Many years ago I played a bit of hockey in the Guelph Industrial League. It was a tough arena, full of wanna-be pros killing time and former Junior players staying busy. It was the bad old days of ice hockey. A few guys were just starting to wear helmets. I never owned one.
I had the privilege of playing both with and against guys who had played in the AHL, both against and with Don Cherry. Believe me, it was a lot more fun playing with them than against them.
I remember a certain Mike Mahoney. Spent most of his pro career in the AHL, with the Hershey Bears. Washed up has-been by the time he got to our league. But you pissed your hockey pants when you saw him coming down your wing. You really didn't want to get run over by Mike Mahoney.
Don Cherry made his living in those climes for many years. Then he reinvented himself as a hockey commentator. I like a lot of things about him. I like that he held his own against the Mike Mahoney's for many years. I like the fact that as long as he's been in the commentator booth he's told it like he sees it.
There's also been plenty that didn't impress me about Don. He brings way too much politics into his broadcasts. Every Canadian who ever stepped on a landmine in Afghanistan is a HERO in Don's book, and he never fails to mention it on national TV. To me they're just a scared kid who had the misfortune of stepping on a landmine. He's been way too quick to endorse some really sketchy right-wing politicians.
One of the finest players, and one of the finest for a long long time, in that Guelph Industrial League was Johnny Hirtle. He was one of the premier players in that league, year in and year out, no matter what former pros or what up and coming juniors were on the ice. He maintained that status from his late teens to his late forties. Then it was a detached retina and a bad divorce and a job moved to Mexico that sidelined him. Jobs moving to Mexico kicked the shit out of the Guelph Industrial League. Don't know if they got a hockey thing going on in Mexico or not. I doubt it.
Johnny woulda loved Don and Don woulda loved Johnny. Both were guys who played the game because they loved it. Lately Don has come under attack from guys who loved the game because they loved the money. Enforcers. Tough guys.
Money was never the issue for Johnny, or for me, or, I suspect, for Don or for Mike Mahoney. But today, guys with half of Johnny's talent, or Don's, or Mike's are making millions in the NHL. And I think what Don was ranting about was the guys who made millions as enforcers, had no particular hockey talents, and then turn around and whine about how they got concussions and the game needs to be cleaned up.
Clean up hockey and you've got figure skating with a puck.
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