Eddie Shore?

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Hughes J Laffy

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Mar 22, 2002
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Im the guy next door
Since I love to know more about the old guys in the the old days I like to know more about this legend Eddie Shore.

Anyone here old :) enought so tell me anything about Shore? all I heard is that he is a d-men that can skate end to end rushes and he can lay biiiig hit!

And as usual with my post, anyone comparable to him?
 

Bring Back Bucky

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May 19, 2004
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Roberto Luongo said:
Since I love to know more about the old guys in the the old days I like to know more about this legend Eddie Shore.

Anyone here old :) enought so tell me anything about Shore? all I heard is that he is a d-men that can skate end to end rushes and he can lay biiiig hit!

And as usual with my post, anyone comparable to him?

Yoo, HOO, Wally!! Take us back to the old days in Beantown ;)
 

justsomeguy

Registered User
Sep 2, 2004
599
1
There was only one Eddie Shore. Probably best described as the Ty Cobb of hockey. No one today or in the intervening years compares to him. They broke the mold when they made him and it wasn't accidental.

Absolutely fearless and tough as nails is an understatement. The outstanding player of his era and probably the meanest of all time. There are all kinds of tales about him. Unlike a lot of legendary figures, most of the Shore stories are true.

Made as much as $7500 bucks a season when the average player was lucky to get half that much, still pretty good coin in the thirties. Lost every tooth in his head and picked up over 700 staitches on his face alone. Sewed his own ear back on when he was unsatisfied with a doctor's work. Used cocoa butter to get rid of scars, a secret he shared with Johnny Bower, who swears it works.

Not a sociable fellow at all. One teammate (there are still a few around) told me that the team would go one way after a game in search of cigars an saloons and Shore would go the other, alone. Didn't like or seek out human contact.

Knew where the real money was to be had and bought himself a hockey team and decided he was going to run it, play for it and still suit up for the Bruins, something that didn't go over well with the Boston organization. Was traded to the NY Americans, left the NHl shortly after that to run the Springfield Indians of the AHL.

Shore ran his teams (owned at least four of them over the years, some concurrently, in a number of leagues) in much the same way that third-world countries have been run, as an absolute dictatorship. He was the absolute ruler and what he said went, no matter what the subject at hand may have been.

He knew it all and did it all. Sold tickets and parked cars in full uniform, dashing into the rink in time to put his skates on and play the blue line. Collected players, often having close to two fulll rosters worth under contract. He knew everything about the game and was not one to tend towards modesty. Coached the team and put his ideas to work. Had the guys tapdance to improve balance and mobility. Insisted that the only way to skate was his way.

He knew how to manipulate players too, well, in the chiropractic sense of the word. more than one player was rushedd to certified medical practitioners following Shore's massaging. Also administered a powerful panacea known as Martel's Solution. Ken Schinkel was the unfortunate recipient of a half-dose after he was foolish enough to admit to being under the weather in Shore's presence. He lost 14 pounds overnight, in a manner that could be put through the eye of a needle.

Always addressed his players formally. No first names or nicknames. Always Mr. This or Mr. That. Knew when the wives got in the way too. On one occasion he summoned them and told them that they were being too generous with the "favors" they granted their husbands and ordered them to stop being quite so accomodating.

One player, after a championship season where he led the team in scoring went in to "negotiate" his contract for the upcoming winter expecting a raise of some kind after the season he'd put in. Shore began the debate by saying "Mr. Soandso, how much am I going to cut you this year?".

To save money on hotels his team would aften dress on the train and take a cab to the rink from the station. They'd play the game and cab it back to the train station, still in their uniforms. Always tight with his money, Shore refused to tip cabbies more than 15 cents. In pretty short order cabbies learned to shun the Indians. no problem, decided Shore. The streetcar was even cheaper than a fleet of cabs. Twenty guys in full battle dress and the team gear was loaded onto the public transit system on more than one occasion.

