The class and grace of Guy Lafleur

Guy Lafleur with the Montreal Canadiens.
Source: Focus On Sport | Getty Images
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/22/
hockey-hall-of-famer-guy-lafleur-dies-at-age-70.html
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One minute he was breaking my heart as a Bruins fan. The next he was retiring far too young, and after that he was mounting this amazing comeback that left him one of the last players in the game to play without a helmet.

Through it all he carried himself with class and grace.

Such was the life of Guy Lafleur.

They laid the hockey legend to rest a few days ago and it brought back this odd mix of memories of the goal-scoring phenom they called “The Flower”.

Heartbreak

It always seemed the Montreal Canadiens had the number of my beloved Boston Bruins. It was as if they were destined to beat Boston, even predestined.

That really sunk in for me in the 1979 Stanley Cup semi-finals. It was Game 7 and Boston was leading late, only to get a too many men on the ice penalty. The Canadiens would tie the game then win it in overtime.

The game-tying goal was scored by Guy Lafleur.

Character
No matter what my opinion of Lafleur on the ice, he was all class off the ice. I remember when I first started watching CBC Calgary News. There was a story on a boy named Corey Guernsey, who was nine, the same age I was. It was January of 1980 and Guernsey was attacked and stabbed by someone recently released from prison. Guernsey was wearing a number ten Guy Lafleur Montreal Canadiens jersey during the attack, and it was ruined.

Thankfully, Guernsey survived. Lafleur found out what happened and visited Cory at the Holy Cross Hospital in Calgary. His mom said that visit gave Corey the will to live.

A few weeks later, Lafleur flew Corey to see the Canadiens play the Toronto Maple Leafs. He promised to score a goal for Corey – and did. He had the puck mounted on a plaque, signed it and gave it to Corey. Incidentally, Corey got another number ten Lafleur jersey as well.

Lafleur was all class.

Near-death experience
It was a horrifying scene – a steel fence post sticking through a windshield where the driver’s head was supposed to be. It was Guy Lafleur’s car and he almost died in that accident.

It was March of 1981, and it came after a night of drinking with teammate Robert Picard. The post actually sheered off a part of Lafleur’s right ear, but he would return to the line up soon after.

I recalled how scary that looked and how glad I was Lafleur was okay.

Decline
That same 1980-1981 season, Lafleur scored 27 goals in 51 games, the first time since 1973-1974 he did not record 50 goals and 100 points in a season.

In 1981-1982, he scored 27 goals and 57 assists for 84 points. The following season, 1982-1983, he scored 27 goals and 49 assists for 76 points; and in 1983-1984 he had 30 goals and 40 assists for 70 points.

By the 1984-1985 season, Lafleur's time with the Canadiens was coming to an end. He clashed with his former teammate Jacques Lemaire, who was now Montreal’s head coach. Lemaire was a defensive-oriented coach while Lafleur was all about offence.

With two goals and three assists, Lafleur asked for a trade, but was denied. Management feared the backlash from the fans if the Canadiens traded their beloved Lafleur.

So, Guy Lafleur announced his retirement.

It was the end of a magical career – or was it?

Guy Lafleur in his one season with the New York Rangers.
Source: PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, PRESS ARCHIVES
https://www.lapresse.ca/sports/guy-lafleur/
2022-04-27/la-parenthese-new-yorkaise-de-guy-lafleur.php
(May be subject to copyright)

Comeback
In 1988 Guy Lafleur was elected to the Hockey Hall Of Fame. Soon after, rumblings started that he was making a comeback. I thought him way too old for that, but really I had no idea how old he was.

Indeed, he did return to the NHL, suiting up for the New York Rangers. As if to punctuate his return, he was one of the players still allowed to play without a helmet.

So the whole world could literally see Guy was back.

The New York Rangers signed him to a one-year contract. The highlight was his return to the Montreal Forum where he received a standing ovation and scored twice in a losing effort. He was also named the game’s first-star – just like old times.

He finished the year with 18 goals and 27 assists for 45 points. His effort helped the Rangers win the Patrick Division, before he was sidelined with a knee injury.

Guy Lafleur with his final team, the Quebec Nordiques.
Source: Photo by Scott Levy/Getty Images
https://thehockeywriters.com/
guy-lafleur-one-for-the-ages-1989-90/
(May be subject to copyright)

Last hurrah
Guy Lafleur was not quite done. He returned, for what would be his final two seasons, with the Canadiens’ arch-rival the Quebec Nordiques.

In the 1989-1990 season, he scored 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points. Near the end of that season, Quebec started a fire sale, trading away their best players including Peter Stastny and Michel Goulet. By the end of it all, Joe Sakic, who the team had wisely decided to build their team around, led the team in scoring.

The second-leading forward on the list and third highest scorer was now – Guy Lafleur. Only defenceman Michel Petit and his 36 points were better than Lafleur’s 34 points.

The following season, 1990-1991, he scored 12 goals again and added 16 assists for 28 points.

Both years, the Nordiques finished with the worst record in the NHL.

Lafleur then retired again at the end of the 1991 season.

He had already been elected to the Hockey Hall Of Fame in 1988.

There really was nothing left for Guy Lafleur to accomplish.

Parting thoughts
Initially, I never really liked Guy Lafleur, but I didn’t like any Montreal Canadiens. That deepened every time they beat the Bruins.

However, that changed as I saw the character he had. First, it was the way he treated Corey Guernsey, then the way he handled nearly dying in a car crash, and finally in the way he came back. He demonstrated grace and class, and was a true gentleman of the game.

Then I read “Lions in Winter”, a history of the Montreal Canadiens, where the writer described a much different Guy Lafleur than I pictured with the evil Habs. Lafleur was a small-town kid who loved hockey and was a reluctant super star. He was community-minded, giving, and kind.

That was obvious by the out-pouring of emotion after his death last month. He lied in state and was given a state funeral. Thousands gathered outside the church to pay their respects. It was a Catholic service, and priests even circulated outside among the crowd to give Communion.

It just seemed a fitting send-off for such an amazing person.

Rest in peace Guy.

