Habs For Breakfast - A Little Vinegar In The Morning Coffee

Lots of hot topics on the breakfast plate today - including one that always tastes like a pinch of vinegar in my coffee!

Misconceptions about the Canadiens history get under my skin bigtime!

A Toronto based writer takes a not so subtle poke at the Habs lack of Quebec born talent on the team - like it still matters! He starts off by deducing, from the accompanying picture, that the H in the logo represents "Habitants", when in fact in stands for hockey, as in "Club De Hockey Canadien". Then he makes reference to changing times, and how the Canadiens no longer have the benefit of having the best Quebec born players righteously belonging to the team by divine right.

Of course, that is a long perpetrated myth by jealous fans to explain the Habs superiority, it seems.

It was a brilliantly devised system of feeder farm teams that made the Habs great. In the day, any players could be signed to C - Forms at a given time.

Montreal scout Scotty Bowman, and the Leafs as well could have had Bobby Orr at 12.

Aurel Joliat, Newsy Lalonde, and Howie Morenz did not come from Quebec. Jean Beliveau never signed a C - Form.

The territorial rule has some truth to it, going way back, but it mostly a myth, one I debunked here at this site with great helps from studies and research done by trivia expert and Habs fan Liam Maguire.

Below the link to Graeme Hamilton's National Post piece, you will find a link to the article I posted here in response to such beliefs. Call it a must read for all Habs fans!

I fired off a comment, I wonder if Hamilton will respond.

That stuff always get my shorts in a knot!

Below you will also see news on Max Pacioretty possibly attending the Habs camp next season, Mark Streit's desire to remain in Montreal, news on Mathieu Dandenealt and an inspiring tale by Dennis Kane on how he became a Habs fan.

I'll be making the subject of that article into a future post here shortly.

There's also a rumour floating about concerning an outdoor game at Molson Stadium next season against the Rangers.

Mike Boone notes that Red Fisher is one of the few who saw the Habs in the playoffs at the start of the season. Of course, he didn't read my prognostication on the Canadiens back in September.

Two days ago, I posted a pictorial called "Habs Fans Are Out In Droves", seeing as how the playoff atmosphere is enlivening the spirits of Canadiens supporters everywhere. Each playoff, there always comes the question of who Canada's team truly is.

Here is one take by a western Canadian blogger, who has found a team to cheer for while his beloved Canucks RIP.
















Legend Gets It Right Again - Gazette

"Zurkowsky - as befits a football writer - is having a good season as a punter. He and the Legend bet $2 on each game between the Canadiens and the team that represents Zurkowsky's hometown. The Leafs have won four of the first seven meetings this season, which means Zurkowsky may become the first person to win money from the LLSJ since Arnold Rothstein." - Mike Boone

Kovalev's Focus On Cup Run - Gazette

"Alex Kovalev is aware of the Canadiens' history, and he wants to be part of it. "The most important thing for us is to bring back to the locker room the experience this team felt back when they were winning the Stanley Cup," Kovalev said on the eve of the Canadiens' final regular-season game." - Pat Hickey

Trying Season For Dandeneault - Gazette

"It was Dandenault's second goal in two games and ninth of the season, eight having come on the road. He's one shy of the NHL career best he racked up during 73 games with Detroit in 2000-01." - Dave Stubbs

A Happy Homecoming - Gazette

"The fulfillment of Mathieu Dandenault's dream is the result of many things. It is about hard work, paying dues, a willingness to accept less money in exchange for a greater quality of life." - Dave Stubbs















Taking The "Habitants" Out Of Canadiens - National Post / Faceoff.com

"The team's monopoly on the best Quebecers ended with expansion in 1967, but in the following decades the team still landed homegrown stars like Guy Lafleur and Patrick Roy. When the Canadiens last won the Cup in 1993, Guy Carbonneau was their captain, Roy was in goal and Vincent Damphousse was their leading scorer. Sixteen players --almost half the roster -- were French-Canadian." - Graeme Hamilton

Debunking The French Canadien Territorial Rule Myth - Eyes On The Prize

It Sure Wasn't Hard Becoming A Habs Fan - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"I’m asked from time to time why I cheer for the Habs and not the Toronto Maple Leafs, seeing that I grew up only an hour north of Toronto, in Orillia. The answer’s easy. The Montreal Canadiens were a gift from my dad." - Dennis Kane

To Sit Or Not To Sit - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"I love this year's edition of Alex Kovalev. The temptation to compare him to some kind of machine is almost irresistible when trying to describe his play. But how do you combine the power of a locomotive, the manouverability of a fighter jet and the brains of Deep Blue?" - J.T.

Champagne For The Regular Season Finale - Four Habs Fans
























Pour conclure en beauté - RDS

"Dans les filets, le Canadien enverra le jeune Carey Price qui pourrait brouiller les cartes dans la course au trophée Calder, remis à la recrue par excellence. Aucun joueur du Canadien n'a mis la main sur ce trophée depuis Ken Dryden en 1972."

Le CH au Stade Molson? - RDS

"Selon `La Presse', la rencontre, qui opposerait possiblement le Tricolore aux Rangers de New York, aurait lieu le 22 janvier, soit 3 jours avant le match des Etoiles, également présenté à Montréal en 2009, dans le cadre des festivités du 100e anniversaire de l'équipe."

Komisarek sur le voie du retour - RDS

"Les nouvelles sont encourageantes pour Mike Komisarek, qui a participé à un premier entraînement complet vendredi."

La frénésie des séries s'approche de Montréal - La Presse

"Mon père Vyacheslav a assisté au match de jeudi et, avant la rencontre, il se demandait d'où sortaient tous ces drapeaux du Canadien", a raconté Alex Kovalev. Il était vraiment excité pour ce premier match. - Marc Antoine Godin

Kovalev: "Je ne fais que mon travail" - La Presse

"Cette année, je peux compter sur les doigts d'une main les matchs où il n'a pas joué à un haut niveau", a dit Guy Carbonneau, peu après que Kovalev eut été confirmé joueur de l'année chez le Canadien grâce à toutes les étoiles qui emplissent sa Coupe Molson. - Marc Antoine Godin


















Max Pacioretty chez les pros dès septembre? - La Presse

"Pacioretty, 6 pieds 2 pouces et 203 livres, progresse à ce point qu'il pourrait bien entamer sa carrière chez les professionnels dès septembre prochain, après seulement un an dans la NCAA. "Physiquement, il pourrait être prêt, confie le directeur du recrutement Trevor Timmins, qui l'a vu à l'oeuvre la semaine dernière. Il a déjà un style adapté aux rangs professionnels; il est costaud, il est fort, il frappe, c'est le prototype parfait de l'attaquant de puissance. Nous n'avons pas encore pris de décision à ce sujet. Nous allons d'abord lui laisser terminer sa saison puis nous en discuterons avec Bob Gainey." - Mathias Brunet

Le Canadien ajoute du muscle: Stewart jouera - Le Journal

"Dans le dernier droit de la saison, un gars de ce genre peut se révéler important et on veut voir comment Stewart va se comporter", a indiqué Guy Carbonneau.