Shore was responsible or the appearance of the no-trade contract when players began insisting that they have it written into their agreement that they couldn't be sold or traded to Shore. You'll notice that I didn't say Springfield. Having spoken to numerous guys who played for him I've noticed that while they were trade to another team or signed with a particular organization or had their contract bought by another outfit, it was almost always "then Eddie Shore bought me" as if the middle years of the last century were still an era when one man could own another.

One guy said " I played for Eddie Shore for four years. Some guys were unlucky, they stayed a little longer.

Players were suspended without pay on a whim, Guys not dressing had to perform other functions for the team. selling tickets, changing light bulbs and blowing up balloons were some of the more pleasant reassignments. Every now and then the circus would come through town, or an ice show( He owned a big chunk of either The Ice Capades or The Ice Follies at one time). Cost money to hire a spotlight operator or someone to clean up after the elephants. Why waste it on salaries when there were perfectly good hockey players hanging around?

The way Shore ran his chattel came to a head when his squad went on strike, refusing to play another game until things changed. They hired a young Toronto lawyer to plead their case. Alan Eagleson later went on to some notoriety in hockey circles.

Well into his fifties, Shore would regularly take to the ice in practice, inflicting embarrassing lessons and no small amount of bruising on players half his age. In his early seventies he got into a fight with a guy less than half his age at the NHL meetings, reprtedly winning the fight on a decision.

Most of the guys who I've been fortunate enough to speak to who did time with Shore did not like the experience. Many of them credit Shore with making NHLers of them, insisting that they improve when other coaches had given up on them. He also had a lot of his guys go on to coach in the NHL.

He did allow local kids to skate for free one afternoon a week.

Hope this helps you get a bit of a picture of Eddie Shore. About all I can remember without consulting research materials.
 

Canadarocks

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Sep 16, 2005
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I find it funny, in Slapshot, when the characters say stuff like "Let's play clean, old-time hockey like Eddie Shore!" I wonder how many people who saw it got the joke.
 

Gee Wally

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Bring Back Bucky said:
Yoo, HOO, Wally!! Take us back to the old days in Beantown ;)


Punk !!!

:D

actually true story here.... I once made a comment at my parents house about how Bourque could *arguably* have been the second best D man of all time.

My dear old Dad snickered. Called me a dumbarse . Said as great as Bourque is ...he wasn't even the second best Bruins D man all time.

Eddie Shore was.

I take that as gospel... My dad has lived long enough to see alot.
 

Transported Upstater

Guest
Gee Wally said:
Punk !!!

:D

actually true story here.... I once made a comment at my parents house about how Bourque could *arguably* have been the second best D man of all time.

My dear old Dad snickered. Called me a dumbarse . Said as great as Bourque is ...he wasn't even the second best Bruins D man all time.

Eddie Shore was.

I take that as gospel... My dad has lived long enough to see alot.



A defenseman who was good enough to win multiple MVP trophies is pretty damn good in my books.

Bruisn all-time Top 3 defensemen: Orr, Shore, Bourque....Holy crap...
 

CH

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Jul 30, 2003
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Leaf Lander said:
shore orr
bourque park
wesley?


Bobby Orr Eddie Shore
Ray Bourque Brad Park
Dit Clapper Lionel Hitchman

That would be my picks for the all time boston defence.

Only defence that might be able to rival it would be the all time habs

Doug Harvey Larry Robinson
Chris Chelios Serge Savard
Guy Lapointe Tom Johnson
 
Last edited:

God Bless Canada

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Jul 11, 2004
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justsomeguy said:
There was only one Eddie Shore. Probably best described as the Ty Cobb of hockey. No one today or in the intervening years compares to him. They broke the mold when they made him and it wasn't accidental.

Absolutely fearless and tough as nails is an understatement. The outstanding player of his era and probably the meanest of all time. There are all kinds of tales about him. Unlike a lot of legendary figures, most of the Shore stories are true.

