GIVING BACK

Johnny Bower (L) with Dick Duff

On September 28, 2016, the Original Six Alumni made their annual trip to visit the Veterans at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto.

A large gathering was on hand as event organizer, Al Shaw, introduced the players and former Leaf, Ron Hurst, entertained the crowd. A newcomer to the Sunnybrook visit was Darryl Sittler. Always a fan favourite, Sittler gave a short talk on his career and told several stories.

Back row (L-R) Johnny McCormack, Pete Conacher, Danny Lewicki, Johnny Bower, Bob Nevin, Darryl Sittler and Dick Duff. Front Row (L-R) Murray Westgate, Ivan Irwin, Sue Foster

Darryl Sittler

BLUE LINES, GOAL LINES & BOTTOM LINES

In today's hockey world, agents, accountants, marketing and financial experts, and legal representatives have a say before a client signs on the dotted-line.

A new book from ECW Press written by Greg Oliver - Blue Lines, Goal Lines & Bottom Lines - Hockey Contracts and Historical Documents from the Collection of Allan Stitt - shows how different the process was in the past.

For example, one can examine the National Hockey League Standard Player's Contract of Montreal Canadiens legend Doug Harvey. The contract, signed on September 25, 1948, contains only two additional clauses. Perhaps, the greatest defenceman in his era, Harvey insisted that he receive a five hundred dollar bonus if Montreal goalie, Bill Durnan, won the Vezina trophy. The second bonus, also for  five hundred dollars, was to be paid if Harvey made the First or Second All-Star Teams.

Then, there is the fascinating documenting of Henri Richard's first contract with the Canadiens. During talks between Richard and Montreal's managing director, Frank J. Selke,  a page from an old desk calendar was used to record the terms and finalize the negotiations. Several days later, the details were transferred to a Standard Contract and passed along to the NHL.

The opening pages immediately grabbed my attention, as they pertain to Wayne Gretzky's career. The documents range from his participation in the Quebec Pee Wee Hockey Tournament to his time in Edmonton.

In a "Questionnaire for Players" Jean Beliveau wrote that his hobbies were "golf & women." The document is dated April 22, 1952. Tidbits like Beliveau's answer and seeing the documents are the fun and entertaining part of the book. The informative part and background details are supplied in Oliver's text.

Opening up this book and flipping from one page to the next is like looking through a family scrapbook. Memories are quickly remembered by the older generation and the past can be shared with the younger generation. The vintage look of the contracts and historical documents nicely shines through and captures the time period from when they were created.

Broken down into five categories - The Great Ones, Management and Minor Leagues, The Original Six Era, Expansion, World Hockey Association - there is something of interest for every hockey fan. And the timing of this work is perfect taking into account the National Hockey League celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2006-17. The content allows the reader to walk through the rich history of the game.

REMEMBERING "LEAPIN' LOUIE"

There is good news and there is bad news.  Usually, at the Original Six Alumni lunch, the news is all good. But at the July lunch, I was informed of some bad news. When Don Joyce told me that Louie Fontinato had passed away the day before on July 3, it was like taking a blow to the head.

 Last summer, Don arranged for Gary England and I to visit Louie in Guelph, Ontario, along with  Louie's former teammate Harry Howell. I've known Don and Gary since I first started attending the lunch several years ago. Although time had taken its toll on Fontinato, he was still the fiery individual I had read about when he played for the New York Rangers. Tough as nails, Louie was a physical force on the ice and he let his fists do his talking. During our visit, his hands were constantly in motion (as the above photo shows) when he told a story. It was a joy to watch the interaction between Louie and Harry Howell. While Louie did most of the talking, I could tell by watching Harry's eyes that he was taking in every word spoken by his longtime friend. Unfortunately, Howell's health has been in decline for the past couple of years. But it didn't seem to matter on that warm sunny afternoon.

These memories flashed before me when Don broke the bad news of Louie's passing. I now know what an opponent must have felt like when Fontinato tangled with them.

Here is a portion (unedited) of the news release put out by the Fontinato family:

Legendary Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers Tough Guy “Leapin” Lou Fontinato Passes Away Suddenly at Age 84

GUELPH, ONTARIO – It has only been three weeks since Gordie Howe’s demise, and now the other party involved in the famous Howe – Fontinato fight passed away on Sunday, July 3, 2016, in Guelph, Ontario.  The hockey fraternity has lost one of its most colourful and boisterous characters.

Louis Joseph "Leapin” Louie Fontinato (born January 20, 1932) was a defenseman in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers from 1954 to 1961 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1961 to 1963.  Prior to the NHL, Fontinato played with the Vancouver Canucks and Saskatoon Quakers of the Western Hockey League.  In 1952/53, Fontinato played for the OHL’s Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters, a team that most experts agree was one of the best junior hockey teams ever assembled.  Along with Lou Fontinato, future NHL players Harry Howell, Andy Bathgate, and Eddie Shack all played for the Mad Hatters on that Memorial Cup winning team.

