Terry Sawchuk and Players Union Movement of the 1950s

[puckhead103*]

Hi, hockey fans....

I've just finished Night Work by Randall Maggs, the poetry dedicated to Sawchuk.

In the book, the author placed a quote of Sawchuk giving his opinion of treatment of hockey players in his era.

The quote came from a CBC radio interview Sawchuk gave which he said these words....

You're like a bunch of cattle. They can sell you or trade you and kick you out when they want to

This is first time that Sawchuk described the inhumane treatment of NHLers in the 1950s and 1960s.

When I read Dupris book about Sawchuk, Dupris mentioned Sawchuk was never involved with the player union movement led by Ted Lindsay or had any opinions about it.

I think that Sawchuk's quote of how NHLers were treated in the 1950s contradicts Dupris' account.

Discuss...

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[Canadiens1958]

No Contradiction

Hi, hockey fans....

I've just finished Night Work by Randall Maggs, the poetry dedicated to Sawchuk.

In the book, the author placed a quote of Sawchuk giving his opinion of treatment of hockey players in his era.

The quote came from a CBC radio interview Sawchuk gave which he said these words....



This is first time that Sawchuk described the inhumane treatment of NHLers in the 1950s and 1960s.

When I read Dupris book about Sawchuk, Dupris mentioned Sawchuk was never involved with the player union movement led by Ted Lindsay or had any opinions about it.

I think that Sawchuk's quote of how NHLers were treated in the 1950s contradicts Dupris' account.

Discuss...

Having an opinion about how players were treated by the owners in the 1950's and 1960's does not equate to involvement with the union or having opnions about the union. Simply the quote is a stand alone opinion about how players were treated.

You have to take into account various other factors. Terry Sawchuk was of Ukrainian heritage, born in western Canada (I am a Montreal born Ukrainian). He was also a loner.

Many of the Ukrainian immigrants or first generation Ukrainians in Canada had to work menial jobs,low pay for long hours. They understood and resented the situation and circumstances BUT did not see unions as the solution since the unions had the tinge of communism that they or their parents had left behind.

Add the fact that Terry Sawchuk was a loner and any perception of a contradiction is disspelled.