BRIAN GLENNIE: 1946-2020

When former NHL defenceman Brian Glennie passed away on February 7, talk turned to memories of his time on the ice, especially with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Glennie played his junior A hockey with the Toronto Marlboros and was captain when the Marlboros captured the Memorial Cup in 1967. Prior to joining the Leafs in 1969, he was a member of the Canadian National Team, Rochester Americans (AHL), and the Tulsa Oilers (CHL).

Like many defencemen from Glennie's era, he wasn't expected to be a scoring machine. His first NHL goal came against the Los Angeles Kings on November 19, 1969, at Maple Leaf Gardens. Late in the third period, Glennie used his glove to corral a high pass from Leaf forward Mike Walton. His shot beat Gerry Desjardins in the LA goal. Glennie's tally was the equalizer in a 4-4 draw.

Over his ten year NHL career, nine with Toronto and one with Los Angeles, Glennie scored 13 more goals to go with 100 assists. The stat that best defines his style is the 621 minutes Glennie spent in the penalty box.

From the outset, Brian Glennie knew the role he would play if he wished to remain in the National Hockey League. And that was a physical defenceman who could use his strength to battle the opposition.

He took his role seriously and the summer before his first training camp with Toronto, Glennie participated in a fitness regiment with Lloyd Percival. The goal of working with the fitness guru was to increase Glennie's conditioning and make him ready to earn a roster spot with the Leafs.

"Any defenceman needs agility, and I know I'm lacking in that," said Glennie of a weakness in his game. "And the more strength you have in your upper body, the more chance you have of handling somebody like Beliveau in front of the net."

Reviewing numerous game reports of Leaf games, Glennie's rough and tumble style shines through. In a November 1972 contest against the Buffalo Sabres it was noted that Buffalo "opened the game as though derisive of the ability of the Leafs' defence to stop them." That changed when "Glennie quickly brought them up short with some hard hits."

Glennie's weapon of choice was the hip check.

The following account is from November 1976: "While the Leaf forwards were providing firepower, defenceman Brian Glennie was scattering Minnesota North Stars around the Toronto end, including one jarring hip check that knocked left winger Pierre Jarry out of the Stars' lineup for several weeks with torn ligaments in his left knee."

Speaking to a reporter, Glennie explained what he brought to the table. "I can do certain things well. My greatest plus is that I hit well. That makes other players keep their heads up looking for me, and that's why I'm on the Toronto Maple Leafs."

After watching Glennie drop Dave Fortier and Denis Potvin of the New York Islanders, veteran hockey writer Jim Vipond wrote, "Glennie hits like Jim Corrigall." At the time, Corrigall was a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts.

Throughout his career, Glennie was hampered by various injuries, including several shoulder inflictions that required him to go under the knife. This resulted in him wearing a neck brace. Also, he missed action for a prolonged time due to a broken jaw.

"I'm a hitter. That's my style, and when you hit people, things are more likely to happen," said Glennie when talking about his injuries.

Due to his hit and destroy missions against the opposition, Glennie often found himself with a target sign on his back. That was never more evident than when the Leafs and Detroit Red Wings went to battle on November 5, 1975, at the Gardens.

All hell broke loose after Glennie "knocked Wings' centre Bryan Hextall to the ice with a thumping, but clean bodycheck," Don Ramsay wrote in The Globe and Mail. Unhappy with the treatment of his teammate, Detroit tough guy and enforcer Dan Maloney, sought revenge against Glennie. Maloney tackled Glennie from behind and inflicted a number of punches before bringing Glennie to a landing on the ice. Glennie was transported to hospital with a suspected concussion.

 There were more fireworks when Ontario Attorney General Roy McMurtry charged Maloney with assault. A charge that resulted in Maloney's acquittal.

In 1972, Glennie was added to the Team Canada roster for The Summit Series, but he didn't see any action in the eight game showdown. His addition made sense taking into account Glennie's experience playing on the big ice surface with the Canadian National Team, and his ability to hit. But when Canada lost game one in '72 against the USSR, it became obvious that finesse needed to be employed to stay competitive. That left Glennie on the sidelines, but he was in the line-up for exhibitions games in Stockholm and Prague.

Off the ice, Glennie's sense of humour was often evident. On his lack of converting scoring chances in the offensive zone, he told a member of the media, "Why don't you write about the big 747 Jumbo floating in on goal." When Team Canada returned home, they were saluted at Toronto's City Hall. Eager for some home cooking, Glennie asked, "Has anybody got a cheeseburger?" And on the topic of Glennie and food, and his strength, his Swanson Hungry Man commercial with Lanny McDonald was a huge success. In the ad, Glennie rips off the fridge door when McDonald declares, "When Brian gets hungry, he goes wild." Once he devours the product, Glennie becomes a "pussycat."

Brian Alexander "Blunt" Glennie was born on August 29, 1946, in Toronto, Ontario. "Hockey was his life,"noted the published death notice. "Blunt enjoyed being the life of the party and playing many practical jokes at the expense of his buddies. In his later years, he struggled with many health issues and moved to Ottawa to be closer to his grandchildren."