Red Storey

[mcphee]

Red Storey passed away yesterday after what seems to have been a lot of fun crammed into 88 years. His exploits and athletic prowess are available today in most Canadian newspapers so I won't repeat it.

The details of his leaving the NHL are well known and I'd love to hear a different perspective. Murray because he probably saw the game and I'm certain has feelings on the issue and ClassicHockey because of his obvious expertise.

The way I've always read the story was that in a deciding semi final game ain Chicago in the 59-60 [?] playoffs, in the 3rd period of a tie game, Chicago winger Eddie Litzenberger tried to step around Mtl.'s Marcel Bonin. Litzenberger, tripped, lost the puck to Dickie Moore and scored.Storey judged that Bonin's stick was along the ice and the Hawk player stepped on it. After Chicago tied it up, Langlois hip-checked Bobby Hull and Mtl. scored the winning goal on the ensuing turnover.

My Dad told me stories of fans on the ice advancing on Storey, only to be discouraged bu Doug Harvey whacking them across the back with his stick.

Clarence Campbell accused Storey of choking prompting Storey to quit and never return to the nHL, despite the owners pleas. Storey spoke ill of no one with the exception of Campbell.

Yesterday on Mtl. radio, Brodie Snyder, a veteran Mtl. writer spoke of how Campbell's interests were for Chicago to end Montreal's string of Stanley cups at 4.
The way that Snyder spoke hinted that Campbell had been vocal about this, but I have no idea, I was 4 at the time. Classic, is there more about this story that you can tell us about ? Murray, I'm guessing the Hawk fan perspective is different than the one passed down in Mtl.

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[Chili]

Sad news, it was always a treat to listen to Red tell a story. A friend hired him to speak at a banquet years ago. He said that the majority of the room were not hockey fans, yet Red was still a big hit because of the way he could recount interesting stories. He will be missed.

 

[reckoning]

Yesterday on Mtl. radio, Brodie Snyder, a veteran Mtl. writer spoke of how Campbell's interests were for Chicago to end Montreal's string of Stanley cups at 4.

That is an incredible story and quite disturbing if true. It never ceases to amaze me about how sleazy the head honchos of the NHL were in those days.

Can`t find the link, but remembered reading that Storey always felt Rocket Richard`s suspension in `55 was an attempt by Campbell to "put him in his place"; and in the following years if Richard looked like he might get in a fight Storey would take away his stick so it wouldn`t happen again.

Very sad to hear about Mr. Storey`s passing, but he was able to live to a ripe, old age and as Mcphee said, crammed a lot into it. He was one of the most well-liked and respected figures in Canadian sports.

 

[jamiebez]

A great obit in the Globe this morning. Apparently his beef with Clarence Campbell was because Campbell was quoted in the Chicago headlines the next day saying things like "Storey Choked" and "Storey's a Chicken". In fairness, Campbell told him the night of the game that "you're going to read some things in the papers tomorrow you won't like".

I'd met the man at an autograph signing in Winnipeg years ago (sitting next to Bobby Hull, ironically) and he was a total class act. A huge loss for the hockey world. I hope this thread gets filled with more great stories about his exploits, because he seemed like a really interesting character.

 

[mcphee]

That is an incredible story and quite disturbing if true. It never ceases to amaze me about how sleazy the head honchos of the NHL were in those days.

Can`t find the link, but remembered reading that Storey always felt Rocket Richard`s suspension in `55 was an attempt by Campbell to "put him in his place"; and in the following years if Richard looked like he might get in a fight Storey would take away his stick so it wouldn`t happen again.

Very sad to hear about Mr. Storey`s passing, but he was able to live to a ripe, old age and as Mcphee said, crammed a lot into it. He was one of the most well-liked and respected figures in Canadian sports.

I would imagine it was preferred that the cup travelled around a bit in the same way that the NHL wants the Rangers to be a strong team. NY being what it is in terms of a city and media base, hockey has to be relevant there. I don't suggest for a minute that there is anything more to that than Bettman understanding what is good for the league.

I know Campbell had his issues with the CH, but I never heard or read anything that would suggest anything more than that. It was just the way Snyder said something that made me wonder.