"Je veut rester à Montréal": Mark Streit - Le Journal

"Présentement, Streit constitue l'une des plus belles - sinon la plus belle - aubaines de la LNH. Il ne touche que 600 000 $, ce qui est bien peu pour un joueur capable d'exceller en défense, de dépanner dans un rôle d'attaquant et d'animer la meilleure attaque à cinq de la LNH." - Martin Leclerc

Pas de retraite fermée - Le Journal

"La direction du Canadien n'a pas l'intention d'imposer une retraite fermée à ses joueurs pour toute la durée de leur aventure en séries éliminatoires, mais elle prendra tout de même des mesures pour que cette période se vive en équipe et que les vétérans puissent transmettre leur expérience aux plus jeunes." - Martin Leclerc
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The Other Side Of Patrick Roy

"There's two sides to every story", my father used to tell me, wisely, when I was younger. It is advice that you grow up and understand fairly quickly. People are compicated, and life is hard.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover" is another old adage that had stood time's test, for good reason.

Yesterday, I posted a piece, a long examination, that dealt with why I felt that the time was not quite yet right to consider Patrick Roy's jersey ready for the skyline of the Bell Centre.

Two things that I feel stand in the goalie's way, are the circumstances that dealt with his rash and radical exit from the Canadiens organization in Montreal, and a public image damaged by several actions that are best termed "ill advised".

The first, Roy cannot undo, and the second can be erased with time, words and actions.

When I suggest "not quite yet", I mean specifically in the realm of the Canadiens 100th anniversary. I don't want to see Roy's #33 raised in controversy, which it wery well would be, due to happenings such as the one Roy was involved in last weekend. I do, in time expect Roy's #33 to hit the roof alongside of Plante's and Dryden's, at a time when the consent for such an honour has closer to a majority approval. As it stands, doing this next season would anger as many as it would thrill....and that ain't right.

Now in the context of judging book's covers and the flipside of the coin, I read Red Fisher's piece on Roy today and was a little horrified at first. Red aired a litany of dirty Roy laundry to explain why he felt the one - time Saint Patrick had "abdicated" the honour and then some.

The truth is, I felt uncomfortable reading it, to an extent. I understand people's dislike of Roy's persona, but who really wishes to see a hero to many torn down even more in the aftermath of last weekend?

I'm reading on, and thinking, "He doesn't need this!"

I've long been familiar with Mr Fisher's work, I have read his excellent autobiography ( I have actually been scanning it over in the past few days, before all this hit the fan ) and always appreciated his motto of fairness when it came to writting about players.

In my eyes, Red Fisher always was at his best when detailing the human side of the players in which he wrote about. He had long earned players trust and respect by duly given them the same, and from it poured forth beautiful accountings of the people and heroes we cherished.

Despite Fisher's stance on where Roy's jersey should hang, he finished off his column with an anecdote from Roy's playing days that was quite heartwarming. It opened up the other side of Patrick Roy for all to see. It epitomized fairness, in a sense.

Red wrote:

"Controversy has been a recurring theme with Roy during his career, and yet I also have seen him in his best moments when his gentleness moved people to tears. Roy surely has forgotten it, but I still remember one incident that left me giddy with pleasure.

It happened following a Habs practice in Quebec City. There was a game to be played that night, but now only Roy remained on the ice waiting for a 10 year old to join him. The boy was born to pain, and lived with it bravely - he had this dream of going one on one with his idol, Roy. What could be greater than to score a goal on Patrick Roy?

So there they were at the Quebec Coliseum: Roy skating in little circles, sending up small shivers of ice pellets, rattling the blade of his stick on the ice before settling into a crouch in his crease, looking every inch like a guy in the moments before Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. The boy's mother looked on nervously watching her child who hadn't smiled or laughed nearly often enough in his young life.

"Okay ... I'm ready," Roy finally yelled. "Show me your best."

It took a long time for the boy, skating on his matchstick legs, to close the 15 feet separating him from Roy's crease. A wobbly shot ... a desperate lunge from Roy and ... goal! Roy slammed his stick on the ice in mock anger.

"Try that again," he muttered at the boy, who by now had a reason to smile. "I'll bet you can't do that again."

Another wobbly shot. Another goal. Ten minutes of goal after goal followed - and after each one the boy would raise his stick skyward, his face lighting up with smiles that eventually grew into a delighted laugh. His mother looked on from her Coliseum seat - and cried.

"That was a nice thing you did this morning," I told Roy later that day. "It must have been hard."

"It was easy," Roy said."

See, that is why Red Fisher is an honoured journalist respected by his peers.

After reading this piece, I quickly went back to a story I had found the day before involving Roy and a boyhood dream - I was hoping they weren't one and the same. I had bookmarked it and anxiously returned to find another tale of Roy, a young child, and a seemingly recurring theme.

I suppose, in all the brouhaha, lost is Patrick Roy's connection to Ronald McDonald House, and his dedication to helping out kids, especially the underpriveledged.

This is story was about a 14 year old boy named Josh Pobursky, an incredible young man who had both his legs amputated at the knees when he was 13 months old.

Josh has incredible drive and determination and has not let what others deem a handicap prevent him from enjoying life to the fullest. Josh loves hockey, among many his many interests, and he has inspired many along the way.

Four years ago, the producer of a childrens show called "Hang On To The Dream" heard about Josh throught sources and had to meet him. Christopher Ewing, the producer of the show about extraordinary kids contacted Josh's family and school about having him on their show, all without Josh knowing.

They set up a type of ambush, where Josh would be called to the principle's office. The boy headed there with some trepidation, wondering what he'd done and if he had somehow gotten in trouble.

When Josh arrived in the office, he found his friends, family, a film crew, and Ewing who informed him that he was going to get to meet his idol, none other than Patrick Roy.

The Pobursky's were sent from their home in Michigan to Quebec City to meet with Roy, owner of the Quebec Remparts. Producers of the show evidently set up with Roy, a day Josh will never forget.