Lou Fontinato was a rugged defender and the most feared enforcer of his time.  He started his career with New York during the 1954-55 season.  The following year, he led the NHL in penalty minutes – the highest total ever at that time.  He also led the league in that category in 1957-58 and 1961-62 with Montreal.  While with the Rangers, Fontinato and Gordie Howe had a running feud that culminated in the now famous fight at Madison Square Garden on February 1, 1959.

Fontinato was eventually traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Hall-of-Fame great Doug Harvey at the tail end of his career.  Fontinato's career came to an abrupt and violent end in 1963 at the Montreal Forum.  After missing a check on left-winger Vic Hadfield of the Rangers behind the Montreal net, he slammed headfirst into the boards, broke his neck, and became paralyzed for a month.  After multiple spinal surgeries, Fontinato regained most of his motion.

After his retirement from the game due to his life-altering injury, Fontinato returned to his hometown of Guelph, Ontario, to raise beef cattle.  He spent the next 55 years doing what he loved best – actively working on his cattle farms. 

Lou Fontinato was recently admitted to Riverside Glen Nursing Home in Guelph, suffering from symptoms of dementia, and he passed away quietly in his sleep.  Fontinato is survived by two of his three children.  His daughter Paula Fontinato lives in Guelph and his son Roger Fontinato lives in Surrey, BC.  Louis Fontinato Jr. passed away on May 31, 1996.

His adult children, Paula and Roger, released the following comment:  “We appreciate the well wishes and condolences the family has received.  Our father will be greatly missed by his family, colleagues, and many friends.  We are grateful that he did not have to suffer through a long, debilitating, and difficult illness.”

Tough guy persona aside, Fontinato was known for his strong work ethic, his demanding nature, and contagious, boisterous personality, as well as for being a loyal teammate, an avid outdoorsman, an excellent cook, a world-class Bocce player, and Italian red wine-making aficionado. 

BY GEORGE!

Happy 86th birthday to former Toronto Maple Leaf captain George Armstrong . An unsung hero in the Leafs Stanley Cup run in the 1960s, Armstrong had the difficult task of being stuck in the middle between his teammates and Leafs coach and GM  Punch Imlach. A cool customer under pressure, "The Chief" managed to keep his team focused, despite Imlach's ruling with a heavy-hand. On the ice, Armstrong vigorously worked in the corners to dig out pucks and set-up plays.

 
The above photo of Armstrong was taken this past May at a tribute for his former linemate Tod Sloan.

LOSS OF A LEGEND

Today, the hockey world lost a true legend with the passing of Gordie Howe. He broke into the National Hockey League in 1946 with the Detroit Red Wings and the following season he teamed up with two special teammates. Howe wrote about the new trio in his book 'Gordie Howe - My Hockey Memories.' "Early in the year Ivan (Detroit's head coach) threw together a line that featured me on right wing, Ted Lindsay on left, and veteran centre Sid Abel in the middle. We clicked right away. Dubbed the "Production Line,"  we went on to finish the year one-two-three in team scoring..."

Now the lone survivor from that line, Ted Lindsay issued the following statement on the loss of his friend and former teammate:

I was very sad to learn today of the passing of my longtime teammate, and friend, Gordie Howe. Gordie really was the greatest hockey player who ever lived. I was fortunate to play with Gordie for 12 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and I've known him for over 70 years. He could do it all in the game to help his team, both offensively and defensively. He earned everything he accomplished on the ice.

Beyond hockey, Colleen and his family meant everything to him. Gordie was larger than life, and he was someone who  I thought would live forever. My wife Joanne and I extend our condolences to Gordie's children - Cathleen, Mark, Marty and Murray - and his entire family and many  friends during this time.

When Howe's NHL and WHA stats  (regular season & playoffs) are combined the results are staggering -  GP- 2,421 / G-1,071/ A-1,518 /P-2,589.

D-DAY

Today marks the 72^nd anniversary of D-Day on June 6, 1944. On that historic day, the allied forces, which included Canada, began their assault on Western Europe at Normandy France.  Canadian forces concentrated on a beach front in an operation called “Juno”.

Numerous battles ensued after the June 6^th invasion and many young Canadian men lost their lives fighting for future generations.

The hockey world wasn’t immune to the conflicts of World War Two. This story is about about one such brave individual, who loved playing hockey and more importantly, loved his country.

Red Albert “Ab” Tilson was born on January 11, 1924, in Regina Saskatchewan.  In 1941, Tilson travelled east to play junior “A” hockey in the OHA. Tilson became a member of the Oshawa Generals and played under coach Charlie Conacher.

