOE PRIMEAU

Last week, former Toronto Maple Leaf legend, Joe Primeau, was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony and awards gala took place in the grand ballroom of the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto.

Joe Primeau's son, Bob, took centre stage to talk about his dad.

"On behalf of the Primeau family, many of whom are here tonight, I would like to thank the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, and its selection committee, for inducting my father into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame amongst such distinguished recipients," Primeau told the packed room. "This induction is a great honour for my father and one that we are delighted to celebrate this evening."

With his niece, Sue Primeau, on stage with him, Primeau concluded his remarks.

"Dad's professional career as a hockey player and as a coach, spanned over 25 years, after which he continued his involvement in the sport in many ways for the rest of his life. Hockey was surely in his veins. I believe my father's induction cements his place in the history of hockey in Ontario and for this, we are forever grateful."

Yours Truly with Sue Primeau & Bob Primeau. Photo Credit: Lora Evans/Hat Trik Pro.

A brief breakdown of "Gentleman Joe" Primeau's career reveals his many accomplishments. On July 17, 1928, Primeau signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent. Later, he would join Charlie Conacher and Harvey "Busher" Jackson to form the famed Kid Line. With the opening of Maple Leaf Gardens on November 12, 1931, the Kid Line led the Leafs to a Stanley Cup championship on April 9, 1932. The evidence of Primeau's skill and ability to feed the puck to Conacher and Jackson, can be found in the fact he led the NHL in assists in 1930-31, 1931-32, and 1933-34. Due to his clean play, Primeau was awarded the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1932. He became an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963.

When he retired, and turned to coaching, Primeau guided the St. Mike's Majors to a Memorial Cup win in 1945, the Toronto Marlboro Seniors to an Allan Cup championship in 1949, and the Toronto Maple Leafs to Stanley Cup victory in 1951. He is the only coach to complete this trifecta.

After a gathering to celebrate the 1931-32 Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017, I wrote a story on the event. The text relating to Joe Primeau is reprinted below.

"We would always get together at Christmas," said Suzanne Primeau. "There are 12 grandchildren and I'm the eldest granddaughter of Joe Primeau. My dad, Joe Primeau Jr, is the eldest son of Joe Primeau."

Suzanne Primeau is proud that the family tradition of attending Leaf home games dates back to 1931-32. "At the time Conn Smythe was building the Gardens, he took Papa (Joe Primeau) around and told him to choose the seats he wanted. Papa ended up selecting eight seats and Conn allowed him not to pay for them. But that all changed in the Ballard era." Six of those seats remain in the Primeau family. "I remember Nana (her grandmother) telling me she went to the first game at Maple Leaf Gardens and the puck was dropped barely before the roof was put on."

Joe Primeau revealed to his granddaughter what he considered to be an important ingredient to winning games. "He told me that 75% of your success in the game was your goaltender." With two lethal scoring weapons as linemates, Primeau's job of distributing the puck between Conacher and Jackson often became a thorn in his side. Suzanne discovered how Primeau responded to this dilemma. "He'd say, 'I don't know how to keep those two happy. I'm going to have to cut the puck in half.'"

"I was born in 1931 and my first recollection of hockey was more in 1937," said Bob Primeau, who is Joe Primeau's son. "I don't remember anything about when Dad was playing. A big moment in my life was watching the Leafs win in 1942 when they came back from losing three games and winning the next four to win the Stanley Cup. I can remember him coaching." Joe Primeau is the only coach to capture a Memorial Cup, Allan Cup and Stanley Cup. Coach Primeau's Stanley Cup championship came in 1951. "I was at the game with my Uncle Jim when Barilko scored that overtime goal. I remember Sloan (Tod) tied the game with about a minute to go. Every game went into overtime."

Bob Primeau recalled a story his dad told him about the era when the train travel was the main means of transportation for NHL teams. "They spent a lot of time on the trains. Dad was talking about the kibitzing that use to happen on the train. It seems to me that Charlie Conacher was at the head of all the trouble. If anyone had a necktie on, Charlie had a pair of scissors and he would cut it off about halfway up."

One story both Primeau's shared concerned an injury Joe Primeau suffered on the road. "I remember him telling me about how he had part of his ear sliced," stated Suzanne. "The next game he took some old football helmet and put it on." Bob Primeau filled in the details. "He hit his head against the goalpost down in New York. He nearly knocked his ear off. They had trouble sewing it back on. He got an old football helmet and cut the top off it and wore it."