Roy did everything but roll out the red carpet for him. This would be a simple meet and greet where the boy would receive a signed Roy jersey and a handshake.


A nervous Josh was met by Roy at the Pepsi Colisée and given a tour of the arena. He was then brought into the Remparts dressing room where he was surprised to find a stall identified with "Pobursky 11" noted above it, a jersey with the same hanging from it, and hockey equipement spread out within it.

Josh would be practicing as a member of the Remparts for the day!

Talk about your thrill of thrills - getting to practice with a major junior hockey team.

Nevermind young Josh being all glazed eyes over meeting his idol, he gets to practice with the team - a Rempart for a day.

The Remparts players couldn't even tell that Josh had prosthetic legs.

A final surprise arranged by Roy awaiting Josh - taking the game's ceremonial faceoff and being introduced to the crowd.

You can read more about Josh Pobursky's adventure and life here, here and here.

Now what Roy did became news because a television show enabled it to happen. Similar things likely happen more often than becomes newsworthy in Roy's life. As he said to Fisher years earlier, "it's easy" for him to make such things happen, as it surely is for people of fame and financial ability. Often they do not seek, nor want publicity for their acts.

God only knows how often Patrick Roy has done such things. Not many may know that Roy and his father Michel also assist in varying ways with youth hockey tournaments all over the region, providing the coverage of insurance for players and likely underwritting expenses for the associations.

Again, the book may have an unsightly cover, but pages inside reveal that there is more to the whole story.
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Habs For Breakfast: March 25, 2008

Habs Hold On To Clinch Playoff Spot - Gazette

"In the previous games, we worried too much about them and not enough about our own game," Koivu said. "Tonight, we played really well for the first two periods and that's what we have to do if we meet them in the playoffs."

One Word For Canadiens: Remarkable - Gazette

"File and forget 'em. I agree upsets happen, but trust me on this: if a vote were taken among the Canadiens about which team they'd want to meet in the first round, Boston would be their choice - for all of the right reasons." - Red Fisher

Habs Put a Lock On It - Gazette

"The Senators have 89 points and need six points from their final six regular-season games, which would give them 95, to guarantee a playoff berth. Can they do it?" - Allen Panzeri

Habs Earn Playoff Spot With Win Over Sens - TSN

"Now we can enjoy this for a couple of days," said Montreal captain Saku Koivu. "But you can play as well as you want in the regular season, you still have to be ready for the playoffs. We want to finish strong too, but slowly now, we can start thinking about the playoffs."

A Win And They're In - Globe Sports

""It was more important for them early on than it was for us, obviously," he said. "We came out flat-footed, our defence didn't move the puck and we didn't get many stops from the goaltenders." - Bryan Murray

Hab - itual Nightmare - Ottawa Sun

"The questions about the Senators’ goaltending, which looked like they had abated, will now rage again after the Habs chased Ottawa starter Martin Gerber from the net after 20 minutes. He gave up three goals on 14 shots and on each goal - two by Andrei Kostitsyn sandwiching one by Chris Higgins — he lost track of the puck and looked lost himself." - Chris Stevenson

Dickensian Hockey - Habs Inside Out

"It was the best of times: a seemingly insurmountable 7-1 lead after 40 minutes, total domination of an Ottawa team that has kicked Canadiens butt all season. But it was nearly the worst of times, as the Senators scored four unanswered goals and outshot Canadiens 14-2 in the third period." - Mike Boone























3, Not 33 - Habs Inside Out

"The Canadiens will retire at least one more number during the team's centennial 2008-'09 season. Everyone thinks Patrick Roy is a lock. I respectfully disagree. Roy's latest goon show in the Q is further evidence that his name does not belong up in the Bell Centre rafters with Canadiens' immortals such as Maurice Richard, Jean Béliveau, Guy Lafleur – and Bob Gainey." - Mike Boone

Roy To The Rafters - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"Of course, the idea of one player winning a Stanley Cup by himself is a myth. Hockey is a team game and a team wins or loses together. But it is certainly a fact that a single player can elevate his game with such passion that he carries the rest of his team to a higher level with him. Roy was that player." - J.T.

Canadiens Play With Fire - Lions In Winter

"We were all over the Sens' goalies and D right off the bat, so much so that Alfredsson and company were hardly noticeable for 40 minutes. Instead of sitting back and wondering what Ottawa was going to do next, how they were going to embarrass us in our own building, we took it to them and played like we do against almost every other team." - Tobalev
















Disparus, les complexes - RDS

"Complètement inoffensifs contre les Sénateurs d’Ottawa depuis le début de la saison, les hommes de Guy Carbonneau ont choisi le meilleur moment pour effacer tous leurs complexes, battant leurs rivaux par la marque de 7-5 au Centre Bell."

"On doit retenir une leçon": Carbonneau - RDS

"L'entraîneur a expliqué que les joueurs ont finalement compris que même en jouant bien défensivement et en ne courant pas trop de risques, ils pouvaient marquer des buts contre les Sénateurs."

Higgins: "Nous avons été les agresseurs" - La Presse

"Guy Carbonneau a souvent répété que c'est dans la défaite qu'une équipe tire le plus grand nombre de leçons. Mais hier, c'était du deux pour un: ils ont eu la leçon tout en récoltant les deux points de la victoire!" - Marc Antoine Godin

Premier, premier, premier - La Presse

"Avec les départs de joueurs importants et l’entrée en scène de jeunes qui avaient peu ou pas d’expérience, de nombreuses questions étaient sans réponse en début de saison. Cela rend la confirmation de notre place en séries encore plus valorisante. Et le fait d’être le premier club à obtenir ce laissez-passer rend cet exploit plus satisfaisant encore », a lancé le capitaine Saku Koivu après le match." - François Gagnon

Carbonneau: "Je suis relaxe" - Le Journal
"C'est certain que j'ai fait mention de notre tenue au troisième engagement quand j'ai parlé aux joueurs à la fin du match. On a commis des erreurs et écopé de pénalités qui auraient pu nous faire mal. Mais en définitive, on a de bonnes raisons d'être contents." - Carbonneau

"On sait qu'on peut battre le Sénateurs": Bouillon - Le Journal

"On parlait de ce match depuis trois jours et c'était important de connaître un bon départ", raconte Bouillon. Le fait d'avoir battu les Sénateurs à ce temps-ci de la saison est important pour notre confiance."

Video: Bob Gainey Jersey Retirement

In the Habs TV section of the Montreal Canadien's official site you can find amnu curios among the clips featured. Along with the weekly highlights and interviews, there are also the complete retirement ceremonies impecably filmed as we viewed them on the tube.

