It Wasn't Easy Being Cheesy

… But who could forget the crazy goalie with all the stitches on his mask?

Born on December 7th, 1940 in St. Catherines, Ontario, Gerald Michael Cheevers would eventually become a hockey legend in Beantown. And, although Cheesy never won a Vezina as the NHL’s top netminder, he will go down as one of the greatest (and most popular) goalies in league history.

Cheevers began making a name for himself while playing for the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League. In 1964-65 Cheesy was impressive between the pipes while helping Rochester capture their first ever Calder Cup. Along the way, Cheevers won an astonishing 48 games out of 72 in 1964-65 (still the AHL single season record for wins by a goalie).

In 1967 Cheesy made the leap and joined the Big Bad Boston Bruins, a match made in heaven for the passionate, off-the-wall, netminder. Cheevers’ aggressive and emotional style of play made him a fan-favorite among the Boston faithful. While Orr and Esposito dazzled fans with their offensive wizardry, Cheesy would leave his crease to challenge all shooters, earning the reputation as a money goalie and winning two Stanley Cups with the Bruins in 1970 and 1972.

However, the turning point of his famed career may have been the day the quirky Cheevers took a puck to the face during practice. After the shot rang off his noodle, Cheesy retired to the dressing room for repairs. When he didn’t return shortly, Bruins coach Harry Sinden went to check on his backstopper and found him leaning back in the dressing room with a beer in one hand and a smoke in the other. At that point, Cheesy had the Boston trainer Frosty Forestall paint a stitch on his mask where the puck hit him. From that point on, each time Cheevers took a shot up high, another stitch would be added to the ever-popular mask.

In a 1999 interview with “Be A Player, The Hockey Show,” Cheesy shed some insight on the birth of his stitches mask: “Well, when the mask first became a reality in the game of hockey, the first ones were all plain white and I hated wearing anything white. It was to me a sign of purity and I wasn't in a pure business as far as I was concerned, playing goal and hacking away and all that stuff. And I also had a daily practice of trying to get out of practices. Going to practice, all I could think about was getting out of it. And one day this puck flipped up and hit me in this new white mask I had. It wouldn't have cut me if I didn't have the mask on but I acted like I was seriously hurt, went to the dressing room, and Harry Sinden, who was coaching, came in and told me to get the heck out of there. And so I was about to go out onto the ice and our trainer, John Forestall, said to wait a minute and he went and painted a big 12-stitch cut on my mask and I got a chuckle out of that and we went from there. A very, very simple thing happened there but maybe, just maybe I was the pioneer in the art of decorations of masks. That's what I'd like to think about it.”

In 1972, Cheesy packed up his stitches mask and headed to the bizarre World Hockey Association to play for the Cleveland Crusaders. After a short stint in the WHA (close to four seasons), Cheevers returned to the Bruins in 1976.

Cheesy finished his career in Boston in 1980 and took a job as the Bruins bench boss, coaching the team until 1985. During his 13-year NHL career, Cheesy compiled 230 wins, 26 shutouts, a 2.89 GAA, and a fond reputation as one of the game’s greatest characters.

-- TGOJ

The Roenick/Brenner Hybrid

If Jeremy Roenick and comedian David Brenner had a baby...

-- TGOJ

Hockey Night In Canada on Hockey Bloggers

The use of new media, specifically blogging, has been embraced by the NHL, perhaps more than any other professional sports league.

In fact, Washington Capitals owner, Ted Leonsis predicts that hockey blogs (or even an individual blog) have potential to capture more readership than a hockey publication authority such as The Hockey News.

Here is a video of the Hockey Bloggers segment featured on Hockey Night In Canada prior to the Leafs/Penguins game tonight, December 1st...



--TGOJ

Bobby Orr TV

Bobby Orr, the greatest defenseman who over lived, is featured in this YouTube video. For those who never had the benefit of seeing the great Bobby Orr play, enjoy this footage. I'm calling it Bobby Orr TV...





-- TGOJ

Al MacInnis On Life After Hockey

Al MacInnis was recently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and was asked by a reporter, what's in-store for him, now that he has accomplished everything as a hockey player...

