Wednesday, September 27, 2017

 

Notes From Mr. Wilson's Basement-Part Two



Last week I featured one-third of the famous Kid Line that helped put hockey on the map in Toronto, It was in the early 1930s, and the Leafs were in the process of moving into Maple Leaf Gardens. It was to become a crowning achievement for Leafs owner, Conn Smythe.



                                                         Harvey Jackson                      

Harvey “Busher” Jackson also played on that famous line. His nephew was on hand to tell us about his uncle, and about his father Art, who also played in the NHL. He talked about his uncle with an air of reverence. “Busher's” career was certainly chaotic. All in all, he did earn a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame, along with his teammates.


He told the audience in the basement that his uncle wore number 18 for the Bruins. With that, he proceeded to dig into a plastic bag, and displayed his uncle's jersey, and his father's as well. Art's dad told his son that no one in the NHL possessed a backhand shot as hard as Busher. He also said the Busher was “as tough as nails”.
                                                                     Harvey Jackson




The Jacksons had a summer place in Bobcageon. As was often the case in those days, Busher would have the entire hockey team head north to his town to play a little softball in the summer. In the winter, the boys often skated in Toronto on the Grenadier Pond.


Busher had a tough time following his hockey career. To put it gently, he lived in the fast lane while playing, saving very little for a rainy day. There is even a story that he could be found selling broken Leafs sticks to fans outside the Gardens to get a little pocket money. When the time came for the committee to induct him into the Hall of Fame, Conn Smythe blocked his nomination. Five years after his death, Jackson was inducted into the Hall. Smythe resigned the next day.



                                                           Joe Primeau

Joe Primeau was the third member of the Kid Line. His granddaughter was on hand to share tidbits from his life. Primeau was a classy guy, and was considered to be the “brains” of the line. In his first five years on the line, he led the NHL in assists three times. Primeau retired from hockey in 1936, when he was just 30 years old. He determined that he could be more successful with his business interests off the ice. But once he had those businesses up and running smoothly, he got back into the game, coaching. Over the next ten years, his teams won the Memorial Cup, the Allan Cup, and the Stanley Cup. He was the last surviving member of the Kid Line.


Another participant that evening was Richard Levinsky, son of Alex Levinsky. Levinsky played for the Leafs in the 1930s, with “Hap” Day as his defence partner. He was later traded to Chicago, and was a popular player with some of the well known characters in the city at that time: ”Bugs” Segal, and Meyer Lansky, in particular. Levinsky was Jewish, as were those gentlemen. When Levinsky was traded from Chicago, they were furious. In their typically suggestive way, they asked Levinsky if he wanted them “to take the coach for a short car ride”.



                                                            "King" Clancy

Terry Clancy was on hand to talk about his father, the legendary “King” Clancy. He told the group his father never talked about his games, from a personal standpoint. As a coach and observer later in life, he realized that players continued to improve each year. Terry was a fine player in his own right, playing for Canada in the 1964 Olympics in Austria.


King” retired in the 36-37 season, then went on to referee in the NHL for 15 seasons. He returned to coaching, and was behind the bench 1n 1967 when the Leafs won the Cup,


Great memories!

James Hurst
September 26, 2017


Thursday, September 21, 2017

 

Notes from Mr. Wilson's Basement

Notes From Mr. Wilson's Basement


A couple of months ago, I was invited to attend a hockey function in Toronto. It took place in a basement in a very nice part of town, but it was no ordinary basement. For hockey memorabilia fans, particularly Leaf fans, it was an extraordinary cellar.



Mike Wilson used almost one thousand square feet of space to display his collection. Since that time, he has sold the bulk of the collection to the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa. Wilson spent many years amassing the material. Each item that he obtained had a history, sometimes an emotional attachment. He wanted to share his knowledge of the game, keeping the history alive. With that in mind, he often hosted different groups to his basement. A series of “Hot Stove League” chats.


The evening I attended was devoted to hockey history from the early 1930s. The Toronto Marlboroughs won the Memorial Cup at that time, and the Leafs won the Stanley Cup a short time later. Descendants of the players were on hand to share a memory or two of their famous relatives. I was invited to the event by Pete Conacher, who played for the Belleville McFarlands when they won the World Championship.