Mike Bossy: Pure goal scorer

Mike Bossy was one of the purest, most prolific goal scorers in the 1980s and of all time.
Source: https://eyesonisles.com/posts/islanders-legend-mike-bossy-made-history-35-years-ago-today
(May be subject to copyright)

The first time I really remember Mike Bossy was when he was pursuing this elusive goal only the legendary Maurice “Rocket” Richard had achieved – 50 goals in 50 games.

The next thing I knew it was 1988, almost a year after he last played an NHL game, and he was announcing his retirement because of chronic back problems.

Through his career from 1977 to 1987, Bossy was a prolific goal scorer, and one of the best of the ‘80s.

A few years ago I read his autobiography and was reminded of it earlier this month when I heard Mike Bossy had died.

He was 65 years old.

Rookie sensation
Long before I started watching hockey, Mike Bossy was already making his mark.

He was taken 15th overall in the 1977 NHL Entry Draft after a sensational junior career, averaging 77 goals a year with the Laval National of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Bossy stepped onto the Islanders’ top line with Bryan Trottier and Clark Gillies, which was later dubbed the Long Island Electric Company. He would set a record for goals by a rookie with 53 and win the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year in 1978.

He followed that up with 69 goals and 57 assists for 126 points in 1978-1979

Then in 1979-1980 he had 51 goals and 41 assists for 92 points. He added 10 goals and 13 assists in 16 playoff games to help lead the Islanders to their first ever Stanley Cup, a six-game victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

As the 1980s began, the Islanders were coming into their own as a champion and Mike Bossy would continue to be an important part of that.

Three more and the “Drive for Five”
Mike Bossy would continue to be one of the league’s elite goal scorers. In the 1980-1981 season he scored 68 goals and added 51 assists for 119 points. He contributed 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points in 18 playoff games as the Islanders beat Minnesota for their second straight Stanley Cup.

In 1981-1982, the Islanders won their third straight Stanley Cup, defeating Vancouver in the final. Bossy had 17 goals and 10 assists for 27 points in 19 playoff games. He also earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player to his team during the playoffs. On top of all that he had 64 goals and 83 assists for 147 points in the regular season.

New York would earn their fourth straight Stanley Cup in 1982-1983, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in the final, as Bossy again had 17 goals and nine assists for 26 points in 19 playoff games.

The 1983-1984 playoffs were dubbed New York’s “Drive for Five” Stanley Cups. They again met the Oilers in the final but this time Edmonton triumphed. Still, Bossy had eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points in 21 playoff games. He also scored 51 goals and 67 assists for 118 points in the regular season.

The Islanders would never experience that level of success again, but Mike Bossy wasn’t quite done yet.

The end
Mike Bossy scored 58 goals and 59 assists for 117 points in 1984-1985 and five goals and six assists for 11 points in 10 playoff games.

The next season, 1985-1986, he had 61 goals and 62 assists for 123 points, as well as a goal and two assists for three points in the playoffs.

His back troubles would finally get to him in 1986-1987. He only played in 63 games, but still notched 38 goals and 37 assists for 75 points, and two goals and three assists for five points in six playoff games.

He entertained the idea of playing again, but ultimately announced his retirement in October of 1988.

That #22 jersey

I have some personal memories about that #22 jersey Mike Bossy wore.

I had this friend named Mike who idolized his brother. Mike's brother loved the Islanders, so Mike did too. We played floor hockey together, and one day Mike shows up wearing an Islanders jersey. This was back in the day when jerseys were nothing like the ones the pros actually wore, but more kind of a sweater with a felt crest. Mike said, "I'm Mike Bossy." On the back was #22.

A few years later, in Grade 7, there was this cartoon "Raccoons On Ice" on CBC that involved evil developer Cyril Sneer trying to put a dome over the entire lake everyone lived on. Ultimately through various twists and turns a hockey game will decide the fate of the lake. Cyril's son Cedric sides with the other team, and ultimately helps them carry the day. It was in school the next day that another friend, Peter, pointed out during the big game, the play by play is done by Danny Gallivan, who was the CBC's Montreal canadiens real play-by-play man. Pete also said Cedric was wearing a blue and orange Islanders' sweater and on the back – #22.

Mike Bossy was everywhere.

One of the best
Mike Bossy scored a career total of 573 goals and 553 assists for 1,126 points in 752 games. He also added 85 goals and 75 assists for 160 points in 129 playoff games.

He holds or shares the records for most consecutive 50-plus goal seasons with nine; most 50-plus goal seasons with nine; most 60-plus goal seasons with five; highest goals-per-game average with .762; most power-play goals in one playoff season with nine; most consecutive hat tricks with three. He also led the league in goals twice.

And, he did become the second player in NHL history to score 50 goals in 50 games.

In addition to winning the Calder Memorial Trophy for rookie of the year, he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship in 1983, 1984, and 1986. He was a First Team All-Star in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, and 1986; and a Second Team All-Star in 1978, 1979, and 1985. He also played in the 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, and 1986 all-star games.

He suited up for his country in the 1981 and 1984 Canada Cups. In 1981, he had eight goals and three assists for 11 points in seven games, as Canada lost to the Soviet Union in the final. In 1984, he played in eight games, scoring five goals and four assists for nine points as Canada beat the Swedes in the final for gold.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame in 1991, and the New York Islanders retired Mike Bossy’s Number 22 jersey in 1992.

He died on April 15, 2022.

Parting thoughts
It was the 1982 Stanley Cup final and the underdog Vancouver Canucks were hanging with the defending champion Islanders in Game 1. The Canucks led the Islanders late, but Bossy tied the game after defenceman Harold Snepsts collided with goaltender Richard Brodeur who was trying to freeze the puck.

Then, in the dying seconds of the first overtime, Snepsts passed the puck straight to Mike Bossy who made no mistake, scoring the overtime winner and essentially breaking Vancouver’s will. The Islanders would sweep the Canucks in four games.

Five years later one of my best friends, a staunch Canuck fan, recounted that series and said, “Of all the people to pass to, why did it have to be Mike Bossy.

“He’s automatic.”

That summed up the essence of Mike Bossy. He was a pure goal scorer who made no mistake when he had a shot on goal.

There was non one like him.