His response, "I'm the Green Lantern you crazy beotch!"

-- TGOJ

Will There Be Another Scott Stevens?

On Monday, when I watched Scott Stevens get inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame, I couldn't help but wonder if we'll ever see another one just like him.

Bobby Orr is the greatest defenseman in hockey history and Paul Coffey was the slickest. Ray Bourque, Nicklas Lidstrom, Denis Potvin and Viacheslav Fetisov were four of the most complete defenders I've ever seen. Great hockey historians will sing the praise of a couple of classic fellows named Doug Harvey and Eddie Shore. And we cannot forget greats like Larry Robinson, Tim Horton, Chris Chelios, Brian Leetch, Borje Salming, Brad Park, and Al MacInnis. In fact, there are many rearguards who deserve all sorts of accolades and praise, but will there be another Scott Stevens?

In a game where there is a fine line between violence and elegance, few players have been able to combine the two and excel at the highest level. Gordie Howe, the legendary Mr. Hockey himself, was able to. So was Mark Messier, Denis Potvin and Larry Robinson, to name a few others.

But did any of these elite players do it with the same fervor as Scott Stevens? Some say yes, but I would imagine Eric Lindros and Paul Kariya may beg to differ. After all, it was Stevens who earned his stripes by bringing the pain when money was on the line. And the more at stake; the more pain Stevens dished out.

Who could forget the hit Stevens laid on Lindros during the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals, other than Lindros himself? I remember watching that game on television and wondering aloud if Lindros would ever hop over the boards and take another shift in the National Hockey League. And Lindros wasn't the only opponent to make the Scott Stevens hit list in Stanley Cup play; Slava Kozlov, Paul Kariya, Daymond Langkow, Shane Willis, Ron Francis and Kevyn Adams all felt the wrath of Stevens and have the CT and MRI scans to prove it.

Stevens primarily used brutality and intimidation to capture three Stanley Cups in his career (1995, 2000 and 2003), but he contributed in the skill department as well, registering an impressive 118 points in 233 career post-season games. An underrated puck mover and passer; Stevens was also blessed with a heavy shot from the point. But it was the hard-nosed approach he employed at his position that made him special, and Stevens received his just due and recognition in 2000, when he was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP.

For more than two decades, Stevens terrorized opponents, and the punishment Stevens often dished out, yet seldom received, finally took its toll. In 2005, Stevens was forced to hang up the blades, ironically due to post-concussion syndrome.

Not only did Stevens' retirement leave a void on the Devils blue line, it also presented a league-wide question that has remained unanswered: Who is the next Scott Stevens? (Or shall I say, the closest thing to him?)

This is not an easy question to answer. Hell, in case you haven't noticed, times have changed. Bodychecking in the NHL is now being scrutinized more than ever. No longer are mercenary crease-clearers and rugged defenders as coveted as decent goal scorers. This makes it quite difficult for a player in the Stevens-mold to rule by intimidation. In the current NHL climate, blueliners being groomed need to be mobile, swift and posses a keen hockey sense.

That being said, there are a handful of young generals on defense who can attempt to fill the void left by Scott Stevens. They are:

1. Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames. This 6'3", 210 pounds of beef is the top candidate to replace Stevens as the premiere physical defensive package in the game.

Only 22 years of age, Phaneuf has already cemented a reputation as both a headhunter and goal scorer. And like Stevens early on in his career, Phaneuf must learn how to control his emotions and pick his spots selectively, in order to help his team. Plain and simple, Phaneuf is more valuable when he's punishing opponents on the ice and not cooling off in the sin bin after taking undisciplined penalties. Now in his third season, Phaneuf often plays with the poise of a veteran rearguard; logging tons of minutes in all game situations. If the Flames can build around him and Kiprusoff the way the Devils built around Stevens and Brodeur, Phaneuf could one day be mentioned in terms of the great defensemen of his era.

2. Erik Johnson, St. Louis Blues. The top choice in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the the number one rated hockey prospect in the world before making the leap to the NHL this season with the Blues.

