... and one from Hockey Unplugged via Facebook:

The caption is: "1965-67.  Five future Hall of Famers ... Stanley / Clancy / Horton /Pronovost / Sawchuck."

[And iffin I didn't know any better, I'd ask, "What's M.P. doin' with that spliff?"   ]

LAFLEUR used to steal a puff on the bench.
Howe once said Horton was the strongest guy in the league.

Lots of “obviously” again tonight. Horvat just said it 5 times in a 45 second interview. Others earlier this eve were more restrained ….

I was hoping to not have to discuss this with Gary...... again!!*    But .......... I'll see what I can do ................. I guess [and silently give thanks to Red Green]..     The shakey part for me is presenting everything second-hand, as for the most part I don't watch the interviews [and I'm not sure that it would be advantageous to let Gary in on that bit].   So long as I stay awake, I generally try to use the interviews / ads  to TMITIM.  Heck I figure ads [not specifically on hockey broadcasts] contribute about 20 minutes per hour ... it adds up .... alas you wouldn't know it by listening to me "play." 

Have you considered working toward a reinstatement of you-know-who?? That way he could use his h-u-g-e sphere of influence to get the players to see the light.   [Just kidding with this last bit.... the societal improvements evident since his sacking plainly show that I was wrong.... those improvements far outweigh his fashion (mis-?)statements.]

* = I hope I'm not imagining things, but the last time, it seemed to me that he might have been getting a wee bit testy.

.... and from Center Ice Hockey via Facebook.... accompanying a pic of Joe Sakic:

”I remember when I was in Detroit, Sean Avery stood up as Joe Sakic was skating by our bench.

Sean was a young, enthusiastic hockey player who was well liked by us old guys, and as you might know, was known for trash talking. But when he stood up and yelled, “Hey Sakic!” Brett Hull grabbed him by the back of his sweater and yanked him down on the bench.

Then he said, and I’ll never forget this, “You are not allowed to speak to Mr. Sakic.” And then Sean looked down the bench at the rest of the boys and we all just sort of nodded.”

- Brendan Shanahan

In other words, don’t get him riled up?

I dunno... maybe part of "the code"??   

I think possibly in recognition to the respect J.S. had earned?  Nonetheless I find such behind-the-scenes stuff more interesting that an analyst/announcer asking a question (?)  aimed at "confirming" the announcer's brilliance.

P.S. And, No!... I ain't gonna ask my friend Brendan for further insight!  

Geez,, can’t BS do anything ‘bout the bombardment of “obviously” ??
Oh the days of Danny Gallivan & Dick Irvine….. Scott Young betwixt periods,, Howie with his chalkboard,, etc. .. (Dave Hodge getting banned from ML Gardens by Pal Hal )

I've posted it before, but when we were prospective snowbirds we attended one of those promotional "conventions"... Brian MacFarlane was flogging his book and had a shooting booth set up to draw schmucks (?)  like me in.  For an old(er) guy who had a weak shot even when he wasn't an old(er) guy, I did "okay" until I asked him about the incident where he showed his disgust in having the network cut the broadcast [I'd have to look up the details.... you probably know them].  Anyway he seemed to take it in stride in informing me "That was Dave Hodge."   

I've been told that the past behaviour is a good indicator of future behaviour...... I might meet up with B.S. and address him as "Gary," so I think it best that I don't push my luck.

Charlie Hodge, Dave Hodge, Ken Hodge, Gil Hodges,,,,, my brain synapses are misfiring again….. if you run into Gary Shanahan tell him I said howdy from Cowtown., the place where his old team mate Brett Hull [son of ex-TeePee Robert Marvin Hull] began to make his mark.

A sad few days for junior hockey,, my home team Blackhawks went home early rather than face violence from Quebec fans. I remember it well,, it was Dionne’s last year in junior, as was LaFleur’s who played for the Ramparts.
“ The Remparts were led by Guy Lafleur, who in 1970–71 set league records with 130 goals and 209 points. He added another 22 goals in the playoffs to lead Quebec to the QMJHL's President's Cup championship.[4] In a best-of-seven series for the Eastern championship, they faced OHA champion St. Catharines, led by Marcel Dionne, who was the Ontario league's top scorer with 143 points.[5] The teams split the first two games, held in St. Catharines, before the Remparts took a 2–1 series lead in the third game, held in Quebec.[6] The game was violent at times with over 102 penalties in minutes given out by the referee – 77 to the Black Hawks.[7]

