And the Crowd Goes Crazy: Bob Cole’s Unforgettable Moments

Bob Cole

Let's talk some more about the voices of the game. One of my favourites was Bob Cole. There was nothing better than watching Bob Cole on Saturday night hockey night in Canada.

Bob's vocabulary - My three favourites

Oh Baby!

One of my favourite Bob Cole sayings was "Oh, Baby." It seemed to light up the room whenever I heard it. When you heard Bob say "Oh, baby," you knew it was something special. What made it so powerful was that he didn't use it for any play. He only used it at the most significant parts of the game; he was the perfect storyteller in every way.

Wow!

I love how he would say "Wow!" at the end of the play. It's the perfect way to describe a great save or a great goal. It was his tone that made it so good. You knew this was the most important part of the game. He's probably up in heaven announcing a legendary game as we speak, happy as ever. He was always talking to people. He loved the game. He loved the people who were part of the community in the game.

And the crowd goes crazy

"And the crowd goes crazy," sent chills down my spine. It would evoke either joy or sorrow, depending on whether the result was in my team's favor or not. The term was perfect for the atmosphere; it described exactly what was going on.

Bob's best calls

Joe Sakic's breakaway goal 2002

Has to be one of my favourites. Canada is trying to hang on. "They get a break. It's gonna be a break. It is Joe Sakic… scores! Jiiiiiiiiooooo Sakic scores!" All Canadians were hanging on his words.

"They are going home" from the 1976 Super Series in Philly

The epic call when the Soviet Red Army left for the dressing room. The Red Army Team was leaving after a controversial hit by Flyers defenceman Ed Van Impe. Bob's repeated call that "they're going home" was epic.

Final word

Bob was the fans' mouthpiece and representative for the game. He was the one who paved the way for announcers today. He set the standard. Bob was the master.

“Bernie, Bernie, Bernie”: The Goalie Who Could Do No Wrong

The hockey world lost another legend. The iconic Bernie Parent left us this weekend. He was the heart behind the Philadelphia Bullies in the 1970s. I did not meet Bernie, but from what I read, he is one of the most loved players in the NHL. People had nothing but good things to say about him.

When I was younger, I was ecstatic when the Toronto Maple Leafs made a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers and acquired the iconic Bernie Parent.

The Toronto Maple Leafs sent Bruce Gamble, Mike Shakey Walton, and a first-round pick back to the Flyers. With Bernie, the Toronto Maple Leafs had a dynamic duo in goal, with Plante being the other goalie. After two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, we lost Bernie to the WHA. Bernie returned to the NHL’s Maple Leafs and was immediately traded to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Parent became an elite goalie with the Flyers. Winning two Stanley Cups, two Vesna trophies, and finally two Con Smith trophies. He was the MVP of the Philadelphia Flyers, or should I say Philadelphia Phillies, during their Stanley Cup years. In those years, the Flyers were a rough team. He could do no wrong among the Philadelphia Flyers fans as they chanted “Bernie, Bernie, Bernie.” He was the immovable object in the net. The opposing teams had a hard enough time getting around the Flyers’ defence, but then they have to face Bernie in net. It would take a perfect shot to beat him.

In Parent’s final six seasons, his average was a sensational 2.32. The two years they won the cup were 1.89 in 1973-74. That year, he had a whopping 12 shutouts. In the second year, 1974-75, his average was 2.04, and he again recorded 12 shutouts.

Final Word

I remember the years when the Flyers won the Stanley Cup. I wondered how many cups the Leafs would have won with him in net. I wish we could have had him for a couple more years. The world is a lot sadder without him.

Randy

Giordano Hangs Up the Skates, Picks Up the Whistle

Mark has officially called it quits. He announced his retirement after accepting a position reportedly within the Marlies staff.

Primarily known as Gio Mark, he made his Mark (see what I did there?) with the Flames from 2008 to 2021. Mark won the James Norris Trophy in the 2018-2019 season. He was probably even better defensively than offensively. What made him so good was that he instinctively knew where the play was going on the defensive ends. His stick would break on 2-on-1 breaks, either by blocking the pass or defying the shots. Mark was constantly among the best shot blockers in the league.

Mark was also a leader in the dressing room. He won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award. The trophy awarded to him demonstrates leadership skills in his community and the dressing room. Mark and his wife were known in Calgary for their charitable work through the Team Giordano foundation. Team Giordano partnered with the Calgary Board of Education to provide resources for low-income schools.

Mark played in the 2015, 2016, and 2020 All-Star Games and was a first-team all-star in 2020. He ended his illustrious career with the last three years in Toronto, where he was indeed another coach on the ice. His best year for points was 2018, with 74 points. Gio's record for the most goals was 21 in 2015. The Flames lost Gio in the Seattle expansion draft and traded him to the Leafs.

Why this is a good hire for the Marlies

Michael will be great with the kids. He will teach them how to be defensive, responsible, and how to make it into the big leagues. With 16 years of experience as one of the most offensive responsible defencemen in the league, he will be a great coach for these kids. A great hire by The Mapleleaf organization. 

Blue Line Blues: Life After Dobson

To put it mildly, the New York Islanders’ defense is a complete mess. We don’t know exactly what we have. Let’s try to put it together one piece at a time, as if we were putting a jigsaw puzzle together.

Alexander Romanov

Alexander has to take over this team. He is the number one defenceman and has to play like it. He has to share the load of the offense. If he doesn’t, then the New York Islanders are in trouble. Bottom line, he is the man.

Adam Pelech

If Adam can stay healthy, he can be a key cornerstone of the defense. He is a good, steady, defensive defenceman. Any kind of offence from him will be a bonus.

