On the Shelf, Part VIII: Good Stuff

Image courtesy of Joe Fletcher

The saga of my mysterious upper lower-body/middle lower-body injury continues. Physical therapy didn’t do the trick, so it’s back to the doctor for a re-evaluation tomorrow. It’s a downer not playing—and worse, the not knowing what’s wrong or when I’ll be back—but Don Cherry’s Hockey Stories and Stuff has been a pick-me-up difficult to put down.

If Gordie Howe, who will turn 81 on March 31, is Mr. Hockey®, then Don Cherry, who celebrated his 75th birthday on Thursday, is Mr. Hockey Storyteller. In his book, as told to Al Strachan, “Grapes” delivers page after page of vintage vignettes, which he draws from his vast experience as a player, coach, and commentator.

Cherry’s down-to-earth delivery transported me to wherever he ventured: on the ice, on the road, and into the announcer booth. I had figured he’d include stuff about the Bruins; that he’d share nuggets about my beloved Colorado Rockies; and that he’d take me behind the scenes of Hockey Night in Canada. Cherry didn’t disappoint.

With his trademark brashness, that blunt-force honesty—that which people tend to love or loathe—Cherry sometimes made me wince. But more often than not, I either laughed (picture this: Wayne Gretzky in long—presumably—underwear) or felt a fondness for the flashy haberdasher’s delight. Cherry admits his mistakes and becomes vulnerable. This softer side shushes his insolence.

The most endearing anecdote, for me, was not about Bobby Orr or Barry Beck, but rather about his bull terrier. “Blue and I had a favourite song,” Cherry begins the tale.

I’ll let you discover for yourself what that song is and hope that you’ll find Cherry’s yarns as engaging as I did.

Thumbs up, Grapes. Good stuff.

Katie's Fight

Nine hundred thousand is a nice number if it’s your NHL salary.

For Katie Thomas, a Colorado Avalanche season-ticket holder, that dollar amount is a nightmare. The thirty-three year-old single mom, who in 2007 was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, said the cost of her clinical trial, which is not covered by her health insurance, is approaching that figure.

Thursday night, Katie sounded cheerful talking about hockey (and donuts) but admitted that the trial treatment, which was necessary because traditional treatment wasn’t effective, saps her strength.

“I’ve lost considerable weight,” she said. (The treatment) weakens my bone structure.”

But Katie hasn’t lost hope—hope that she’ll recover sufficiently to skate with her nine-year-old daughter at Big Bear Ice Arena in Aurora, CO or maybe return to playing pick-up hockey with her nephews.

“I’ll need a good year after I’m declared in remission to skate again,” she said.

Until then, she’ll endure the treatments, watch her daughter skate, and root for Milan Hejduk—her favorite player because he’s under-rated—and the Avalanche.

The NHL is helping Katie with medical expenses by donating funds raised at an online auction, where you can bid on rare autographed sports memorabilia—from hockey sweaters to pictures to pucks. Items signed by members of the Miracle on Ice, Phil Kessel, and Ray Bourque are up for grabs. Items signed by Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky and other greats are also available. The bidding ends on Thursday, August 7th.

As the spirit moves you, please consider bidding or a donating directly to Katie’s fund.

With your help, Katie will sleep more soundly.

AMHL Wednesday Championship: Reputations

August 15, 2007
Concord, MA

Word on the street is that Bill “the Butcher of Billerica” Mandarano is wild. Officials in the Sonus Street Hockey League refer to Bill as a “crashing jetliner” but also list him as the league’s second-leading scorer in league’s two-year history.

In his two seasons in the AMHL, fans have yet to see the “savage style” that strikes fear in the hearts of his street hockey opponents, but Mandarano has excited AMHL faithful with his sweet move (not a typo: Bill says he has only one move).

Fifty ticks into the Wednesday Championship against the top-ranked Canadiens, Bill skates into the Habs’ zone—right to left across your AMHL broadband—into the near circle. Mandarano, a right-handed shot, dekes a defender with a powerful forehand-to-backhand move and cuts across the crease, sliding the puck past Kenny “KISS Fan” Tarr to stake the Sharks to a 1–0 lead.

Almost five minutes later, Sharks’ bad-boy Mike “Rhymes with Neely” Seeley, who before the game said of his team-leading twelve penalty minutes, “I have a reputation to keep up,” stews in the sin bin as he watches Tim Matthews score for Les Habitants.

Matthews, esteemed for play that has earned him the Art Ross Trophy (a.k.a., Points Puck) will likely be lauded with AMHL Rookie of the Year honors, but he’s not focused on that. Tim and his Canadiens watch the Sharks extend their lead to 3–1 on a goal by Ed “the Teal Baron” Maron and then to 4–1.

“2 from 15. 2 from 15,” the referee says. “I say everything twice. I say everything twice.”

Number 2 is Sharks’ sharpshooter Tim Donahue, who has notched his second goal of the game, assisted by Mandarano.

Dana Salvo, who this season surpassed Gordie Howe’s mark for career points and has his sights set on Gretzky’s record, scores off a rebound; but AMHL rookie phenom Donahue nets a natural hat trick with :07 on the clock to give the Sharks a 5–2 lead after the first period.

“Don’t let up!” a Shark exhorts his teammates.

But the second period belongs to the goalies. Tarr, who (excluding substitute goalies) led the Wednesday division with a 3.40 GAA entering this morning’s game, keeps the Sharks at bay while his counterpart, Kate Fallon, who entered the game with a 3.80 GAA, is sharp as a shark’s tooth.

In the third period, Matthews tallies for the Habs at 3:59; but Mandarano, with his patented toe-drag move, counters to make the score 6–3. The outlook looks bleak for the Canadiens when Donahue scores a power play goal midway through the period, but the Habs storm back with goals by Greg Longtine—a sweeping one-timer from the slot—and then Ken MacLeod—a wrister from a few feet inside the right point.

With 1:35 remaining on the clock and with Seeley serving time for tripping, Matthews scores to close the Sharks’ lead to 7–6.

Seeley, the pride and joy of Port Huron who has been playing tough D for the Sharks all morning (despite being shown to the penalty box three times) is not know for his offensive skills outside Eastern Michigan. He did score two goals and four assists this season, however, and chips in on Chuck Livoli’s goal at 18:11 to secure the victory.

When the Koffey Cup is on tour in Port Huron or Billerica, the rabid AMHL fans in those fine towns won’t care much about their hockey heroes’ reputations—they’ll all be clamoring to have their picture taken with their favorite player and the cherished chalice.