Johnson is a solid 6'4", 225 pound blueliner who is equally skilled at both ends of the ice. While he does not currently warrant the reputation as a punishing intimidator like Stevens or Phaneuf, Johnson will take the body and occasionally leave opponents in a world of hurt. He has big-game defenseman written all over him and has the tools and frame to dominate physically. He may end up electing to take a path similar to Rob Blake - earning a lucrative living by playing physical while putting up excellent numbers - but his game will be well-rounded, nonetheless. The St. Louis Blues once made the mistake of losing Scott Stevens, and for their sake, one would hope they don't make the same mistake twice.

3. Shea Weber, Nashville Predators. Paired with Dion Phaneuf, Weber was key in Canada capturing the gold medal at the World Juniors in 2005. A 2nd round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2003, Weber is an opposing defenseman with a large frame and powerful shot.

At 6'3", 220 pounds, Weber has been known to dish it out and play a physical brand of hockey. Weber is a rough customer but doesn't necessarily play on the edge the way Stevens did when he was 22 years old, although he was suspended last April for three games at the IIHF World Championships for knocking out the German Yannic Seidenberg with a nasty elbow [WATCH VIDEO]. Weber played more of a reckless style for Kelowna of the WHL, while racking up 167 and 126 PIMS in 70 and 60 games respectively. So far in the NHL, Weber has focused more on rounding out the offensive part of his game, netting 17 goals and 40 points in 79 games for the Predators in 2006-07. He may not posses the day-to-day nastiness of Scott Stevens, but Weber is a nice package who will eventually be counted on to lead his team from the blue line.

4. Jack Johnson, Los Angeles Kings. Johnson is projected as a number one defenseman, capable of playing extensive minutes in all game situations.

He is a mentally strong-willed competitor who decided to stay in college even though the NHL was calling, and the team that owned his rights (the Carolina Hurricanes) tried to seduce him with a large pay day. Ultimately, the Hurricanes lost their patience with Johnson and shipped the budding star to Los Angeles in a deal they will soon regret. He's not as big as the some of the other upper echelon two-way defenders in the NHL (6'1", 215 pounds), but J.J. has showed early on in his career that he can compete physically against all opponents. In a game late last season, Johnson dropped the gloves with Daniel Carcillo of the Phoenix Coyotes, letting it be known he will answer the call if challenged. This season, his first full one in the NHL, Johnson has played extremely solid hockey for a 20-year old. If his offensive production improves over time, Johnson will be a great all-around defender for the next decade-plus.

5. Anton Volchenkov, Ottawa Senators. Known as the Russian Bear, Volchenkov has a penchant for blocking shots and clearing the crease by any means necessary.

He's been among the best defensive defensmen in the biz and this year was voted the 5th best defensive defenseman by The Hockey News. Volchenkov is 6'2", 235 pounds and plays the game with reckless abandon; patterning his game after past European roughnecks such as Ulf Samuelsson, Vladimir Konstantinov and Darius Kasparaitis. In the physical department, Volchenkov can go head-to-head with any of the league's best open-ice hitters, and defensively, the Bear is sound if not spectacular. Putting the puck in the net is where Volchenkov has trouble matching up against the others in this group. Even though Volchenkov boasts an impressive shot from the point, he rarely has the chance to unload it. Unfortunately for the Bear, he is, more often than not, limited to defensive responsibilities since the Senators have too many triggermen eating up power play time. If Volchenkov had the opportunity to put up better numbers, he would be the East's version of Dion Phaneuf.

If any of these guys hope to fill the empty skates of Scott Stevens, they have their work cut out for them. Stevens was a rare breed; one of the greats who played the game the way it should be played.

I'm a Flyers fan who bleeds orange and black; I've lived through every one the many wars against Stevens and his Devils; I'm also a fan of the game and can respect, and now honor, all that Ronald Scott Stevens brought to it each time he stepped on the ice.

-- TGOJ

A Good Whine Goes with Crosby Cheese

Oh, before I forget... what's up with Sid the Little Kid's antics after Jason Smith's love tap the other day?

I mean, watching Sidney throw a temper tantrum in the corner of Wachovia Center ice, was like seeing a 7-year old ball his eyes out because there's no lime green popsicles left in the box.

