Boston Globe SUNDAY HOCKEY NOTES : The story of a Vietnam veteran and his puck from Bobby Orr

[Fenway]

The story of a Vietnam veteran and his puck from Bobby Orr - The Boston Globe

“Inside the blue line in the Bruins’ offensive zone,” Dotson recalled. “He was trying to keep the puck in the zone. He goes at it. The North Stars player goes at it. Their two sticks collided. The puck goes over the glass. I’m sitting in Row 8. It came right to me and I caught it. I’m superstitious to begin with. To me, a puck off Bobby Orr’s stick three days before I’m shipping off to Vietnam is a good omen.”

Dotson and the puck did not spend much time apart in Vietnam. The puck, which had the NHL shield on one side and the North Stars’ logo on the other, found a home in Dotson’s left breast pocket. It would slide through an angled opening and nestle perfectly over Dotson’s heart.

“I had that thing in my pocket 24/7,” Dotson said, “except when I was sleeping in base camp.”

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