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| This is the first edition of the Boston Bruins I ever cheered for, the 1977-1978 team that advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup final before losing to the defending champion Montreal Canadiens. Source: http://hockeygods.com/images/16130-Boston_Bruins_Team_Photo_1978
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As my beloved Boston Bruins are playing the St. Louis Blues for the
Stanley Cup, someone asked me the other day, “Why do you like the Bruins?”
It is a good question, given I live in the heart of Calgary Flames
country and spent another 11 years of my life living in the heart of Edmonton Oilers
country.
My loyalty to the Bruins pre-dates the merger that brought the
Oilers into the NHL in 1979, and the re-location of the Atlanta Flames to
Calgary a year later.
It goes back to a family gathering and is rooted, in part by sibling
rivalry.
In the beginning
My interest in the Bruins was first peaked in the 1978 Stanley Cup
final where they faced the Montreal Canadiens, defending Stanley Cup champions. In fact, I soon
discovered the Bruins had been swept by Montreal in the previous Stanley Cup
final in 1977 as well.
To be honest, the main reason I cheered for Boston was that everyone
else cheered for Montreal, led by my brother George. We were all at a family
gathering, crowded in my Uncle Ed’s basement. It was the first hockey game I
remember watching. Everyone was cheering for Montreal, and I wondered what the
big deal was. They did seem better, stronger, faster. So, I resolved to take up
the cause of the under dog – I was rooting for the Bruins.
They lost the first two games of the series in Montreal, including the
one we watched at Uncle Ed’s, but managed to win Game 3 at home in the Boston
Gardens. Game 4 was crucial, but I was unable to see it. I was in Grade 2 and
we had a field trip to Drumheller. It kind of slipped my mind until I heard
some of the adults talking about it. Our bus driver was a fellow named Abe Ens,
so when we were filing onto the bus I asked him if I knew who won the hockey
game. I was pretty sure I had heard one of the teachers say Boston had won the
game 2-0, and Mr. Ens confirmed that. I was thrilled. Not only had Boston won,
but goaltender Gerry Cheevers, one of my more favourite Bruins, got a shut out.
He blanked the mighty Montreal Canadiens!
What I really liked was Cheevers’ mask. It was white with a bunch of
stitches painted all over it. The team trainer painted a stitch in the spot a
puck hit every time that happened, demonstrating how many times it saved Cheevers’ face. I even recall
trying to make my own Gerry Cheevers’ goalie mask out of a magazine. I used
white water colour to paint the front all white then tried to paint on some
stitches. Then, I cut some holes in the side and laced some baler twine
through. When I tried to put it on it was really stiff. Only later did I
discover that masks were custom made and form-fitted to the shape of the
goalie’s face.
Sadly, we returned from the Badlands, and things went bad for Boston
too. Montreal won Game 5 at the Forum, and wrapped up their third straight
Stanley Cup shortly thereafter in Boston.
Parting thoughts
Quite simply, I was hooked. That first series 41 years ago began an
association that has gone through heartbreak, and triumph, and led to this
point.
There have been other teams I have rooted for when the Bruins either
were not playing, or had already been eliminated from the playoffs, but through
it all I was, and remain, a Bruins fan.
Gooooo Bruins!
Gooooo Bruins!
