Which players did you know growing up with?
- Thread starter Shooter14
- Start date
therealkoho
Him/Leaf/fan
Shooter14
57 years now and still hoping.
- Feb 5, 2018
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Nice, I can picture their faces as I'm reading the names and rekindles my memories of their careers.
Blufreezy
Registered User
- May 1, 2013
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Went to school with Bryan Bickell growing up. I was a grade above him. Was really cool seeing the Cup come to such a small town and all the party pics from mutual friends on Facebook. That was pretty exciting stuff around here where the best thing going was a bakery lol
notDatsyuk
Registered User
- Jul 20, 2018
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I was playing goal with a bunch of friends up at Doublerink one Sunday morning, and, as happens sometimes, a guy bangs on the glass, and asks if I'll play another game. When my game ends, I lug my bag to the other rink and toss it in the room, and jump onto the ice, as they are just starting.
These guys are really, really good.
After the game (just pickup), I get in the dressing room, and start recognizing some of them. Pete Conacher, Carl Brewer, Pete Stemkowski, Pierre Pilotte, Dick Duff, and others. Turns out to be Pete Conacher's group of NHL old-timers.
The next Sunday, the same guy bangs on the glass again, I play again, and they tell me to keep coming until they tell me not to. I think it was Mike Liut who had pulled a hamstring, and I ended up playing for about twenty weeks with them. Eddy Shack showed up a couple of times, as did several others.
One of the biggest thrills of my life was having Pete Conacher tell me that I reminded him of Johnny Bower, who, along with Tim Horton, were my idols growing up.
These guys are really, really good.
After the game (just pickup), I get in the dressing room, and start recognizing some of them. Pete Conacher, Carl Brewer, Pete Stemkowski, Pierre Pilotte, Dick Duff, and others. Turns out to be Pete Conacher's group of NHL old-timers.
The next Sunday, the same guy bangs on the glass again, I play again, and they tell me to keep coming until they tell me not to. I think it was Mike Liut who had pulled a hamstring, and I ended up playing for about twenty weeks with them. Eddy Shack showed up a couple of times, as did several others.
One of the biggest thrills of my life was having Pete Conacher tell me that I reminded him of Johnny Bower, who, along with Tim Horton, were my idols growing up.
notDatsyuk
Registered User
- Jul 20, 2018
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I also have six stitches from a Brendan Shanahan slapshot, from a pickup game about two months before he started his NHL career.
Nylanderthal
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- Jun 9, 2010
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Brit Selby was my homeroom & history teacher at North Toronto CI. Last leaf to win the Calder before Matthews.
EdJovanovski
#RempeForCalder
I played with and knew Tristan Jarry since Kindergarten. I’ve played against Nic Petan
Played with several WHL/BCHL players
And Jake Virtanen (still) plays roller hockey in the same league as me
Played with several WHL/BCHL players
And Jake Virtanen (still) plays roller hockey in the same league as me
Holymakinaw
Registered User
I didn't "know him" but as a kid, I played in a local celebrity softball tourney with Ron Francis when I was only 10 and he was 17. I was only in it because my dad was a radio DJ and guys got to have their kids in the games for fun. There was already a buzz around Francis at this point.
And I went to high school with, and played Football with Paul DiPietro. Knocked him out cold once by accident in practise. I was the QB and he was running for a long pass and I threw it right at the uprights pole. He was looking back for the pass and ran into it at full speed. He was out for a little bit.
acrobaticgoalie
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- Jun 18, 2014
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Didn't grow up with them but have played summer hockey with Joel Hanley (currently with the Stars) and Sean Walker (currently on the Kings) for 5 or so years. Played against Ryan Murphy and a few OHLers once.
Stigma
Registered User
Not me, but my good buddy is a great goalie and played with the 90's Leafs at their practice facility a couple of times. He will never forget stopping Tie Domi on a breakaway and Tie cursing him out (in a fun way). He also played once with Chris Pronger. His slapshot was absolutely horrifying. For a goalie.
Carltons Cup
Let's Do This..
- Feb 22, 2018
- 2,876
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I played alongside Kris Draper, Jason Dawe and Todd Simon when I played with Don Mills Flyers. Our breakout was to leave the puck behind the net and let Draper take it all the way up the ice.
I also played shinny hockey in the summers at Chesswood with Steve Thomas, Rob Cimetta, Pokey Reddick and the Cavallini brothers.... FUN TIMES!