Above all, Joe Primeau was a family man and was called "Gentleman Joe" for a reason. "He was a good person and didn't bring the game home with him," explained Suzanne. "He never put anyone down and was always positive. There wasn't always nice talk about Harold Ballard, but Papa never said anything bad about him. In fact, Ballard sent 60 roses for their 60th wedding anniversary."

CAPTAIN DAY & CAPTAIN TAVARES

When the Toronto Maple Leafs opened their 2019-20 season at home on October 2, much of the excitement and drama took place before the puck was dropped. During most of the off-season, there were discussions about the Leafs naming a captain, with Auston Matthews, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly in the mix to wear the 'C'.

All the buzz and speculation came to a dramatic climax when John Tavares was the last Leaf to step on the ice during the player introductions. With his stick raised, Tavares saluted the home crowd with the 'C' on his jersey.

As Tavares noted in his post-game comments, the honour and responsibility of being the captain of an NHL team isn't new to him, as he wore the 'C' with the New York Islanders. "It's a very special recognition. Where I was captain (NYI), there was a great history, a great passion. I never took it for granted."

Tavares also spoke of the approach he would take in carrying out his new duties. "You just go out there, do the best you can, be yourself and handle things whenever you feel necessary. And leaning on the people around you. That's the best way I can say."

Like his experience with the Islanders, Tavares is once again the captain of a team with "great history, great passion," as he beings his tenure in Toronto. The spotlight will shine more brightly and the pressure will be more immense in his new hockey home.

Getting back to his first contest as the newly minted captain, Tavares and his teammates skated to a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. "To start the night off like we did and go out and play like we did, I'll never forget it."

It was a much different scene when the Toronto Maple Leafs began their 1927-28 season with new captain, Clarence "Hap" Day.

There was no fanfare or 'C' on his jersey when Day became captain. He was elected captain on November 1 at training camp, and as The Toronto Daily Star reflected, "He should prove a real leader." And talk about no pomp or circumstance, Day didn't even take the ceremonial opening face-off, a responsibly now usually bestowed upon the team captain, when the Leafs opened at home (Arena Gardens on Mutual Street) against the New York Rangers on November 15, 1927.

When the Honourable WD Ross, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, dropped the puck, it wasn't Day at centre ice, but Leaf forward Bill Carson. He faced-off against New York's Bill Cook.

Although the Leafs dropped their season opener to the Rangers by a 4-2 score, Hap Day and the Leafs' defence core were recognized for their play. "Last night Happy Day, Gorman (Ed) and Duncan (Art) played well," observed a newspaper account. They form a better defence than was in front of Roach (Goalie, John Ross) last year ... Day was the best last night, the former Midland boy is in for a great year."

In addition to his play against the Rangers, Day demonstrated his leadership in the dressing room. During the game against New York, Ranger defenceman, "Taffy" Abel, had two bones above his wrist broken and was confined to a Toronto hospital. Two days later, Hap Day made his rounds in the Leafs' locker room and collected money to send flowers and fruit to Abel's hospital room.

In game two, also on home ice, the Leafs got on the winning track with 4-2 win over Chicago. The Globe and Mail reported that, "Hap Day, captain of the Leafs, was the most effective man on the ice. He started the Leafs on the way to victory in the first period by combining with McCaffery (Bert) and shooting the first goal of the game."

In one of Toronto's greatest seasons, Hap Day became the first captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs to hoist the Stanley Cup. In 1931, the Leafs moved to their new home at Maple Leaf Gardens, and on April 9, 1932, they downed the New York Rangers to capture the Cup.

Leaf Nation can only hope John Tavares can emulate the success Hap Day had as Leafs' captain.

CELEBRATING WITH DON LUCE

At the October Hockey Talk session, held at Marcel Dionne's BLUELINE DINER in Niagara Falls, the guest of honour was former NHL centre, Don Luce. The occasion was a celebration of Don's 71st birthday (October 2, 1948).

PHOTO GALLERY

Marcel Dionne making his opening remarks.

Former Sabres Terry Martin (L) and Derek Smith.

Seymour Knox IV looks on as Don Luce blows out the candles on his cake.  

Former Hockey Night in Canada colour commentator,  Harry Neale, with Gary England.

The 2019-20 season marks the 50th anniversary of the Buffalo Sabres. Although Don wasn't a member of the original Sabres, he did participate in the very first contest played by the expansion team. At the time, Luce skated for the New York Rangers.