The Bob Gainey jersey retirement was a very sedate but emotional evening for the Canadiens GM. Here it is in it's entirety, preceeded by a link to a great piece from the Gazette's Red Fisher. Below the clip, is a link to my tribute to Gainey entitled "All About Bob" that ran on February 23.

I will be featuring similar looks back in the coming days for other such ceremonies the Habs have held in the last few years.

Bo Knows Hockey - Red Fisher

One-time Canadiens physician Douglas Kinnear tells this story about Bob Gainey, whose No. 23 will be raised to the Bell Centre rafters tonight.

The Canadiens were facing the Quebec Nordiques in the 1983-84 playoffs, and during one of the games, Gainey tripped to the ice. A Nordiques player fell on him.

"He took this hit and immediately came off the ice holding his shoulder," Dr. Kinnear recalled. "He came into our dressing room. I took one look and it was obvious he had a dislocation. Now there's a difference between a dislocation and a separation. With a separation, it's just rest and the player gets better. With a dislocation, you put your foot in the armpit and you pull like hell. With luck, it goes back in. Continue.



All About Bob - 23 links to Gainey articles

The Habs For Breakfast - 2008-02-24

The Canadiens flat performance in light of a beautiful ceremony homouring Bob Gainey last night might explain why teams do not retire jerseys come playoff time.

It reminds me of the line in the song "Who Are You" that goes, "How can I measure up to where you are now, after such a love as this".

Perhaps the Habs were unfocused when the puck dropped, gazing up at the 14 banners hung proudly, and thinking that a honour the likes of the one bestowed upon Gainey is so far out of reach for them.

On a night when Gainey was raised to the roof, the Canadiens lowered their guard.

In the links below, the Fisher and Bertrand entries are essential reading on Gainey. If anyone should like a translation of Raymond's piece, speak up, and I will get to it overnight.


















Gainey Steals The Show - Canadiens.com

"The cheers reached new heights when Gainey instead appeared at the Zamboni entrance in full equipment with his trademark No. 23 on his back. As the crowd roared, Gainey took a few laps around the ice, even picking up the pace and spraying a little snow on the red carpet for good measure."

Canadiens Retire Gainey's Number - TSN

"Gainey's close friend Christine Pickerell and his sister Maureen began the ceremony by introducing the Bell Centre crowd to the Bob Gainey most fans don't know - the generous family man, his sharp sense of humour, the intense pride he feels for the city of Montreal and his hometown of Peterborough, Ont."

Leclair Rains On Gainey's Parade - The Gazette

"That's the biggest disappointment for me, that we couldn't win this game for Bob," head coach Guy Carbonneau said after the Canadiens turned in another lacklustre performance at home last night, dropping a 3-0 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Leclair And Gainey Steal The Show - Lions In Winter

"The play of the game actually happened before the game tonight. It was when Bob Gainey's #23 was raised to the rafters to the roar of the Montreal faithful. It was an honour that was well deserved for the former captain. This will surely rank up there as a career highlight for the Hall of Famer who has bled Bleu, Blanc et Rouge for over 35 years. Unfortunately there was no play made by any current Habs that could top this one tonight, and I mean no play." - Tobalev

Leclair Shuts Out Habs In First Game In Hometown - Globe And Mail

"I could accept losing and goals-against when the other team works for them, but when you give them away, it's a different thing," Carbonneau fumed. "I've never seen a team give up no shots. Shots are going to happen."

Dream A Little Dream - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"Halak reminds me of Roy. Squishy like Gumby, but tight and in postition when he needs to be. Twitchy and squirmy, but solid when the shot comes...ON VEUT HALAK!!" - J.T.

Gainey Stands Tall Among The Very Best - The Gazette

"It was all about a guy who did things his way as a player, such as celebrating this night in full uniform and calling on a long-time friend, Christine Pickrell, to introduce him en anglais and his sister Maureen, the delightful mother of seven children, to introduce him in French." - Red Fisher

Bob Gainey l'immortel - RDS

"Bob Gainey ne cessera jamais de surprendre. C'est vêtu de son uniforme du Canadien, chaussé de ses patins, que l'ancien numéro 23 du Canadien a fait son dernier tour de piste, sous les acclamations et les cris d'un public enthousiaste."

Bob Gainey en chiffes - RDS

Soiree penible pour Mike Komisarek - RDS

"Peut-être veut-il en faire trop, a ajouté l'entraîneur. Il est jeune et il a encore des choses à apprendre. Sauf qu'il doit être mieux préparé à entreprendre les matchs. Comme d'autres, il répète les mêmes erreurs."

Casseux de party - La Presse

" Nous nous sommes fait prendre tôt dans le match. Contre une équipe comme Columbus, c’est deux buts ont fait très mal. Il faut être meilleur défensivement et nous le serons." - Mike Komisarek

Hommage a Bob Gainey: Merci Montreal - La Presse

"Je n’ai jamais joué au hockey dans la LNH sans en avoir un des deux près de moi. Ce sont de grands joueurs, mes étoiles à moi", a lancé Gainey avec fierté après qu’il eut demandé à ses deux employés de venir le joindre au podium.

Le 14e Immortel du Canadien - Le Journal

"Bob Gainey a toujours mis l'accent sur le concept d'équipe et il l'a prouvé encore une fois hier soir en se présentant sur la glace du Centre Bell vêtu de son uniforme du Canadien, comme à la belle époque. Et comme pour nous dire qu'il était ici d'abord pour recevoir un honneur en tant que joueur." - Dave Levesque

Carbonneau Dessapointe pour Gainey - Le Journal

"C'est sûr et certain que nos gardiens doivent être meilleurs en début de match», a déclaré Carbonneau, "C'est la meilleure explication que je puisse trouver pour nos lents débuts de rencontre."

"On ne peut pas gagner quand on a peur de le rondelle": Kovalev - Le Journal

"On n'arrive à rien quand on ne joue pas avec confiance, a poursuivi l'attaquant russe. Ce soir, nous avons obtenu beaucoup de tirs, mais ils venaient de l'extérieur. Nous avons essayé de faire dans la dentelle, mais à ce temps-ci de la saison, ça ne fonctionne plus."