Made as much as $7500 bucks a season when the average player was lucky to get half that much, still pretty good coin in the thirties. Lost every tooth in his head and picked up over 700 staitches on his face alone. Sewed his own ear back on when he was unsatisfied with a doctor's work. Used cocoa butter to get rid of scars, a secret he shared with Johnny Bower, who swears it works.

Not a sociable fellow at all. One teammate (there are still a few around) told me that the team would go one way after a game in search of cigars an saloons and Shore would go the other, alone. Didn't like or seek out human contact.

Knew where the real money was to be had and bought himself a hockey team and decided he was going to run it, play for it and still suit up for the Bruins, something that didn't go over well with the Boston organization. Was traded to the NY Americans, left the NHl shortly after that to run the Springfield Indians of the AHL.

Shore ran his teams (owned at least four of them over the years, some concurrently, in a number of leagues) in much the same way that third-world countries have been run, as an absolute dictatorship. He was the absolute ruler and what he said went, no matter what the subject at hand may have been.

He knew it all and did it all. Sold tickets and parked cars in full uniform, dashing into the rink in time to put his skates on and play the blue line. Collected players, often having close to two fulll rosters worth under contract. He knew everything about the game and was not one to tend towards modesty. Coached the team and put his ideas to work. Had the guys tapdance to improve balance and mobility. Insisted that the only way to skate was his way.

He knew how to manipulate players too, well, in the chiropractic sense of the word. more than one player was rushedd to certified medical practitioners following Shore's massaging. Also administered a powerful panacea known as Martel's Solution. Ken Schinkel was the unfortunate recipient of a half-dose after he was foolish enough to admit to being under the weather in Shore's presence. He lost 14 pounds overnight, in a manner that could be put through the eye of a needle.

Always addressed his players formally. No first names or nicknames. Always Mr. This or Mr. That. Knew when the wives got in the way too. On one occasion he summoned them and told them that they were being too generous with the "favors" they granted their husbands and ordered them to stop being quite so accomodating.

One player, after a championship season where he led the team in scoring went in to "negotiate" his contract for the upcoming winter expecting a raise of some kind after the season he'd put in. Shore began the debate by saying "Mr. Soandso, how much am I going to cut you this year?".

To save money on hotels his team would aften dress on the train and take a cab to the rink from the station. They'd play the game and cab it back to the train station, still in their uniforms. Always tight with his money, Shore refused to tip cabbies more than 15 cents. In pretty short order cabbies learned to shun the Indians. no problem, decided Shore. The streetcar was even cheaper than a fleet of cabs. Twenty guys in full battle dress and the team gear was loaded onto the public transit system on more than one occasion.

Shore was responsible or the appearance of the no-trade contract when players began insisting that they have it written into their agreement that they couldn't be sold or traded to Shore. You'll notice that I didn't say Springfield. Having spoken to numerous guys who played for him I've noticed that while they were trade to another team or signed with a particular organization or had their contract bought by another outfit, it was almost always "then Eddie Shore bought me" as if the middle years of the last century were still an era when one man could own another.

One guy said " I played for Eddie Shore for four years. Some guys were unlucky, they stayed a little longer.

Players were suspended without pay on a whim, Guys not dressing had to perform other functions for the team. selling tickets, changing light bulbs and blowing up balloons were some of the more pleasant reassignments. Every now and then the circus would come through town, or an ice show( He owned a big chunk of either The Ice Capades or The Ice Follies at one time). Cost money to hire a spotlight operator or someone to clean up after the elephants. Why waste it on salaries when there were perfectly good hockey players hanging around?

The way Shore ran his chattel came to a head when his squad went on strike, refusing to play another game until things changed. They hired a young Toronto lawyer to plead their case. Alan Eagleson later went on to some notoriety in hockey circles.

