Story Time With A Hockey Legend - Dick Irvin On His Career, The HHOF & The NHL.

This is the Boba Count Podcast, brought to you by Bett Rivers, download the Bett Rivers online Casino and Sportsbook app today. Dear Malard, in this week, and I'm going to break away from our tradition of Goldtenders. Goldtenders week is over, Darren. We're going into Legends week now. How's Legends week? It sounds like I like Legends. I'll tell you what, I got to work with Dick Irvin for more than 20 years. And to this day, Dick Irvin is still on my friends. He has come on this show before and wax poetic for a half hour to 40 minutes. And let's hope we can do the same thing today because Dick Irvin, who's still alive and kicking just turned 90, we had him on just after his birthday the last time is doing great after having some long COVID. And Dick's going to join us. And I'm sure he's got a few questions for you, too, Darren. One thing that I will say is, I've the first time I met Dick was at the 2000 Memorial Cup in Regina, Paul Graham, your buddy, Paul Graham, was in charge of that broadcast and introduced me to Dick and to come on at some point during that program. And I was so nervous and so in awe of just being in the presence of Dick, I think it called him Mr Irvin at the time, but just hearing that voice and he made me feel relaxed, but just an unbelievable presence of a person who could tell a story out of, I'm just adjusting my lighting. And he would have a story that somehow came off of lighting. Here's the amazing thing, you know, as we get older, our voice changes. But at 90 years old, Dick Irvin's voice sounds exactly like it did in 1969 and 1979 and 1989. And his last year on the air in the booth in 1999, Dick Irvin sounds like Dick Irvin. And that to me is one of the cool things. It really is. You remember the first time you met him? Yeah, I think it was, I think it was in a, it might have been that, might have been the, my first year at hockey and I was 76, 77 as a, as a goal for as a runner. And he would come in, even if he would come in and work those games. And I was just a, you know, a pissy little kid at that point. And, and Dick was always polite, but we loved, he loved trivia and I love trivia. And from that moment on, he tested me and, and we became friends. And it's been the same way. And I was, when I ran hockey night, I was really adamant that why are we sending play-by-play guys into Montreal when, you know, the regular radio play-by-play guy is sitting there. I wanted Dick to do more play-by-play on, on those regional nights. And so Dick got a lot more play-by-play. I think that's why he liked me because I gave him more play-by-play gigs than, than most other executive producers. And I had, I had Dick, I had Dick, uh, Dick work some all-star games with me that they said, well, we, what would you have Dick do? I said, well, Dick will, Dick can do anything we want. He's so good. So that's, so we, we've had a, we have a long bond and, and a great friendship and, and it's in my book, but, um, Dick phoned me one day and he's to John and retired. That's it. I said, no, you're not. You can't, you can't retire. He says, no, I'm gonna retire. He says, no, Dick, you don't understand. I'm signing it today to a five-year contract. And you are not going to retire. It's impossible for you to retire, um, because we need Dick Irvin on hockey, that in Canada. I don't care for what, but you are not retiring from hockey, that in Canada. Uh, we had a big party and, and Dick didn't do very many games if any more games in the booth, but Dick maintained a relationship with hockey, that in Canada because that's what Dick Irvin deserved. I know he's going to come on here and we should get to it sooner than later, but I thought of him as a, or I see him as an analyst and as a studio guy. Yes, absolutely. Not, not nearly as much as the play-by-play. But, but in the seven, in the 78 game schedule, he would do, for Montreal, he would do, uh, 25 games as the, as the color man, and he'd do the remaining 53 is radio play-by-play. So he was pretty versatile. We got to get to him. He's, he's standing by waiting for us. Dick Irvin, for Montreal, with Millard and Shannon on the McCowan podcast. Hi, this is Bob McCowan for betrivers.com. Hey, if you're looking for a sports book or casino app, you should check out the betrivers sports and casino app today. Play all of your favorite casino games for real money anywhere and anytime. Plus get in the action with each sports game with hundreds of sports betting options and get ready to feel like a VIP because you'll earn both loyalty level points and bonus store points on every real money wager you make. You must be 19 plus available in Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, contact Connex Ontario at 1-866-531-2600 or speak to an advisor free of charge, betrivers.com. Welcome back to the McCowan podcast, Darren Millard, and for Bob this week, joined by a legend. How was the last time you were with a legend, Darren? I was with you yesterday. No, no, no, a real legend, a real legend. Last time I was with Dick. It was the last time I was with a legend. The great Dick Irvin who joins us from his is a boat in Montreal. Hey, Dick, Monday is Hall of Fame. It's always a special time of year. You've been a part of the Hall of Fame world for a long period of time and we're still honoring some great guys that you would remember in UXC broadcast. Got like Mike Vernon was part of that. Tom Barrasso, part of that. Hall of Fame still has a special spot for you. You know, the original Hall of Fame was at the C&E grounds and my dad was one of the original people that was inducted into the hall the first year was in business and when they turned the sod to start building the place where it was going to be housed. My mother and I were invited to my dad and past and my mother and I were invited up for the ceremony and each of the six teams had a player turn the sod. John Belabo was the Canadians. I remember George Armstrong, I believe, was the Leafs. Pierre Polat was for Chicago and we were there for that ceremony and I believe John Deepen Baker was there as well at the time. So I go right