Tony Danza: Always Tony Micelli to me

Tony Danza as Tony Micelli in "Who's the Boss" opposite Angela Bower, played by Judith Light.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com
/entertainment/10-hot-moments-between-tony-and-angela-on-whos-the-boss
(May be subject to copyright)

He will forever be one character to me – Tony Micelli. He was a single dad, former baseball player, and live-in housekeeper on “Who’s the Boss”. And he had this chemistry with his boss, Angela Bower played by Judith Light, that left viewers wondering, will they ever get together/

However, his career was much longer and more prolific, and the names of his characters had a strange quirk.

What’s in a name?
There was a musical act in the ‘80s called “Tony! Toni! Toné!”.

Nothing could have better described the television career of Tony Danza. The first name of every character he played was named Tony.

That’s why I did a double take a few weeks ago when I was watching the latest season of “Blue Bloods”. When detectives Reagan and Baez responded to a shooting involving an off-duty police officer in his own home, they referred to the cop as “Ray”.

It sounded like Tony Danza, and kind of looked like him, but “Ray” looked a lot older and like he may have had a bit of work done. He also didn’t quite act the same. He was much more serious, but that could just be good acting. And he was a guest star, so he really wasn’t on screen enough to really figure out.

Yet, in the credits there it was in plain sight – “Tony Danza”.

It brought back memories of Tony, Tony, Tony – the three characters he played in the 1980s and beyond.

Murder Can Hurt You
It is ironic the first character I ever saw Tony Danza play actually wasn't named Tony, but it was so close, and for a good reason. He was in “Murder Can Hurt You”, which was a spoof of television detective shows. His character wasn’t named Tony, but Pony – Pony Lambretta, a spoof of TV detective Tony Baretta.

Tony drives taxi
Taxi was a ground-breaking show that achieved a lot of critical success, including multiple Emmy awards. However, it never had the same commercial success, struggled in the ratings and got dropped not once, but twice. It was cancelled once by ABC then picked up by NBC who cancelled it a year later.

The writing was strong and the acting was excellent. It was where viewers first met Danny DeVito as dispatcher Louis DePalma. Judd Hirsch became a household name, garnering an Emmy for his performance as driver Alex Reiger. Marilu Henner broke down some barriers as a strong female lead as driver Elaine Nardo. Christopher Lloyd was incredible as driver Jim Ignatowski who was a spaced out one-time hippie. Jeff Conaway parlayed his role as driver Bobby Wheeler into a spot in Grease, which was a huge box office hit.

Yet, the actor who went onto the biggest success on TV was Tony Danza, playing the dim-witted, punch drunk boxer and tax driver Tony Banta.

Danza had actually been a boxer so he integrated that into his character.

I don’t have a lot of specific memories, but Danza’s role as Tont Banta led to the role that would likely define his career.

Tony keeps house
It was not too long after “Taxi” went off the air that ABC announced Tony Danza would be back on the air for the 1984-1985 season. He was playing Tony Micelli, a former baseball player and single dad, who becomes a live-in housekeeper for Angela Bower, a divorced business executive and mother of one. She was played by Judith Light who had had her biggest success in daytime television. Rounding out the cast were Tony’s daughter, played by a very young Alyssa Milano, who started out as a tomboy; Angela’s son, played by Danny Pintauro; and Angela’s mother Mona, played by Katherine Helmond, who was not far removed from her role as Jessica Tate on “Soap”.

“Who’s the Boss” did not start out being a ratings dynamo. In fact, the show that was its lead in, “People Do the Craziest Things” hosted by Bert Convy, was cancelled after a couple episodes.

I remember fearing “Who’s the Boss” would soon follow given ABC’s quick trigger finger. Yet, it survived that first season. The next year, ABC paired “Who’s the Boss” with another family comedy called, “Growing Pains” and that one-hour time slot would turn in solid ratings until the end of the 1991-1992 season.

Over that period, Tony Danza would explore many different sides of Tony Micelli. In addition to macho, former athlete, he was the sensitive single dad who still grieved the loss of his wife with his daughter. He was also the faithful housekeeper and friend to Angela Bower.

Tony loves Angela
It was inevitable that Tony and Angela would develop feelings for each other. For me, that was the best part of the show. That sexual tension germinated in the first season, began to grow in subsequent seasons, and did blossom into a full romance by the end of the show’s run.

Tony Danza and Judith Light had good on-screen chemistry. It would be those two roles the actors are best remembered for. All told, they ended up appearing in 196 episodes of “Who’s the Boss”.

The years after
Tony Danza would go on to continue acting, voicing the baby in “Baby Talk”, a knock-off of the movie “Look Who’s Talking?” in 1991-1992. He followed that with two more shows. In “Hudson Street” he played a divorced detective for 22 episodes in the 1995-1996 season. He was back in 1997-1998 for 14 episodes in “The Tony Danza Show, where he played a single father of two and a sportswriter. In both shows his character was named – Tony.

He continues to act to this day. In fact, his guest spot in “Blue Bloods” earlier in 2022 is one of his most recent performances.

Parting thoughts
“Who’s the Boss” was a Tuesday night staple on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial. It was a classic sitcom that provided some laughs. More importantly, it provided that sexual tension between Tony Micelli and Angela Bower that kept me coming back every week.

I was a teenager experiencing all these intense emotions for the first time, so every week I hoped Tony and Angela would get together. Whenever Angela dated someone new, I secretly thought, “Tony is way better.” Actually I am pretty sure I said that to my Mom. We watched “Who’s the Boss” together every week.

What made that couple so compelling was that Tony Danza turned in a classic performance as a sensitive, endearing, strong single dad.

He may have gone on to play a lot of other characters – mostly named Tony – but he will always be Tony Micelli to me.

And he did get the girl in the end.

Tony and Angela did live happily ever after. In fact, they would be celebrating their 30th anniversary this year.

Sarah Jessica Parker: From nerd to cool kid

Sarah Jessica Parker as Patty Greene
in "Square Pegs" in 1982-1983.
Source: https://www.throwbacks.com/
no-one-remembers-square-pegs-but-the
-drama-behind-the-scenes-is-unforgettable/
(May be subject to copyright)

She went from being a literal square peg in a round hole, to a fashion leader. From someone people wanted to avoid to someone thousands of women wanted to be like. It may be one of the greatest transformations in pop culture.