Well into his fifties, Shore would regularly take to the ice in practice, inflicting embarrassing lessons and no small amount of bruising on players half his age. In his early seventies he got into a fight with a guy less than half his age at the NHL meetings, reprtedly winning the fight on a decision.

Most of the guys who I've been fortunate enough to speak to who did time with Shore did not like the experience. Many of them credit Shore with making NHLers of them, insisting that they improve when other coaches had given up on them. He also had a lot of his guys go on to coach in the NHL.

He did allow local kids to skate for free one afternoon a week.

Hope this helps you get a bit of a picture of Eddie Shore. About all I can remember without consulting research materials.
Wait a minute, you didn't consult research materials for that? Scary.

In all honesty, that is one of the best posts I have ever seen in 18 months on HFBoards. Job well done doesn't express how good this was. I skim through most long posts after about the third paragraph. (And I'm one of the most long-winded posters here). You kept me hooked throughout. And I've heard a lot of these stories before, too.

There is no Eddie Shore in today's game, just like there isn't a Bossy in today's game. Shore was a special defenceman, an all-round force. Don Cherry called him "The Darth Vader of hockey." As a player and as an owner/coach, some feared him, but all respected him. One of the top 10 players ever.
 

Hughes J Laffy

A-Laf #13
Mar 22, 2002
2,716
289
Im the guy next door
God Bless Canada said:
Wait a minute, you didn't consult research materials for that? Scary.

In all honesty, that is one of the best posts I have ever seen in 18 months on HFBoards. Job well done doesn't express how good this was. I skim through most long posts after about the third paragraph. (And I'm one of the most long-winded posters here). You kept me hooked throughout. And I've heard a lot of these stories before, too.

There is no Eddie Shore in today's game, just like there isn't a Bossy in today's game. Shore was a special defenceman, an all-round force. Don Cherry called him "The Darth Vader of hockey." As a player and as an owner/coach, some feared him, but all respected him. One of the top 10 players ever.

I must admit it, it was a great post indeed. I really appreciate it.
 

PockIsGoD

Registered User
Apr 16, 2004
305
0
Sherbrooke, QC
justsomeguy said:
There was only one Eddie Shore. Probably best described as the Ty Cobb of hockey. No one today or in the intervening years compares to him. They broke the mold when they made him and it wasn't accidental.

Absolutely fearless and tough as nails is an understatement. The outstanding player of his era and probably the meanest of all time. There are all kinds of tales about him. Unlike a lot of legendary figures, most of the Shore stories are true.

Made as much as $7500 bucks a season when the average player was lucky to get half that much, still pretty good coin in the thirties. Lost every tooth in his head and picked up over 700 staitches on his face alone. Sewed his own ear back on when he was unsatisfied with a doctor's work. Used cocoa butter to get rid of scars, a secret he shared with Johnny Bower, who swears it works.

Not a sociable fellow at all. One teammate (there are still a few around) told me that the team would go one way after a game in search of cigars an saloons and Shore would go the other, alone. Didn't like or seek out human contact.

Knew where the real money was to be had and bought himself a hockey team and decided he was going to run it, play for it and still suit up for the Bruins, something that didn't go over well with the Boston organization. Was traded to the NY Americans, left the NHl shortly after that to run the Springfield Indians of the AHL.

Shore ran his teams (owned at least four of them over the years, some concurrently, in a number of leagues) in much the same way that third-world countries have been run, as an absolute dictatorship. He was the absolute ruler and what he said went, no matter what the subject at hand may have been.

He knew it all and did it all. Sold tickets and parked cars in full uniform, dashing into the rink in time to put his skates on and play the blue line. Collected players, often having close to two fulll rosters worth under contract. He knew everything about the game and was not one to tend towards modesty. Coached the team and put his ideas to work. Had the guys tapdance to improve balance and mobility. Insisted that the only way to skate was his way.

