Kirk- NEHJ
Registered User
This thread is an excuse for me to wax poetic about several heroes of mine from the 70's and 80's. Please post yours and why...
Al Secord- I was six when Al Secord joined the B's for his first full season in 1978-79, and who knows what could have been if a healthy Secord could have teamed up with a young Cam Neely in Boston? Secord was by all rights a power forward, just like Neely, and if not for his injury woes, could have gotten every bit as much as the accolades. He was skilled, tough and loved by his fans, despised by those fans of the teams who opposed him.
He got off to a very slow start in 1980-81 and Harry Sinden was an a-hole to him in the papers. In December, he was shipped to Chi-town for Mike O'Connell where he went on to score 54 goals two years later. O'Connell went on to have success in Boston, but I could never really get into him because my favorite player had been dealt for him. I did what I could to follow the 'Hawks while Secord was there, and dreamed that the B's would pick him back up. Never happened, but Big Al was and still is my all-time favorite player.
Mike Liut-I saw Mike Liut's first-ever NHL appearance in Boston, when he came into the game in relief of Ed Stanikowski, down 6-0. Amazingly, he slammed the door, and the Blues were able to score six unanswered goals to salvage a tie. Liut was sensational, and I became an instant fan, even though he played for the other team. I always loved that classic hockey mask he wore in St. Louis...but Al MacInnis ultimately did that in with one of his blistering shots that shattered it, gave Liut a concussion and forced him to go with the helmet-cage combo.
I was pretty happy when Liut was traded to Hartford, because I could follow him so much easier than when he had been in the Norris. He had some very good years with the Whalers, and nearly pulled off the upset of the Canadiens in 1986. Liut never really got the credit he deserved IMO- he had a season for the ages in 1980-81, but with Wayne Gretzky as dominant as he was, Liut's season wasn't enough to win the Hart. He came close though. And, because the Vezina was awarded back then based on goals surrendered, he got hosed on that deal as well. Liut was the clear Vezina winner by today's standards.
At the '03 draft in Nashville, I was coming out of the NHL HQ hotel when Liut drove up in a white Lincoln Navigator. I went up and introduced myself- feeling like a giddy fanboy, but wanting to tell him how much I had looked up to him as a young boy. He was very pleasant, and gave me his card (he's a player agent). I later called him up for a story I was doing on the '86 Whalers and we spoke for about 1.5 hours...great guy.
Andy Moog- For some reason, I was drawn to Moog early in his career with the Oilers. Maybe it was because he pulled off the upset of the heavily-favored Canadiens in 1981, and maybe it was because he was a smaller guy, but combative and successful. In any case- I cheered for him when he was in net the night the Oilers clinched their first of five Stanley Cups, and always hoped that the Bruins could get him somehow.
In March of 1988, when I was a sophomore in HS, that dream became a reality. Moog came to Boston, and I was thrilled, even though it took a lot to get him. He went on to become second only to Gerry Cheevers for most playoff wins in Bruins franchise history and helped set a strong standard for postseason performances from 1988-92. Ironically, what was arguably Boston's best team of all the ones Moog had played on in 1992-93, got swept by the Buffalo Sabres and Moog's old goaltending partner in Grant Fuhr. It was Moog's worst performance, and that loss stung because the B's were a lot more talented than the Sabres. In the end, Moog was shipped to Dallas, and never could shake the label of not being able to win the ultimate prize as a starter.
Still, he was an idol of mine and is synonymous with the great memories I have of the Bruins in my formative years- practically all through HS and most of college. I'll always remember his tremendous performances against the Whalers and Habs in 1990, the Habs in 1991 and the Habs again in 1992. He was a Montreal killer and he is the *only* Bruins goalie in team history to beat Montreal more than once. In fact, for all Cheevers' accomplishments, the one thing he *never* did was beat Montreal in the playoffs.
Brad Park-I was too young to understand the hoopla and anger surrounding the deal that sent Phil Esposito to the Big Apple and brought Brad Park to the Hub. What I *do* remember was Park being such an outstanding defenseman for the Bruins. He made it all look so easy and effortless, and was a terrific mentor for a young Ray Bourque in the early '80's.
Park's swansong in Boston was his memorable Game 7 OT goal against the Sabres in 1983, a playoff series that will go down in history as one of the greatest. He went onto a poor Detroit Red Wings team from there and retired the following year. I can't imagine how tough it was for him to go from the Rangers to his hated rival, but even though it no doubt bothered him, he acted ever the professional.
B's fans were gyped- Park and Bobby Orr spent only a dozen or so games together in Boston before Bobby headed to Chicago, but one can only wonder how incredible it would have been to see two of the game's all-time greats on defense playing together and (sadly in the case of Orr) at the top of their health.