back to when they turned the sod in the first building with the Hall and funny, I was thinking about it because Ken don't forget Ken Hitchcock going in this year and because of Ken Hitchcock going in Bob Gain he's going to be there and I had a coffee and croissant with Bob here in Montreal on Monday and it was a great to get together. His daughter's a MP now, you know, she got elected when Mark Garnal, the astronaut, followed, resigned. They had a bi election in that area in that writing and she won and so Bob's back and forth I think to because of that a little bit. So we had a great time and he talked about Hitchcock and I had a lot of stories John that came have come to me over the last and one in particular kind of I don't know why but I was the MC even before it was on television. They had it one year at the Roy Thompson Hall and I was the here at Trechack buddy and I probably had a little bit of you know give and take with him that night but everybody's there. I would he wouldn't remember me. He was going in consultant was going to be two years after that. I go to a game one night I'd retired as much as you would let me retire John and I wouldn't let you retire Dick. That's it. You couldn't retire. It's not allowed. Still not retired and I'm walking the bell center the night of the game and who's coming the other way on the same sidewalk but Trechack who's there with Chicago they were the visiting team and so I just I didn't know quite what to do and suddenly he stops and he says hello Dick. Wow Dick I said how did you know my name? You said a friend had a camera at the Hall of Fame you said I have the tape I watch it all the time. That's fantastic yeah but that actually you just tweaked me to something that's that's always one of the great stories that I tell we were we were during doing one of those work stoppages and we were doing remember we're doing the older games classic games and and you kept saying what everybody nobody knows who I am no nobody knows who I am and we actually took a break from recording and went over to Wayne Gretzky's restaurant which is a couple of blocks from the CBC at that point and we're walking down the street Darren and somebody walks up and says hello Danny how are you and all and all and all and all Dick turned to do and said see told you that's the way it is I'm going to be Danny for the rest of my life so well I was a familiar part of my life and funny that I had the nice reaction when I the Gazette wrote a story when I turned 90 and it was amazing how many people had in their reaction towards my birthday mentioned Dick and Danny or Danny and Dick let's put it right I guess we made an impact of one kind or another I hope that there's seven guys going people going in on Monday and this week I hope that TSN has some features or something or not listening to all the speeches but you know the best story that I've heard in recent years on those speeches was Nicholas Lindstrom when he told the story of his first day at the camp for the Detroit Red Wings his kid arrived from Sweden was Sweden is that which yeah yes and anyway and so he's there for the first time in the NHL dressing room and the equipment manager asked him what number do you want and he said well I think I'd like number nine and he said he had a great all he said was I learned I learned my first lesson in North American hockey history that day is he wasn't gonna get number nine you know you know well in Detroit holy smokes you weren't gonna get nine you weren't gonna get seven you the few numbers you you weren't gonna get but how how was how was such a a different player than everybody else at the time when he was playing in the NHL wasn't he he was bigger he was faster stronger dick wasn't faster I wouldn't call him faster no he was stronger oh he was stronger and you know today's like the main the Canadian is the Maple Leafs played the opening game this year right in Toronto that season opener they don't play again for five months it's ridiculous it's it's it's that's you know what's with the rivalry when Rocket Richard and Bordy Howe were the two number nines who went against each other in the 1950s the last two years my father coach the Canadians those two teams were way ahead of everybody else in the league and they got to the Stanley Cup finals they played and told each season of 21 times seven hold seven away and played the playoffs in both series one seven games 21 times you had the two best teams in hockey playing each other it wasn't on television 21 times unfortunately but it was you know that's it's so different now my I mean Chicago's been here we've seen the dark he's not coming back to Montreal you know that's that's it for the whole year it's so different in in that way you know how do you speak a number nine Rocket Richard got number nine well isn't it with the train train births and all I know no no no he came up his first year that he played war number 15 and he broke his leg and the first game after Christmas first time ever saw him play I was 10 years old and we'd come down from Regina my dad used to commute and the season he'd leave Regina in October the first in the home and at the end and the March middle of April you know 48 game season and 50 so that was 50 anyway he was playing his I don't know how many games he had played he was a the Canadians were trying a lot of young guys at that time and he got hit with a body check by a Chicago Boston defenseman named Jack Crawford you're Johnny Crawford I guess it was Johnny Crawford was the only player in the NHL who was wearing a helmet at that time and the reason he wore the helmet was not for protection but he was bald and he was embarrassed by it and you didn't want people to see his vomit anyway he had the helmet and he hit Rocket and Rocket was gone for the rest of the season his season was over and he was injury prone as he was an amateur anyway the next year and the Rocket said told me when I interviewed him from my book The Habs he said I was surprised your father asked me back to the camp next year well my dad really liked them you know so he came to my father during the training camp and asked if he could have the next