After embarrassing himself with the flagrant embellishment, Crosby was almost given something to cry about when he got up in Mike Richards' grill to debate the non-liberties.

The Little Kid has more talent than Michael Jackson before the Liz Taylor makeover, but if he wants to be taken seriously on all fronts, he needs to stop the unnecessary whining.

Methinks Sid should subscribe to Kimberly L. Keith's "How to Stop Whining in 4 Easy Steps" and start molding his own Hall of Fame career after recent Hall inductees Mark Messier and Ron Francis as opposed to Alexei Kovalev.

In the meantime, have fun [WATCHING THE INFAMOUS SLASH VIDEO] and rate Sidney's dramatic improv...

-- TGOJ

Introducing the Great Vachons

Other than the Stastnys, or Wilson Phillips after the weight loss, I cannot, for the life of me, think of a better trio than the Great Vachons.

Brothers Paul and Maurice (aka Mad Dog) were pro wrestling standouts, and the gem of the trio, the almighty Rogie Vachon, was a hockey legend.

Suffice to say I don't have any kind of direct evidence proving the bone-crushing Vachon duo and the diminutive netminder were related, but they were all from Canada and look like shady offspring, so...

Truth be told, Rogie was a superb goalie for the Canadiens, Red Wings, Kings and Bruins, and sported a porn stache that rivals Brian Fantana in Anchorman. In fact, it was in Hollywood were Vachon gained legendary status, sporting the Kings purple and gold crown.

After hanging up the pads, Rogie worked as the Kings GM for more than a decade, and was even an interim coach for the club on three separate occasions. As for Mad Dog, last I heard he was a restaurant critic for a television station in Quebec City.

Ahhh, the simple joys of being a hockey fan are appreciated over a 20 oz. WaWa coffee and Lifesavers Fruit Tarts... as that's when you have the chance to reflect on ex-greats named Rogie.

--TGOJ

Mike Liut Was My Mailman

... And my mailman looked like Rocky Dennis. It's all about the mask.

Back in 1930, my dawg Howie Morenz used goalie Clint Benedict's bare face as a shooter target. Benedict suffered major facial injuries, including a smashed nose and cheekbone, and was forced to semi-protect a busted face that resembled Sly Stallone in Rocky II.

Enter the mask. A crappy, leather-type, tailor made for WWF's Mankind, Mick Foley, not a puck stopper in the National Hockey League. And though Benedict donned the shabby face guard for mere self-preservation, the experiment was short-lived. The mask was dissed after the next game; a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Many years later, in 1959, the heralded Jacques Plante was officially credited with pioneering the mask, after taking some vulcanized rubber to the face, courtesy of the Rangers' Andy Bathgate. And as legend turns to folklore, and folklore turns to gospel, Plante gets to ride off into the sunset forever known as the Don Corleone of hockey masks.

Phooey, I say. The hockey mask was put on the map in 1979, and my mailman Michael Dennis Liut better start getting some props. Not props for the BEST hockey mask of all-time; those honors go to my favorite goalie ever, Gerry Cheevers and his famed stitches.

The mailman deserves props because his mask is a freak of sports nature.

In a recent poll, a panel of 1,238,896 drunken sports fans were asked to rate the top-3 disturbing things in sports history. The results were:

1. Mike Liut's mask
2. Mike Tyson
3. The size of Barry Bond's head

Not only is Liut's mask synonymous with names like Tyson and Bonds; the mailman has also inspired film culture. His mask has been used to mold the face of Rocky Dennis and the Snowtrooper.

Jacques Plante may be in the Hall of Fame and rank higher than Vladislav Tretiak on some all-time great goalie lists, but his shiznit didn't shape a high-selling Kenner action figure.

The mailman delivered between the pipes as well. He was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 5th round (56th overall) in the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft, and after a brief stint with the WHA's Cincinnati Stingers, Liut was reclaimed by the Blue Notes.