From all I've read, there weren't any owners that were particularly sympathetic to the players. I don't see integrity being prevalent anywhere in terms of ownership in those days. I'm not trying to find a conspiracy against my beloved Habs, it's not like they didn't enjoy their fair share of success.

 

[Malefic74]

A lot of Storey's best tales are in that Legends series. He has great perspective as a referee and an obvious fan of the game. Not sure why but a lot of the guys in that Legends series seem to be great story tellers, Park, Esposito, Cheevers, Hull et al. seem to have way more character than the politically correct robots who play the game now.

We'll see if the CBC can completely botch two memorials in the span of two weeks or if they'll actually do something classy for Storey.

 

[ClassicHockey]

Interesting about the theory that Campbell was pro-Montreal. A prominent NHL player who broke into the NHL in the late 50's swears that Red Storey always favoured the Montreal Canadiens in the games he refereed. And the Canadiens at that time didn't need any help. And this player needled Storey about that everytime he saw him after they both retired.

Red Storey's last game on April 4, 1959 in Chicago is infamous for sure. When I first started searching out old game tapes, I found this game but it was missing the third period when all the action happened. No doubt the NHL took it to review at the time. But by watching the second period, you could just sense the electricity in the air. Hawks hadn't made the playoffs since 1953 and if they won this close game, they would have tied the series 3-3 against the 3 time Cup winners. Storey failed to call to two alleged tripping penalties on Montreal and Montreal scored on those plays when the Hawks eased up on at least one occasion. The fans at Chicago Stadium went nuts and were throwing things onto the ice. The officials took refuge at centre ice and when Storey looked over at Clarence Campbell to decide what to do, Campbell refused to acknowledge Storey. Two fans did leap on the ice and one of them was cut quite badly by Doug Harvey's stick. (Imagine watching that on TV at the time?)

There is also the famous photo of Storey pointing out in the crowd a fan who had a firearm. And after the game, Danny Lewicki of the Hawks handed his stick to Storey telling Storey that he would need the stick more because he needed to go through the hostile crowd to get to the dressing room. Lewicki says that he thinks that's why he never got a chance to play another game in the NHL.

After the game, Clarence Campbell was drinking at the bar with a reporter from Ottawa and made comments about Storey's officiating in the game. Campbell thought he was making the comments off the record.

Red Storey blew up when he read the paper and quit right on the spot, but not before he told off Campbell. Years later when I spoke to Storey, he still had quite a bit of animosity towards his former boss.

So, McPhee, your post summed it up pretty good and I really couldn't add much more. Red Storey was certainly a remarkable person and a great athlete too.

That was the old NHL with much passion on the part of the fans & players - something lacking in today's game.

Red Storey passed away yesterday after what seems to have

been a lot of fun crammed into 88 years. His exploits and athletic prowess are available today in most Canadian newspapers so I won't repeat it.

The details of his leaving the NHL are well known and I'd love to hear a different perspective. Murray because he probably saw the game and I'm certain has feelings on the issue and ClassicHockey because of his obvious expertise.

The way I've always read the story was that in a deciding semi final game ain Chicago in the 59-60 [?] playoffs, in the 3rd period of a tie game, Chicago winger Eddie Litzenberger tried to step around Mtl.'s Marcel Bonin. Litzenberger, tripped, lost the puck to Dickie Moore and scored.Storey judged that Bonin's stick was along the ice and the Hawk player stepped on it. After Chicago tied it up, Langlois hip-checked Bobby Hull and Mtl. scored the winning goal on the ensuing turnover.

My Dad told me stories of fans on the ice advancing on Storey, only to be discouraged bu Doug Harvey whacking them across the back with his stick.

Clarence Campbell accused Storey of choking prompting Storey to quit and never return to the nHL, despite the owners pleas. Storey spoke ill of no one with the exception of Campbell.

Yesterday on Mtl. radio, Brodie Snyder, a veteran Mtl. writer spoke of how Campbell's interests were for Chicago to end Montreal's string of Stanley cups at 4.
The way that Snyder spoke hinted that Campbell had been vocal about this, but I have no idea, I was 4 at the time. Classic, is there more about this story that you can tell us about ? Murray, I'm guessing the Hawk fan perspective is different than the one passed down in Mtl.