Such is the journey Sarah Jessica Parker made from a geek in the short-lived sitcom “Square Pegs” in the 1980s, to columnist and fashionista in New York in "Sex and the City".

Geek
“Square Pegs” was kind of an oddball show that appeared on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial during the 1982-1983 season. Two girls vowed, in the opening credits, that this was the year they were going to be popular. They said the school all comes down to cliques, and they just had to find the right one.

The two girls were Patty Greene and Lauren Huchinson, played by two unknown actors at the time named Sarah Jessica Parker and Amy Linker.

Lauren was chubby, Patty wore glasses and braces, and each week they tried a different way to become popular.

As for the rest, on the one side, were their fellow nerds Marshall Blechtman, who wanted to be a stand-up comedian, and new wave punk Johnny Slash. On the other side were the popular kids. One was Jennifer DiNuccio, who was the stereotypical valley girl. At one point she sees Patty and Lauren and says, “Gross me out the door”. There was Ladonna Fredericks, the cheerleader; and Vinny Pasetta, who was the “hunk” every girl wanted to date. There was also Muffy Tepperman, who was your glee club, booster club, involved-in-all-school activities type.

They were all stereotypes of the cliques the show was trying to illustrate. John Hughes would be much more effective – and successful – a few years later doing the same thing in “The Breakfast Club”.

There were some heartfelt episodes such as the one Vinny sees Patty with her glasses off and they kind of go on a date. Of course, it was never destined to work out.

However, seeing Jessica Parker with her glasses off, showing the world the beauty she really did have, was a prelude of things to come.

Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw
in "Sex and the City" in 1998-2004.
Source: https://www.thelist.com
/281742/the-untold-truth-of-sex-and-the-city/
(May be subject to copyright)

Transformation
The next time I recall seeing Sarah Jessica Parker, she had begun her transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. The movie was “L.A. Story” in 1990, and she played SanDeE, the ditzy and much younger love interest of Steve Martin. She was no longer a wall flower, but superficial, outgoing and sexy.

That led to more roles and her eventual lead in the iconic “Sex and the City”, where she won two Emmy awards and four Golden Globes for the role of Carrie Bradshaw. She also played Bradshaw in two theatrical movies and in “Just Like That…”, the 2021 update to “Sex and the City”.

Parting thoughts
It never ceases to amaze me how things can change on a dime. When “Square Pegs” went off the air in 1983, I would never have guessed the actor who played the mousy Patty Greene would shed that geek image and not only become a fashion idol but also one of the strongest female characters on television.

Recently, I binge-watched all six seasons of “Sex and the City” and the two movies. Every so often, when I watched Carrie Bradshaw with her friends Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda, I saw Patty Greene hanging out with her buddy Lauren Hutchinson in the halls of Weemawee High in 1983.

Working on a rainy day with Force MDs

 

“Here I (am) all alone …” played on an old transistor radio just a few feet from where I was sitting.

It was fitting because that was exactly what I was doing on a stormy day in March of 1986.

The song was “Tender Love” by Force MDs, and every time I hear it I am transported back to that day.

First job
We used to always have two days off, a Thursday and Friday, near the end of February. It was teachers’ convention and it gave us a four-day weekend.

It was Wednesday night, and I was playing on my Commodore 64. I was designing a video game, a sort of choose your own adventure with graphics. Back then they were all text only, if you can believe that.

Well, the phone rang. My Mom got it and said it was for me. I asked who it was, and she was not quite sure, but thought he was offering me a job.

That was odd, I thought, but I went to the phone. The owner was man named Bill Gergeley and he needed someone to help him out at his greenhouse. He had phoned my high school guidance counsellor Ed Ryan looking for a recommendation. Mr. Ryan was like a second father to me, so he gave my name and number to Mr. Gergeley. So now he was asking if I’d come help him out.

The greenhouse was just south of the final stop on my school bus route, so I never actually saw it. Yet, I knew where it was because he gave directions.

So, I awoke early that Thursday morning and my Dad drove me to the greenhouse. He was not completely sure what it was either, but we made it.

There was no one there. I thought for sure someone would be waiting, but no. I saw a greenhouse and went in. It was humid and lush with hanging plants. It was like an oasis on the prairies. Still no one though. Later I was to discover it was called the "South House".

On the other side of the yard was a house. I figured I would try there. I knocked but was hesitant. After a minute or two, this man answered who was about my dad’s age, wearing a white muscle shirt and disheveled hair. He obviously just got out of bed.

That was my introduction to Bill Gergeley, who was one of the kindest, nicest people I ever met.

Taking a leak – or at least trimming some
I had been at the greenhouse about a month doing all kinds of jobs. I worked after school and all day Saturdays until this one Saturday when the weather was brutal. It was storming, cool, rainy and even a bit snowy.

When I was unsure of going to work, I was told to phone the Gergeleys. So I did, assuming Mr. Gergeley would just tell me to stay home.

“No, I guess you can come, I’ve got a job for you,” he said.

I was stunned. So was my Dad, but he was pretty supportive in wanting me to work, so we headed out into the crappy weather.

This time, Mr. Gergeley was waiting for me at the greenhouse.

The job was simple, but it ended up taking all day. The greenhouse sold bedding-out plants that came in long trays with 12 cells in each tray. Each cell had six holes or spots for plants. He had a whole section, maybe five or six beds, with onions. He wanted me to cut down the onions using some garden sheers. They literally looked like hair and I was to cut them.

So, I spent the day pulling these cells apart, cutting maybe two inches off the onions, and putting them back in the tray. When the tray was full, I took it back to the bed and grabbed the next one.

Mr. Gergeley set me up on a chair in the greenhouse he wanted the onions put in. He also gave me a transistor radio to keep me company.

I set to work and all I could hear was the wind gently nudging the plastic of the greenhouse back and forth, rain pitter pattering on the plastic, and music brought to me by 1090 CHEC.

I also got lost in my thoughts. I really liked this girl at school and just thought about her, how helpless I felt in doing anything about my feelings, and how lonely I felt.