Eloquent dans le silence - Le Journal

"L'homme a célébré de grandes victoires sans jamais extérioriser son bonheur. Il a survécu à de terribles douleurs, tant physiques que morales, sans jamais les évacuer publiquement. Hier midi, durant un dîner pour lequel il avait lui-même dressé la liste des invités, il a convié à l'avant quelques personnes qui lui sont chères afin de leur rendre un hommage personnel." - Bertrand Raymond

Hommage bien merite a mon capitaine - Le Journal

"À l'heure où les honneurs individuels prennent toute la place dans la Ligue nationale, il est bon de saluer un homme qui a été, avant tout, un joueur d'équipe. Durant toute sa carrière, Gainey s'est oublié pour le bien de ses coéquipiers, mettant son talent, sa passion, son leadership et sa détermination au service d'une seule cause : le succès de son équipe." - Guy Lafleur

Un grand homme devenu un grand athlete - Le Journal

"Je le considère exceptionnel pour d'autres raisons que le hockey. Nous avons sept enfants et en 1991, pour Noël, nous avons reçu un paquet avec des pyjamas aux couleurs du Canadien pour chacun d'eux. Et en 1996", Maureen Gainey a poursuivi, "quatre de nos enfants ont pu aller dans un camp d'été pour la première fois grâce à lui", a-t-elle dit pour évoquer sa grande générosité.

L'intimidant monsieur respect - Le Journal

"Pour une raison que je n'arrive toujours pas à élucider, je fige lorsque je rencontre le directeur général de l'équipe dans les corridors du Centre Bell. Je crois que je suis un peu intimidé par sa présence. Le grand Jean Béliveau me fait le même effet. C'est peut-être à cause de mon admiration pour tout ce qu'ils ont accompli comme athlètes et comme individus. Chose certaine, les deux hommes m'inspirent un très grand respect. Je crois que c'est ça : Bob Gainey, pour moi, c'est monsieur respect." - Jacques Demers

O'Byrne - What Really Could Have Happened At the Whiskey Park Bar

( Robert L Note: Don't take this post too seriously folks! It is loaded with mock sarcasm, mock anger, and a righteous plea for a notion of innocence until guilt is proven. It's a story of the use of free speech versus the rights of an individual - something I beleive we need to question every once in a while!)

Alright, I don't buy this story as the Florida law has portrayed it for a nanosecond.

First off, hockey players making upwards of five hundred grand a year don't try to make off with some woman's purse, drunk or sober, for a whole 20 bucks and the momentary use of a cell phone.

Secondly, I trust a law enforcement officer confronted with the prospect of a celebrity bust as much as I do a dog next to my unsupervised burger paddy on the kitchen counter.

Lastly, there's just something incredibly wretched about going to the press with a story so trivial in the land that invented "guilty until proven innocent".

Young adults, athletes, sometimes do silly things when their good times are combined with alcohol. Common sense sometimes goes AWOL. Lubricated bar patrons don't always make for the best witnesses in an occasion such as this and it isn't at all improbable that the truth is far from the published story.

A wise man once taught me the value of stepping back and not generalizing when it comes to quick judgements on human behavior. It's tough to do, of course, amid such streotypes as youths and athletes.

I mean, everybody is exactly the same, right?

And, of course, when confronted with a story such as this, I'm sure everybody knows exactly what happened!

Right!

I'm kind of disappointed in a certain journalist this morning, who was quick and harsh to judge O'Byrne and qualify him as a "stupid and pampered athlete" without knowing the full and complete story of the incident and arrest.

Red Fisher, an idol of mine who is known as the Living Legend of Sports Journalism, jumped the barricade of common sense on this one, and reduced himself to gossip columnist levels with that comment. He comes off more like one of us sports bloggers by skipping over the absence of published fact in the story to render his generalization of things.

Now Mr. Fisher has been in a bar room filled with athletes a time or two. He ought to know full well that in that realm, things aren't always what they first appear to be. Perhaps the benefit of doubt could have been employed in this instance by him.

Then again, Mr Fisher never speaks with rookies, as per his own code.

All he's accomplished with this out of the gun reaction is make a case for manditory retirement at his age.

You know, those crusty old curmudgeons are all the same - everything wrong with the world is the fault of youth!

Right!

Pardon my own generalizations!

As far as I can tell, O'Byrne might be guilty of nothing more than foolishly lying to police when confronted with the question of who's purse he was holding onto. Certain people just do not react well when questioned by the law, and a defensive instinct kicks in.

And who really knows if after a few drinks, O'Byrne might have thought the woman was his girlfriend. Hey, I've seen it happen! He might have met so many females that night, that at three in the morning, the lady's name simply escaped him for a moment.

And who really knows as well, if perhaps the woman wanted to be his girlfriend for a spell, then simply had a change of heart.

I thought I'd a little investigative Googling on the "Whiskey Park"bar and came up with the following description of the establishment located at 720 Howard Avenue in Tampa, Florida. The phone number is (813) 259-9669 and their website is http://www.whiskeysoho.com/.

It reads:

"Multifaceted Whiskey lays out different worlds throughout its massive property; from chic garden patio to fancy billiard parlor to dry martini bar to romantic cabin to chichi disco. The colors are soothing: deep maroon walls, orange light fixtures and purple complements. There’s a complimentary valet, and there are some parking spaces, but it’s challenging to find a space on your own. You basically wind up going with the valet and spending the cash in valet tips that you would save by not paying a cover charge. We spoke to Whiskey Park SoHo bartender Joe about what’s most appealing about the club. He says that it’s the eclectic nature, how the bar-restaurant has different nights that appeal to different people, and no club in the area strives to appeal to more than one scene. There’s Sunday’s popular hospitality night, DJ nights, local bands and community fund-raising events".

Sounds like a pretty chic place!

With this, I thought I would generalize ( excuse me! ) even further.

I Googled images with the term and found a Facebook type photo diary (from Brbiegrl83) that could very well represent the type of clientele of the Whiskey Park from the pics that were taken from a recent evening there by the owners of the photography. You can view the shots here, to make your own judgement. Here is a sample shot.


















A little discourse on human nature.

Everyone enjoys a little positive attention. Some folks enjoy a lot of positive attention!

A cool happening bar such as this one is a great place to find the attention that one seeks - and there is nothing naturally wrong with that in the pusuit of a good time.

There will be pretty girls there who like the attention. Perhaps some wealthy folk there who enjoy that also. Celebrities, who of course, are in and of themselves attention grabbing, will be at this happening spot. The regular clientele, the waiters and waitresses, bouncers and doormen, right down to the DJ will all be at Whiskey Park, taking in the sights and enjoying whatever attention the establishment brings them.

Along the course of the evening - and if you have been reading this far you will surely acknowledge this - attention seeking mixed with alcohol can make for some darn ugly turns in the pursuit of a fun time.

