What Happened 49 Years Ago Today?

[sawchuk1971]

it marks the 49th anniversary of terry sawchuk's fatal fight with ron stewart that led to his demise a
month later.....

in one of the books by david dupris, terry just visited his father in the hospital in michigan and came back to new york depressed...

he went to see his new york buddy and they both decided to go the bar for a drink...

arriving at the bar, terry sat near ron stewart while his new york buddy talked to another guy
in the bar..

the argument between terry and ron was about cleaning up of the place and about unpaid bill...

the rest, if you knew about the argument......

Click to read more...

 

[Dingo]

I know nothing of this. Google time.

 

[blood gin]

I thought it happened at some BBQ?

 

[Big Phil]

I thought it happened at some BBQ?

You are sort of right. The fight is said to have started at the bar while deciding to pay for the bill. It continued back at someone's house (was it Ron's I can't remember) and a shoving match ensued and Terry fell into a BBQ pit. Nothing serious right? Who dies from that? Who even gets hurt from that seriously? The problem was in the hospital he developed a blood clot and died. That's how the story goes that I know unless someone can fill in better. Ron was not held responsible and to be honest it sounds a lot like the way Howie Morenz died in the hospital.

 

[blood gin]

You are sort of right. The fight is said to have started at the bar while deciding to pay for the bill. It continued back at someone's house (was it Ron's I can't remember) and a shoving match ensued and Terry fell into a BBQ pit. Nothing serious right? Who dies from that? Who even gets hurt from that seriously? The problem was in the hospital he developed a blood clot and died. That's how the story goes that I know unless someone can fill in better. Ron was not held responsible and to be honest it sounds a lot like the way Howie Morenz died in the hospital.

Just reading about it in various places it sounds like he was in pretty rough shape internally at the time anyway. Probably due to the severe depression he dealt with his entire life. Just a stressed out guy who was much older than his years

 

[Big Phil]

Just reading about it in various places it sounds like he was in pretty rough shape internally at the time anyway. Probably due to the severe depression he dealt with his entire life. Just a stressed out guy who was much older than his years

I am not a doctor, but I do have to wonder about that as well. Terry was said to be a heavy drinker as well, which wouldn't help. I've read Terry's book which came out around 1998. When Marcel Pronovost, who felt he knew him well, reads it and is surprised about the stories then that says something. Terry was a very unhappy guy, possibly bi-polar the way he often gets described by his teammates. Definitely depressed, which was too bad.

 

[The Panther]

I don't want to make light of mental illness... but I think pre-1970s' goalies maybe did need to be a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

They were earning crappy money to stand, without a mask (or neck-guard), and face slapshots and crease-crashers the size/strength of Howe or Hull. It seems to me that most well-adjusted people would not pursue a job receiving rock-hard, frozen, vulcanized rubber in the face on a daily basis.

In those days, I'm sure it took either very hardy or very special types to play goal.