A product of the Rangers farm system, Luce played his junior career with the OHA Kitchener Rangers. In his final year with Kitchener, he put together a banner year by producing 94 points in 54 games. His talent as a playmaking center was evident in the fact 70 of those 94 points came from assisting on goals. Luce's pro career started in 1968-69 with the Omaha Knights. In his second year in Omaha, he was summoned by the New York Rangers.

To begin their initial season in the National Hockey League, the Buffalo Sabres played their first ever game in Peterborough, Ontario, on September 17, 1970. The opposition that historic night were the New York Rangers. And in the line-up for New York was future Sabre, Don Luce. Buffalo took a 4-0 lead into the third period, but New York went on the attack and fought back with the game ending in a 4-4 draw. One of the goal scorers for the Rangers was Don Luce.

Asked about the first outing of his club, Sabres' coach and general manager Punch Imlach said, "Naturally we'd like to have won, but I still say it's a hell of a story. Any time we tie New York this year, I'll be happy because that means I'll beat a lot of other guys."

On May 25, 1971, Imlach swung a deal with the Detroit Red Wings and acquired Don Luce and defenceman Mike Robitaille in exchange for goalie Joe Daley.

Luce played the bulk of his NHL career with Buffalo, and along with linemates Danny Gare and Craig Ramsay, were part of a Sabres club that reached the Stanley Cup final in 1975. This line not only shutdown the oppositions top trio, but they could also score. On his way to the Cup final, Luce had his most productive NHL season by recording 76 points (33 goals/34 assists) in 80 games.

A FIRST FOR DAVE KEON

It wasn't big news back on October 16, 1960, but 59 years later, Dave Keon's first National Hockey League goal can be looked at as an important beginning for the Toronto Maple Leaf icon.

As the above newspaper clipping shows, there were no bells and whistles or great detail on how Keon scored his goal. It was a case of a rookie scoring a goal in his teams' first win of the season over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

But that doesn't mean Keon's graduation from the OHA junior 'A' St. Mike's Majors wasn't a big deal at the time. As I noted in my Goldham book, "In a scouting report to his boss, Bob Davidson, the Leafs bird-dog in Quebec, Vince Thompson, wrote, 'don't miss this boy or he'll haunt you later.'"

Looking back at his time coaching Keon at St. Mike's, Goldham observed, "He was a very gifted athlete whose only fault as a junior was his failure to check at first, but would become a master at that aspect. He was very easy to handle and a class individual."

There were many big headlines in Dave Keon's future, including a Calder Trophy win, four Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy following the 1967 Cup victory, several Lady Byng Trophies, a Second Team All-Star, captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The latest tribute was having his number 14 jersey retired by the Maple Leafs.

JOHNNY BOWER ARMS - VETERANS PUB

It was a big day at the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre on October 1, when family and friends gathered to honour Toronto Maple Leaf goalie, Johnny Bower. As a promotional pamphlet explained, the event was organized "to commemorate Johnny Bower's support of the Veterans at Sunnybrook, we are excited to rename the pub as Johnny Bower Arms."

In addition to making visits with the Maple Leafs Alumni, Johnny joined the Original Six Alumni on several visits to Sunnybrook. To say that Johnny was popular with the Veterans would be a huge understatement. They all wanted an autograph and a picture taken with the Maple Leaf icon. The photos below are of Johnny's visits with the Original Six Alumni.

If anyone could relate to the Veterans it was Johnny Bower. When the Second World War broke out, Johnny was 15, and was a member of an army reserve unit in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. At the age of 18, Johnny's unit was sent over to Europe. "I was put into the Second Canadian Division, as a gunner with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders," Johnny wrote in his 2008 autobiography. He didn't see any action due to illness.

A packed house gathered in Warriors' Hall to begin the renaming ceremony. A dedication plaque was unveiled, then the activities moved to the Johnny Bower Arms - Veterans Pub. Here are some photos from the event.

John Bower II with Toronto Maple Leafs Alumni president, Dan Daoust.

The Bower family. Photo Credit: Hat Trick Productions.

Of all the tributes conducted since his passing, it wouldn't be a stretch to believe that the renaming of the pub at Sunnybrook would top Johnny Bower's list if favourite moments.

ROGERS HOMETOWN HOCKEY

Tonight marks the first Rogers Hometown Hockey broadcast for the 2019-2020 season. Halton Hills was selected as the first location, with Georgetown, Ontario serving as the host.

The first person to play in the NHL from Georgetown was Bob Goldham. He was born in the family home on John Street on May 12, 1922. "I grew up as any normal Canadian kid in a small town, through grade school, not really distinguishing myself scholastically," noted Goldham. "Growing up in Georgetown is one of nicest things that could happen, you can walk to the arena, to the ball field and the swimming pool."