It might just be the inner rock star in everyone that brings out such human nature.

Now a pair of hockey players might be no different than you and me when it comes to motives and fulfillment. Heck, deep inside, many of us, and them, may have common traits with the famous attention seekers we sometimes admire.

I state all of this because, you as a reader, surely had an initial notion as to what might have really gone on with O'Byrne and Kostopoulos at the Whiskey Park, and my bet is that your notion likely didn't follow the published storyline.

O'Byrne was at the bar with team mates on the occasion of rookie initiation night. He along with Carey Price and Sergei Kostitsyn pick up the tab for the fun time, to the tune of maybe ten thousand dollars between the three.

Rather than the old hazings that once went on for this occasion, this is how it is now done on initiation night.

Oh yeah, and sometimes there's pranks too!

In a bar, with alcohol.

So after forking out three grand in tab fees on team mates, O'Byrne comes up 20 bucks short?

I have, as you surely do, several ideas of what could really have happened on Sunday night regarding this incident. There are many scenarios other than the ones already stated that could explain what occured that would make more sense than a 6 foot 6 inch, 230 pound hockey player walking out of a populated hotspot with a purse he supposedly stole in his hand.

I believe in innocence before guilt - so let me preach the many possible scenarios!

O'Byrne notices a purse left behind by a patron, and exits the bar to find her.

O'Byrne was innocently set up by a female patron seeking attention.

O'Byrne pissed someone off by sticking up for morals and professional standards when, perhaps, a patron hit on him without success. The patron is retaliating for being shunned.

There could be more, but one there's one important thing to note, the purse was in fact left unattended at the bar and not snatched from its owner.

While O'Byrne is the focus here, Kostopoulos was also charged for coming to the (unaggressive, as the story goes) defense of a friend and team mate. So Tom the Bomb's on ice character mirrors his off ice demeanor where fairness and ambush is an issue. Hardly a crime in my eyes!

There could be many variances in the many O'Byrne scenarios mentioned above, and you can use your imagination to fill in the blanks when it comes to the purse's owner's character and state of being.

What baffles me most in this still, is the O'Byrne comment that he thought the purse belonged to his girlfriend. Also baffling is the ascertion of a missing 20 dollar bill that no one could ever prove was stolen.

The facts and maybes of this story might be that O'Byrne had previously brought up talk of a girlfriend who likely wasn't there to shun someone, and he backtracked to the fib as his easiest liquored out.

The 20 dollar bill is like the wind - once spent, it is no longer evidence. If it was on him, witnesses as to every step in how it came into his possession would be required.

My question is that if someone did see O'Byrne reach in and snatch a 20, how did he make it outside the bar, purse in hand?

O'Byrne is familiar with his own size - it is his profession. How inconspicuous is he at his height, leaving a hot spot with a purse in hand? Would he dare?

Come on now!

I've more questions regarding the proprietor of the purse, who will not be named in the press as she is not famous.

Of course, I could go on and on with the layers of speculation here, and it would only serve to open up more unanswered questions.

At this point, a story of my own might suit these players nightmares best.

I was a young, dumb, and innocent do gooder once - I think I was all of 23 years old. I was going with a girl who was alot like I was and we got along great. An old friend of her's, a very good looking girl, was at the same bar we were at one night. I didn't know her.

I was there with my boys, when my girlfriend happened to come in with her friends. I did not know she was coming by, and it did not bother me that she was there. I played pool most of the night, while she danced with her friends.

There was a time during the evening where we had sat down - we'd lost the table momentarily - and my friends and I were just chilling. My girlfriend's old friend came by, and sat at our table.

Small talk ensued, and she turned to me and said, "So, you're going with Anne!" I said that I was, and we talked a bit about our "seemingly" mutual aquaintance. I had no clue that they were no longer on terms at all.

Her name was Cherryl, and she ordered a drink. After it had arrived, she sprung off for no obvious reason and said she's be right back.

Ten minutes passed and our pool table became available again. Cherryl had left not only her drink, but a small change purse at our table.

As my friend grabbed the cues, I went looking for Cherryl and found her seated with Anne. I gave her the purse and drink, and invited Anne over to watch us shoot pool, but she declined, as two of friends had gone to the washroom.

Cherryl disappeared for a time from us as we played. She showed up later asking for a ride home for her and her friends as we were about to leave. Turns out she lived about two minutes away from my apartment. I dropped her off and went home, expecting Anne to stop an hour or so later.

Anne almost kicked my door open!

She walked in raging. Her eyes, and eyeballs, I'll never forget. In her hand was a used profilactic, a black bra, and an old student card of Cherryl's.

For a year, Anne would not accept that I could not understand how they found their way to the backseat of my Honda. I was alibi - less!

I later learned that she found all these goodies because my back car door was left ajar and she went to close it as the indoor car light was on.

Cherryl hit on me a week later. I let her know in violent verbal terms that I could not stand the sight of her near me.

About a month later, one of the friends I was playing pool with, was dating Anne.

In the 22 years since, I am as stupefied now as I was then about what really went on. I only sought the answers for a spell and moved on. I get that I was somehow duped!

"Whistler's" was a happening place in the day. In a day when games were a part of learning. We all grow out of that scene by trial and error.

I can understand what may be spinning around in Ryan O'Byrne's mind right about now.

The moral you choose to make of this is your own, just don't be too harsh or quick to judge!

Here's hoping that if Guy Carbonneau finds a pissed off Ryan O'Byrne in tonight's pre - game skate, that he has the common sense to dress the boy!

Jean Beliveau Honoured

The Montreal Gazette's Pat Hickey was quoting former collegue Michael Farber, who once observed that "nobody understands ceremony better than the British royal family, the Catholic church and the Montreal Canadiens."

Last night at the Bell Centre, the team honoured the legendary Jean Beliveau with a charity dinner that raised more than $1 million for six children's hospitals across Quebec.

The dinner brought together a star-studded guest list from the worlds of sports, politics and business. A performance by Cirque du Soleil added to the evening's excitement.
























But it was Beliveau who stood above the crowd with his regal presence. There have been Canadiens stars like Rocket Richard or Guy Lafleur who have evoked more passion than Beliveau, and there have been players who have scored more goals and more points or won more Stanley Cups.

There has never been a player who demonstrated more class.














I was fortunate enough to watch Beliveau play his last few seasons in Montreal. I have vivid memories of the 1971 Stanley Cup and a hat trick that produced his 500th goal against the Minnesota North Stars. My father would tell me stories about The Rocket and Le Gros Bill, tales that wrapped me in the passion of the sport and the team.