I also played shinny hockey in the summers at Chesswood with Steve Thomas, Rob Cimetta, Pokey Reddick and the Cavallini brothers.... FUN TIMES!
I was friends with a bunch of Mike Halmo's friends. I never knew him well, but had a class or two with him in Grade 9. My facebook feed was absolutely mental when he made his debut and laid out Phil Kessel.
What has always struck me the most about that particular story is that Halmo was clearly one of the best players in the region for my age group and all he managed was 20 NHL games and a pro career in the AHL/Europe. It really shows just how good even fringe NHL players are.
What has always struck me the most about that particular story is that Halmo was clearly one of the best players in the region for my age group and all he managed was 20 NHL games and a pro career in the AHL/Europe. It really shows just how good even fringe NHL players are.
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ShaneFalco
Registered User
Gary Nylund
Registered User
- Oct 10, 2013
- 29,920
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Excellent point. I think of this every time I read someone saying this guy or that guy sucks (for example Marincin). Anyone that's played even 20 games in the NHL has probably made it further in his chosen field then 99.99% of people who post here.
Didn't grow up near a player, I was friends with Jim Carrey though. I almost killed him at a birthday party when he was 12. Horsing around he was eating a hotdog and I pushed his hand towards his mouth and he started choking on the hotdog. The parent of the birthday boy had to help him. He turned blue. But, he coughed up the dog and was fine.
And it makes the truly elite NHL'ers all that more incredible. Like, I know that I strap on my skates and stickhandle and shoot and play hockey when I'm on the ice. But a guy like Marner doesn't think the game the same way I do. Matthews doesn't experience physical limitations like I do. We're technically playing the same game, but at the same time, we're not playing the same game at all. When I say that Marincin sucks, which I have absolutely written, I do so in full reverence of just how talented of an athlete he truly is.
Played with and against Dan Paille, Dan Girardi, Andre Deveaux, Cal Clutterbuck, Rick Nash( in tournaments) Eric Staal (OHL Cup) Patrick O'Sullivan, Corey Locke, Kevin Harvey think some others can't remember
bpower
Registered User
- Aug 21, 2005
- 644
- 256
You should probably have those taken out.
I met Anson Carter a couple of times, played hockey with his brother.
Was good friends with Cherie Piper, multiple gold medals with the Womens National team.
Played ball hockey with Lou Franceschetti, Raffi Torres, Jutin Pogge and Phil Oreskevich
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Shooter14
57 years now and still hoping.
- Feb 5, 2018
- 395
- 441
Reading comments, you guys are bringing up hockey arenas in Toronto which triggers my memory. I played alot of hockey back then and many arenas in the west end. Played at Double rinks ( coldest arena, always had shrinkage there ), Chesswood, Lambton, Amesbury, Centennial Park, Downsview, North Toronto, Weston, McCormick, Pine Point, and my favorite of all was playing at George Bell Arena, back then I believe it was the home arena of the Toronto Marlies. Does anyone know if these arenas are still around? I moved out of Toronto 1990.
therealkoho
Him/Leaf/fan
I hear you and know exactly what you mean
years ago on another site when Jason Allison was busy putting up 60 points in his final NHL season with Toronto there was one of those LeaFlandish type of obsessions(think Marincin or Larry Murphy) about his abilities particularly his skating abilities. A poster stated that "even he could out skate Allison in a foot race," next thing you know so could about a dozen others, most of whom had never played competitive hockey at any level. The sad part of course is that they truly believed it as they propped up each other's boasts.
A professional athlete no matter the sport is a special breed, and physically not anything like the rest of us mortals.
Canadian Game
Registered User
I grew up with Joffrey Lupul and we were teammates in house league until he quickly moved to rep. He was so much faster than everyone else and dominated every game (in novice). I was also best friends with Mike Commodore’s brother until I moved away.
Kid I grew up playing hockey with in Oshawa, his cousin is Steven Stamkos. It also just so happens that my parents know this guys parents, so Steven is known somewhat through the family.
Around 2015-16, we got some behind the scenes details that he wasn't too happy in Tampa, and he had playing in Toronto as an option since the beginning of his career.
Around 2015-16, we got some behind the scenes details that he wasn't too happy in Tampa, and he had playing in Toronto as an option since the beginning of his career.