Amidst all that I heard it.

“Hear I am, all alone…”

It was not only where I was physically, but where I was mentally and emotionally.

Parting thoughts
The greenhouse played a big part in my life when I was a teenager. I learned so much and grew as a person.

We played the radio a lot to pass the time, so a lot of memories are tied to songs I heard when I was working.

None may be more memorable than “Tender Love”. Every time I hear it, I am transported back to the Spring of 1986, where I heard “Here I am all alone”, and, for a few hours, I really was.

Joe Schlesinger: What’s in a name?

Joe Schlesinger was one of the best international
correspondents the CBC had for decades, including the '80s.
Source: https://electriccanadian.com/history/Czechs.htm
(May be subject to copyright)

When I had heard Joe Schlesinger died a few years ago, I had two reactions. Immediately read his autobiography, then my mind drifted back to the 1995 Orange Bowl.

Time Zones
I bought Schlesinger’s autobiography, called “Time Zones”, at a garage sale in Nanaimo when I was visiting my brother. Years later, I read the book immediately after I heard Joe Schlesinger had died. 

Sometimes you find the book and sometimes the book finds you.

What struck me about the book was the way it was organized. Instead of a chronological recounting of his life, although it had elements of that, it was divided into each area of the world he covered through his career. Given his career as a journalist was defined by the various beats he covered, it was the perfect way to tell his story.

He even described himself as that guy on the news who "talked funny".

I never really noticed that, maybe because everyone around me when I was growing up "talked funny".

My strongest memory was always his sign off, “Joe Schlesinger, CBC News” followed by that part of the world he was reporting from.

Cory Schlesinger played for the Nebraska
Cornhuskers then the Detroit Lions.
He could hardly be mistaken for journalist
Joe Schlesinger. That's what made the joke so funny.
Source: https://nptelegraph.com/sports/
new-role-for-cory-the-fb/
article_413d1af4-5f41-58f4-8255-1ae260412116.html
(May be subject to copyright)

Football player?
I equated Joe Schlesinger with a lot of things, but college football was not one of them. That’s what made the 1995 Orange Bowl so funny to watch.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers were playing Miami, essentially for the college football national championship. Nebraska was ranked number one in the country but Miami always seemed to find a way to win these big games. Nebraska had been snake bitten by Miami before. Worse, they had a bit of a knock on them that they could not win the big game.

I had not really seen Nebraska play a lot all season so I was just getting to know the players as the game went along.

What made it really fun was watching with my good friend Mike Weisbart, who also was just getting to know the team.

I recall the Cornhuskers were undefeated, but Miami was ranked number three, with just one loss, and were gunning for yet another national championship.

The Hurricanes went up 10-0 after the first quarter and 10-7 at halftime. Miami got another touchdown in the third quarter and Nebraska scored their lone points of the period, on a safety touch, to make the score 17-9 with one quarter to play.

Then a fullback I had never heard of, partly because I hadn’t watched any college football that season, named Cory Schlesinger took over.

He rumbled in from 15 yards out to close the gap to 17-15.

“Joe Schlesinger?” I yelled.

As a faithful viewer of CBC News, Mike laughed.

Nebraska then converted the two-point conversion to tie the game.

The Huskers kept feeding Schlesinger the ball.

Mike went to the bathroom, just when Schlesinger scored from 14 yards out.

“Who was it?” he asked.

“Joe Schlesinger!” I yelled.

Nebraska held on to win the game 24-17 and secure the national championship.

Parting thoughts
It was a weird game of name play, as only college kids can find funny.

But it was such a great night. I spent it with one of my dearest friends, and I remember that more than the game itself. Especially because Mike Weisbart, a connoisseur of CBC News, is one of the only people I know who would find me "mistaking" a burly fullback from Nebraska for a senior news correspondent the least bit funny.

A few months later, it was time for the NFL draft.

When I saw Mike, I asked him who his beloved Detroit Lions took in the draft.

He got this big grin.

“Joe Schlesinger!”

See what I mean?

The power of Peter Stastny

Peter Stastny was one of the most prolific scorers of the 1980s.
In fact, only Wayne Gretzky had more points in the decade than Stastny.
Source: Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images
https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/15703006/peter-stastny-retired-fighting-son-sport-home-country/
(May be subject to copyright)

Wayne Gretzky is the top scorer of the 1980s, but who is number two?

The answer would surprise some, but anyone who ever saw Peter Stastny play, would instantly realize how smooth a playmaker he was and how great a scorer.

More impressive than his talent is his personal story. It started behind the Iron Curtain then led to freedom, on and off the ice.

I was thinking about Peter Stastny when his son Paul scored an important overtime winner for Winnipeg in the Stanley Cup playoffs last year.

Cry freedom
The journey of Peter Stastny begins in a different time and literally in a different place. He was born behind the Iron Curtain and rose to become the greatest hockey player in Czechoslovakia.

Yet Peter Stastny despised Communism and the oppression it brought. When he was just 11 years old, Soviet tanks rolled into his native Czechoslovakia in 1968 to quell a populist uprising.

He, and his countrymen, would exact some measure of revenge a few short years later, winning the 1976 and 1977 world championships over the Soviets. He would help Czechoslovakia advance to the final of the inaugural Canada Cup in 1976 where they lost to Canada on Darryl Sittler’s overtime goal. He also played for his country in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.

By then, he had begun to speak out against the Communist regime. In turn, they threatened to drop him from the national team if he continued, but that just steeled his resolve. Peter Stastny vowed to do something about his desire for freedom – and did.

The year was 1980, not much after the Winter Olympics, and the dawn of a new decade would bring freedom for Peter Stastny. He, his pregnant wife Darina, and brother Anton defected from Czechoslovakia. They were playing in a tournament in Innsbruck where they were smuggled out of Austria, by officials of the Quebec Nordiques.

Peter Stastny was now a free man.

Immediate impact
Stastny was 24 when he joined the NHL. That was considered old for a rookie back then. He contributed immediately, turning in one of the greatest rookie seasons in NHL history. Stastny recorded 109 points in 77 games, with 39 goals and 70 assists. He still shares the record for assists by a rookie, and was the first rookie in league history to score more than 100 points.