Tony DeAngelo

Tony is what he is. He is a solid number four defenceman with some upside on the offense. He will be an asset on the power play. Tony has to compensate for some of Dobson’s losses. He has to add his offensive numbers, but do not put all of it on his shoulders. That would not be fair to Tony and would put undue pressure on him.

Ryan Pulock

I’m going to be straightforward with Ryan. We need to have the Ryan who scored 10 goals. Someone has to pick up the pieces after the loss of Dobson. I am not saying that Ryan has to do it all. I’m saying that we could use some more offense from Ryan. Remember that hard shot that he had on the power play? Can we have some more of that, please?

Matthew Schaefer

I have discussed Matthew enough of late. If he stays, he will be the number one defenceman on the power play. I would let him stay for the first nine games of the season and then send him back to Juniors. This is where I previously discussed Matthew.

Adam Boqvist

Adam is what he is. Adam is a serviceable number five defenseman. He is solid, nothing flashy, he knows his role and does it. Adam’s strength is that he rarely gets caught out of position. He might not be as athletic as the other defenseman, but he won’t give you any unnecessary grief.

Scott Mayfield

Scott has to play with a chip on his shoulder and be more defensively responsible. He is more viable than people think; he is a solid number-six defenseman.

Final word

The loss of Dobson cannot be put on one defenceman. The offence must come by committee. Everyone has to pick up the slack. We’re not talking 30 or 40 points each, but maybe an improvement of five points each. Dobson will be missed, but Romanoff, DeAngelo, and Schaefer can make it up. If everyone does their share, the Islanders might not be as bad as people think. 

Heaven Just Got a Goalie: Remembering Eddie Giacomin

Hockey has lost another legend: Eddie Giacomin, a New York Rangers Hall of Famer. Eddie was a fan favourite. He loved playing in New York and was a Big Apple hero. Eddie played for the Rangers from 1965 to early in the 1976 season. He was a favourite in the dressing room; heaven just got a true gentleman.

Eddie’s best season in the NHL was the 1971 season. He might have only played 45 games, but he racked up 27 wins that year, with only 10 losses. What was most impressive about that season was that Eddie’s save percentage was a whopping 922, saving the first shot 92% of the time, which was especially impressive in those days. The goalies did not have the equipment that they have now. Eddie was old school. He did not get a goalie mask until late in his career. 

He was Iron Man for most of his career. He played between 60 and 70 games per season in the 60s, which was especially impressive because the season was only 70 games. Between 1966 and 1970, Eddie missed only six starts.

I have a really good contact who I consider a very good friend. I contacted him to see if he would like to put in a good word for Eddie. Jan writes for Hockey Hot Stove. He gave me permission to take a quote from his article:

“The most famous image of Giacomin is from his return to MSG after he was claimed by Detroit four games into the 1975-76 season. The Red Wings faced the Rangers in New York the game after he joined Detroit. Giacomin was feted through the contest by the adoring and angry fan base, who chanted Ed-die, Ed-die. The emotions of the contest, which he won 6-4, finally got to Giacomin, as the iconic picture is of him with his face in his hands, crying.”

And one more quote from him before I close the article:

“One fun fact. First hockey game I watched was the ’72 Cup Final against Boston with my mom’s parents and my dad, so I saw Giacomin in the net.”

Hall of Famer Giacomin Passes Away at 86

The Chips are Down: A Pre-Season Guide to Surviving Hockey Night

With one week left before the season begins, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss the daily routine of a fan. Certain things must be carefully managed. A significant consideration is that you must have daily rations and supplies in place before the season begins. Of course, all financial transactions must go through the Financial Aid General Manager (FAGM), who then passes them through the Nutritional General Manager. Instead of explaining, let’s get a sneak peek at the negotiations.

The snacks

First of all, there are too many kinds of snacks to discuss. Therefore, I will limit my comments to potato chip negotiations for this post. Now you must understand that the amount of chips is not to be taken lightly. The formula to determine how many bags are required is two bags multiplied by the stress level of the game. The stress level of the game is mainly dependent on the opponent. For this example, it is the Oilers. The stress level works out to be 6.5. I round it off to 7 to make the math easier.

Before beginning negotiations, I don the required protection, including eye shield, athletic cup, and helmet.

Me:

As you know, dear, it is hockey season. We must, once again, discuss the food rations formula according to the team. I recommend mediation if negotiations go south. Singing Kumbaya together is optional.

FAGM:

And what obscure formula are you using to determine the amount of potato chips you need?

Me:

I have determined the optimum number to be two bags multiplied by the stress level, which is dependent on the opponent.

FAGM:

Who is the opponent?

Me:

The Edmonton Oilers, which causes me a stress level of 6.5.

FAGM:

So you want 13 bags of chips? That is not happening!

Me:

You are not being fair. You are a little close-minded, don’t you think, sweetie? I call for a mediator.

FAGM:

Fine, I will call my mother.

Me:

NOT FAIR. SHE WILL NOT BE UNBIASED. This protest is followed by hand gestures. Hand gestures are considered an act of war.

I did not realize what I had done until I saw the FAGM had gone into the kitchen to find the right frying pan. That gives me approximately a 10-second lead. I declare the negotiations to be on hold and run for my life. FAGM chases after me with said pan and locks the door behind me.

Negotiations on being allowed back into the house commence. The FAGM determines the fines and tariffs against me. Usually, this involves begging and flowers. I now have to wait for the Judge’s (father-in-law’s) decision. Oh no—he is a tough judge!

Maybe this hockey tradition is overrated. Or perhaps I overthink it too much. Maybe next year, I will just dip into the general slush fund.

Wait, is FAGM watching me? Am I in trouble? Who can I trust? How diabolical is she?

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