Somewhat Stubborn
Chicago Blackhawks,Colorado Avalanche,Retirement,Stanley Cup,Tampa Bay Lightning,Teams / Dec-2016
My path to the Cup was pretty crazy because, that year, it started out looking like my career might be over. I had signed a one-way contract in Chicago.
Guy Lafleur,Montreal Canadiens / Dec-2015
How many times do you see a player wind up and slap the puck 100 miles…
National Hockey League,Winnipeg Jets / Dec-2015
In 1985, Manitoba-born Ray Neufeld was enjoying life as Ron Francis’s winger in Hartford. Then he…
Arizona Coyotes,Coaching,National Hockey League / Nov-2015
Mike Johnson A member of the Phoenix Coyotes from 2000 to 2006, Johnson played one season under Wayne…
Anaheim Ducks,Hall of Fame,St Louis Blues,These Hallowed Halls / Nov-2015
He knew where everybody was on the ice and where they should be. He was able to see the game so well from everybody’s perspective. He played against the fastest players in the world.
Hall of Fame,Series,These Hallowed Halls,Winnipeg Jets / Nov-2015
Phil was an incredible defenceman, a guy who could easily play forward as well. An excellent skater with an unbelievable eye and reach. Phil could stop on a dime and the puck would come off his stick like a rocket ship.
Coaching,Montreal Canadiens / Oct-2015
When I played for Halifax in the Habs’ system in the AHL, we weren’t allowed to lose to either Moncton - who were Toronto’s farm team - or Fredericton - who were Quebec’s
Fighting,Minor League,Montreal Canadiens,Toronto Maple Leafs,Western Hockey League / Oct-2015
Larry Robinson was beside me and he turned to me and said, “Hey Rocky, I’m so glad you’re here, you really deserve it, I really thought you should have had your shot in Montreal.”
Boston Bruins,Canada,Father Ted Flanagan,National Hockey League,Signing / Oct-2015
When I told my father about the scout, he couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe a pro team was interested in a 16-year-old. “You’ve never lied to me before,” he said. “Pa,” I told him, “I’m not lying now.”
Buffalo Sabres,Music / Oct-2015
A local disc jockey, Danny Nebrith, read the story and said, “How’d you like to go into a recording studio and make an album?” When you’re a kid, everything seems like fun.
Harold Ballard,Los Angeles Kings,Music,Red Kelly,Toronto Maple Leafs / Oct-2015
For the first few years, Harold Ballard didn’t know my name. He called me ‘Bob.’ But I liked him well enough. I once told him, “I don’t care what you pay me, as long as you sign my cheques,” and he thought that was pretty hilarious, so we got along well.
Chicago Blackhawks,Coaching,Minnesota North Stars,Olympics / Sep-2015
USA Hockey found out that I was available and so Walter Bush, who ran the national team, got a local congressman to put a bill through congress making me an American citizen.
Jacques Plante,Montreal Canadiens,National Hockey League / Sep-2015
They saw me and they said, “Hey, get in here you’re playing, we gotta find your equipment. [Laughs] Jacques Plante had an asthma attack, and you’re it.”
American Hockey League,Detroit Red Wings,Edmonton Oilers,National Hockey League,United Kingdom,Washington Capitals / Sep-2015
I got in a fight that night with Claude Julien. I’d fought him in junior, so I knew I could beat him up. I did pretty good against him, and all the scouts were there.
Bob Probert,Fighting,St Louis Blues / Sep-2015
I call my brother up and say, “Hey man, just had my second game in the NHL and it was awesome I fought this guy his name is Preburt or Proberb, something like that.”
American Hockey League,Coaching,Edmonton Oilers,Fighting,Hartford Whalers,National Hockey League / Sep-2015
If there was a choice between having to fight a bunch of tough guys every night or not being there, I didn’t mind.
American Hockey League,Montreal Canadiens,Training Camp,Washington Capitals / Sep-2015
I was excited about going to my first training camp after the California Golden Seals drafted me in the second, round, 21st overall in 1975.
Montreal Canadiens,Music / Sep-2015
We were both 14 years old going to Fisherville Junior High in Willowdale in 1966, right at the start of the psychedelic era.
Lithuania,National Hockey League,New York Islanders,Olympics,Russia / Sep-2015
1992 was one of the best years of my life. I won Gold at the World Juniors and the Olympics; got drafted; and then played my rookie year with the Islanders.
American Hockey League,Boston Bruins,Callup,National Hockey League / Sep-2015
As we were skating off, Chris Simon grabbed me by the throat and said, ‘Rookie, if you hit another guy, I’m sending you down to the minors in a body bag.’
Boston Bruins,Canada,Russia,St Louis Blues / Sep-2015
Jacques Plante was a great goalie, but as a team guy he was a piece of shit. He was always broke and borrowing money, but he’d never pay you back.
National Hockey League,Toronto Maple Leafs / Sep-2015
I enjoyed playing in Toronto. I think now it’s a little bit — I’ve said this before, I started with Pat Burns, and then we had Mike Murphy in there but we also had Pat Quinn.
Boston Bruins,Canada,Countries,National Hockey League,Olympics / Sep-2015
During college I had good marks, I was an All-American, I was the Hobey Baker finalist for two years, and I felt I had earned a one-way contract in the NHL.
Hartford Whalers,National Hockey League,World Hockey Association / Jun-2015
To me, Dave Keon was as classy a guy as I ever met in hockey. And I loved the way he played and conducted himself. He was quiet, he had his own way of doing things, but who cares, we were so lucky to have him on our team
Draft,St Louis Blues,The Last of the Best / Jun-2015
Mom wasn’t a hockey person so she didn’t know Gordie Howe from Joe Blow. “Some fella named Cliff Fletcher called and said something about you being drafted.”