 

[tinyzombies]

Red lived in NDG (a neighborhood in Montreal) and I would run into him every now and then. He was always a fun guy to run into when I was a kid. Never a boring moment out of him, and he was a traditional old school guy too, but he was definitely a fun storyteller. What a cool dude he was.

 

[pappyline]

Red Storey passed away yesterday after what seems to have been a lot of fun crammed into 88 years. His exploits and athletic prowess are available today in most Canadian newspapers so I won't repeat it.

The details of his leaving the NHL are well known and I'd love to hear a different perspective. Murray because he probably saw the game and I'm certain has feelings on the issue and ClassicHockey because of his obvious expertise.

The way I've always read the story was that in a deciding semi final game ain Chicago in the 59-60 [?] playoffs, in the 3rd period of a tie game, Chicago winger Eddie Litzenberger tried to step around Mtl.'s Marcel Bonin. Litzenberger, tripped, lost the puck to Dickie Moore and scored.Storey judged that Bonin's stick was along the ice and the Hawk player stepped on it. After Chicago tied it up, Langlois hip-checked Bobby Hull and Mtl. scored the winning goal on the ensuing turnover.

My Dad told me stories of fans on the ice advancing on Storey, only to be discouraged bu Doug Harvey whacking them across the back with his stick.

Clarence Campbell accused Storey of choking prompting Storey to quit and never return to the nHL, despite the owners pleas. Storey spoke ill of no one with the exception of Campbell.

Yesterday on Mtl. radio, Brodie Snyder, a veteran Mtl. writer spoke of how Campbell's interests were for Chicago to end Montreal's string of Stanley cups at 4.
The way that Snyder spoke hinted that Campbell had been vocal about this, but I have no idea, I was 4 at the time. Classic, is there more about this story that you can tell us about ? Murray, I'm guessing the Hawk fan perspective is different than the one passed down in Mtl.

Mcphee,

I remember that game very well. I was 12 years old and it was a great disappointment to me. From a Blackhawks fan perspective they looked like obvious infractions to me and I really believe Storey favored the Canadians. However, he was the referee and I believe Campbell should have supported him. Even if Red screwed up in this game, over his long career he was a greart contributor to hockey, I never liked Campbell and can still remember his gutless support of the NHL in keeping Bobby Hull off Team Canada 72.

58-59 wasthe first year Chicago had made the playoffs in a long time and I was very excited. There is no better hockey fan than a 12 year old boy. I remember the fans rioting. I vividly remember Plante skating out of his crease and a chair landing there just after. I was watching the game on a black & white Tv in a small town in Ontario but my heart was in Chicago stadium.

I probably hated Red Storey at the time but I still respect his contributions to hockey.

 

[pappyline]

Mcphee,

I remember that game very well. I was 12 years old and it was a great disappointment to me. From a Blackhawks fan perspective they looked like obvious infractions to me and I really believe Storey favored the Canadians. However, he was the referee and I believe Campbell should have supported him. Even if Red screwed up in this game, over his long career he was a greart contributor to hockey, I never liked Campbell and can still remember his gutless support of the NHL in keeping Bobby Hull off Team Canada 72.

58-59 wasthe first year Chicago had made the playoffs in a long time and I was very excited. There is no better hockey fan than a 12 year old boy. I remember the fans rioting. I vividly remember Plante skating out of his crease and a chair landing there just after. I was watching the game on a black & white Tv in a small town in Ontario but my heart was in Chicago stadium.

I probably hated Red Storey at the time but I still respect his contributions to hockey.

Ps: I am surprised to hear that Campbell favored Chicago over Montreal. My impression was that he favored Montreal .

 

[chooch*]

Ps: I am surprised to hear that Campbell favored Chicago over Montreal. My impression was that he favored Montreal .

Didnt Red Storey play in the 1938 Grey Cup?

 

[ClassicHockey]

Yes, I think two Grey Cups and he was outstanding in one of them where he scored a number of touchdowns. We did a 'TSN Profile' show on him and there was a lot of focus on his athletic accomplishments.

Didnt Red Storey play in the 1938 Grey Cup?

