My 5 minute major with Marty McSorely

He’s a decade removed from NHL play, after a dubious end to his NHL career, but Marty McSorely is still a drawing card wherever he goes.

I caught up with the two-time Stanley Cup champion last Thursday after the first round of play at Wayne Gretzky’s Celebrity Pro-Am in Thornbury, ON. After battling the extremely high July temperatures, and an aggravated pair of recently replaced hips, the now 47-year-old, former NHL enforcer was kind enough to sit down with me over lunch.

“My body didn’t feel good,” he saidon  what he felt was an off opening round. “The last three or four years have been pretty hard. I had one hip replaced in June (2009) and one in November, and just started playing golf again in March.”

McSorely has even found himself back on the ice playing a bit of hockey, something he has missed over the years, “I loved the competition, but over the last five years (in the NHL) I didn’t like the way I was used".

He found himself on teams that were focused primarily on developing younger teams, which turned out to be a bit of a regret for him. “I told Robby Blake, before he left L.A. and signed with San Jose, to go to a really good team, one that needs to put you on the ice and will let the young guys develop on their own.

“That was probably the mistake I made. I was thinking I was going to a team to help with the young guys, but ended up only playing in my own end.”

I also asked McSorely on his recollections of Blake, as well as Scott Niedermayer and Keith Tkachuk, who all retired at the end of the 2009-10 season.

“Robby Blake was a big athletic man, that really moved very very easily, and hit guys hard because he surprised him,” he said on his former teammate.

“Scott Niedermayer’s area of influence on the ice was greater than any other players’. He had an effect on the game in such a huge area. Keith Tkachuk was a strong winger, a talented package in a big box.”

Of course the passing of Bob Probert, just days before, had to come up in the conversation.

“It was a sad day, not just because he was great player,” McSorely said. “Off the ice, he had a great aura. Whenever he walked in a room, and not just the dressing room, everybody was better for it. He was genuinely a good guy.”

A classic battle between Marty McSorely and the late Bob Probert. “I’ve been asked that a lot the last couple days,” McSorely said when questioned as to how often they matched up over the years. “I don’t know how many times it was.”

After thinking back on his battles as a heavyweight in the NHL (bad hips or not, he’s still in great shape and his 6’1” listing is a bit undersized), I elected not to ask whatever happened to his infamous illegal stick from Game Two of the 1993 Stanley Cup Final.

I do always toss the question to NHLers of naming a player that isn’t in the Hockey Hall of Fame, that they think should be. “I would have said Dino Ciccarelli up to now,” McSorely said, noting Ciccarelli’s recent 2010 induction announcement. “He was a guy that competed hard and scored a lot of goals.”

Coincidentally, last NHL player to be convicted of assault for an on-ice incident, prior to McSorely’s conviction, was Dino Cicarelli who received a day in jail for hitting a Toronto player over the head with a stick in 1988.

The Cayuga, ON native also gave me a little insight into a hometown project he’s helping to gain support towards building a new arena.

Earlier in the day, some autograph collectors, that were clearly resellers, had inquired about some further signings. “Best thing to do, is contact our organization or the NHL Alumni Association,” he told them. “Send a donation, and I’ll sign anything you want.”

“I have pretty much every card ever made of me, but I was never much of a collector over the years,” McSorley later told me. “Instead of autographs, I always got a picture of me with whoever came down in Los Angeles. Ronald Reagan, Chuck Norris, you name it.”

In light of a rough first day of play, McSorely and his pro partner did manage to make it to the final round. The Anaheim Ducks Corey Perry would end up the celebrity winner for the tournament.

Oct 10, 1979: Dawn of the Great One

  Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers made their NHL debut Oct 10, 1979

Hard to believe it’s been thirty-years since the debut of the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL.

Despite a losing effort to the Chicago Blackhawks, the NHL got it’s first glimpse of an 18-year-old centre named Wayne Gretzky, who picked up a single assist on a first period goal by Kevin Lowe at 9:49.

Many NHL scouts felt that he was too small, too wiry, and too slow to be a force. Followers of the Oilers, however, were well aware of the young center’s talents, having seen him rack up 110 points as a rookie with the Edmonton in their last season in the WHA.

He scored  his first NHL goal, on the power-play, four nights later in Edmonton’s third game of the season. Gretzky beat Vancouver Canucks goaltender Glen Hanlon at 18:51 of the third period.

He finished the 1979-80 season with 137 points (51-86-137) tying Marcel Dionne. The Kings forward’s higher goal total gave him tie breaker to claim the Art Ross Trophy over Gretzky.

Gretzky broke Mike Bossy’s record, from the previous season, becoming the youngest player to score 50 goals (19 years, two months). His prior season of WHA experience denied him the Calder as NHL Rookie of The Year. That went to the Boston Bruins Ray Bourque.