                              Pete, in a recent photo in Mr. Wilson's Basement

Pete represented arguably the most famous family in Toronto sports history. His dad was Charlie. His uncle was Lionel. His cousin was Murray Henderson, whom Pete calls the “unsung hero of the Conacher family”. His Uncle Roy played several years in the NHL. Then there are several other grandsons and nephews who played at higher levels of hockey.


                                                           Mike Wilson, in his basement


Pete told the group assembled that his father “never talked about the games” when he got home form the Gardens. His dad played on one of the first lines in hockey to receive a nickname-the Kid Line. Other players on that line were Joe Primeau, and Harvey “Busher” Jackson. Pete remembered that his dad was not a fan of the “dump the puck” style of hockey. His dad said that it slowed the game down to the extent that “they could have played the game in galoshes”.


Pete got called up to the Black Hawks from his Junior team in Guelph. His Uncle Roy was retiring that season, and Pete got a chance to skate with him. Pete played on a line with Bill Mosienko and Jim McFadden, against the leafs. He remembered that the Hawks won, 1-0. Pete was credited with an assist on the goal. He maintains that he did not touch the puck.


Charlie's son Brad took the floor for a few questions and answers. He said that he followed the game listening to Foster Hewitt. Naturally, the Leafs were revered by most Torontonians. That reverence went back to those early 1930s days, when the Kid Line dominated play, and won Stanley Cups. Remember?


Pete was also asked about Nicholson Island, of all things. He told the group that his dad sent their dog down to the island to be trained. His Uncle Lionel often went to the island to hunt pheasant. There is a strong Toronto Maple Leafs connection to the island, which I will research in days to come.


Mike Wilson reported that the last of the items he sold left his place about a month ago. But he has an agreement with the Museum, indicating that he has “curatorial control, naming rights, and an emphasis on preserving and displaying his collection's history”.


September 18, 2017.

Friday, September 15, 2017

 

Jose Abreu-White Sox



As I get older, I tend not to focus on the negative aspects of life. I know they are out there. It is easier to pay more attention to sport, and the good things about it.


Jose Abreu has a lot on his mind, nowadays. He was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, roughly translated as “One Hundred Fires”. It lies on the south coast of Cuba, roughly one hundred miles south of Havana, as the crow flies. You may have seen footage of the disaster brought by Hurricane Irma on the north coast of Cuba in the past few days.


Most of the Caribbean Islands have been ravaged by the storm, some islands completely flattened. As I write, Irma is making her way through northern Florida, and into other southern states. I have seen estimates of hundreds of billions of dollars in damages. I have no idea how much that would be. Quite a bit, I assume.


So ...Abreu is playing baseball for the White Sox. He is a very talented player. He was the “Rookie of the Year” for the American League in his first season, 2014. After his third season with the White Sox, he joined Albert Pujols and Joe DiMaggio as the only players ever to hit 25 home runs, 175 hits, and 100 runs- batted-in in that time span.


His career batting average is .300, and he has 30 home runs so far this season.


While playing against the San Francisco Giants recently, Abreu accomplished a rare feat. In baseball jargon, he hit “for the cycle”. It means that he had a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in one game. It was the way he accomplished the cycle that made it remarkable.


In his first three plate appearances, he had banged out a home run, a double, and a single. When he came to the plate for the fourth time, the crowd began to stir. Abreu dug in at the plate, and fouled the first pitch off his shin. Down he went, and the trainer rushed out to check on him. He waved off all assistance. He had something else in mind, as did the fans. He smacked the next pitch into the gap belween the outfielders in right field. He peeked over his shoulder as he rounded second base.


He slid safely into third base, reording his first “cycle”. A remarkable feat, considering the fact that he likely had a lot on his mind. Only five other White Sox have hit for the cycle, the last one seventeen years ago. Ray Shalk, Jack Brohamer, Carlton Fisk, Chris Singleton and Jose Valentin are the only other White Sox to hit for the cycle.


He has returned to Cuba a couple of times, since he defected in 2013. He went on a good will trip with Major League players in 2015, and also last October, when he had a chance to visit with his family in Cienfuegos.


I am sure he will want to go again this year, especially after seeing the damage left by Hurricane Irma. Another fine athlete to keep an eye on for the next few years, as he has the potential to become a super star in the great game of baseball. And he just may have opened the door, slightly mind you, to a place in Cooperstown.


James Hurst
September 12, 2017.