His sister, Ruth, told me for the book I wrote on Goldham that, "He played baseball, but liked rugby and hockey better and he also played lacrosse."

When not out playing various sports, young Bob helped his dad in the family owned Goldham's Meat Market located on Main Street. He also worked as a caddie at the local golf course.

When Goldham joined Gordon Alcott's Trail Rangers at the age 11, he quickly became involved in all its activities. Alcott was a community leader and his new venture offered Goldham the opportunity to play hockey. Many of their games took place on Campbell's Pond, which was reached by hiking along the railway tracks. "When you're playing with 35 guys divided by two, now that's when you learn to skate and stickhandle," stated Goldham.

In January 1937, Alcott formed the Little NHL, with teams named after the pro clubs. Goldham skated for the Georgetown Little NHL Toronto Maple Leafs and had Reg Hamilton's name stitched on the back of his sweater. Hamilton was a member of Conn Smythe's big-league team.

Goldham led his team to victory and captured the Georgetown Little NHL Stanley Cup and advanced to the Ontario NHL championship in March 1937. His team continued their winning ways by defeating the Stratford Maroons and won the Howie Morenz Memorial Trophy.

His outstanding play against Stratford didn't go unnoticed by members of the press. One report observed that "it was mostly a case of the Maroons versus Goldham, and the Maroons came out second best, which was as it should have been on the night's play. Goldham did about 75 percent of the work for his team."

In addition to the Little NHL, Goldham played junior 'B' and 'C' in Georgetown. Also, while in the Trail Rangers, he participated in basketball, track and field and dodgeball.

While attending Georgetown High School, Goldham excelled in several sports, including, hockey, football and track and field. In October 1937, Goldham and his teammates won the Ross Cup by defeating Milton. In the championship contest, he ran for two touchdowns and kicked four field goals.

Bob Goldham's hometown recognized his success (5 Stanley Cups) in the NHL with Toronto, Chicago and Detroit when they presented him with the Georgetown Hockey Heritage Award on March 14, 1985. Then, on June 16, 2011, Goldham was inducted into the Halton Hills Sports Hall of Fame.

Perhaps, the greatest tribute to Goldham came In December 2010, when the Georgetown Minor Hockey Association changed the name of their Christmas tournament to The Bob Goldham Memorial Christmas House League Tournament.

Part of the text on Goldham's Hockey Heritage Award plaque notes that, "During each phase of Bob's careers, he always served as an inspiration to the young hockey players and all hockey fans of Georgetown. Pride rides high in our hearts when we hear Bob introduced as the greatest hockey player to rise out of Georgetown."

PHOTO GALLERY

Bob and his sister, Ruth, with their parents, Flora and Harry.

Young Bob in Georgetown.

Paying Back: Bob got his start in The Little NHL (1937) and while in the Navy, he made a visit to the Copper Cliff Midget Little NHL in 1943. 

A VISIT TO SUNNYBROOK

When you walk the grounds of Sunnybrook Health Centre in Toronto, one knows they have reached the Veterans Centre when a bust of Winston Churchill comes into view. The British Prime Minister led the charge that resulted in his country winning the Second World War.

In September, several members of the Original Six Alumni Lunch, made their annual trip to visit the Veterans at Sunnybrook. The event was organized by Al Shaw, who never lets a year pass without making the effort to give back to those now residing at the Centre. A big thank-you goes out to Pete Conacher, Bob Nevin and Mike Amodeo, who represented the alumni.

Pete Conacher

Bob Nevin

Mike Amodeo

It was my honour to donate a copy of my Goldham book to the Veterans Library. The gift was accepted by Richard Ratcliffe, who is the president of the Veterans Council. Like Bob Goldham, Mr. Ratcliffe served in the Royal Canadian Navy.

GOLLY GEE - IT'S HIM!

Like when he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs (1946-47 to 1954-55), Howie Meeker was in the middle of the action when this photo of the Leafs' alumni was taken. He was in Newfoundland when the alumni faced a team stocked with those belonging to the Canadian Forces. The game took place at the Mile One Centre in St. John's. The Leafs held a portion their 2019 training camp in Paradise, NL.

At the age of 95, Meeker is the oldest living former Toronto Maple Leaf. In September 1958, Meeker moved to St. John's to join the Guards Athletic Association. He handled all levels of their hockey program. In particular, the junior, senior and high school teams.