Despite being denied two major awards, he did pick up the Lady Byng Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike) and the biggest individual achievement, winning the first of eight consecutive Hart Trophies as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player.

Gretzky poses with the first of nine Hart Trophies and five Lady Byng Trophies.

He won nine in his career as well as taking home ten Art Ross Trophies (seven consecutive 1981-87), two Conn Smythe Trophies, four Stanley Cups and numerous other NHL and International awards.

Gretzky retired in April of 1999 with 61 NHL scoring records, with two since broken and one regained (PPG), as well as numerous unofficial records not included in the NHL Guide and Record Book.

More on The Great One’s career can be found on Legends of Hockey, Wikipedia , Edmonton Oilers Heritage and his own site.

But what if?: Before he was an Oiler, Gretzky played in the WHA for the Indianapolis Racers. A team bleeding money, Racers owner Nelson Skalbania was forced to trade his young prospect.

Skalbania gave Gretzky the choice of Edmonton or the Winnipeg Jets.

Similarily, ten years later, when Peter Pocklington made “The Trade”, the then-Oilers owner too gave his star a choice, Detroit or Los Angeles.

Charity Auction: Go to the 2009 HHOF Ceremony with Glenn Anderson

 

Hockey Hall of Famer Glenn Anderson is teaming up with HockeyBarn.com, PuckDaddy.com’s Greg Wyshynksi and noted hockey collectibles auction house Classic Auctions to offer a unique auction opportunity.

Up for grabs is a chance to be Glenn Anderson’s special guest at the 2009 Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony, on November 9, in Toronto.

It’s a unique opportunity to see the 2009 class (Brett Hull, Steve Yzerman, Luc Robitaille, Brian Leetch and Lou Lamoriello) along with past inductees all in one night.

Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

The winning bidder will also win a V.I.P. ticket for a taping of the final round of the CBC's "Battle of the Blades", in which Anderson is competing.

Full details, and how to bid, can be found at Classic Auctions website.

The Habs 2009-10 Schedule is out!!! Bulldogs and Cyclones sked news also released

 

The NHL officially released the Montreal Canadiens 2009-10 Regular Season Schedule this afternoon. The official press release can be found here.

The Canadiens will kick off Season 101 on Thursday October 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the ACC.

It will be the first game of a five-game road trip to start off the season.

Maybe a good thing to get it over with early:

The Canadiens head west to play back-to-back games in Calgary and Vancouver on Oct 6-7, wrapping up the trip on Oct. 10 in Edmonton.

We all remember the disastrous western trip from last year, and so far coach Jacques Martin has not planned a team bowling night.

The Canadiens’ home opener is against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct 15 where they will have a six game home stand.

We’ll get a possible look at John Tavares twice in Montreal in four days (Oct  22 and 26)

Montreal then faces the Stanley Cup Champion Penguins in Pittsburgh on Oct 28.

The First Must-See home game: Saturday Oct 17th,when Alex Kovalev returns with his Ottawa Senators.

Christopher Higgins returns Oct 24 with the New York Rangers

Komisarek returns Oct 31, where it will be brick night: First 5000 fans get unused off-cut bricks from the Centennial Plaza to do…

Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals roll into the Bell Centre on Nov 28. The game will be at the Bell Centre and not at Olympic Stadium as rumored.

Dec 4 against Boston will mark the 100th Anniversary of the Canadiens’ formation. Note the starting time of 8pm as there will be a ceremony beforehand.

Montreal looks to have a tough schedule in December, playing 11 of 17 games on the road and ends the month with seven in a row during the holidays.

Montreal has 15 back-to back games with just one of these at home, so Jaroslav Halak could see lots of work this season.

The NHL shuts down for two weeks, after Feb 13, for the Olympics.

Even with 21st Century technology, the NHL’s logistics team still cannot find a system to make it work evenly:

After the Olympics, the Habs are in Boston on Mar 2, then off to California (if it’s not in receivership) to play San Jose, L.A. and Anaheim and back across the country to face Tampa on Mar 9. That’s a lot of travel.

March closes out in the Canadiens’ favor for the playoff run however , with five of their last eight at home.

The season concludes on Apr 10 at the Bell Centre against the Maple Leafs.

The Canadiens will have seven pre-season games from September 17-26. Five games will be at home, while the other two will be in Ottawa (Sep 19) and Quebec City (Sep 20 vs. Boston)

 

First six Hamilton Bulldogs home games announced!

 The Hamilton Bulldogs have announced yesterday that Oct 9 will be their first home game of the 2009-10 AHL season.

Five other confirmed dates are also set with a Nov 6 game played in Montreal at the Bell Centre. Opponents are to be determined when the AHL releases the official schedule later this summer.

ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones Schedule released!

The Canadiens’ ECHL affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones (shared with the Nashville Predators) also announced their pre-season schedule today. Their regular season schedule is also posted.