Liut played a solid 13 seasons in the NHL, with stops in St. Louis, Hartford and Washington. He was a lanky, intimidating netminder, and is the cousin of the ex-NHLer Ron Francis. In 1980-81 he was a 1st team all-star and finished runner-up to Wayne Gretzky for the Hart trophy.

Some suggest it all went downhill for the mailman when the Whale sent his ass packing to Washington in exchange for plugger Yvon Corriveau in 1990. Personally, I think his illustrious career took a turn for the worse when he discarded THE MASK in favor of a more traditional, wire/facemask-combo.

Well Mask, here's to you... pioneer, legend and mailman. Prost! Somewhere Eric Stoltz is tipping his glass...

-- TGOJ

Oh Snap! Wolski Again

The Polish Power, Wojtek Wolski scored a beauty tonight against the Oilers' Dwayne Rolson in the tomato shootout. This is the second time this season I've seen Wolski work his magic in a shootout.

I'm hoping the clip will make it to YouTube by morning... if so, hook a brother up!

In the meantime, [ENJOY THIS VIDEO]

--TGOJ

Ralph Mellanby Pimp Slaps Bettman

Ralph Mellanby is an established, award-winning, former executive producer of Hockey Night In Canada.

The gentleman may be 73 years of age and look like Marty Feldman from Young Frankenstein, but if I ever meet him, I'll treat him to a surf-&-turf supper and Guinness on tap.

And I promise, it has nothing to do with the fact that his son, and former NHLer, Scott Mellanby, was one of my favorite players as a Flyers fan growing up.

Yesterday, the elder Mellanby, who is promoting his new book Walking With Legends: The Real Stories of Hockey Night In Canada had no problem giving NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman a fresh one across the chops.

In an article in The Windsor Star, my new man-crush had the following to say about Gary Butthead and the fraudulent NHL board of governors...

"Bettman to me is the real problem for hockey."

"He's done so much damage to hockey it may never recover. We don't have time to go through the litany of errors."

"Hockey has never been in worse straits."

"I'm an elder statesman now and I feel at times like a lone voice in the wilderness, but I'm not completely alone. The great minds of the game I talk to agree on these things, but no one is listening at the top."

"We need change at the top I don't see a lot of courage around the board of governors."

"He's taken us too far down this path (into non-hockey markets). I always asked Gary why we were in these places and he'd say for network television. But hockey is a regional game (in the U.S.). That's where its strength is in the U.S."

Well Raphael, like Al Pacino said to Sean Penn in Carlito's Way: "If you was a broad, I'd marry you!" At 73, you may consider yourself an elder statesman, but rest assured hockey fans of all ages across North America who have ever cared about this great game, AGREE WITH YOU and feel your pain.

And I am glad Mellanby clumped the NHL board of governors into the Knucklehead category as well, because when the Coca Cola strips the paint off the boat, it's the greedy owners who are calling the shots.

While we all want to drop Bettman off in downtown Fallujah with a "bin Laden smells worse than the NY Rangers" sign around his neck, our boy Gary is simply a puppet, and a despised one at that.

I could go on and on rehashing the ways Bettman & co. have hurt the great game of hockey but I already took one Nexium today.

However, I look forward to reading Ralph's interpretation in Walking With Legends. Besides, it's always good to see someone else in the hockey community blast Commissioner Clueless like Chris Chelios has in the past.

Tonight couldn't have been better... I got to watch the Flyers spank the Pens like Ike did Tina, and blog about Ralph Mellanby's public right hook to Gary Bettman's chin, reminiscent of his son's KO of Quebec's Jeff Jackson when hockey was at its best...

[WATCH MELLANBY PUT JACKSON TO SLEEP]

-- TGOJ

Steve Downie Makes Impact In AHL Return

The man; the myth; the legend, Steve Downie may be out of the NHL until the new year, but he returned to the ice tonight as a member of the Philadelphia Phantoms. Steve "Don't Call Me Dastardly" Downie wasted no time making an impact for the Flyers AHL affiliate in his grand return.

Before the game was 5 minutes old, Downie already registered 2/3rd's of a Gordie Howe hat trick, netting an assist and a fight. Downie finished the night with 2 points and a bare-knuckle brawl during a 3-0 Philly win over the Worcester Sharks.

