greatest showing of leadership all time?

TheDevilMadeMe

Registered User
Aug 28, 2006
52,271
6,980
Brooklyn
On-Ice Leadership is fine, but leadership in the face of adversity takes the cake.

This is why Yzerman in 2002, and Super Mario in 1991 win this one for me.

If playing through an injury matters, what about Scott Stevens playing with a concussion for most of the 2003 playoffs and playing very well? Or is it less inspiring because nobody knew he had a concussion that whole time.
 

seventieslord

Student Of The Game
Mar 16, 2006
36,080
7,132
Regina, SK
This is over a longer time span and I know it was hardly the stuff of legends but I felt the guarantee Alfredsson did in the beginning of 2003-'04 that the Sens would win the Cup was gutsy. It kind of put the whole team under the microscope. The Sens got bounced in the first round, but a decent goalie and they could have won. Again, nothing legendary but I've always felt it was a heroic thing for a captain to do

Not that it would be anywhere near the top of my list, but yeah, I can see what you're saying.

In retrospect, he kinda threw himself under the bus for the team.
 

Rants Mulliniks

Registered User
Jun 22, 2008
22,958
6,029
Pfffffftttt.....I can't believe the esteem with which people hold Messier's "gaurantee". :shakehead

Lest we forget:

Bobby Baun's playoff heroics are what the Stanley Cup is all about.

With 10 minutes left in the sixth game of the 1964 finals between the Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, Bobby Baun fearlessly sacrificed his body, sliding down onto the ice to block a Gordie Howe shot. The heavy shot bounced off Baun’s foot at exactly the worst spot, breaking a bone in Baun's ankle. He was carried away on a stretcher and he should have seen his season to come to an end.
But he didn't.

In one of the most courageous and famous moments in hockey history, Baun returned to the lineup in the very same game. The game had gone into over time, and Baun refused to go to the hospital. Instead he was given painkillers and had his ankle taped tightly, and returned for the extra period of play.

Just a couple of minutes into the over time, Baun became a hero of legendary proportions. Baun picked up a failed Detroit clearing attempt at the blueline and directed a shot on the Detroit goal. It deflected off of Detroit defenseman Bill Gadsby and over Terry Sawchuk and into the net, forcing game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals!!

There was no way Baun would miss game 7. He refused to allow doctors to examine his ankle. He suffered in severe pain but knew if doctors looked at it he would be forced to sit in the biggest game of a professional hockey player's career. He didn't miss a shift that game as the Leafs won 4-0 and tasted champagne from Lord Stanley's Cup.

After the game the doctor's finally x-rayed Baun's ankle. It was revealed that he indeed had a badly broken ankle. That's hockey!


THAT, my friends, is leadership!! :thumbu:
 

Muttley*

Guest
I think Messier's leadership is overrated, but his guarantee speech and following performence is hard to beat, especially if we talk about one game.

For the record, there was no speech.

A reporter asked him if they would win the game and he replied "yes".

It was a prophetic one-word answer to a reporters simple question.

And to his credit, he sure did back up his one word answer.
 

shazariahl

Registered User
Apr 7, 2009
2,030
59
Did Gretzky really play so hard in the 1987 Canada Cup that he pissed himself, or is that just legend?

Either way, his hard work inspired a supremely talented but lazy Mario Lenieux to realize he could take the next step by not relying on talent alone.

Yes, its true. It was detailed in that "Gretzky to Lemieux" book, that recounts the 87 canada cup (by Ed Bennes or something? I'm sure someone can correct me). Also, if its to be believed, Gretzky played somewhere just over 50 minutes of that game, which was like 90:02 long. That's an amazing amount of ice time for a forward. Even 1st ballot HoF Dmen don't play over half the game usually.

I also heard when he reached the bench, his legs gave out on him momentarily, and he had to be helped part way to the dressing room, but I don't remember if I actually read that, or that's just legend.
 

Bexlyspeed

Registered User
May 21, 2011
2,070
219
Astoria, Queens, N.Y
I think about the old story of Rocket Richard being Concussed and then coming back to score an OT Goal leading to this famous photo

sugarjimhenry.jpg
 

Hawksfan2828

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
13,437
15
Libertyville, IL
Pfffffftttt.....I can't believe the esteem with which people hold Messier's "gaurantee". :shakehead

Lest we forget:

Bobby Baun's playoff heroics are what the Stanley Cup is all about.

With 10 minutes left in the sixth game of the 1964 finals between the Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, Bobby Baun fearlessly sacrificed his body, sliding down onto the ice to block a Gordie Howe shot. The heavy shot bounced off Baun’s foot at exactly the worst spot, breaking a bone in Baun's ankle. He was carried away on a stretcher and he should have seen his season to come to an end.
But he didn't.

In one of the most courageous and famous moments in hockey history, Baun returned to the lineup in the very same game. The game had gone into over time, and Baun refused to go to the hospital. Instead he was given painkillers and had his ankle taped tightly, and returned for the extra period of play.

Just a couple of minutes into the over time, Baun became a hero of legendary proportions. Baun picked up a failed Detroit clearing attempt at the blueline and directed a shot on the Detroit goal. It deflected off of Detroit defenseman Bill Gadsby and over Terry Sawchuk and into the net, forcing game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals!!

There was no way Baun would miss game 7. He refused to allow doctors to examine his ankle. He suffered in severe pain but knew if doctors looked at it he would be forced to sit in the biggest game of a professional hockey player's career. He didn't miss a shift that game as the Leafs won 4-0 and tasted champagne from Lord Stanley's Cup.

After the game the doctor's finally x-rayed Baun's ankle. It was revealed that he indeed had a badly broken ankle. That's hockey!


THAT, my friends, is leadership!! :thumbu:

How about Duncan Keith taking that clearing attempt to the chops.... Ouch!!!!

Its one thing to lose a tooth but having your whole grill knocked out is totally different. Then hes back out on the ice to start the 3rd.

I cant even imagine the pain he was in before they shot him up full of Novocaine.
 

vadim sharifijanov

Registered User
Oct 10, 2007
28,585
15,948
Linden put up 12 goals and 13 assists in 24 playoff games playing with cracked ribs in 1994. In the finals he had to be injected with a needle during intermissions. He would scream loudly out of utter pain and the whole team could hear him from the dressing room. But then he would walk back into the dressing room with a casual look on his face and didn't complain at all about his ribs or the needle. Cliff Ronning said it was the most inspiring thing a teammate he played with has ever done. Too bad the nucks fell 2 goals short of a win.

just to add to that, listen to jim robson's call at the end of game 6 after someone (is that glenn anderson? matteau?) cheap shotted linden with an elbow to the head, then messier cross checking him in the head while he was down. that's what he meant to that team and that city.



i get chills hearing that again.
 
Last edited:

Mantha Poodoo

Playoff Beard
Jun 5, 2008
4,109
0
For the record, there was no speech.

A reporter asked him if they would win the game and he replied "yes".

It was a prophetic one-word answer to a reporters simple question.

And to his credit, he sure did back up his one word answer.

And sure, he did back it up, but what's a player going to say? "No.. and not only no, but we suck and fail, and shouldn't be anywhere near this series"?
 

TheFinalWord

Registered User
Apr 25, 2005
2,175
791
just to add to that, listen to jim robson's call at the end of game 6 after someone (is that glenn anderson? matteau?) cheap shotted linden with an elbow to the head, then messier cross checking him in the head while he was down. that's what he meant to that team and that city.



i get chills hearing that again.


I love that wingnut running across the ice at the end of the game. Lucky he didn't get crosschecked in the chops by one of the Rangers players.
 

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