morning off because his wife was having a baby I probably said did it through an interpreter one of the other players because I don't need to speak English and my dad said fine so anyway he wasn't there the next morning for practice but he was there in the afternoon so my father asked somehow when the baby's born and everything's fine and my dad said how much of the baby weight is it nine pounds my dad's well why don't you have a nice memory of it why would you like to take the number nine so the rocket said I guess so that's how he got number nine and he started the next season with number nine and Needless or say the rest is history do you know was that was that the the nine become the number of the best player on the team because of rocket around the no when you when you because you know but I know but when you think but by the time so so how did the trend and the league right where was where did the trend come then I mean how did nine bath gate was nine Rashard was nine hole was nine oh yeah you know you have to ask did after asked the teams that I mean it was nine wasn't it with Basin Redstocks and still laps was nine so still no ten so laps was ten I think he wore both oh yeah okay a tiny conica was nine for the league so I got to I got to tell you one story to dare before you so late 70s I'm this snotty nose kid in Toronto going to university and and Dick comes in as much reels in town Dick comes in and we're sitting in the little little client room we call as the client room is the green room at Maple Leaf Gardens and it's just dicking me and I am scared out of my wits the dicker than is sitting there and he says oh you think you know a lot about hockey and we go toe-toe about hockey trivia for a half an hour before anybody else showed I was one of the greatest days of my life and from that moment on I'm dicker than being I became friends I remember you and Doug B. Forth used to be in the booth he used to get me my coax that's right when they when they when they find me let the Montreal broadcasters into the Maple Leaf Gardens and vice-pan vice-person when you know Danny Gallivan never did a game in Maple Leaf Gardens until he did a few games for CHCH right when he and he actually did the leaf games correct yeah foster he went never did a game at the Montreal Forum until he did the first game of the 72 series wow yeah says that they is and you know like you the 67th series when the Leaf Street the Canadians it was in what six games was that anyway yes Danny and I did the games in Montreal the first two games of the series Brian and Bill did the next two games in Toronto we did the game five and they did game six which happened to be the cup winning game that that was the way it worked in those days you never the twain shall meet you know well can I why is that I didn't realize that and why was that set up dick that was a role when I joined the show there was only two teams in Canada and the Toronto broadcasters did the Toronto games and the Montreal broadcasters did the Montreal games that was those were the rules and we had a similar situation when when when I started we only had three teams in Canada and Jimmy Robson did now the the the anomaly in Vancouver was we only had four Saturdays on television in Vancouver four that's all we had so Jimmy did the Jimmy did the four games and really what happened was early to early 80s things started to change a little bit we had a lot of pressure from we had deals in the United States so Dan Kelly started to do some games that were on the networks and because we were being seen in both Canada and the United States and then what happened was that CBC started to insist some of their guys do games and they weren't affiliated with certain teams like like Don Whitman became a part of the the broadcast play by play crew so it was it's funny because you know I I do lots of stuff in the other cities and I keep getting asked on a national night why for instance John Shorthouse doesn't do the Kentucky because that was that that used to be the tradition was that the local guy did the national games in those cities but and but I think Dick when when you talk about that I think that was one of the factors in why you and and Danny became so iconic was that we knew there were things that on a Saturday night you knew you could see the lighting in Montreal magical the cameras in Montreal you know the brightness of everything the crowd and there was Danny and Dick and that was part of the magic of Saturday night with with Montreal Canadians hockey you know when I was growing up in Regina as a kid my dad was coaching in Montreal the only contact we had with the national hockey date was Saturday nights on the radio fostered you what it was always fostered you what and the leaves yeah and I used to get so nervous because that every once in a while during the game he would get the other town scores all two of them and and I was always so nervous when he was waiting to hear what the score was in the game in Montreal where my dad was coaching and one night when I was quite young my mother used to tell this story about me the Canadians played in Toronto so at least we could hear the Canadians you know our own team and my they got a penalty Montreal got a penalty for too many men on the ice and so I'm a kid at home and I started to cry and my mother said what's wrong well he had too many men on the ice dad's going to get fired I thought he'd get blamed and that they would fire right away because he had too many but that was it when and growing up there and the only difference would be in the playoffs and then if the leaves were eliminated for a few years Doug Smith was Danny Gallaghan's predecessor here in Montreal he would you would he get him doing the game I remember when the Canadians won the cup after a long drought their first cup of the the new era when they won a lot of cups was 1944 and Toblake scored the winning goal against Chicago in the cup winning game and Doug Smith did the broadcast and it wasn't fun to do it it was the Montreal broadcast year was on the CDC network that's the only time otherwise it was only Toronto and only Saturday nights but didn't it change