11/18 -- Montréal at Bruins (7:00 ET)
- Thread starter Ferm Sheller
- Start date
Not sure he’s all there anymore, but he’s still alive. The fact that he’s still on the mast head yet he hasn’t been involved at all in this 100th anniversary stuff could be telling.
Seeing 74yo Gregg Sheppard and 88yo Johnny Bucyk in the pregame ceremony tonight reminded me of a story from 1972-73. A coworker of mine from Woburn was driving somewhere north of Boston one night that winter when another driver entered the highway from a side road and broadsided him. They pulled over and exchanged information.
The next day my coworker, a Bruins season ticket holder, showed up at work quite excited, described the incident, and noted that the other driver’s license identified him as Gregg Sheppard from North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Sheppard was in the midst of a terrific rookie season and the Bruins were defending Stanley Cup champs, so he had a high profile (if you were a fan in those days, you know how hockey-crazy it was around here). There was little doubt that the other driver was the rookie star. This was confirmed with subsequent phone calls. Sheppard was even kind enough to talk on the phone to my coworker’s son. The kid, a Bruins fan (of course) and youth hockey player himself, was thrilled.
In the end, the insurance companies were kept out of it. Bucyk intervened and took care of everything. He knew an auto body guy in Chelsea, sent my coworker there, and the car was repaired.
The next day my coworker, a Bruins season ticket holder, showed up at work quite excited, described the incident, and noted that the other driver’s license identified him as Gregg Sheppard from North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Sheppard was in the midst of a terrific rookie season and the Bruins were defending Stanley Cup champs, so he had a high profile (if you were a fan in those days, you know how hockey-crazy it was around here). There was little doubt that the other driver was the rookie star. This was confirmed with subsequent phone calls. Sheppard was even kind enough to talk on the phone to my coworker’s son. The kid, a Bruins fan (of course) and youth hockey player himself, was thrilled.
In the end, the insurance companies were kept out of it. Bucyk intervened and took care of everything. He knew an auto body guy in Chelsea, sent my coworker there, and the car was repaired.
Great story. I can hear the excitement in Cusick’s voice at Gregg Shepherd’s arrival on the scene. #19, if I recall correctly. Ah, them days….
Multitasking and following on Gamecenter’s play by play — the most oft-mentioned names are Poitras winning faceoffs and Beecher doing everything there is to do in a hockey game. Distorted accounts or no?
Everyone is playing well until Forbort handed them a scoring chance which they converted. Now they’re short handed. Moral of the story as always:
Forbort sucks
Freddy!
Thanks, cshea & Salem’s Lot, it sure is fun to have kids like this to root for. Johnny Beecher sounds like the name of an ace tail-gunner on a WWII Flying Fortress, doesn’t it?
No score can be too lopsided against this team. Send them home secure in the knowledge it takes homecooking and a flukey bounce in OT for them to eke out an upset.
Edit; autocorrect
Thanks, cshea & Salem’s Lot, it sure is fun to have kids like this to root for. Johnny Beecher sounds like the name of an ace tail-gunner on a WWII Flying Fortress, doesn’t it?
No score can be too lopsided against this team. Send them home secure in the knowledge it takes homecooking and a flukey bounce in OT for them to eke out an upset.
Edit; autocorrect
I know right? A name like that you would expect on the Kraut Line along with Woody, Milt, and Bobby.