Quebec moved to within one win of winning the series with a 6–1 victory in game four, also held in Quebec. As with the third game, the Black Hawks attempted to intimidate their smaller Remparts opponents physically.[6] The crowd grew increasingly hostile towards the visitors, pelting the players with eggs, potatoes and golf balls, while one fan threw a knife.[7] Dionne's parents were assaulted in the stands over the fact that he had left the Quebec league to play in Ontario.[8] Mike Bloom inadvertently struck a police officer with his stick trying to hit a fan who spat on him.[6] The Black Hawk players were escorted out of the building by police following the game as a mob of angry fans threw bottles at them and then milled around the team's motel until the early hours of the following morning.[7] Threats were made against the players by the Quebec Liberation Front, a group that precipitated the October Crisis of 1970 that resulted in the Canadian government invoking the War Measures Act.[7][8]

The fifth game was held in a neutral location. St. Catharines defeated Quebec 6–3 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, but refused to return to Quebec City for the sixth and seventh games. The Black Hawks offered to play the remainder of the series in Montreal, which the Remparts refused.[9] Fearing for their safety, the players voted to forfeit the sixth game.[8] CAHA president Earl Dawson then declared the series a forfeit in favour of Quebec.”

.... looks like I wasn't the only one who didn't score [mostly in regards to hockey  ].

Courtesy of Hockey Unplugged .... caption is:  "1940s – Elmer Lach on the shovel brigade."

“Unplugged”,, yes, yes, as in regards to the arena organ.

Keep yer head UP!
You won’t see McDavid get hit like this very often.
youtu.be/Jg_aTfx63VY

... yep, that'll get the adrenalin flowing.  Any McSorleys or Semenkos in the house?

Kassian tried some retribution later on,, guess clean hits are not appreciated by the opposition. Don’t touch the STAR!

I was never a star, so I don't know anything about that aspect, but I doubt I'd appreciate being on the receiving end of that ^^ either.   And keeping your head up is good advice indeed .... it allows you a bit of time to get your elbows and/or stick up [i.e. into the guy's face/neck/head]  before contact. .. make 'im think twice, I figure.  I preferred to have guys running at me [I knew what to expect]  ... it was the guys outmaneuvering me that caused bigger problems for me.   

A fine line in hockey between looking to injure and just administering a ‘hockey play’.

When an opponent tried to level me, I figured it was just a 'hockey play' to get my gloves/elbows/stick in his face... for protection [i.e. self-preservation] rather than to injure.  

Scott Stevens,, (no TeePee connection but I used to live 2 blocks from Stevens Ford- Mercury in Kitchener,, his family’s business).  A hitter non-pareil.
youtu.be/oSlGxRzpyIQ

(big Eric got away with his head down in junior,, he never quite got rid of that bad habit)

I've been ruminating about the ^^ "fine line," and wonder if instead, it's actually a very wide grey area.    Damage [physical and mental] is too often shrugged off so long as we can see even a hint of a "hockey play" [whatever that means?] to justify it, IMNSHumbleO.   I think many of Scott Stevens' hits fall into that category... I didn't intend* to injure him but I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it.  And I'm not sure it isn't: I didn't intend to injure him badly.  Without over-the-top rule breaking, I suppose all's fair in love, war, and hockey.   ..........."The code" notwithstanding.   

 Does  "in a vulnerable position" include simply having one's head down?  [Head down while skating... watching hand(s) while "playing" (?) banjo.... I wonder if there's a connection with some deep-seated psychological basis.]

Willie O’Ree made it to the NHL with only one eye. Was he ALWAYS in a vulnerable position? lol.
My take away is , like football, you go in knowing the risks. Intimidation & fear are strategic factors. Keep yer head up!! Keep yer stick on the ice! Never apologize - go down with the ship! (the last one courtesy of DC/MD)

Don't get me wrong.... I don't recall having caused any significant injury to an opponent* when I was trying to "play," but had it happened I probably could have justified it with "Well, he deserved it."  Whether from having his head down or just being a jerk, who I wouldn't know from Adam off the ice, it probably wouldn't have mattered.

One time, and only once, we had a pre-game pier three-er [i.e. halfway to a pier sixer].... I don't highly recommend them...  but it was fun (?) while it lasted.  Somebody [not me] got a minor nose bleed.

Wasn't O'Ree only vulnerable half of the time?      [I know it's not a straight-line correlation, but I've only had one cup of coffee this a.m.] 

One cup = only one eye open?

Yer slipping Chuck.... Hockey Beast (via Facebook) put this up today: 

 "Al Secord... only player to get 50 goals in one season and 300PIM in another."     

So naturally I had to "look it up" https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=4851  and I see he played in St. Catharines.   [I trust you can make an allowance for my ignorance... 'twas early in my marriage... hockey wasn't necessarily top of mind.   ]