FREE DOWNIE!

-- TGOJ

Hockey Night In Canada

It's Saturday and hockey is in the air tonight like Phil Collins. Habs vs. Leafs is the main event this evening. Thanks to NHL Center Ice, this Philadelphian can partake in a Canadian Saturday night tradition, Hockey Night in Canada... and it doesn't get better than the Maple Leafs battling the Habs in Montreal.

This game should no doubt be a dandy. The Canadiens put a beat down on my Flyers the other night so I am hoping they get thudded 6-2 on home ice. I want those salty Habs fans to exit the Bell Centre and flock St. Catherine street in large numbers for an extra-special Saturday night drinking binge.

I can see it now... disgruntled Habs fans sitting elbow-to-elbow in the pub, talking about the great Montreal teams of yester-year:

Habs fan #1: "Man, these Leafs are a bitch!"

Habs fan #2: "Mon ami, we will return to greatness!"

Habs fan #3: "Remember Rick Chartraw and Doug Jarvis?"

Habs fan #4: "Ya, those were the days, eh?!"

-- TGOJ

Speaking of Halloween

Damn JAGS... what's up with your grill, son? Apparently Jaromir is taking Halloween to extremes this year... [SEE PIC]

-- TGOJ

Leave Wallpaper Jones Alone, Son

All you dopes (yeah, you know who you are Scott Burnside from ESPN) better leave Randy "Wallpaper" Jones alone. To even think that Wallpaper intentionally tried to disfigure Patty Bergeron with a vicious hit from behind is foolish... or downright silly, in fact.

Just look at my boy Wallpaper posing with a fan... you mean to tell me this chummy cat is capable of taking extreme measures like ex-cons Downie and Boulerice? Not.

Wallpaper is simply a grown gentleman trying to live his life. Unfortunately, he's being preyed on by hockey beat hacks who want to rehash the legend of the Broad Street Bullies so they have something of interest to scribble. You want to attack Downie and Boulerice with your pen, go for it, but don't rip the Wallpaper.

-- TGOJ

Hat Trick-or-Treat Biznitches

With Halloween right around the corner, one can only fathom if cinema horror icon, Freddy Kruger, was inspired by my dawg, and hockey hall of famer, Cy Denneny.

One of the better left wingers back in the day (1920's), Denneny's shot was rumored to be as deadly as Bobby Englund's scissorhands. Fred-KrUg looks tight rockin' the candy stripes, and no doubt, would've been a main contributor on those legendary Ottawa Silver Seven teams...

-- TGOJ

Flyers Start The Season Swinging

The Philadelphia Flyers may have been the laughing stock of the NHL in 2006-07, but after an offseason of retooling, the Broad Street Bullies have come out swinging early on. In the preseason, the Flyers looked as impressive on the fight card as they did on the score sheet. The new and improved Fly Boys did damage, scorers and pugilists alike, putting pucks in the net and opponents on stretchers. A pair of lengthy, 20-plus game suspensions to yahoos Jesse Boulerice and Steve Downie may have stole the ink at first, but excellent goaltending from Marty Biron and a more balanced offensive attack early in the regular season are the reasons the Flyers make headlines with each passing game.

Biron, or "Gaston" as he is referred to these days, looks like the solid goalie the Flyers have coveted for years between the pipes. Not since the crazed Mr. Bean (Roman Cechmanek) have the Flyers had a spectacular netminder capable of stealing games. This season Biron reminds me of Cechmanek-depressive during his good year(s), minus the Riddalin and uni-brow of course.

On offense, youngsters Mike Richards and Jeff Carter look legit, and offseason prize Daniel Briere has gelled nicely with Simon Gagne on the top scoring line. In fact, there hasn't been such an impressive French-Canadian duo in Philly since the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers tangled with Barry Horowitz and Steve Lombardi at the Spectrum in February of 1988.

On the blue line, heart-and-soul leader Jason Smith has been a rock and the rest of the defense has played poised and controlled hockey. So far the Flyers are playing some damn good hockey and look like a force to be reckoned with this season.

-- TGOJ