That effort won him the Calder Trophy as the league’s outstanding rookie, but there was some opposition. Critics claimed he really wasn’t a rookie, having played professional-level hockey for years in Czechoslovakia. It was a debate that would go on for years. The rules were only changed after Sergei Makarov, who was even older and more seasoned than Stastny, won the rookie of the year.

Reunion
The next season a third brother, Marian Stastny, would also defect in 1981 and join the Nordiques. The three brothers would make NHL history when all three combined for a goal, which was recorded on the scoresheet as Stastny from Stastny and Stastny. I remember riding the bus on the way to school and hearing that very fact on the radio.

One of the best
Peter Stastny would cement his place in history as one of the top scorers of the decade with a string of successful seasons.

In his second year, Stastny continued to impress, with the performance of his career. He played in 80 games, scoring 46 goals and adding 93 assists for 139 points. In his third season, 1982-1983, he had 124 points, with 47 goals and 77 assists in 75 games.

He would stay at or above the 100-point mark for three more seasons. He had 46 goals and 73 assists for 119 points in 1983-1984; a total of 32 goals and 68 assists for 100 points in 1984-1985; and 41 goals and 81 assists for 122 points In 1985-1986.

Statstny missed 18 games in the 1986-1987 season, and his production fell off to 24 goals and 53 assists for 77 points.

The following season, 1987-1988, he was back up to form, recording 111 points in 76 games, with 46 goals and 65 assists.

The following season, 1988-1989, would be Stastny’s final full year with the Nordiques. He appeared in 72 games, scoring 35 goals and adding 50 assists for 85 points.

Stastny played 62 games for the Nordiques in the 1989-1990 season, recording 62 points with 24 goals and 38 assists. On March 6, 1990, Peter Stastny was traded to the New Jersey Devils for Craig Wolanin and future considerations which turned out to be Randy Velischek.

A period of his career in Quebec, that had spanned the entire decade of the 1980s, had come to an end.

Enemy to friend
Peter Stastny had become a Canadian citizen while with the Nordiques. In 1984, he did something unthinkable only five years earlier – he suited up for Team Canada and played in the Canada Cup. One of the teams he faced was his old country Czechoslovakia.

It would not be the last time he changed teams and played for another country. He would become the only player in history to suit up for three different countries in international play. That happened when Stastny played for Slovakia in the 1994 Winter Olympics and the 1995 World Championships. He was even named the tournament’s top forward at those 1995 World Championships.

The years after
Peter Stastny would begin a new decade with a new team. He appeared in 12 games for the Devils in 1989-1990, scoring five goals and adding six assists for 11 points. He would play three seasons with the Devils, then two with the St. Louis Blues. Between these two seasons with the Blues, he went home and played four games with HC Slovan Bratislava, notching four assists. He retired at the end of the 1994-1995 season.

He played a total of 977 games in the NHl, scoring 450 goals and 789 assists for 1,239 points in 15 seasons. Those numbers put him 34th on the all-time scoring list. He also played 93 playoff games, recording 33 goals and 72 assists for 105 points, and played in the 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1988 all-star games.

Peter Stastny was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998.

After his hockey career ended, he entered politics, and was elected a member of the European Parliament for Slovakia in 2004, serving until 2014.

Parting thoughts
When I was in university, a friend of mine told me about a profile of Peter Stastny he read in the Globe and Mail. In it, Stastny was described as a renaissance man in part because he spoke six languages – Czech, Slovak, German, Russian, English, and French. That always impressed me.

So did his commitment to his home country. once the Iron Curtain fell. He returned to suit up for Slovakia in international play and, after his playing days were over, he continued to represent his country. Only this time as a member of the European Parliament.

Beyond all that, was his wizardry on the ice.

I will never forget the time I saw Peter Stastny play. It was in the 1992-1993 season and, by then, he was playing with New Jersey. He brought his Devils to the Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton  and I went to the game with my friend Dominik Aeby. It was part way through the first period, and Stastny was bringing the puck into the Oiler zone. Then he made a cross-ice pass, just high enough off the ice to go over the outstretched sticks of two Oilers and hit the tape on his teammate’s stick. I have since discovered that is called a saucer pass, but back then it seemed like magic to me.

That was the power of Peter Stastny.

Memories of the Lethbridge YMCA

The old Lethbridge YMCA on Stafford Drive across from the library. We spent a lot of Friday nights there in 1986 and 1987.
Source: Photo CJOC News (Pat Siedlecki)
https://www.mylethbridgenow.com/131/lethbridge-city-council-votes-to-demolish-former-ymca-building/
(May be subject to copyright)

What started out as a night out became a Friday night fixture. For almost two years, the Lethbridge YMCA was not only a place to go for a few hours, but became an institution.

A couple weeks ago I saw something that I knew had happened, but still made my heart a bit sad. The Lethbridge YMCA, located downtown across the street from the Lethbridge Public Library, was torn down a few months ago. Now, for the first time, I saw the empty lot that once was occupied by the YMCA.

It brought back a lot of memories, that all started in the spring of 1986, with a game of racquetball.

Racquet time
For awhile me and my new friend Randy heard about some of his friends playing racquetball at the YMCA in Lethbridge. Friday night was teen night, where we could have access to essentially the entire facility for one dollar. That sounded pretty interesting to us.

I had just started working at the greenhouse and Randy had just bought his first car, which he just loved. He agreed to pick me up from work, which was on the way from his place to Lethbridge. I used to wear overalls to work, over my school clothes, so when he picked me up, he didn’t want me sitting with those coveralls on his new seats. So he spread papers on the passenger seat. I totally understood that though.

When we got to the “Y”, we realized something. In our zeal to go to the “Y”, we both forgot gym clothes. We knew we could get racquets and balls at the “Y” but we never thought past that. Still, we solved that problem. The “Y” did have a pair of shorts that sort of fit me, and Randy had no problem playing in his jeans.

I will never forget when we walked in. There were huge windows that showed this massive gym below. I was hooked immediately.

We really didn’t know the rules, but we kind of did, and had a great time.