I remember him telling me that Beliveau was retiring. I couldn't understand why - he was still one of the better players around.























Beliveau was my father's favorite player - they were born on the same day and year - my father soon pointed out another legend in the making to me, Guy Lafleur, who would become my favorite over time. On a night I will never forget, Lafleur's Quebec Remparts were playing against Cornwall, and he put on a show. He wore the number of his hero, Jean Beliveau.













There was something about the ceremonies and honouring of Beliveau at this time that troubles me some. As Beliveau is 75 years of age, I sensed an air of finality to the timing and proceedings.

In 2000, Beliveau was diagnosed with a malignant tumour in his neck and throat area. He survived that scare and it is now in remission.



















Beliveau, as everyone knows, is an extremely charitable man with lending his time and effort to dozens of worthy causes, most of them involving children.

The finality of which I speak, had to do with this one big bash, held in his name last night. I sensed it, subtly, in the manner it was done. Beliveau has always done his good work in a quiet type of way, removing himself as the center of attention. While always being a willing partaker in anything for goodnesses sake, none of the events were "about him."

This one seemed that way to me.




















There is in fact absolutely nothing wrong with that premise - only that it struck me the way it did.

Beliveau is obviously about to slow down his ongoing work. Hopefully there is no other reason for that other than the age of the man. A night like like last night, obviously could not be envisioned for 5 years down the road, when he would be 80 years old.

























It is said that the event has raised close to a million dollars that are to benefit several charitable outlets. I find it quite amazing that the great work he has cultivated over decades can culminate in such a beautiful giving way.

There are painfully few, if any, role models of the sort left to rise from the sporting pages. Though a great many do tons of good work, none quite have the same effortless lack of pretension that Beliveau has.

In Beliveau's first act, as a hockey player, his prowess and class on the ice made him a legend and a story for the ages. There are of course many records and Stanley Cup rings and tales that underline a bursting resume of unimaginable success.

In Beliveau's second act, he has outdone the first. In the spirit of giving, he has proven to be a most exemplairy human, a person worthy of the highest admiration.

Few people I've encountered in my life, and I've only met him once, have made me look at myself and ponder changes. Changes as to how I treat people. Changes as to how I feel what life is all about in the grand scheme of larger things.

That notion surprises me! It shouldn't.

As I have been reading a whole lot on Jean Beliveau of late, here are some links that I've found to be interesting and entertaining. I've included a pair of past postings from this site as well. The You Tube clip below is from the HHOF's Legends Series. Enjoy!



Beliveau Lends Class To Fundraiser - Red Fisher

NHL Greats, Prime Minister Turn Out To Honour Habs Legend Beliveau - Montreal Gazette

Beliveau Is A Hero On And Off The Ice - Montreal Gazette

Jean Beliveau at Joe Pelletier's Legends Of Hockey Network

Une Vie Qui N'a Pas Ete a L'abris Des Coups Durs - Bertrand Raymond

Pas Toujours Facile - Bertrand Raymond

Beliveau Is A Player For The Ages - NHL.com

Canadiens Beliveau Is One Of A Kind - NHL.com

Beliveau's Linemates Are His Biggest Fans - NHL.com

Canada's Walk Of Fame Inductees

Jean Beliveau Profile - HHOF

Jean Beliveau Table Hockey Game

I Shared My Husband With The Public - Bertrand Raymond (Translated)

Celebrating The Generosity And Lifetime Achievements Of Jean Beliveau - Canadiens.com

Carbonneau Brings Emotion

(RC Note - This is from an acticle in the Montreal Gazette last Saturday, by Red Fisher. I tweaked it into the 3rd person for reading simplicity.)

In early September, Canadiens owner George N. Gillett Jr., fresh from a trip to Europe, is on the telephone with belated birthday greetings, for longtime Montreal Gazette scribe, Red Fisher.

It's not long before Gillet gets around to the subject of the 2006-07 season.

"What do you think we've got coming?" he asked.

"Guy Carbonneau, that's who."

"Oh," Gillett said.

Gillett was told that going into the season, it appeared that Carbonneau didn't have much more than last year's team to work with. What he did have were a blizzard of questions involving key (and expensive) personnel.

However, the good news was that the emotion Carbonneau brought to the game during his 19-season career promised he'd be the best thing the team had going for it.

Emotion always was the best part of Carbonneau's brilliant career as a player (why isn't Carbo in the Hockey Hall of Fame?). If you're wondering why the Canadiens have been doing so well thus far, it's because the kindly ol' coach has his troops playing with emotion on most nights.

"I'm surprised," a hockey person, whose opinion Fisher respects, mentioned recently. "I really didn't think he could do it, but he's got that team playing with lots of emotion."

So here they are No. 3 overall in the Eastern Conference behind Buffalo and Atlanta (No. 4 with seedings) almost halfway through the NHL schedule.

You can say all you want about how well Saku Koivu and Cristobal Huet have played, how productive Sheldon Souray has been, how much quiet leadership Andrei Markov brings to the arena, and how much the power play and penalty-killing teams have improved, but if you don't play with emotion, fuhgeddabouditt!

Only days before the start of the season, Carbo made a point of mentioning the importance of the Big E.

(He wasn't talking about Eric Lindros, the big U. - RC)

Behind the bench, there are times when you need to be emotional," he told Fisher. "What I have to do is learn when and how to do it. Try to pace myself.

"I don't want to hide that," he added. "When it's a big game, I want the players to know it's a big game.

"As a player, you spend 30 or 40 seconds on the ice, you do what you have to do, then you come back to the bench and try to catch your breath.

"As a coach, I'm here to push every player to his maximum," Carbo said. "Some people might not like it, some people will love it. You always have that, but as long as I'm fair ... as long as I can get them to play with emotion, we'll do all right."

Done!

Bloggers Can Aim Higher Than Rory

The internet hockey community has recently proven itself to be quite a united and powerful group in regards to the Rory Fitzpatrick story.

The "Vote For Rory" story, an internet quest to send an NHL "everyman" to the league's All-Star game has gained a surprising amount of media coverage and momentum. While I have previously chosen to remove myself and my site from the moral equation of the campaign, I must admit to being impressed by the dedication of hockey fans, and bloggers alike.

Bandwagon jumpers, caught in the coolness of the ruse, likely never positioned themselves inside Fitzpatrick's skates or conscience.

My unstated point of view on the whole deal, has always concerned the player and person first and foremost.