 

[ClassicHockey]

Murray,

We have a lot in common having watched old time hockey. Actually, back in 1959 I was seven so my memory isn't as good as yours. I remember one thing in particular about watching the game. Back then, in most of Ontario, we saw game 6 of the Boston-Toronto semi-final and after the game was over, and I think for the first time ever on HNIC, the CBC switched to that Montreal-Chicago game in progress. I remember thinking it was a technical marvel that they could do it, and it probably was for the time. When I obtained the telecast of the game a few years ago, sure enough, it started with Danny Gallivan welcoming the Toronto viewers. It impressed me as a little kid because Chicago seemed so far away and foreign to me.

Funny how I remember that but not much of the game.

Do you remember seeing the game joined in progress or did you get the Montreal feed? And how did you become a Chicago fan before Hull & Mikita became famous? The Hawks weren't very good in the 50's (or 40's).

Mcphee,

I remember that game very well. I was 12 years old and it was a great disappointment to me. From a Blackhawks fan perspective they looked like obvious infractions to me and I really believe Storey favored the Canadians. However, he was the referee and I believe Campbell should have supported him. Even if Red screwed up in this game, over his long career he was a greart contributor to hockey, I never liked Campbell and can still remember his gutless support of the NHL in keeping Bobby Hull off Team Canada 72.

58-59 wasthe first year Chicago had made the playoffs in a long time and I was very excited. There is no better hockey fan than a 12 year old boy. I remember the fans rioting. I vividly remember Plante skating out of his crease and a chair landing there just after. I was watching the game on a black & white Tv in a small town in Ontario but my heart was in Chicago stadium.

I probably hated Red Storey at the time but I still respect his contributions to hockey.

 

[BM67]

I just started reading Red's book "Red's Story". the first couple of chapters are about the game that ended his NHL refereeing career.

Here are a couple of quotes:

"The headlines shocked me. CAMPBELL SAYS STOREY CHOKED and NHL PREXY SAYS STOREY CHICKEN and STOREY FROZE: CAMPBELL. I read the stories and Campbell was quoted as saying, "I've never felt so rotten about a game in my life." But the statements he made were not about my refereeing, they were about my character. Hell, if he had said I was a bad official, I would have agreed: "Yeah, at times I've stunk out the joint. I've had bad nights." But don't call me chicken. Don't say I choked. Don't say things that aren't true. If you're going to run me down, say things that may be right. I read those papers and going through my mind was a picture of my boys going down the street and other kids telling them their old man was gutless."

"I came to the conclusion that when you weren't backed up by your superiors, it was time to quit. It was time somebody in the league showed some guts, and apparently it had to be me. Somebody had to set an example. The NHL was becoming a circus, I decided, and was casting the referees as the clowns. It was too late for anybody to do that to me. I knew I could never work for Campbell again, and maybe what I was doing might make things better for the younger officials coming along."

 

[mcphee]

Ps: I am surprised to hear that Campbell favored Chicago over Montreal. My impression was that he favored Montreal .

He was probably in the pocket of whatever owner yelled the loudest that week. Honestly, my guess is that he favored whoever it made sense to favor. The office was in Montreal, but it couldn't have pleased him after the events in 55, for Montreal to win the next 5. My Father tells me that Dick Irvin was resposible for a lot of the Rocket's temper incidents, he knew how to push his buttons. The Habs must have been a pain in Campbell's butt.

From a league point of view, the cup being won in a different city every year is good for business. After Montreal won 5, the Hawks won 1, Toronto took 3 in a row, Montreal 4 of the next 5. It's hard to sell tickets I guess if you don't feel you have a shot at winning.

 

[mcphee]

Yes, I think two Grey Cups and he was outstanding in one of them where he scored a number of touchdowns. We did a 'TSN Profile' show on him and there was a lot of focus on his athletic accomplishments.

3 touchdowns in the 1938 game including a 102 yard run. He was approached by 2 NFL teams, scouted by the baseball Detroit Tigers, though lacrose was apperently his best sport. My understanding is that a knee injury he sufferred during the war kept him from playing at a high level again.