It could be handy for our Ohio area Habs fans or those travelling south of the border on the way to Florida this winter! Catch a game on the way down I-75 !!!

Ken Hitchcock on the Oilers’ new coaching duo

Columbus Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock thinks the Edmonton Oilers have a very solid combination with the hiring of Pat Quinn and Tom Renney.

Talking to the Edmonton Journal, Hitchcock knows both coaches very well and feels the young Oilers team will greatly benefit from the duo.

“The thing that I learned most from working with Pat is he creates this culture with his staff and his players that you don't want to let him down,” said Hitchcock.

“I believe that will come out in Edmonton.”

Ken Hitchcock and Pat Quinn during the 2006 Olympics

Hitchcock knows this first-hand from serving under Quinn as an assistant coach on the 2002 and 2006 Canadian Olympic teams and the Canadian 2004 World Cup of Hockey team.

“He treats you so well, his coaches and his players. He treats the players with so much respect. He gives you lots of rope, and in some cases he gives you enough to hang yourself if you don't co-operate.”

Quinn and Hitchcock named to Canada’s 2004 World Cup coaching staff

Hitchcock then mentioned that Quinn “expects it back in spades” in regards to the players effort on the ice and the work of his staff.

Hitchcock had some memorable coaching battles against Quinn when he was behind the Philadelphia Flyers' bench and Quinn was the Toronto Maple Leafs' coach.

He views Quinn as "a big picture guy" who likes to delegate and has a history of defending his players to the hilt.

Hitchcock's history with Renney goes back almost two decades.

Hitchcock had a say in the hiring of Renney as his successor to coach the Kamloops Blazers (WHL) when Hitchcock left for the pros.

He feels Renney will definitely complement Quinn, feeling that he will focus more on the tactical and teaching aspects to go with Quinn’s uptempo puck-movement strategies.

“Tom is one of the best strategy guys in the league,” Hitchcock said.

"I think they'll be a great pair. He'll enhance Pat's program there."

May 19, 1984: The end of the Islanders Dynasty and the beginning of the Oilers

It’s already been a quarter century since Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers laid claim to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

Led by Gretzky’s 205 points in 1983-84, the Oilers set a league record 446 goals in the regular season. That record still stands today.

Their opponents were the four-time defending champion New York Islanders, and they were not about to relinquish the crown easily.

New York, led by captain Denis Potvin and sniper Mike Bossy, had won their last nine Finals games, sweeping the Oilers in the previous season and outscoring them 17-6.

This season, the schedule for the finals format had been altered by the NHL with a two-three-two games format.

Opening the series in New York, a lone goal by Oilers tough guy Kevin McClelland, was all goaltender Grant Fuhr needed to blank the Islanders 1-0 in game one.

The Islanders countered in game two with a 6-1 shelling of Edmonton as the Nassau Coliseum fans chanted “Drive for five”.

However, gaining a split in the first two games gave the young Oilers a boost of confidence and a three game run at home.

The Oilers’ offence took advantage of their home arena, the Northlands Coliseum and pounded the defending champions in successive 7-2 victories in games three and four.

Defenseman Kevin Lowe recalled how Gretzky stood up in the Oilers dressing room, before the start of game five, and said, "I've had a lot of individual honors and personal recognition, but nothing I've ever done, won or received means as much to me as winning the Cup."

Led by their captain’s words ,Edmonton was determined to clinch the series at home and opened a 4-0 lead in game five after two periods.

Proving they were not done, a young Islanders rookie named Pat Lafontaine answered back with two goals in the first 35 seconds of the third period.

With Fuhr injured in game three, Andy Moog kept the relenting Islanders attack at bay.

Dave Lumley added an empty net goal late in the third and the game was over with a score of 5-2.

The Oilers were the new Stanley Cup Champions.

"I hope we're an influence on the game," said Gretzky during the team’s dressing room celebration.

"We proved that an offensive team can win the Cup. We showed you can win by skating and by being physical without having to fight all the time," he added.

"The first thing that sticks out in my mind from that first Stanley Cup was the team that we beat," recalled Oilers’ defenseman Lee Fogolin.

"The Islanders were such a great team and they were great champions. They had a never-say-die attitude and playing against them, you could never trust any lead you had.”

With eight goals and eighteen assists in nineteen playoff games, Mark Messier emerged from Gretzky’s shadow and won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP.

"We had a great teacher in the Islanders," said Edmonton general manager and coach Glen Sather.

Edmonton’s patterned forechecking and disciplined play in front of its own goal were crucial to the team’s success, and was a key element missing in the previous season.

The Islanders dynasty was finished and the Oilers dynasty was about to begin.

Edmonton would repeat as champions the following season as well as in 1987, 1988 and add a Gretzky-less Cup victory in 1990.