He knew how to manipulate players too, well, in the chiropractic sense of the word. more than one player was rushedd to certified medical practitioners following Shore's massaging. Also administered a powerful panacea known as Martel's Solution. Ken Schinkel was the unfortunate recipient of a half-dose after he was foolish enough to admit to being under the weather in Shore's presence. He lost 14 pounds overnight, in a manner that could be put through the eye of a needle.

Always addressed his players formally. No first names or nicknames. Always Mr. This or Mr. That. Knew when the wives got in the way too. On one occasion he summoned them and told them that they were being too generous with the "favors" they granted their husbands and ordered them to stop being quite so accomodating.

One player, after a championship season where he led the team in scoring went in to "negotiate" his contract for the upcoming winter expecting a raise of some kind after the season he'd put in. Shore began the debate by saying "Mr. Soandso, how much am I going to cut you this year?".

To save money on hotels his team would aften dress on the train and take a cab to the rink from the station. They'd play the game and cab it back to the train station, still in their uniforms. Always tight with his money, Shore refused to tip cabbies more than 15 cents. In pretty short order cabbies learned to shun the Indians. no problem, decided Shore. The streetcar was even cheaper than a fleet of cabs. Twenty guys in full battle dress and the team gear was loaded onto the public transit system on more than one occasion.

Shore was responsible or the appearance of the no-trade contract when players began insisting that they have it written into their agreement that they couldn't be sold or traded to Shore. You'll notice that I didn't say Springfield. Having spoken to numerous guys who played for him I've noticed that while they were trade to another team or signed with a particular organization or had their contract bought by another outfit, it was almost always "then Eddie Shore bought me" as if the middle years of the last century were still an era when one man could own another.

One guy said " I played for Eddie Shore for four years. Some guys were unlucky, they stayed a little longer.

Players were suspended without pay on a whim, Guys not dressing had to perform other functions for the team. selling tickets, changing light bulbs and blowing up balloons were some of the more pleasant reassignments. Every now and then the circus would come through town, or an ice show( He owned a big chunk of either The Ice Capades or The Ice Follies at one time). Cost money to hire a spotlight operator or someone to clean up after the elephants. Why waste it on salaries when there were perfectly good hockey players hanging around?

The way Shore ran his chattel came to a head when his squad went on strike, refusing to play another game until things changed. They hired a young Toronto lawyer to plead their case. Alan Eagleson later went on to some notoriety in hockey circles.

Well into his fifties, Shore would regularly take to the ice in practice, inflicting embarrassing lessons and no small amount of bruising on players half his age. In his early seventies he got into a fight with a guy less than half his age at the NHL meetings, reprtedly winning the fight on a decision.

Most of the guys who I've been fortunate enough to speak to who did time with Shore did not like the experience. Many of them credit Shore with making NHLers of them, insisting that they improve when other coaches had given up on them. He also had a lot of his guys go on to coach in the NHL.

He did allow local kids to skate for free one afternoon a week.

Hope this helps you get a bit of a picture of Eddie Shore. About all I can remember without consulting research materials.

Great post! Well written and bring some good information. Now I know who the hell Eddie Shore is. :D
 

chooch*

Guest
PockIsGoD said:
Great post! Well written and bring some good information. Now I know who the hell Eddie Shore is. :D

WHat about the story where is missed the train and drove in a snowstorm with a driver often digging out of ditches when they went off the road from Boston to Montreal in time to make it for a game . We're talking 1920's roads.

And the story of playing with stitches that had come undone and removing a boot full of blood.

These stories might be one and the same.
 

NJD

Registered User
Jul 4, 2005
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0
p2.forumforfree.com
chooch said:
WHat about the story where is missed the train and drove in a snowstorm with a driver often digging out of ditches when they went off the road from Boston to Montreal in time to make it for a game . We're talking 1920's roads.

And the story of playing with stitches that had come undone and removing a boot full of blood.

These stories might be one and the same.

http://p2.forumforfree.com/eddie-shore-articles-vt179-rhhockey.html
 
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