Johnny Bower

[RayNibbs]

The man has a bottle of champagne he saved from the dressing room in 1967 that he vowed to never open until the Leafs won again. I have no idea what it would taste like but it sure would be nice if he got to open it before he's gone.

Yes, incredibly nice man. My all time Leaf favourite. Got him to autograph a goalie stick for me, a hat for my father and got a picture of the two of us holding my Bower jersey, the only jersey I own.

That's a damn relic! I'd lay worship unto that bottle.

 

[Tak7]

I feel incredibly lucky to have met him a few times at various Leafs events / games over the past several years.

He's honestly like everyone's grandfather. Such a kind, gentle, humble man.

You'd never guess that he was an ultra-competitive goaltender in the National Hockey League once upon a time.

I'm glad we got to see him enjoying himself at the Classic.

 

[pgk]

What.

/thread

Lol

 

[Jackson14]

Just looked up his career stats and was shocked to see his career save pct. is .921! How the hell is that possible with that equipment they wore?

 

[diceman934]

I met him several times. First as a 5 year old at Jack Frasers in Weston. Got his autograph and he ask me if I played hockey. I then saw him in the stands watching a game I played in on a Saturday morning at 6am. I believe this was in 1967.

I met him again in the Country Style Donuts in Weston several years later and it was my second year of coaching. We spoke for a while and then a few weeks later he was at the Game I was coaching, we lost 3-2 this was AA hockey for the Weston Hawks. He knocked on the dressing room door and ask to come into speak to the players...they were Peewee aged. He cracked a few jokes and called the goalies "puck bags" the D man" Pylons" and the forwards " to stupid to be a pylon". All in jest and just having fun.

We stepped out of the dressing room and I thanked him for speaking to the team. He told me in the stands that a few parents were complaining that I did not shorten the bench in the last period to possible win the game. He told me this was the reason why he came to the dressing room, he wanted to thank me for being an example to the kids that I was coaching. The man is and was a class act, and is an example to all on how to treat fans.

 

[Al14]

I met him several times. First as a 5 year old at Jack Frasers in Weston. Got his autograph and he ask me if I played hockey. I then saw him in the stands watching a game I played in on a Saturday morning at 6am. I believe this was in 1967.

I met him again in the Country Style Donuts in Weston several years later and it was my second year of coaching. We spoke for a while and then a few weeks later he was at the Game I was coaching, we lost 3-2 this was AA hockey for the Weston Hawks. He knocked on the dressing room door and ask to come into speak to the players...they were Peewee aged. He cracked a few jokes and called the goalies "puck bags" the D man" Pylons" and the forwards " to stupid to be a pylon". All in jest and just having fun.

We stepped out of the dressing room and I thanked him for speaking to the team. He told me in the stands that a few parents were complaining that I did not shorten the bench in the last period to possible win the game. He told me this was the reason why he came to the dressing room, he wanted to thank me for being an example to the kids that I was coaching. The man is and was a class act, and is an example to all on how to treat fans.

Well, if the team you were coaching was house league, then yes, I agree, you never shorten the bench.

However, if you were coaching a competitive league team, then, as a hockey coach myself, I think most parents, or, should I say the parents of the better players, will always expect the coach to play the best players in order to possibly win the game in the 3rd period.

I'm not saying it is right or wrong, but, competitive minor hockey is all about winning, just like in the pro leagues.

 

[diceman934]

Well, if the team you were coaching was house league, then yes, I agree, you never shorten the bench.

However, if you were coaching a competitive league team, then, as a hockey coach myself, I think most parents, or, should I say the parents of the better players, will always expect the coach to play the best players in order to possibly win the game in the 3rd period.

I'm not saying it is right or wrong, but, competitive minor hockey is all about winning, just like in the pro leagues.

Misguided thought process by far to many.....it is about development with winning as part of the goal.

I stated AA hockey and yes it was competitive hockey....Minor hockey competitive hockey is pay to play....all pay the same to play so expectations should be all play a similar amount. The exceptions to this was failing to follow team rules, late to games or practices or missed practices without notice in advance.

I coached a lot of teams and several years in the GTHL at the Bantam AAA level back in the day...with many scouts in the stands. Never deviated from my thought process. Won some championships and some big Tourneys and the funny thing is that, we won games we had no business winning at times. Now when I have coached Provincial Jr etc then all bets are off, players do not pay so expectation is that you earn your playing time.

 

[Al14]

Misguided thought process by far to many.....it is about development with winning as part of the goal.

I stated AA hockey and yes it was competitive hockey....Minor hockey competitive hockey is pay to play....all pay the same to play so expectations should be all play a similar amount. The exceptions to this was failing to follow team rules, late to games or practices or missed practices without notice in advance.

I coached a lot of teams and several years in the GTHL at the Bantam AAA level back in the day...with many scouts in the stands. Never deviated from my thought process. Won some championships and some big Tourneys and the funny thing is that, we won games we had no business winning at times. Now when I have coached Provincial Jr etc then all bets are off, players do not pay so expectation is that you earn your playing time.

Development should be the goal at all levels of minor hockey.

Development of hockey skills primarily, however, development of character should be a priority as well.

I always asked my players to play fair, to act as gentlemen, on and off the ice, and, to commit to having fun while always competing at their highest possible level.

It is too bad that hockey politics, parents with winning agendas, poor refereeing, and, hot headed players seemed to always cause disruptions to the overall goal of having fun in sport.