Views from Section 8 - University Days (Part II)

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!

As I mentioned in part one of this topic, I sincerely hope that the current Nipissing University hockey players will have memories from the first year of hockey at the University and that they will cherish them for the rest of their days.

I remember scoring once on Ken Dryden who played for Coach Ned Harkness at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Us Northestern Huskies used to call them the "Royal Canadians" as their line-up was entirely made up of a total Canadian product. We were playing Cornell at the Boston Christmas Tournament prior to the Christmas break.

As a defenseman I didn't score too often so I don't have a lot of goals to remember. But scoring on Dryden was a special one. I was set up for a blue line shot and blasted it towards the net. Problem is, it went off the end of my stick and looked like a knuckleball going through the air. I guess Kenny saw it the same way and actually tried to make the save before the puck was there. He fanned on the save - as I did on the shot - and the puck crossed the line. I think it crossed the line by about two inches. Northeastern goal! Final scored Cornell Redmen 7 Northeastern 1.

We were playing Boston College at home at the Boston Arena before about 5,000 rabid fans. Score was tied 4-4 after regulation. In OT I got tripped up on a rare breakaway for me and a penalty shot is awarded. Nervous as hell but I remember my Dad once telling me: "high on the stick side low on the glove side." I headed towards Pat Murphy, the goaltender. I don't think I could have gone any slower as I headed towards Pat. I must have frozen him because of my speed. I went low on the stick side. Huskies 5 Eagles 4. The building went NUTS.

Twice while I was at NU the team travelled to New York City to play in the Madison Square Gardens Holiday Festival Tournamnent. The old Gardens was then located on 50th Street and 8th Avenue. If you ever have a chance to get to NYC go for it. I have been there maybe 20 times and everytime was like the first time. There is so much to see. The Huskies won that tournament during the 1964-65 season. Exciting without a doubt.

Each year during the season there was a tournament called the Beanpot which was held on the first two consecutive February Mondays of the month at the Boston Gardens. The 4 universities participating are the Boston area teams namely Boston University, Harvard U., Boston College and the Huskies. Two games were played on the first Monday and the winners and losers would meet each other the following Monday. I think it was about 10 years after I graduated that NU won their first Beanpot tourney. Well during one of those years that I participated, I brought a female friend to watch our game. I had picked up a complimentary ticket from the Athletic Office. There was always sellouts (13,909) for these games. We played the second game that evening so I escorted my female friend to her seat. Her seat was right next to the Athletic Director Herb Gallagher. In those early 1960s there was racial tension amongst the colors. As a Canadian it did not bother me to socialize with an African American. Tuesday morning I was called in to ADs office for a brief discussion. End of story.

I was introduced one day to Herb Ralby, the Publicity Director of the Bruins. As a result of that conversation I landed a part time job working at the Bruins games when I was available. I was the runner for the wire services. When a goal was scored I would run the goal or penalty information from the scorers bench to the wire services room which was about 20 seconds away. During one game there a gentleman standing near the Bruins ice exit to their dressing room. I recognized the person by sight. It was Senator David Molson, owner of the visiting team the Canadiens. I recognized a heated conversation between a security guard and Mr. Molson. I knew the security person because he was always in the area that I worked out of. I went over and asked him if there was a problem. He told me that no one was allowed to be standing where that gentleman was. I softly told him that if you remove him from the Gardens that maybe the visiting team across the ice may leave with him. I explained to the security officer who that gentleman was. Mr. Molson and he was allowed to stay. I later went to see the Senator and introduced myself. He gave me his business card and said if you would like to contact me after you graduate maybe we can work something out. That would mean changing my brand so I never took him up on it.

I watched Bobby Orr play his first professional game as a Bruins versus the New York Rangers. Of all the hype in the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald there was no way that he could do what the sports writers wrote. September exhibition game ends with a Boston victory and Bobby Orr (only 18 years old) picked as first star. He just dominated play and I was proven wrong once again -- nothing new.

Those were the days and hope that our Lakers benefit from their stint as a player, a student and a person while at the University and a member of our community and will cherish these memories forever.

Next victims the McGill Redmen!