to didn't it change after Frank's silky senior moved to Montreal and realized that the Leafs were the national brand and they wanted to be part of having a national brand with Canadians to yeah I know he moved in 46 yeah I don't know whether he had anything to do with that or an honor because by the time I moved here to live here the family moved in full time 51 the games are on television oh no they weren't on television now next year the first year was 52 53 Danny was doing the games but only Saturday nights and I don't know I think I don't know what the setup was it was only Saturday and all the games were even on radio in those days I mean some games weren't on anything you know just we're playing is red above the news how did you get into doing the the commentary and did you want to do play that play was that a goal of yours or did you enjoy being the analyst well I had been I started out doing play by play on radio and for just right at the same time pretty well but a year after I started with hockey night no I didn't I you know really I had no no thought tearing it all as to I don't know I just I just felt into the job and Danny was there and you know that was the way it was and then Danny retired and the my main job on the show is John will a test who was doing the color and my last game you mentioned on Whitman's name John the last game that I did in the booth was 1999 a playoff game on Saturday a Sunday afternoon in Denver between Colorado and Detroit one of those makeup game like you call me like on a Friday and said be in Denver and Sunday sort of thing you know the makeup thing yeah so I go to Denver and then with Jimmy Huff was the director and Detroit had won the first game of the series on the Thursday night now they're playing Sunday afternoon and Detroit won the game and that was my last game in the booth you have me do a couple of games after that remember we used to do a recap during the periods and yes and yeah well I did a couple of those for you after this but this was the last game I was in the booth Detroit wins the first game of the series and they really troied with Colorado it wasn't much of a game and the score wasn't big but Detroit was totally Patrick was playing goal for Colorado and they go back to Detroit ahead to nothing and it's going to be overfed Red Wings didn't win another game Colorado beat them four straight so a few years later I've been Toronto with Scotty who was coaching Detroit at the time and we were together on the hockey hall of fame selection tonight and we ended up in a taxi cab somewhere going somewhere and I said to Scotty at the last and I go into this story about how come you lost four straight after winning and he said too many injuries and I knew that the conversation was over okay oh that's don't ask another question about that one what was that those you know what people don't realize outside of Montreal is that yeah you worked with Danny on Saturdays but you did more play by play of Canadians games on an annual basis for a long time than Danny did because you did you did radio you did all the radio games the new game but I did radio yeah and what the years I started radio in 1969 yeah and I left radio in 1997 Danny started in 52 53 was when he came here and he retired in what was it 84 yeah but there's only 20 there's only 23 Saturdays yeah yeah and and so all those midweek games and Friday night games and yeah you were doing people traveling with the you traveled with the club far more than he did yes I did yes there's no question about that don't forget the CDC Sunday night games ready that's right actually the first time I ever traveled uh for the hockey night in Canada was radio and it was a Chicago Montreal playoff game at Chicago Stadium uh and it was Danny and Fred Walker yep and they and Danny of course Danny wanted to do play by play all three periods and but Fred was the CBC employee so Fred got to do play by play of the second period oh they switched yeah oh yeah yeah yeah that way there was there had to be it was a playoff game the the hawks had barely squeaked in uh I think it was 1976 Montreal was on the way to the the to win uh I think there was about 8,500 people at Chicago Stadium for a playoff game wasn't very what weren't very many people there that night he would switch the analyst role too and oh yeah yeah it was like kind of like kind of like baseball okay kind of like baseball when a guy does the first three innings and then the next three innings are the other guy and they talk hey you you talked about being on the selection committee and I know you probably signed an NDA and can't talk about it for the rest of your life but how difficult was being on the Hall of Fame committee oh I loved it it was great I worked I served for 12 years and uh it was a very good experience the first year of the Scotty Morrison was when he was in charge the Hall of Fame was the one who out called and asked me to join the committee and then there wasn't when I first joined it they had two committees they had one committee picked the players and another committee picked the builders and the officials and that's the committee that he put me on and when I walked into the room my first meeting in Toronto at the Hall of Fame building here's on that committee that I was on here's Harry Stanton here's William Warts Walter Bush I'm saying what am I doing on this committee that was the O'Brien O'Neal got it who just passed away yeah up on on two and uh I was intimidating holy smokes anyway it was I think that was the only year it was like I remember on the other committee was meeting in another room for the players and John Bellin was on that committee among other but I remember John Redfisher Stan Fischler remember that name from New York Stan now lives in Israel yeah and I found myself thinking about him the other day so I sent him a note yesterday just saying thinking about you you know and I didn't even know if that email would get through I didn't I didn't no idea what the situation he answered me in 15 minutes and he's okay he said yes he said where he's living with uh after surely died his wife he moved to Israel to live with one of his sons