To finally speak my mind on the matter, Rory, under any given circumstance, would never feel comfortable in heading to Dallas, in the midst of controversy. While the player initially seemed to momentarily relish the attention, he soon understood the consequences of jokingly endorsing such a lark.

He has since backed off, hoping that internet hockey fans do so also.

In truth, Fitzpatrick never represented the hyped "everyman", but merely a fringe NHL'er hanging onto his job. The "everyman" has a firmer, less teetering grasp on a longer term career.

Fitzpatrick honestly never needed the distraction.

Having said all that, and not wanting to seem as though I am a pisspot spoilsport, the power in numbers shown by fans of the game is what has impressed me most about the Rory infatuation. It is not a shaking of the foundations aspect that has grabbed my curiosity and attention, but the sheer will to do something positive with a clout we, as internet hockey fans and bloggers, could well earn if put to proper use.

Affecting positive change, is what I am getting at.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has often mentioned that he is aware of NHL fans online. We are also becoming more aware of our voice as fans within the league. While we online fans may never be querried on matters of league rules or divisional alignment, we can make make ourselves important in other progressive ways.

It all begins with doing something positive and right.

It requires our involvement in a "feel good" story that would have little to no controversy attached to it.















It requires our involvement in a "feel good" story that would have little to no controversy attached to it.

Through the hockey media itself, I've latched on to two stories in the past year that could well gain some support, amongst ourselves and the said print media, who would undoubtably become our ally.

In a sense it is not all that different than voting for an NHL "everyman".

The Hockey Hall Of Fame is an institution we are all familiar with. It has a due voting process only slightly less immediate than that of the NHL All-Star game.

There are two cases of omission into the Hockey Hall that have long irked me - one, if you have a reporters heart, could seem closer to you than you think.














As a writer of 44 years of age, I sincerely hope that the people who I will be suggesting for inclusion to the HHOF are not beyond your realm of game love and understanding. The greatness of who they are and were, should never escape those who share the opinion that how the game treats it's past, affects it's future.

I say, we all get together, to make these cases our feel good stories!

Trust me, both are more than worthy.

They involve NHL goaltending great Rogatien "Rogie" Vachon, and the longest standing hockey beat writer in North America, Montreal Gazette scribe, Red Fisher.

While both scenario's differ, I will tackle the Fisher case first.

Fisher has been covering the Montreal Canadiens for 49 years. He has been writing on hockey even longer.

His dignity and professionalism are second to none. He has long been revered by not only readers, but also by the players he has covered. Respected individuals in hockey such as Bob Gainey and Ken Dryden have given testament to his accomplishments.

You would tend to assume that he deserves induction into the Hockey Hall Of Fame as a writer, and hence as a promoter of this great game of hockey that we all are fortunate enough to be commenting on daily.

In regards to writting about the game and it's players, Fisher is our eldest of professional ancestors. A man of no small compromise, he is the purest of our breed.

The most cutting of slights, the most blatant, absent-minded of diminishments, has been committed against Fisher.

Red Fisher, you see, was inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame in 1985, as he rightly should have been.

He received the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for excellence in hockey journalism.

He didn't steal it.

He put in more hours than the average NHL'er on job and did it all in the good name of the game of hockey. He wrote about players, while understanding they were human beings. He wrote about teams, while understanding winning team concepts. He respected what was personal and priveledged information while never compromising his position, enabling us hockey fans to get great insight into the game we love.

If he's still on the beat 50 years later, what else do I need say?

Hockey owes Red Fisher more than it owes him.

In the late 1990's, the Hockey Hall decided for no positive reason that all media personnel inducted in the Hall be referred to as "Honourees" rather than members. Fisher proudly pulled his name from the Hall in protest, feeling the slight. In his profession, Fisher had built up the game and promoted it to the best of his ability. No "honour", as so termed, ought to diminish what the man accomlished. He ought to be re-inducted, as he initially was, as a full fledged "member" of the Hockey Hall Of Fame.

Need there be reminding that Red is like quite a lot of us. He remains and always has been a non-compromising seeker of truth, deliverer of news, and a hockey fanatic at heart.

You'll agree with me when I say he deserves a more honest fate in regards to the HHOF.

Before the NHL even begins to suggest one more time, how important media is to the game's interest spreading continent wide, it ought to correct the wrong committed, not only in Fisher's name, but in all former, present, and future media inducteed of the game.

Red Fisher, is you and I, writing of hockey everyday.

Rogatien Vachon is on the opposite side of the paper and pen.

A career hockey man, Rogie was one of the NHL's premier goaltenders of the 1970's. His stats from the era show he may have only been surpassed by the likes of Dryden, Tony Esposito, Bernie Parent, and Gerry Cheevers in terms of career acomplishments and career numbers.

Not only did Vachon ply his trade mainly on hockey's west coast, in that gold and purple Kings jersey, he thrived at it. Vachon, along with Marcel Dionne, very consistantly displayed excellence throughout their careers. Had it not been for them, Wayne Gretzky may not have had a franchise to bolster upon his trade to Los Angeles in 1988.

There are three current franchises in the state of California the NHL can be thankful for - the Kings, the Sharks and the Ducks. Vachon spent the better part of a decade there stopping pucks where the sun burns peel more skin than the red lights of goal judges do, yet he has never been given the game's supreme acknowledgement.

Vachon was on the smaller side of goalies, standing only 5' 7' and 170lbs. Despite his stature, he parlayed his stand up style successfully, playing over 200 games with the Montreal Canadiens between 1966 and 1972.

With them, he won 3 Stanley Cups in 4 seasons, including winning the Vezina Trophy.

In 16 NHL seasons, Vachon compiled 355 wins and a more than respectable for the era, 2.99 GAA. Rogie went on to play two seasons each with the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings before retiring in 1982.

In the 1976 Canada Cup tournament, Vachon's goaltending was key to the country's win. Rogie's excellent performances were again overshadowed by the games greats. With Bobby Orr's last hurrah earning him tournament MVP honours and Darryl Sittler's winning goal against Czechoslovachia, little spotlight was left over for Rogie the goalie.

In his post player career, he has served the L.A. Kings in many capacties, including General Manager.

If one was to compare the career stats of Rogatien Vachon against other HHOF inductees such as Bob Pulford, Dick Duff, or Bernie Federko, it would be plain and obvious to see that this goalie has a home in this temple of greats.

Are you ready to do something about it?

If we can come so close to flying Rory Fitzpatrick to an All-Star game, we could surely add our influence to the cases for Fisher and Vachon.

After that, who knows what we could accomplish together!