Secord, Liut, Moog and Park- only one HHOFer in the bunch, but hockey heroes all to me. How about yours?
Al Secord- I was six when Al Secord joined the B's for his first full season in 1978-79, and who knows what could have been if a healthy Secord could have teamed up with a young Cam Neely in Boston? Secord was by all rights a power forward, just like Neely, and if not for his injury woes, could have gotten every bit as much as the accolades. He was skilled, tough and loved by his fans, despised by those fans of the teams who opposed him.
He got off to a very slow start in 1980-81 and Harry Sinden was an a-hole to him in the papers. In December, he was shipped to Chi-town for Mike O'Connell where he went on to score 54 goals two years later. O'Connell went on to have success in Boston, but I could never really get into him because my favorite player had been dealt for him. I did what I could to follow the 'Hawks while Secord was there, and dreamed that the B's would pick him back up. Never happened, but Big Al was and still is my all-time favorite player.
Mike Liut-I saw Mike Liut's first-ever NHL appearance in Boston, when he came into the game in relief of Ed Stanikowski, down 6-0. Amazingly, he slammed the door, and the Blues were able to score six unanswered goals to salvage a tie. Liut was sensational, and I became an instant fan, even though he played for the other team. I always loved that classic hockey mask he wore in St. Louis...but Al MacInnis ultimately did that in with one of his blistering shots that shattered it, gave Liut a concussion and forced him to go with the helmet-cage combo.
I was pretty happy when Liut was traded to Hartford, because I could follow him so much easier than when he had been in the Norris. He had some very good years with the Whalers, and nearly pulled off the upset of the Canadiens in 1986. Liut never really got the credit he deserved IMO- he had a season for the ages in 1980-81, but with Wayne Gretzky as dominant as he was, Liut's season wasn't enough to win the Hart. He came close though. And, because the Vezina was awarded back then based on goals surrendered, he got hosed on that deal as well. Liut was the clear Vezina winner by today's standards.
At the '03 draft in Nashville, I was coming out of the NHL HQ hotel when Liut drove up in a white Lincoln Navigator. I went up and introduced myself- feeling like a giddy fanboy, but wanting to tell him how much I had looked up to him as a young boy. He was very pleasant, and gave me his card (he's a player agent). I later called him up for a story I was doing on the '86 Whalers and we spoke for about 1.5 hours...great guy.
Andy Moog- For some reason, I was drawn to Moog early in his career with the Oilers. Maybe it was because he pulled off the upset of the heavily-favored Canadiens in 1981, and maybe it was because he was a smaller guy, but combative and successful. In any case- I cheered for him when he was in net the night the Oilers clinched their first of five Stanley Cups, and always hoped that the Bruins could get him somehow.
In March of 1988, when I was a sophomore in HS, that dream became a reality. Moog came to Boston, and I was thrilled, even though it took a lot to get him. He went on to become second only to Gerry Cheevers for most playoff wins in Bruins franchise history and helped set a strong standard for postseason performances from 1988-92. Ironically, what was arguably Boston's best team of all the ones Moog had played on in 1992-93, got swept by the Buffalo Sabres and Moog's old goaltending partner in Grant Fuhr. It was Moog's worst performance, and that loss stung because the B's were a lot more talented than the Sabres. In the end, Moog was shipped to Dallas, and never could shake the label of not being able to win the ultimate prize as a starter.
Still, he was an idol of mine and is synonymous with the great memories I have of the Bruins in my formative years- practically all through HS and most of college. I'll always remember his tremendous performances against the Whalers and Habs in 1990, the Habs in 1991 and the Habs again in 1992. He was a Montreal killer and he is the *only* Bruins goalie in team history to beat Montreal more than once. In fact, for all Cheevers' accomplishments, the one thing he *never* did was beat Montreal in the playoffs.
Brad Park-I was too young to understand the hoopla and anger surrounding the deal that sent Phil Esposito to the Big Apple and brought Brad Park to the Hub. What I *do* remember was Park being such an outstanding defenseman for the Bruins. He made it all look so easy and effortless, and was a terrific mentor for a young Ray Bourque in the early '80's.
Park's swansong in Boston was his memorable Game 7 OT goal against the Sabres in 1983, a playoff series that will go down in history as one of the greatest. He went onto a poor Detroit Red Wings team from there and retired the following year. I can't imagine how tough it was for him to go from the Rangers to his hated rival, but even though it no doubt bothered him, he acted ever the professional.
B's fans were gyped- Park and Bobby Orr spent only a dozen or so games together in Boston before Bobby headed to Chicago, but one can only wonder how incredible it would have been to see two of the game's all-time greats on defense playing together and (sadly in the case of Orr) at the top of their health.
Secord, Liut, Moog and Park- only one HHOFer in the bunch, but hockey heroes all to me. How about yours?