Getting racquets
We went a couple more times, as more of our friends like Chris and Dave started to come too. Eventually, Randy and I decided it was time to buy our own racquets.

We had heard the Woolco sports department was top quality, so we went there. The interesting thing was the salesman who sold us the racquets was Steven Gergely, one of the sons of the family I worked for who owned the greenhouse. The racquets were cheap too, like $20, but right what we were looking for.

The next Friday, when we got to the “Y”, Randy showed me what he had done to his racquet. He had found some letters and put his name on the racquet. H also pointed to something on the shaft – the number one. He was telling me, tongue in cheek, that he was the best. We both laughed.

Focus power
One of Randy’s closest friends before we met was named Larry. One night, he came to the “Y” and it was a night to remember.

Larry and Randy played me and Chris in doubles racquetball. They totally hammed it up, which was kind of funny.

They got this idea to “focus power” when they hit the ball, just like Mr. Miyagi told Daniel in “The Karate Kid”. So before every serve they said, “Focus power”. After each point they won, they would face each other, tap racquets and bow.

It got kind of old, because there was more of that than racquetball. The more frustrating part was it was pretty effective, and they gave us all we could handle.

It was your average teenage boy fun.

Clang
One night, Randy and I went down to the courts and there was this big metal thing up against the front wall. We played a bit, but that metal thing made a heck of a clang when the ball hit it.

Then Randy said, “Maybe it’s for squash.”

We went into this equipment room that had all sorts of stuff. That was where we got the first racquetball racquets we used. We found a couple squash racquets and a squash ball. Once we hit the ball around, it began to make sense. A squash ball was a lot softer, unlike a racquet ball which was hard and bounced all over the place. The squash ball just kind of died when it hit the wall, so you had to hit it way harder than a racquet ball. I could see how people said squash was a good workout.

The metal thing made sense now too. You had to hit the ball above it, so it would bounce off the wall. If you hit the ball low on the wall, it would die and you could score on every serve. So that metal thing ensured there would be rallies. Ingenious.

Parting thoughts
Racquetball was fun, but in the end it was just an entré into the Lethbridge YMCA. Pretty soon we were checking out the other parts of the “Y. More of our friends and classmates began to show up too. Some tried out the weight room, others the pool and showers.

Me, I felt the pull of something else – the basketball court.

But that is another story for another day on the blog.

Dee Wallace Stone: Remembering the mom from E.T. and more

 

Dee Wallace Stone with E.T.: The Extraterrestrial. Wallace Stone played the mother of Elliott,
the boy who found E.T. and helped him get home. It is the role for which she is most famous.
Source: Photo courtesy of Dee Wallace Stone
https://medium.com/intergenerational-inspiration/intergenerational-inspiration-q-a-with-dee-wallace-hollywood-actress-9ba56bd62440
(May be subject to copyright)

A few months ago when I was binge-watching “911”, there was someone familiar playing Evan and Maddie’s mom. It took a couple minutes, and a quick check of the Internet Movie Data Base, for me to confirm it was Dee Wallace Stone.

Older now, she still conjured up memories of another mother she played almost 40 years ago – Elliott’s mother on “ET: The Extraterrestrial”.

That would be Dee Wallace Stone’s most famous role, but not the only thing she did in the 1980s.

Outer space again
The other major role I saw Dee Wallace Stone in was "The Sky’s No Limit” in 1984, where she played an astronaut training to go into outer space. My outstanding memory was the aspiring astronauts all talking about how competitive the space program was then, a few minutes later, one of them jumping the line and, to the surprise of the others, being in the simulator. I think that was Dee Wallace Stone. Her co-stars for that movie were Sharon Gless and Anne Archer, so it may have been one of them too.

Prolific in movies and TV
Throughout the 1980s, Dee Wallace Stone continued to appear in movies, such as “Cujo” in 1983; “Secret Admirer” in 1985; and “Critters” in 1986.

She also guest starred in a lot of the TV dramas of the day including, “Simon and Simon”; “The Twilight Zone”; and “Hotel”.

Together We Stand
Dee Wallace Stone even tried her hand at network TV starring opposite Elliott Gould in a comedy called “Together We Stand” in 1986-1987. I saw it when I was in Grade 12, and it really wasn’t that good, the reason why it only lasted 19 episodes. It was about a married couple who raise three adopted and one biological child of different ethnicities.

My outstanding memory is that one of the children was played by Ke Huy Quan, who had recently played the boy Short Round opposite Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”. In one episode, one of the jokes centred on how his character Sam, could not say Arnold Schwarzenegger’s last name, instead saying “Schwarzanooogie”. The day after that episode, I was sitting in Social 30 and my friend Shawn, who sat in front of me, turned around and said, “Schwarzanooogie”. He had obviously seen “Together We Stand” the night before as well.

Part way through its run, Elliott Gould was dropped and the show was re-named “Nothing is Easy”.

Parting thoughts
Dee Wallace Stone’s most famous role was one of her very first. She will be etched in movie history as Elliott’s mother in “E.T.: The Extraterrestrial”. Yet she continued to act all through the 1980s, 1990s and beyond.

It is a tribute to her longevity that she is still working almost 40 years after that iconic, award-winning role, and still turning in solid performances.

Gregory Harrison: Remembering Gonzo, Trapper John and more

Gregory Harrison's most memorable role in the 1980s
was his seven years as Dr. G. Alonzo "Gonzo" Gates
on the CBS drama "Trapper John, M.D."
Here he is at left with Pernell Roberts who played Trapper John.
Source: https://www.amazon.com/
Erthstore-Trapper-Pernell-Roberts-Harrison/dp/B07WD947ZY
(May be subject to copyright)

When I was binge-watching “911” a few months ago, I spotted someone I recognized instantly when he was playing Evan and Maddie’s dad. Although he was a little older and a little greyer, he still looked like Gonzo from “Trapper John, M.D.”

That was a breakout role for Gregory Harrison on the drama that aired Sunday nights on Channel 7 of the peasant vision dial, and it started a career that continues to this day.