and uh he said we've had no sirens since the war started but we've had a couple of close calls I don't know what he means by the meant by that and then he started he put in a couple of things about hockey that was it he's so let's hope you know that he's fine but so far so good as far as Stan's concerned anyway he was on the committee I remember that too but I think that only lasted for one year and the next year they amalgamated and it's one committee voted on everybody and that's how it was for the rest of my time on the committee and how it still is and I I met some you know you're sitting there with some wonderful people built Tori and you know it was a great experience like that to be on that thing for 12 years I loved it but no pressure yes of course you want to make sure you make the right decisions did you take names and volunteer names yourself or would you react and yeah oh yes don't know you you you you have to do you do that and I nominated a few and uh I'm glad to say they all got in but yeah you you know you don't you you make your file and you make your pitch or the time Michael Farber was on the committee and I was the one who I guess I can tell the story and I nominated an anti-band element and no they yeah I know that there's another one I nominated Park Meshi so when I came time for the discussion you always have a discussion about the nomination Mike Farber how he reminds me you you take if you're the nominator you pick up the ball at the beginning and I said gentlemen we're talking about Mark Meshi like what's the list of discussion this is Mark Meshi we're talking about we're going to discuss this and we didn't he somehow got in probably unanimously no nobody raised their hand did everybody on the committee nominate somebody was that no no no no no to say you know some years I didn't certainly didn't every year but but you get the list you get those who are nominated and then you do your homework you know I can remember calling people like uh say almer lock for example was a great Canadian player in the hall with a couple of players who are nominated they don't have much talent for you for a while there's some people that didn't get it to sort of slip through the cracks and I remember calling Elmer more than once asking about the skills of a certain player whatever you might have been you know he's and Elmer would tell me what he's a player and so on that's a kind of stuff you had to do you know and yeah the I can remember in my dad father would coach the against the crowed line the boss and Bruins crowed line they'll submit the Duma Bobby power and my father was always a great admirer of Bob bowler talk about powers Kate sets the family at the beginning of and I always remembered that so then Bobby bowler's name came up as for the old members category and I just remembered what my dad had told me and I voted for him right away he got it I just remember if my father told me about a certain player who he really appreciated and thought he was good that was good enough for me I'll tell you. We are with Dick Irvin Darrym Allard on Shannon on the McCown podcast back after this. I think a little time with the great Dick Irvin from his home in Montreal Darrym Allard and John and Dick there were at a time in the game where speed size size isn't much of the fact because at once was how much of the game watching these days how much do you turn the TV on on Saturday in Thursdays and whatever there's no there's such things a Wednesday Saturday Sunday schedule anymore it's a week so. I remember John we never did I in all the years John that I worked I never did an exhibition game on television. Yeah we weren't doing this year the Canadians played New Jersey in September the 16th or whatever it was and it was in both English and French television in Montreal. And who were the players? I would describe myself I think now honestly as a casual so fun this year I my big problem I'll admit it my big problem is I don't and it takes a little bit away and that's my fault hey I could learn I could find I could study them the other night the Philadelphia Flyers were on TV I watched the game they played I think in Buffalo and the Flyers skated off the ice at the end of the game and the camera was such that they were going through the gate into the dressing room with their backs to the camera so all the names are on the backs of the sweaters since they went through one two three I didn't know one I did not know one and that's so you know I hate I like to watch a good hockey game but when it's over I'm a kind of a guy right now who said I just watched the reds play the lights and because so that's where I'm at now in my hey I've been there I saw my first NHL game 1938 Maple Leaf Gardens second game of the 1938 Stanley Cup Final between Chicago and Toronto I would be just turned six years old and that was my first game that I ever saw and you know I I haven't been to a game for a couple of years now but I still watch oh no I watch I enjoy it I don't I also don't know who the masters are yes you know it's I was glad to hear John Garrett the other night yes all my you did a lot of games you did a lot of games with him my my my protégés Garrett millen crossburts all these guys are still working they all started with me yeah I know hey sure well they listen when when in doubt you're going with dick dickotrain you dick will make you better it's it's one of those things that that that became a a reality of a of a hockey night in Canada we will we'll get in the booth because dick's gonna have to go down half the time and go down and be the the host right you had to be the host for a while seven years they did that yeah they asked me they called me and Ted Huff was the big boss at hockey night and I was in Toronto doing the voiceover on some features that they had prepared just before the start of the season uh for use during the season when they used to run features and I did the voiceovers and I had a session and they said Mr. Huff wants to see it I thought maybe I'm gonna see my job maybe I'm only a voiceover man from L1 so they had made a change where we're going to make a change in the hosting job in Montreal so