In Memoriam Former pro hockey player/management deaths (Chris Simon, Konstantin Koltsov)

BadgerBruce

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Aug 8, 2013
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RIP to George "Red" Sullivan, 89, who died on Saturday; he had Alzheimer's.

Rest In Peace, Red. I can’t believe it’s been nearly 40 years since we teed it up together a few times a week in Peterborough. Folks, Red really was one of the good guys off the ice — sadly missed.
 
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Nunymare

/ˈnʌnimɛr/
Sep 14, 2008
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January 26: Gerry Plamondon, 95. The oldest living Montreal Canadien and last surviving member of the 1946 Stanley Cup champion team.

Gerry-Plamondon-WATN.jpg
 

Howie Hodge

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Sep 16, 2017
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Passed away at 89. Former NHL Iron Man with 630 consecutive games.

Sent to minors prior to his tenth season, which would have made him pension eligible.

Played over 1,000 consecutive pro games.. Played into his forties.

Not sure why he really was sold to Portland of the WHL, though he was around 34 - but still contributing.

Please merge if I am missing previous thread on this...

hebenton.jpg
 

Robert Gordon Orr

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Dec 3, 2009
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I thought enough of Andre that as a kid I drew his picture. Maybe not a great picture, but a picture...

Great drawing Howie Hodge.

He was a pretty underrated player back then, pretty small, a slick playmaker and a very good skater.
Off the ice Boudrias was an interesting guy that I enjoyed listening to. He told me several great stories from the old days, some would definitely be R-rated today. The boys back then knew how to have fun.
The media scrutiny and PC hystery was not as bad as today.

I remember when I first met him, we had dinner together with Ken Schinkel (another ex-NHL’er), and I asked him about Bill Masterton’s death, being aware that he was his teammate at the time.
Boudrias said that it was the worst day of his life as a professional player.

He vividly remembered everything from that situation and said that he could still hear the thud of Masterton’s head hitting the ice. The arena went dead silent. When he helped to wheel Masterton off the ice on a stretcher, he bent over to look at Masterton's face. Boudrias told me that he immediately could tell it was really, really bad. Ironically enough Boudrias was one of few players in the league at the time who wore a helmet.

After that first dinner we headed out for a few drinks, and Schinkel told us some hilarious stories about Eddie Shore when he was in Springfield. We laughed so hard that we all were in tears, including Boudrias. That’s the way I’ll remember him, full of life and laughter. R.I.P.
 

Howie Hodge

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Sep 16, 2017
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Buffalo, NY
Great drawing Howie Hodge.



I remember when I first met him, we had dinner together with Ken Schinkel (another ex-NHL’er), and I asked him about Bill Masterton’s death, being aware that he was his teammate at the time.
Boudrias said that it was the worst day of his life as a professional player.

He vividly remembered everything from that situation and said that he could still hear the thud of Masterton’s head hitting the ice. The arena went dead silent. When he helped to wheel Masterton off the ice on a stretcher, he bent over to look at Masterton's face. Boudrias told me that he immediately could tell it was really, really bad. Ironically enough Boudrias was one of few players in the league at the time who wore a helmet.

After that first dinner we headed out for a few drinks, and Schinkel told us some hilarious stories about Eddie Shore when he was in Springfield. We laughed so hard that we all were in tears, including Boudrias. That’s the way I’ll remember him, full of life and laughter. R.I.P.
Great story! They sure did have some great times, love hearing them.

The Masterton account is surreal...

I lost a team mate who dropped dead of a heart attack during a game 15 years ago. He was also one of my best friends. The spectators, referees, and teams knew it was bad right away. Initially no one else reacted except me. Luckily two RN's were present and helped try and resuscitate him.

A year later I was watching a game where the same thing happened to another teams player, except we were able to briefly revive him so he could give us the message to tell his wife and kids he loved them. He then flat lined....

Sorry to get off topic, but Andre's description of Bill's passing really hits me hard - I get what he was saying all too loud and clear.....

20190210_131818.jpg
 
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Robert Gordon Orr

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Great story! They sure did have some great times, love hearing them.

The Masterton account is surreal...

I lost a team mate who dropped dead of a heart attack during a game 15 years ago. He was also one of my best friends. The spectators, referees, and teams knew it was bad right away. Initially no one else reacted except me. Luckily two RN's were present and helped try and resuscitate him.

A year later I was watching a game where the same thing happened to another teams player, except we were able to briefly revive him so he could give us the message to tell his wife and kids he loved them. He then flat lined....

Sorry to get off topic, but Andre's description of Bill's passing really hits me hard - I get what he was saying all too loud and clear.....

That must have been an awful feeling, and the worst part is that you're absolutely helpless in situations like that.

Speaking of Boudrias. He wasn’t a rah-rah type of guy. He was pretty low-key, so when he told a story it felt really genuine, straight from the heart. Ken Schinkel who was there that night we discussed Masterton’s death, had been a teammate of Larry Cahan in the 50s-60s.

Cahan was the guy who checked Masterton together with Ron Harris. The whole thing was unfortunate. According to Schinkel, Cahan was a big guy, strong as an ox, had natural “farm-boy like” strength, and could hit you like a brick wall.

I always thought these oldtimers have a wealth of stories that should be published in a book.
Some of them that I’ve heard should definitely be published. They are many times outrageous, funny as hell or just plain wacky.
 
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Howie Hodge

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I always thought these oldtimers have a wealth of stories that should be published in a book.
Some of them that I’ve heard should definitely be published. They are many times outrageous, funny as hell or just plain wacky.

Yep, I obviously grieve any losses like that, but I feel horrible for the family that suffers those losses to their loved ones.

I have worked (and trained) with Indoor Soccer Teams (MISL, NPSL) in my - and their day. This was in the eighties. With some of the antics I witnessed, was a part off, privy too, or heard about in soccer, I can only imagine what these guys encountered.

I have some great stories which I can't even start to tell on here without getting kicked off, so yeah, theyre accounts of all great accounts of a crazy time in sports, unfettered by modern day technology and social media.

"So you two are twins?" Oh yes, this stuff wasn't uncommon.... :towel:
 

Robert Gordon Orr

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Dec 3, 2009
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R.I.P. Chuck Holmes [1934-2019].
He played a total of 23 NHL games for Detroit in the late 50's and early 60s.

His father Louis also played in the NHL .
Louis had a long life, passing away less than two months shy of his 100th birthday in 2010.

holmesc.jpg
 
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Nunymare

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Sep 14, 2008
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So far this month...
Denis Dupere, left (April 14); Bob Beckett, in Bruins uniform (April 9), Bill Lecaine, top right (April 16); Dmitri Nabokov, centre bottom row (April 14); and Al "Red" Staley, bottom right (April 9).
 

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