 That season, the Generals went all the way to the Memorial Cup Final and faced the Portage La Prairie Terriers in Winnipeg. The Generals lost the best-of-five Final 3 games to 1. Despite his team’s loss, Tilson led Memorial Cup play in assists with 12 and points with 20.

The following year, 1942-43, Tilson won the OHA scoring title with 57 points in 22 games. Once again, the Generals played in the Memorial Cup Final held at Maple Leaf Gardens, but lost 4 games to 2 against the Winnipeg Rangers.

Tilson repeated as scoring champ in the tournament by recording 32 points in 11 contests. For most of his time in Oshawa, Tilson centered a line with Floyd Curry and Kenny Smith. He was a prospect with the Toronto Maple Leafs and by all accounts was a can’t miss NHL’er.

After the ’42-’43 season, Tilson, then 20 years old, enlisted in the service at Kingston, Ontario.  He chose Kingston in hopes of playing hockey with the senior “A” Kingston Frontenac Army Club. Ultimately, he played only 3 games with Kingston.

On June 17, 1943, Private Tilson underwent his basic training in Cornwall and on August 18 his rank was upped to acting Lance Corporal.

A year later, on May 2, 1944, Tilson arrived in Nova Scotia to become part of a training brigade in preparation for going overseas.

He departed Canadian soil on June 17 and arrived in England on June 24.  Now ranked a Private, Tilson landed in France on July 23, 1944, and was assigned to the Queen’s Own Rifles of the 3^rd Canadian Infantry Division’s 8^th Brigade.

On August 9, 1944, Tilson got his first taste of action. The operation called for his unit to clear a path in the Quesnay Woods for an attack by a Polish Division, which was attached to the Canadian Army.

In October, Tilson, now back to his rank of Lance Corporal, was part of “Operation Switchback”. It involved clearing the south shore of West Scheldt (SHELL-T) in Belgium. It became known as the Battle of Scheldt.

On October 12, Tilson and the Queen’s Own began their crossing, but came under German fire. As a result, Tilson was injured and sent behind the front line for treatment.

When he returned, Tilson was ranked as a Rifleman.

On October 26, the Queen’s Own started their attack on the town of Oostburgh and secured the territory. Also, they took a number of prisoners. However, they soon faced a counter-offensive by the Germans, who were located nearby at Walcheren. They used 88-millimeter guns against the Canadians.

The Battle lasted several days and on October 27, 1944, Red Tilson was hit and died in action. He was 20 years old.

In time for the 1944-45-hockey season, The Globe and Mail donated a trophy to the OHA in honour of Tilson. The first winner of the Red Tilson Trophy as the league MVP was Douglas McMurdy of the St. Catherines Falcons. Johnny McCormack, then with St. Mike’s, finished second in the voting.

The first Leaf prospect to be awarded the Tilson was Tod Sloan. He was named the winner the following year. The last Leaf prospect to be voted the winner of the Tilson was announced just a couple of weeks ago when London’s Mitch Marner got the nod.

        

  

QUINN'S HIT ON ORR

At the Boston Garden on April 2, 1969, the Bruins and Leafs began their quarter-final series with a bang.

There were numerous highlights in the opener.

To start, this was the encounter where Leaf defenceman Pat Quinn laid out Bobby Orr in the second period and the fans quickly and aggressively turned on Quinn.

Sent to the sin-bin to serve a 5-minute major for elbowing, Quinn was verbally and physically abused by the Boston faithful.

Bruins president, Weston Adams Jr., was quoted as saying, “they’ll kill him,” in reference to the crowds response to Quinn’s hit on Orr.

A police officer said, “The fans here don’t like anybody to touch Orr.” He went on to say, “to me though it looked like a clean check.”

Quinn shared this assessment.

“It was a nice clean check. Maybe the people thought it was dirty, but like I said, I like to hit,” Quinn told reporters.

In the third period, all hell broke loose.

A massive brawl began when netminder, Gerry Cheevers, cross-checked Leaf forward Forbes Kennedy, who in turn, applied the lumber on Cheevers.

Then, the fun began.

Kennedy took on Ted Green, Johnny McKenzie and back-up goalie Eddie Johnston, who left the bench to come to Cheevers aid. 

When he got to Kennedy, Johnston placed him in a bear hug by the glass and this allowed the fans to lean over and plant some shots on Kennedy. This wasn’t Johnston’s intention, as he later explained that he was trying to pull his opponent away from the glass.

Also, one of Kennedy’s punches landed on linesman George Ashley.

Forbes Kennedy went into the record book for amazing 8 penalties and serving 38-minutes.

Six of Boston’s ten goals came on the power play. Phil Esposito, who scored four with the man-advantage, also added two assists. His six points equalled a playoff record for most points in a game. He shared this feat with the Canadiens Dickie Moore.

It truly was a wild game and the mix of Quinn’s hit on Orr, the huge brawl and the 10-0 beating the Bruins put on the Leafs, made it one to remember.