he said to me he called me and he said we're having trouble finding a host and then I expect to get one within a few games of the start of the season would you do it for the beginning of the season till we get the host so what am I gonna do am I gonna say no I'm either the job so anyway I started out the year as the host oh they got they got every placement for me seven years later hey there and the one thing I will tell you um and every producer that worked in Montreal in those years and forever um Dick Irvin did the most amazing thing every Saturday night was Dick had to fill through the anthem we didn't carry anthems in those days and so Dick had to have enough stories in his back pocket to talk through if it was two Canadian teams it was one anthem if it was if it was an American team and a Canadian team it was two anthem so that's about three to three and a half minutes of content and Dick would sit there and just as Roger had to set finished it so you'd be able to say we stand on guard for the index ears and he would then say now here's Danny Gallivan and he would have made six for three and a half minutes and it was still in my mind one of the great broadcasts and skills that not many guys have this day and age of being able to fill an approximate time and then be told within five seconds okay you're done now and finish a wrap up a story and get to Danny Gallivan down you're two kind you're two kind I remember one night today is Brady Troy in a playoff game every and I used to have to leave yeah two two to three minutes to go in the game and go downstairs and there was no elevator in that side of the forum I used to use the stairs couldn't do it today and so I they played Detroit in a playoff game one year first game of a series every goal was scored in the last minute and a half or the first minute and a half of the period because final score was four two for Montreal and I didn't see one goal I was on the stairs walking down everyone so now the game ends okay and we're supposed to have a guest come in but the guy was a no-show nobody should know whoever you know that happened a John we had a no-show so I'm sitting there and and Ralph Melanie said okay what we'll do is we'll recap the goals and I said to him what goals I never saw any of them and I had to do a recap of the goals but there was another night when I was came came back up from the intermission and the game it started as I'm walking along the catwalk to get to the broadcast booth the Canadian score just as I walk into the booth now we had red story was with us that night as the third man in the booth and red and Danny are talking to each other red telling some story about his referring days Danny's wrapped up laughing and let's see if they're not watching the game and the puck goes in now I'm just arriving I don't I'm not can't see the ice I'm still walking to the booth so I sit down and the people are cheering and all that and I have no idea what happened and Danny knows that so Danny says well Dick what did you think of that goal and he's got a big smile on his face there's three guys in the booth on the English broadcast and none of us just saw the cool food oh dear thank god for replays wait no I gotta ask you a question okay I'm gonna ask you a question there was a trend that started in hockey televising hockey two years ago where after a goal was scored the first shot that they took with a camera in the building was the coach who's team just got scored it was the most boring part of pocket telecast because every coach just stood there with a blank look on what he's supposed to do he just got scored on I used to think why did he show what a show to me happiness don't show me some guy standing there who's team saw but it's shame now they still take the shot but you don't see his face no I don't know the top of his head isn't it awful isn't it awful looking at a video hey I can give you some things Blake Bowman, Arbor, Shiro, Tim Black these guys they could have you worked up to them right after you said what happened they could tell you exactly what happened they were right on and they never saw a video well you're right because it's all the coaches technology they're looking down to see if it's offside or they want to come on it's all video review it's all video review now Dick but I would rather see them try to fire up the troops there are you with the referee or something that heads down looking at a video well you you'll you'll get you'll get you'll get you'll get a kick of this then so you're all pal pat birds who you knew from your time in Montreal by the time you got to Toronto Pat was pretty savvy Pat loved being on television Pat knew where the cameras were at the gardens he knew that the best angle of him being on television was from our high end zone position at the gardens and in those sisters it was called it was camera three and so Pat when he was he knew that okay something's happened they're gonna be coming to me he would turn his body that he was seen properly on camera three oh no Pat Burns was he was brilliant who was the guy he was he was gonna fight one night Mary Melrose yeah okay Mary Melrose and he and Pat knew the camera and held camera was on there's no doubt in my mind that Pat was brilliant that way to motivate his guys there's no question he was to me he was the best at how to manipulate television cameras to make sure that Pat Burns got his airtime yeah we've had a couple of coaches tossed out in the last few weeks yeah one of them I didn't even see anything happen it was just conversation the coach gets fired up did you see guys get get going your dad back in the day well yeah I think so there were you know when in the heyday of the Toronto Montreal rivalry in the fifties and sixties I used to say the tow Blake and punch him like put on a better show than the plan oh sure you know they were they were they were either at each other like in Toronto the ventures were always on the same side always but even back to when my dad was coaching but here in Montreal they were on the opposite sides like the night of dawn's famous too many men in the ice thing there's another situation that I was involved in