Boston Bruins,Draft,The Last of the Best / Jun-2015
I joke about it. People will ask “where did you go?” And I’ll say I was picked right before Vincent Lecavalier. “But didn’t he go first overall in 1998?” And I’ll say “yeah, that’s right”.
Draft,Edmonton Oilers,The Last of the Best / Jun-2015
The best decision I ever made in my life was not going to the draft; that is for sure. My agent called and said, “I am taking some guys down to Montreal for the draft. I want you to come along.”
Draft,Vancouver Canucks / Jun-2015
In ’91, my dad and I drove to Buffalo for what was to be the Lindros draft. I had just the one meeting set up with the Vancouver Canucks.
Detroit Red Wings,Draft,National Hockey League,World Hockey Association / Jun-2015
I was just playing hockey with my pals. I didn’t have dreams of going to the NHL or anything. We were a town of 6000 with dads coaching. It wasn’t until I was 14 that I realized you can go play junior.
Draft,Montreal Canadiens,Series,The Last of the Best / Jun-2015
Even all the way up, all I got was a letter from Montreal saying, you’ve been drafted by the Montreal Canadiens show up on September 8th to the Montreal Forum.
Draft,Montreal Canadiens / Jun-2015
Serge Savard drafted me. He must have asked me 20 times if I was happy to be drafted by the Canadiens because I looked so disappointed.
Hartford Whalers,Movies,Owners / Jun-2015
It was my wife Karen that created the story. Those were the days of the Die Hard movies and she said, “What about Die Hard in an arena?”
Fighting,National Hockey League,New York Islanders,Washington Capitals / Jun-2015
There’s a bond among fighters because we all have a fear of failure. Most fighters, off the ice, are the nicest guys because of this very real weakness that we have to stare down and try and face, but sometimes, cannot.
Playoff Beards,Playoffs,Washington Capitals / Jun-2015
I first started growing a moustache when I was about 14 because I just didn’t want to shave, and it made me look older.
1972 Summit Series,Chicago Blackhawks,Events,Russia / Jun-2015
I tried getting in shape before the 72 Series, but I hated running. I’d jogged a little up north but had come across a mother bear and her cubs, which gave me the excuse: “Too dangerous.”
Guy Lafleur,Legends,Montreal Canadiens,Stanley Cup / Jun-2015
Guy Lafleur was the most dynamic, captivating player that I ever played with. When he got the puck, everyone in the rink just knew that something was going to happen.
Owners,Toronto Maple Leafs / Jun-2015
Once, I received a phone call from Harold Ballard from Millhaven Penitentiary. He said, ‘You interested in coming to Toronto?’ and I said ‘Yeah’
Broadcasting,New York Islanders / Jun-2015
I was sitting there at the bar when two rookies– Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey– came in and found me. One grabbed my sandwich, one grabbed my Coke, and told me I was going with them.
Toronto Maple Leafs / Jun-2015
He’s going through: I remember you got two against L.A. — he remembered everything. It was incredible. It wasn’t as if I was scoring regularly — but he remembered my goals. It was pretty cool.
Concussions,Fighting,Retirement,Toronto Maple Leafs / May-2015
When you’re young, you feel invincible. You think you can do whatever you want to do and nothing will bother you. I’ve had 17 surgeries, 10-plus concussions & I pay the price every day.
Broadcasting,Canada,Coaching,Family,Gordie Howe,Minnesota Fighting Saints,World Hockey Association / May-2015
My dad built me a rink when I was five years old in the backyard in Sarnia. It was only a small rink but I played all the time. In those days, the winters in Southern Ontario gave you ice from early December all the way to March.
Alcoholism,Drinking,Quebec Nordiques / May-2015
Bryan Fogarty was supposed to be the next Bobby Orr. He could do amazing things on the ice. I remember his zenith, which came during an early home game at the Colisee in the winter of ‘89.
Hartford Whalers,Owners,World Hockey Association / May-2015
The game went off okay, but the next night in Philly, the players fell through the ice. That was the WHA: you never knew what was coming at you.
Leagues,Montreal Canadiens,National Hockey League,Philadelphia Flyers / May-2015
Victoria Matiash sits down with Gilbert Dionne to talk about winning a cup with the Habs, Boston fans, his famous older brother and going his own way.
American Hockey League,Canada,Countries,Leagues,Montreal Canadiens,Newfoundland / May-2015
Episode One: Surviving Michel Therrien - Stories of a life in hockey, about hockey, by former Montreal Canadien and Newfoundland hockey legend and author Terry Ryan with broadcaster Victoria Matiash.
Leagues,Montreal Canadiens,National Hockey League,Teams / May-2015
So when I saw this photo I was thrilled - me and Frank in the same photo. How cool is this. Then I start thinking - he’s a left winger, I am a left winger.
Detroit Red Wings,Fighting,New York Islanders / Apr-2015
I had no idea what it was going to be like when I got to the NHL. Coming to the Islanders, certain people had the perception that I was going to be Clark Gillies…
Beer,Leagues,National Hockey League,New York Islanders / Apr-2015
“You’re a fucking kid from fucking Saskatoon and you just got called up to the fucking NHL and there’s a fresh fucking sheet of ice out there and you’re sitting here watching Sports Centre?”
Aboriginal Hockey,Minnesota North Stars / Apr-2015
As a young Objibway growing up in Warroad, Minnesota, I used to watch films where Indians were depicted, and I’d sink into my seat after seeing them portrayed as drunks and thieves.
Minnesota North Stars,Team USA / Apr-2015
When I got to the team, Wren Blair looked at me on the end of the bench and told me, “You’re everything I hate: a college guy, a Canadian who became an American, and a defenceman who rushes the puck.”