Super sequel sort-of
“Trapper John, M.D.” was one of the most unique sequels in television history. It followed the exploits of “Trapper John” McIntyre 30 years after he was introduced to us as a field army hospital surgeon in the comedy “M*A*S*H”. On that show, he was the king of practical jokes with his friend Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce. It was their way of coping with all the horror that surrounded them during the Korean Conflict. After three seasons of “M*A*S*H”, “Trapper John” was rotated home, never to be seen and rarely referred to again.

Until the fall of 1979 that is, when “Trapper John, M.D.” premiered on CBS, and Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial. The opening scene pans across black and white photos of a M*A*S*H unit in Korea, including an operating room, then tilts down to a middle-aged man, obviously a doctor, sleeping on a couch. Suddenly, a nurse bursts in announcing casualties are coming. We discover the doctor is Trapper John. He arouses groggily, calling for Hawkeye and Radar. The nurse, who we soon discover served with Trapper John in Korea, said he is no longer in Korea, he’s in San Francisco.

It gets really interesting soon after. This young man arrives at the hospital and wanders into the emergency room. There he discovers a man who cannot breathe, with no one seemingly caring, so he attends to the patient, saving his life with an emergency tracheotomy. Fresh off that, Trapper John grabs him to assist in surgery.

Only after surgery, does it dawn on Trapper John that he does not know the name of this new surgeon, nor if he actually works at the hospital. Well, the young surgeon introduces himself as G. Alonzo Gates, but you can call him Gonzo. And no, he doesn’t work at the hospital. In fact, he was there applying for a job.

Trapper John is quite concerned he could lose his licence, get sued and the hospital could get in trouble because Gonzo was not on staff.

However, he gets Gonzo to apply for a job, and discovers that Gonzo had also worked at a M*A*S*H unit in Vietnam.

When Trapper John goes to talk to him, a nurse tells him Gonzo is on the Titanic. It is a motorhome Gonzo won in a craps game that he lives in, parked in the hospital parking lot.

He tracks Gonzo down, having a drink on the roof of the Titanic where he discovers Gonzo did not choose this particular hospital by accident. It turns out Trapper John, and his buddy Hawkeye, are legendary in M*A*S*H units. Gonzo sought out Trapper John to work with him.

Trapper John soon discovers, in all his worry over policy, procedure, and administration, he is not the crusading, idealistic surgeon he once was. Gonzo reminds him of a younger version of himself, and one of the nurses points out the same thing to him.

In the pilot, Gonzo alludes to his age being about 28, which was about how old Gregory Harrison was when he debuted as Gonzo.

He would go on to play that role for six season, and more than 142 episodes portraying a doctor who started young and idealistic who became an older, more mature surgeon who still did anything for his patients.

Before Gonzo
My first exposure to Gregory Harrison was in a role he played for barely a season, but left a big impression on me. It was as Logan 5 in the television series “Logan’s Run”, based on the science fiction movie of the same name.

Logan's run is set in the future, when nuclear war forces humanity to create domed cities to survive. Since, there is limited space inside the City of the Domes, a whole religion evolves around the idea people can only live until they are 30. At that time, they enter Cathedral for Carousel, which is essentially a death ritual. However, there are those who do not want to die, and seek to escape. They are called Runners. In response, the City has an army of soldiers called Sandmen who hunt Runners and preserve order. Logan 5 is a Sandman who meets Jessica 6. She convinces him to run with her, to escape the City of the Domes and see what is outside. Francis 7, Logan’s best friend and fellow Sandman, is dispatched to hunt down Logan and Jessica. The TV series chronicles the adventures of Logan and Jessica as they explore the outside world while trying to elude Francis.

I really liked “Logan’s Run” and even pretended to be a Sandman, using this pocket knife as my gun or blaster.

A few years ago, I bought “Logan’s Run” on DVD and watched about half of it. I still enjoyed it especially Gregory Harrison’s portrayal of Logan.

Ironically, Gregory Harrison also had a guest spot on an episode of – “M*A*S*H”, and it was in 1976 when Trapper John was still at the 4077th M*A*S*H.

Beyond Gonzo
Gregory Harrison left “Trapper John, M.D.” part way through the final season in 1986. He had already done some other work, like TV movies such as “For Women Only” and later “Oceans of Fire.”

He would appear in the spoof “Fresno” in 1986. It was on CBC and I recall staring to watch it but somehow lost interest and never finished watching it. It was a send-up of prime time soap operas such as “Dallas” and “Falcon Crest”. It repeated in the fall of 1987 because I recall catching a few minutes of it when I was living in res at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

Harrison closed out the decade by appearing as the bad guy in the final season of “Falcon Crest” in 1989-1990. By then, I had stopped watching “Falcon Crest” regularly. However, I was home from university in the summer of 1990 and CFAC Channel 7 was playing a marathon of episodes of “Falcon Crest” one Sunday morning. I caught a bunch of those episodes. That’s when I saw that Kristian Alfonso, formerly Hope on “Days Of Our Lives”, was also on the show. I recall Channel 7 doing that before. It was like they had paid for a show then never got around to airing it so they aired a bunch of episodes on a Sunday in kind of a marathon. They did the same thing with the last season of “Happy Days”, where they burned off all the episodes in one day.

Gregory Harrison continued on through the 1980s and beyond, working through to the present day at the age of 71.

Parting thoughts
In today’s day and age where dozens upon dozens of shows have been re-booted, re-imagined, or resumed after going off the air years ago, “Trapper John, M.D.” would not be unique today.

Yet in its time it certainly was.

However, beyond the novelty of the show, one of the things that made it stand out was the performance of Gregory Harrison. He was essentially a newcomer to network TV. He injected the youth, energy and exuberance needed to play a brash, young, idealistic doctor. It is hard to believe that in the opening episode, when Gonzo refers to his age being 29, Gregory Harrison is actually the same age.

It was a role that made his career, and was his most recognized role of the decade. Yet, Gregory Harrison would keep on working to this day, making the transition from young, handsome, and a bit rebellious to a distinguished, older gentleman.

He went from playing the son to the father. It is kind of ironic that Evan Buckley, whose father Gregory Harrison portrays, is young, brash, and a bit rebellious, just like Gonzo Gates was in his day.

That says a lot about how far Gregory Harrison’s career had come.