the benches of always were we're always opposite each other you know now they're on the same side that's because Canadians wanted that damn penalty box right that's right that's one of the other penalty boxers on the other side exactly yeah the night of the the famous call bruises are totally in charge of game center they were only ahead by one goal but they're totally in charge Canadians they're whipped it's finished it's over so Ralph said to me he said you better go down is about three minutes ago in the game three or four minutes said you better go down and get ready he said who do you want to interview you just ask me that a little thought and I thought that that night and that game the outstanding man on the ice for both teams without any question was Wayne Cashman he had played a marvelous game and I said I'd like to talk the Wayne Cashman okay fine so I go down and there was a Boston sports writer named Leo Monahan was a good friend of mine over the years and he was waiting he was kind of down at the other end to and he said can I go down with you to the TV room and watch the end of the game because it was right across the hall from the visiting dressing room remember that so he wanted to be there when the Bruins came in so as we're going down the back stairs there wasn't anybody else in the place nobody not a soul in the lobby at the Stack Hopper lobby I hear Claude Mouton's voice through the wall just I hear his voice and I said to Leo I said I think somebody just got a penalty well it was the too many men on the ice I don't against the Bruins and that's but the time I got to the to the studio the Canadians run the power play and Lafayette's course is more famous old but you know John like the host like me once over time starts you can't be you can't be absolutely I couldn't what I had to be so I just stayed in the studio for the rest of the game and and Montreal won and so that's another that's what I often think of that too is another example of not seeing something that happened because I was on the stairs walking back and forth well you know stairs saw a lot that's right yeah or didn't know I love the the bowels of the Montreal former one of my favorite things I loved walking around on the main floor I mean from the Montreal dressing room all the way around the back to where in those days it was you know Bellevue getting his car washed every day and and then back to the to our side of the rig where you're right the the TV studio in our little green room and was across from the visiting's dressing room and you were the access there the access that may believe gardens that's what that was one of the great differences you know we we we were on the same level with the players and they would come in and sit with us and sit and watch and they'd be taping steps sticks watching something at five o'clock well we're we're preparing for the show remember the big good Friday night massacre for the Canadian's and Nordics well bunch of players that thrown out and two of the Nordics came across the hall to where I was sitting at this point with all the fighting going on they told me just stay in the studio we don't know what's going to happen this game and you got to we need because we had guests coming in and so so I'm in the studio and Dale Hunter and uh Randy Murray came in and they said can we watch the game now they've changed into civics they've been thrown out for the fight so they sat with me through the whole game and I couldn't believe the reaction because the Nordics the the Canadians ended up winning the game and winning the series I guess it was in steveshut scored a couple of goals in the third period and and the things went bad with the Nordics what the reaction they had no reaction they just sat there and then when the game was always it thanks very much and they left oh god remember that two players sitting watch who normally started the game in uniform are sitting beside me at the studio watching the game you talked about having a coffee with Bob Ganey did in your time when you were on a regular traveling trip with Montreal did you did you be friend players did you have guys that that you would either sit beside or that you became outside of the rink and the charter became friends with no I didn't believe in that uh I tried to keep it did I kept you friendly but I tried to keep at a distance the friendliest I got in the later years was with Matt Snazzle uh Matt's lived near me uh we'd get home in the late night charter because I'd usually have my car at the airport he wouldn't so I'd give him a ride home uh we ended up playing several games of golf together uh he loved his golf um I did become friendly and actually our wives were the ones who became friendly with Frank Mahoglich and Marie when Frank played in Montreal in the early 70s and one night we went to their house for dinner on a Friday night they were playing in the playoffs against Philadelphia and Wilman I went to Frank's sub place for dinner now the next night there's the game on there in over time Frank over skates the puck in the canadian zen rick McLeish picks it up right and scores and the game is over now I have to comment on a terrible mistake made by a wonderful hockey player and I just been in his host predictor the night before and that taught me a bit of a lesson I thought I can't let myself I didn't feel comfortable some guys do or some of these american broadcasters they live with the players you know I I'm sorry I just I kept friendly and uh you know but uh I never did do that no I'm glad that uh John brought up the conversation with with Bob I'm curious uh so much has happened between the two of you you are around each other so much uh when you get together with Bob like you did a couple weeks ago what do you guys talk about old stories oh yeah yeah the old days oh we talk about the current I mean let's face it he was in Dallas and he was here in Montreal GM coach all that uh we talk about people that were involved at that particular time and so on but I think that uh you know we it's a it's a mix but uh he did if I if I've either of us is going to bring up the old days the great days the Scotty woman era the