Kukla's Korner Hockey

Category: Old-School

Only Memories Now

by Paul on 03/12/08 at 01:16 PM ET
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from Marty Henwood of Hockey.com,

Call me sentimental, a purist or just plain old, but there are times when I just miss those grand old ladies.

Some of you may remember them, others probably choose to say good riddance in an era of luxury boxes and eight-sided scoreboards.

Maple Leaf Gardens. Montreal Forum. Boston Garden. Chicago Stadium. The Olympia. The Spectrum.

Buildings with character. With memories. With ghosts.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Talk, Old School, | KK Hockey | Permalink
 

Chicago Welcomes Hull & Mikita

by Paul on 03/07/08 at 04:22 PM ET
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fro Van Oler via ChicagoBlackhawks.com,

Spend enough time at the United Center watching the Blackhawks and you’ll inevitably hear someone comment that this season’s game-night excitement and buzz reminds them of the days when “the Blackhawks owned this town, I tell ya! You couldn’t get a ticket unless it was left to you in somebody’s will!”

With Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull returning the UC tonight, it’s useful to look back at their time with the Blackhawks to see if there’s evidence that the team was, in fact, the best in town.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, NHL Talk, Old School, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: bobby+hull, stan+mikita

Remembering Doug Harvey

by Paul on 03/06/08 at 04:11 PM ET
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from Dennis Kane at the Powell River Peak,

Doug Harvey Jr. is 57 years old now, is proud of his dad, and was happy to talk about him. What was it like, I asked, being the son of such a star? “It was probably just like you and your dad,” he said, “We were just a family like everyone else. Kids at school didn’t treat me any different, and when I played hockey, there were no names on the sweaters, so no one gave me a hard time at the rink.

“I guess one thing that might be different was that players would come over to the house quite often—Dickie Moore, Jean Beliveau, Jacques Plante, the Rocket a few times. When dad was building our house, most of the team helped him.”

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, NHL Talk, Old School, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: doug+harvey

Depressing Ceremony

by Paul on 03/04/08 at 07:34 PM ET
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from John Rolfe at Sports Illustrated,

Championship banners, retired numbers, and stirring reunions are all well and good. It can be great fun to revisit the glories of the past. Can be. But when a title drought or stretch of losing drags on well into the next generation, or beyond, it can be just plain depressing.

Case in point: Last Sunday, the New York Islanders again rolled out the members of their early ‘80s dynasty, this time to commemorate The Core of the Four—the 17 players whose names appeared on all four Stanley Cups they won from 1980 through 1983.

more

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The Complete Hockey Player

by Paul on 02/22/08 at 11:16 PM ET
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from Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette via the National Post,

How would Gainey, the general manager, describe Gainey, the player?

“I was strong-willed,” he said. “I was extremely difficult to play against. Determined to carry my part of the team’s game to improve our chances to win the game. I enjoyed the harder parts of the games and the harder parts of the season.”

What he didn’t say was that no player before him, or since, delivered those qualities game in, game out for the length of his 16 seasons with the team, which included 1,160 regular-season games - eight as captain - and 182 playoff games, which brought home five Stanley Cups and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1979.

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  Tags: bob+gainey

Delvecchio Talks Old School

by Paul on 02/18/08 at 01:32 PM ET
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from the Saginaw News,

Delvecchio, 76, who grew up in Fort William, Ontario (now Thunder Bay) doesn’t begrudge the big-money contracts of today’s players.

‘‘You know what, when we played, we played for $50,000 or $60,000 and that was big money,’’ Delvecchio said. ‘‘A lot more than I would have made had I stayed in Thunder Bay. I don’t begrudge these guys making the big money. It’s great for them. Some are overpaid, but that will happen at any time. Good for them.

‘‘In those days, you did your own negotiating with Jack Adams or Sid Abel, and they never did at contract time how good a year you had. It was forget last year; what are you going to do for me next year? When you came out of the room, you were generally happy with what you got.’‘

Delvecchio isn’t happy with the way games are officiated today, insisting the referees almost seem to make up penalties.

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, NHL Talk, Old School, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: alex+delvecchio

A Lasting Love Affair

by Paul on 02/14/08 at 12:14 PM ET
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from Dave Stubbs at Habs Inside/Out,

The photograph from a family album shows Jean Béliveau slipping an engagement ring onto the finger of Élise Couture. It is Christmastime 1952 in Quebec City, a tinselled tree behind them.

This June 27, the couple will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary. And it is hardly a measure of their marriage that, on this Valentine’s Day, neither recalls the details of Béliveau’s proposal to the woman who took his heart then and keeps it to this day.

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, NHL Talk, Old School, Hockey Related Stories, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: jean+beliveau

Dionne Rips Breakaway Challenge

by Paul on 02/08/08 at 07:41 PM ET
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from Sportsnet,

Speaking on HockeyCentral@Noon, (Marcel) Dionne blasted the league’s skills competition that was held Jan. 26, the night before the game in Atlanta. Dionne reserved his harshest comments for the breakaway challenge….

“They made fools of themselves,” Dionne said. “(The event) should be scrapped altogether. Whoever thought of that should be fired.”...

“They probably think in the South that hockey’s like mini-basketball or something,” he said. “We can’t jump up and down and put it in the hoop.

“Obviously there’s guys that can do a lot of little tricks with the puck but it’s never in a situation where you’re on a breakaway … with someone chasing you.”

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Filed in: NHL Talk, Old School, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: all-star+game, marcel+dionne

A New Chicago Ambassador

by Paul on 02/06/08 at 07:54 PM ET
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from the Chicago Blackhawks,

Former Chicago Blackhawks goaltender and Hockey Hall of Fame member Tony Esposito has joined the Chicago Blackhawks family as an official Blackhawks Ambassador. Esposito will join Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita in representing the Chicago Blackhawks at events at the United Center and throughout the Chicagoland area.

“It is a great honor to be asked back into the Blackhawks family,” said Esposito. “In my heart, I have always been and always will be a Blackhawk. I want to thank Rocky Wirtz and John McDonough for giving me the opportunity to come back to the Blackhawks organization. I love the new approach the team is taking. Everything about the Blackhawks is very upbeat and I am proud to be a part of this new beginning.”

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, NHL Talk, Old School, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: tony+esposito

Orr’s Partner

by Paul on 02/03/08 at 08:36 PM ET
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from Naples News,

Almost 40 years ago, when hockey players didn’t wear helmets, sticks were wooden, and penalties were rare—Don Awrey hoisted the Stanley Cup with his Boston Bruins teammates. Twice: once in 1970 and again in ‘72. His Montreal Canadiens team also won in ‘76, but Awrey didn’t get his name on the Cup because he missed the playoffs, despite playing in 72 regular-season games that year.

Hockey was knock ‘em down, drag ‘em out Broadstreet Bullies back then, and Awrey was among the best of the era’s grittiest players.

Teamed with Hall of Famer Bobby Orr on the Bruins’ blueline, Awrey was the punch to Orr’s pop. He stayed back and played defense, knocked guys around the front of the net while Orr zipped into the offensive zone and scored.

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, NHL Talk, Old School, | KK Hockey | Permalink
  Tags: don+awrey

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