 

[pappyline]

Murray,

We have a lot in common having watched old time hockey. Actually, back in 1959 I was seven so my memory isn't as good as yours. I remember one thing in particular about watching the game. Back then, in most of Ontario, we saw game 6 of the Boston-Toronto semi-final and after the game was over, and I think for the first time ever on HNIC, the CBC switched to that Montreal-Chicago game in progress. I remember thinking it was a technical marvel that they could do it, and it probably was for the time. When I obtained the telecast of the game a few years ago, sure enough, it started with Danny Gallivan welcoming the Toronto viewers. It impressed me as a little kid because Chicago seemed so far away and foreign to me.

Funny how I remember that but not much of the game.

Do you remember seeing the game joined in progress or did you get the Montreal feed? And how did you become a Chicago fan before Hull & Mikita became famous? The Hawks weren't very good in the 50's (or 40's).

I can't remember to be sure but it is likely the game was joined in progress after the Leaf game. The Leafs always had priority in Ontario. I was only about 5 or 6 when I started liking the Hawks mainly because of the uniform. There was something about that Indian head. I know they weren't very good through the 50's but I never gave up on them through the lean years. I guess I always had a soft spot for the underdog.They did have a few pretty good players. Bill Gadsby played for them in theearly 50's and Ed Litzenberger became one of the best in 56-57. Bobby Hull came alon at 18 in 57-58 & was exciting even then> He and Mahovolich battled it out for the Calder. Lindsay & hall also came over in 57-58 and Tod Sloan in 58-59. Litz, sloan & Lindsay were the Pappy Line which was the best line in the league in 58-59. Mikita came up in 59-60.

Most people where I lived were leaf fans but it wasn't unusual for people to cheer for other teams. All the players were Canadian so many places had locals playing for US based teams. Also, it was the days of sponsorship so if you lived in St Catherines for example, you would likely be a Hawks fan as that is wher Teepee players like Hull would end up. My older brother was a die hard Detroit fan just because of Gordie Howe. Anorher friend liked the Bruins because his Dad grew up with Milt Schmidt. There are manyy reasons why we get attached to a team.

I still love the pre 67 NHL. I could still probably name all the NHL players of 56-57 and tell you what line they played on.

Yes, Mcphee we do have a lot in common as we both love that era of hockey. However, it appears you grew up in Ontario, then how did you become a Habs fan. I must say that I knew fans of the other 5 NHL teams but nobody in my town liked the Habs. Probably because they won so much.

 

[tinyzombies]

Mcphee,

I remember that game very well. I was 12 years old and it was a great disappointment to me. From a Blackhawks fan perspective they looked like obvious infractions to me and I really believe Storey favored the Canadians. However, he was the referee and I believe Campbell should have supported him. Even if Red screwed up in this game, over his long career he was a greart contributor to hockey, I never liked Campbell and can still remember his gutless support of the NHL in keeping Bobby Hull off Team Canada 72.

58-59 wasthe first year Chicago had made the playoffs in a long time and I was very excited. There is no better hockey fan than a 12 year old boy. I remember the fans rioting. I vividly remember Plante skating out of his crease and a chair landing there just after. I was watching the game on a black & white Tv in a small town in Ontario but my heart was in Chicago stadium.

I probably hated Red Storey at the time but I still respect his contributions to hockey.

I'm reading Boom Boom's autobiography he did with Fischler. The incident happened in game 5 of the 1960 semi-finals at Chicago Stadium with the series tied 2-2. Chicago had suffered through a long drought and were benefitting from the blacklisted players they received from the aborted player's union, mainly Lindsay. They also got Hall from Detroit for a song. And Balfour and Litzenberger from Montreal. They won the Cup in 1961, but in '60 they lost to Montreal in the semis.

Boom Boom says Storey got the calls right and there were even more penalties handed out to Montreal. Late in the game, with the score 4-4, Storey gave Al Arbour a two-minute minor. Chicago killed it. Then Bobby Hull went one-on-one with Junior Langlois and Boomer says Langlois hit him with a clean hipcheck, but the Chicago bench was screaming for a tripping penalty and the crowd went nuts. Story didn't blow his whistle and the Hawks let up in frustration....while they were doing that, Montreal raced down the ice and scored at 18:32, basically stealing the win.

