570News - Gary Doyle

Gordie Howe is 80 years old today. Happy Birthday Mr. Hockey! As a kid in the 60’s Gordie Howe was “the man” we looked up to. Growing up in Belleville there were split loyalites. It is the home of Bobby Hull. Oddly I knew more Leaf, Hab and Red Wing fans than Hawk lovers. Howe was the epitome. He played 32 years of pro hockey. He could skate, score and duke it out with the best of them. And whem the game was over, he was still humble. Worthy of his status. My favorite Gordie Howe story was told wonderfually by the colourful Gerry James. James played for the Leafs and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 50’s. I knew him when he was coaching in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League with the Yorkton Terriers. We were at the league All Star Banquet and were sharing a few wobby pops when James started telling stories. He says his rookie year with the Leafs he send out to check Howe. Right off the face off the puck went into the corner and Howe went after it. James says he rammed Howe into the boards and he fell on the puck. Back to the face off. Howe says to him, “you’re new hear kid, don’t do that again.” James says you can’t not answer that challenge. Puck goes into the corner, Howe goes after it, James goes after him and then Gerry pauses and says …”I woke up tuesday. They tell me it was an elbow.”
Happy Birthday Gordies, and, thanks for the memories.

Another day, another rumour. This one has been around for months. Will the coach of the Kitchener Rangers be in Atlanta coaching the Thrashers next year? Don Wadell, the Thrashers GM gave the politically correct answer yesterday, saying DeBoer would be a prime candidate. So, add it to the list. Dismiss it for now, because having talked at length with Peter about moving on, I can tell you this. His talents are in demand. He loves coaching and living in this area. His family is thriving here. In Kitchener he is in control. In Atlanta, (Toronto, Florida, and a myriad of AHL cities) he would not have final say. He likes to have final say. It works for him. Will he leave? Why worry about it until after the hockey season when the rumours are more plentiful than dandelions. Clearly, the coach has bigger issues to deal with now. They wear black and gold and are led by the likely first-overall choice in the next NHL draft and they’ll be at the Aud next week.

Josef Sladok of the Plymouth Whalers has been suspended for five games for bullying. That effectively ends his ineffective season. Sladok was on the ice four times in game three in Kitchener, the last time, with less than two minutes to play in a game that was already lost. He jumped into the fray and started pounded Scott Tregunna of the Rangers. The OHL had seen enough. Which begs the question. Didn’t they see the first two games?

I remember saying, many times, that we should not idolize athletes and the best role models for our kids are named mom and dad. I may have to take that back. Patrick Roy, the legendary goalie of the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche stands accused of sending his goalie (who is also his son) into a brawl to fight the opposition goalie. I’ve seen the video, sorry Patrick, I don’t believe that signal was a gesture to the fans and nobody else does either. It’s another condemnation for a great game. This is not the first time Roy has had his image tarnished. For me, it was more of a semi-private moment that cameras did not pick up. IN 2003, the Kitchener Rangers were playing the Quebec Remparts in the Memorial Cup in their home rink. That year, Roy was an assistant coach/part owner, was not on the bench. He was ten teen to my left in the press box. When the rest of us stood for the National Anthm, Patrick remained seated and turned his back. When we made eye contact, he sneered. That would be the moment he fell from his pedestal.

It’s never easy. The Kitchener Rangers, who already have a berth in the Memorial Cup in May, are determined to enter the tournament through the front door. That means a lot of hockey, a lot of focus, a lot of talent, and a lot of luck. It also means a lot of fans. The great thing about my 22 years in Kitchener is the time I get to spend at the best rink in the OHL. I know, that’s cliche, but having been in the other 19 rinks, I stand by the statement. Case in point. Saturday night in Plymouth, Michigan fewer than two thousand fans showed up to watch the defending OHL Champs post season home opener against the Rangers, arguably the team they love to hate the most. (see profiles of DeBoer, Spott and Smith). I’ve already heard the arguments. The Red Wings, The University play-offs, Easter Weekend…yadda yadda yadda! It’s a great product that continues to be mostly ingnored in Metro Detroit. A tip of the hat to the Ranger fans who showed up in gear and tooted their horns. Some even wore their cardboard Butch Goring buckets to the game. Gotta love the fans.

Although I’m not a fan of predications (my own), I have been asked a few times what I think will happen in the opening round of the OHL Play-offs. Here goes.

Kitchener-Plymouth..no repeat of last year. The Rangers are the better team…five games at the most.

Soo-Saginaw. The Hounds are too deep and the Spirit are not. Dogs in five.

London-Guelph. Sorry, it’s not in me to pick London for anything. Storm in six.

Windsor-Sarnia. The Spits are the cinderella story after their team tragedy, but I’m going to have to go wtih Stamkos and company in six.

Belleville-Peterborough. The Bulls won’t have to break a sweat. Four and out for the Petes.

Brampton-Barrie. The Bunker Boys should have little trouble with a Colts squad that doesn’t shave yet. Brampton in four.

Oshawa-Ottawa….never count out Killer. Ottawa in seven.

Niagara-Mississauga. The Ice Dogs are too comfortable in their former home….All five games
will seem like home games.

I finished a great book on the weekend called “In The Gutter.” It’s about really helping each other by getting into someone elses’ gutter. Helping them deal with alcohol, drugs, sex addiction, porn, etc….will you meet someone in their gutter? Anyway, read it. The best line in the book is this, “Experience is what you get, when you don’t get what you want.”

hmmmmm

I’m at that age where I spend as much time worrying about my Mom as I do my kids. Thankfully all three of them are fine. My oldest is set to graduate WLU at the same time my youngest will exit Bluevale. My mom, will exit Belleville General Hospital this weekend with a new hip. Her olympic dreams are over, but I’m grateful for the technology and skill of the medical team that have her walking pain free again. I heard a speaker this week sum it up this way…choose to be a Tigger, not an Eyore.

thanks for noticing me…

If highly respected coaches can’t speak up about the level of officiating, who can? I’m repeatedly told that play-off assignments for officials depends on their work in the regular season. By my count, we’re already too short to have the first round based on that criteria. Stop protecting the stripes who want to be stars and be open about the ranking system that may or may not exist. I’m beginning to think the ranking system is based on who’s available.

It wasn’t that long ago that I got a lot of e-mail from hockey fans who were tired of listening to me complain about inconsistent officiating in the OHL. Now that it’s in vogue, my inbox is empty.