Views from Section 8 - A few memories from my University days

View from Section 8" returns! It's a popular column written by Don "Butch" Turcotte. The former Trappers Junior "A" coach and father of former NHLer and Lakers assistant coach Darren Turcotte will be chiming in with his thoughts here on BayToday.ca. Enjoy!

I still treasure my Copywright 1959 Webster's New Collegiate Dictonary. It had a BIG assist in my post-secondary education. During my grade XIII year at Kapuskasing High School I leafed through the Colleges and Universities in the United States and Canada special section at the back of the dictionary. I said to myself why not contact some of these American Universities and inquire about their hockey programs. If I can remember that far back, the inquiries were sent to "Hockey Coach" at the school. I must have sent out 50 inquiries. I actually did not know if the University had a hockey program or not. The envelope looked somewhat like this:

Varsity Hockey Coach
Northeastern University (no street address)
Boston, Massachusetts

I was fortunate to get several replies. Some stating that they had no hockey program at their institutrion and others little interest. Jim Bell, the coach at Northeastern, showed a little interest and I followed it up with my credentials. A few back and forth letters and I was awarded a full scholarship to Northeastern. The University was in a rebuilding program and that specific year 1961-62 several scholarships were handed out. Of course I was thrilled.

You are now probably asking yourself why I am writing this. Well, I have been following the Nipissing Lakers Hockey program and it has brought back memories of my university days. I can probably also speak for Mike Leckie (Harvard U.), Peter Valenti (Providence College), Dale Hewitt (Colby College) and others that frequent the Laker games. Having the great fan support is not measurable. Besides, an education it was a thrill of a lifetime. I made many friends that I still keep in contact with, and periodically meet with some of them. A trip to Myrtle Beach is in the making for early April.

I would like to share with you a few chuckles from these days.

Northeastern is playing Brown University in an important standing game on our home ice. The score is 3-2 NU with about 2 minutes left. I am on the ice as a defenseman. Brown is putting on pressure in our zone for the equalizer. There is no whistle for about a minute. Play is stopped and I am pooped. I go down on my knees and the ref Bob Cleary (USA hockey team Gold Medallist member from the 1960 Squaw Valley, California Winter Olympics) comes over and ask me what is wrong. I say "nothing ref. I seem to have lost my contact lens" pointing to my eyes. Well ref Cleary and the linesmen and a few of the players start looking in the area. After I recovered my breath I tell Mr. Cleary that "everything is OK, I found it. It was just knocked out of place in my eye". Play resumed and I finished the game. Jim Bell (coach) tells me after the game: "I don't believe you Turcotte" (I never wore contacts).

In another game the Huskies are playing the Boston College Eagles at the McHue Forum which we used to call the "pit". John Cunniff (team captain and future NHL player and coach) is playing in his first game back after being disabled for two months with a shoulder problem. Like Cunniff was a God at the school. In the middle of the third period, in which we are leading 5-2, he is carrying the puck down the right boards. My play is to take him out of the play as he crosses our blue line. I do the proper thing but add a little oomph into the hit. John goes down and stays down. No penalty is called because of the clean hit. He is carried off the ice on a stretcher. We go on to win the game and big Woody Johnston (220 pounds) comes over and challenges me (165 pounds). Luckily for me, we were seperated or else I would have been minced meat. I shower and am ready to leave the dressing room. Coach Bell tells me that I can't leave right now as most of the 3500 fans have not left the Forum. Security had to call on Boston's Finest to escort me out of the rink.

Those were the days and I hope that the Lakers have some of the same memories that I still cherish and have been rekindled when I sit at the Gardens watching them play.

FOOTNOTES

Hope I can sneak into the luggage compartment on the Lakers return visit to McGill next week and if you are looking for me this Sunday I will be sitting in section 8 at the West Ferris Community Centre for the 1:20 game to witness the 4th game of the Midget Trappers - Sault Ste. North Stars series.