Then they started throwing stuff at Storey and he had to retreat to center-ice to get out of range. A couple guys jumped on the ice and went after him. One guy came up behind him and dumped a beer on him. Then Doug Harvey came out and whacked a few guys with his stick and nobody else tried anything.

Campbell was there, but he refused to walk over to the penaltybox and call the game off and left Storey as a sitting duck. Later on, while being interviewed by a reporter, Campbell thought he was talking off the record and called Storey "chicken" and said he "choked."

There's a whole second part to the story of how Storey had to sneak into the bowels of the stadium to get his things, then hide out there for awhile before sneaking out to the parking lot to his car. And THEN, he was chased through the streets of Chicago to the airport. He barely escaped the mob in a series of car chases.

When he heard about what Campbell said, he quit and refused to even meet with him. He said, "If I had gone back to Campbell's hotel room, there would have been one less president in professional sport."

 

[pappyline]

I'm reading Boom Boom's autobiography he did with Fischler. The incident happened in game 5 of the 1960 semi-finals at Chicago Stadium with the series tied 2-2. Chicago had suffered through a long drought and were benefitting from the blacklisted players they received from the aborted player's union, mainly Lindsay. They also got Hall from Detroit for a song. And Balfour and Litzenberger from Montreal. They won the Cup in 1961, but in '60 they lost to Montreal in the semis.

Boom Boom says Storey got the calls right and there were even more penalties handed out to Montreal. Late in the game, with the score 4-4, Storey gave Al Arbour a two-minute minor. Chicago killed it. Then Bobby Hull went one-on-one with Junior Langlois and Boomer says Langlois hit him with a clean hipcheck, but the Chicago bench was screaming for a tripping penalty and the crowd went nuts. Story didn't blow his whistle and the Hawks let up in frustration....while they were doing that, Montreal raced down the ice and scored at 18:32, basically stealing the win.

Then they started throwing stuff at Storey and he had to retreat to center-ice to get out of range. A couple guys jumped on the ice and went after him. One guy came up behind him and dumped a beer on him. Then Doug Harvey came out and whacked a few guys with his stick and nobody else tried anything.

Campbell was there, but he refused to walk over to the penaltybox and call the game off and left Storey as a sitting duck. Later on, while being interviewed by a reporter, Campbell thought he was talking off the record and called Storey "chicken" and said he "choked."

There's a whole second part to the story of how Storey had to sneak into the bowels of the stadium to get his things, then hide out there for awhile before sneaking out to the parking lot to his car. And THEN, he was chased through the streets of Chicago to the airport. He barely escaped the mob in a series of car chases.

When he heard about what Campbell said, he quit and refused to even meet with him. He said, "If I had gone back to Campbell's hotel room, there would have been one less president in professional sport."

With all due respect to Boom Boom, he was hardly an impartial observer. Other people saw the check on Hull differently and he does even mention the obvious Litzenberger trip that wasn't called. Chicago had montreal on the run. they were outplaying them and two bad calls by Storey changed the outcome of the game.

 

[ClassicHockey]

I have a report that has interviews of about 12 different people who were present in the game when Maurice Richard went after Hal Laycoe and then socked the linesman which got him suspended for the rest of the season. When reading Geoffrion's recollections, you would think he was talking about a completely different incident.

There are some former players from that era who have great memories. There are some who get dates and players mixed up. And there are players who still have loyalties and colour their answers accordingly.

And there are hockey books published that had no hockey knowledgeable editors as well. So beware what you read sometimes.

With all due respect to Boom Boom, he was hardly an impartial observer. Other people saw the check on Hull differently and he does even mention the obvious Litzenberger trip that wasn't called. Chicago had montreal on the run. they were outplaying them and two bad calls by Storey changed the outcome of the game.

 

[Badger Bob]

Sorry to learn of this news. If word circulated in the States, it failed to reach here. The latest edition of THN was in the mail box yesterday, and there has to be an article on him included.

A few years back - '97 or '98 - there was a fund raising event at HSBC, then Marine Midland Arena, to honor former Sabres broadcaster Ted Darling. Sabres alumni and a respectable group of NHL legends showed up. Red Storey was the ref, and had a mic. He was one of the best parts of a very enjoyable afternoon.