year when they only lost eight games and all that uh it's me I'm the guy that gets it around and Bob will talk about it but uh no he's uh it's just I don't know it's time to say that you know like what did we talk about it was only on Monday yeah and but uh no we we had a nice chat he brought me a book that he found about the city of Montreal and a huge bookstore in Florida but he wants it back he left the note inside the book saying about I want this back the next time we have a coffee that's good reason good reason to have another coffee yeah that's it yeah well I tell you what Dick I uh you know we Scotty comes on every once in a while too uh and he's the best guest you can have or anybody can have because he knows what's happening today he's amazing I talked him on the phone fairly regularly and or what happened you know we had lunch together a couple of years ago and I he didn't even say hello to me he asked me if I remember us and he talked about a player who played with a Montreal royal senior T you know that I would that was just his conversational partner wasn't nothing about the NHL or anything like that because he grew up in Montreal right yeah and uh so he knew all these guys he's amazing goes is amazing goes to the games in Tampa well you got to be at the Hall of Fame he's going to be at the Hall of Fame yeah yeah because of the Vernon and the Russell right you got you got to promise me I'm in the next little while I want both of you to come on together okay so we'll we'll talk to the producer and get your book yeah now you've got my producer's phone number she lives right next door to me and my thanks to Nancy my daughters who sent all this up well that's uh believe me without her we don't do a show so just remember that well I I will not forget thank you for this dick it's been great okay guys they're nice to meet you on via the TV nice guys good luck with the show keep it going wonderful the great dick urban back after this I was right about the voice right wasn't I Darren yeah and it's funny because as soon as he said his first few words I was transcended yeah time I was it felt comforting it felt felt homey and I and I the full disclosure I asked a couple of questions in there just because I felt I should because I'm on the screen and sort of included in the conversation but the my favorite part of that was just sitting back and listening the two of you guys go back and forth well you know as I said so here it is it's 2023 I met him in 1976 and I had a similar relationship with Galivan you know and I and what's what's interesting about the Galivan was I still have great relationships with Danny's children who live with you they're in Halifax or Vancouver and we do some charity work together that the Galavans help organize the the famous Danny Galivan cystic fibrosis golf tournament every year in Halifax that I that is one of my must-do's I don't know I I would I'm not going to say this to them but I would pay them to go to Halifax because it's such an honor and it's great to see the Galavans but dick is one of my dick is one of my favorite people I I just because when we're not in front of microphones and we're sitting and talking it is the same conversation it is the same conversation and he always asks me would you do Saturday I say what do you mean he says did you watch our show he still thinks he owns he says did you watch our show and he says it was such great pride in our show being hockey night in Canada it's really kind of I would love to sit and watch your show with the two of you and no no I would I would love to get the feedback on what you think of the production and the announcers and the players and the the style of the game that that would be a fascinatingly fun beautiful moment for a hockey fan and to to eavesdrop and be a final all with the two of you on a hockey game I will tell you right now I I truly believe the dicks did some of his greatest work for hockey night in Canada when he wasn't doing Montreal games when he was doing well because the you know when you're around a team he talked a little bit about the loyalty and about you know dick wasn't a Homer but he viewed the he viewed life through the glasses of a Montreal fan so when but when you did an island or brewing game you know there was he was completely impartial and then you saw you saw his strength as a broadcaster you saw his ability to tell a story and and his and his ability to analyze play you know he he didn't you know he he's he's not like the modern day color men that are former players he's he's like you and me he's a broadcaster turned color men with one of the greatest names in the history of the game right one of the greatest names in the history of hockey in urban anybody wants to google dick urban senior you're more than welcome to do it and understand why I say that and I discovered what's that dick urban senior was actually dick urban the second and dick urban junior who we just talked to is really dick urban the third because why didn't you bring that because I'm not going to start trying to show off in front of a dick or all right I'm not going to I'm not I have a little intimidated here but but that that's kind of the senior juniors actually that that is cool well it's I I like having you on these shows because I think you appreciate guys like dick as much as I do so that that's one of the coolest things that I've been a part of was was listening to the the two of you go down those paths and different elements of the game just really neat and by the way he's right about that shot of coaches and all you see is the top of their heads oh I'm going to the rank right now yeah and I'm going to talk to Bruce about that and I'm going to send him a link to all that all they do is look down Bruce Cassidy loves listening to to podcasts he goes on his bike and he loves listening to podcasts and he will he will absolutely adore what what just occurred with with dick here okay so well I will do what I normally do on your video show I won't say hello to George today I will say hello to Bruce hello Bruce hello Bruce that's Darren Martin I'm John Shannon another episode of the podcast hope you enjoyed it