Monday, September 11, 2017

 

Kevin Bailie-Moving On!

Bailie sees action for Baby Sens; Ottawa wins rookie tourney




Belleville native Kevin Bailie of Queen's University saw action for the Ottawa Sens at the NHL rookie tournament Sunday in Toronto. (Kingston Whig Standard photo)
Belleville native Kevin Bailie of Queen's University saw action for the Ottawa Sens at the NHL rookie tournament Sunday in Toronto. (Kingston Whig Standard photo)
          



Ottawa Senators prospects claimed the three-team NHL rookie tournament title with a 4-3 shootout win over the host Toronto Maple Leaf hopefuls Sunday at Richoh Coliseum.
Baby Sens opened the round-robin event Saturday with an 8-2 clobbering of the Montreal Canadiens rookie team.
On Sunday, Belleville product Kevin Bailie of Queen's University saw action in the the Baby Sens net. The rangy goaltender and former Belleville Athlete of the Year signed a tryout form with Ottawa after 2017 NHL draft pick Jordan Hollett was bitten by the flu bug.
Down 3-0, Sens battled back on goals by Andreas Englund and Matteo Gennaro before Filip Chlapik notched the tying tally with less than three minutes to go. Ottawa would go on to win it in the shootout.
Bailie was reportedly a bit shaky in the early going but settled down nicely with a couple of big stops in the second period before being replaced by Marcus Hogberg.
Sens draft pick, forward Drake Batherson from Cape Breton of the QMJHL, was among a group of strong performers up front. He's the son of former Belleville Bulls forward, Norm Batherson.

Thursday, September 07, 2017

 

Labour Day Classics 2017



Traditionally, Labour Day is the halfway point of the Canadian Football League season. Rosters are pretty well set, players are adjusting to coaching methods, expectations become more realistic. The games that are played on Labour Day have been referred to as “Classics” for many years. Last Monday's game was an exception to the rule.


Mother Nature helped decide the outcome of the game in Hamilton between the Ticats and the Toronto Argonauts. At the start of the game, the winds howled from one end to the other, affecting the coin toss. Winners had to decide whether or not they should: A. Take the end with the wind at their backs. B. Receive the kickoff. C. Defer the decision to the start of the second half. It was a significant factor in the choice.


Once the first quarter was completed, the weather took over the game. The rains came, the winds continued to howl, the lightning flashed. The referee stopped the game and sent the players to their dressing rooms. The fans were advised to leave their seats, and find cover. (One consequence was that the concession stands did a booming business!) The game was put on hold for the weather to clear.


Officials stood around checking their smart phones every thirty seconds, hoping for a reprieve. Two hours later, the second quarter recommenced, and the fans were treated to yet another barn burner of Canadian football. The winds subsided, even changed direction as the game progressed.


When the referee signalled the end of the game, the Ticats emerged victorious, albeit by the skin of their fangs. Joy returned to Steeltown. It was their first victory of the season, after eight losses. Any victory against your arch rival is extra special. There was no love lost in the game, nor will there ever be.


The Ticats now cross the province to face the RED/BLACKS in Ottawa this coming Saturday. The Ottawa squad now sits in first place, due to the Toronto loss. Last Thursday, the knocked off the Montreal Alouettes 32-4 at Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal. Also known as McGill Stadium, it is a wonderful place to watch a football game.

                                    Unofficial RED/BLACKS Cheering section

The RED/BLACKS made significant changes after last season. The had won the Grey Cup, but sveral players left the fold, for many reasons. Trevor Harris took the helm at quarterback, and has spent the first half of the season finding a rhythm. He has a wonderful core of receivers to work with, and Moses Madu in the backfield to carry the load, when required. Greg Ellingson, Brad Sinopoli, Jake Harty, Josh Stangby and Deonte Spencer can pull in short and long passes to keep the opposition busy.

                                                David and Arty with the Cup

The RED/BLACKS host the Ticats on their final game of the season, October 27th. At that point in time, preparations will begin to dress up TD Stadium for the hosting of the Grey Cup. Shania Twain will perform at half time. A perfect combination of Canadian content.



                                       Alice Loves the RED/BLACKS!!

Southside fans will be ready this Saturday, especially with their chant of, “Move those chains!” whenever Ottawa gets a first down. Buckle your seat belt for another half season of CFL football!!


James Hurst
September 5, 2017.




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