Face-to-Face in the shower with a Hockey Idol ...

Pete

In 1971, I was a YMCA member. I went to a downtown location three times a week to run. I was attempting to exorcise my smoking habit.

One day, in the "Y" locker room, I looked at the guy dressing beside me and recognized one of my hockey idols, Pierre Pilote.

He had just finished his NHL career in Toronto where he played 69 games for the Leafs in the 1968 - 69 season.

He was looking to establish a bag/luggage business with a factory close to my "Y" location and was looking to stay in shape with a little noontime exercise.

Somehow we connected. We never talked hockey but we ran together, exercised together and even retired to the local beanery for a quick lunch before heading back to work.

As a hockey fan, I couldn't help myself.

I had a million hockey questions.

After a few weeks, when he felt comfortable with me, he didn't disappoint. 

He loved to talk about his memories of games past and the colourful players that weaved through his hockey life. A favourite was a night in Toronto. His Hawk teammate, Reggie Fleming, got into a brawl with Leaf, Eddie Shack. Reggie won. Shackie promised revenge.

He didn't have to wait long, the Leafs played the Hawks the very next night in Chicago. Pierre said "The place was electric during the pre-game warm-up. All eyes were on Shack and Fleming as they skated in slow circles and were careful not to cross over the red center line and ignite the war that the fans were screaming for.

The coaches didn't disappoint the fans. They were both put on the ice for the opening face-off. "Shack skated in a big circle after puck drop. Fleming was coasting through center ice and lost sight of him. Shack lept at Fleming while cruising at full speed and Fleming ducked. Shack's razor-sharp skate clipped the top of Fleming's no-helmet head and scalped him from back to front." Pierre said, "I've never seen so much blood ... it took twenty minutes to clean things up." Not surprisingly, Pierre couldn't remember who won the game. Things were tough in the Original Six days.

When Pierre joined the OHA as a 17-year-old, he told me his family was happy to have him sign with Rudy Pilous's St. Catherine's TeePees because they thought Pilous was a Quebecer.  Rudy was born in Winnipeg.

His NHL career was legendary - 376 consecutive games played - a Stanley Cup and the captaincy of his Hawk team - many observers called him "Orr" before there was Orr".

In the 1980s, Ross Brewitt, the founder/organizer/coach/GM of the 
Labatt's Old Stars asked if I would show up each week to play against his Old Stars while they prepared for charity weekend games across the country. 

Ross really just needed pylons to play against his recently retired NHL players including Pierre and Jim McKenny, Dale Tallon, Bob Nevin, Norm Ullman, Eddie Shack and others who simply couldn't give up the game and were willing to play and travel to raise funds for those in need. It also got them all back on the road.

One day, in the dead of winter, not many players showed up for our practice game due to the bad weather. We were 10 a side. The game was fast. With only seconds left, we could hear the Zamboni warming up. Everybody was exhausted.

Suddenly, the puck squirted out to center ice. I raced for it and was on my way. I looked up and was face-to-face with Pilote. Fortunately, I had my head up. If I hadn't, Pierre would have stepped into me and made it look like it was an accident.  

I instinctively flipped it between his legs and it worked. 
I came out the other side and lifted a soft aerial behind the goalie's shoulder. 

Goal.

Later in the Labatt's Old Stars dressing room, which was the highlight of being in a dressing room full of NHL players, I moved to the shower. I met Pierre at the entranceway -- we stood there in the nude facing each other. 

He stuck his finger in my chest.
He looked at me as if I had just committed a crime. 
His eyes were on fire.
I thought he was about to punch me. 

He said ... "you were lucky ... you'll never do that again ... 
I'll cut you down if you ever try that on me, ever. 
You're a horseshit player"!

Joseph Albert Pierre Paul Pilote was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975, was a 7-time All-Star and had earned the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenceman three times. There was Hull and Mikita of course but Pierre Pilote was the Chicago Black Hawks.

Former players even said, "he was the model for the Indian on the Hawk jersey logo".

He called me a "horseshit player". 
I couldn't imagine him giving me a better compliment.

He was an idol of mine. We'd become friends. He was a very colourful, very successful player who helped to build the National Hockey League from the Original Six to what it is today.

I am very thankful for the time I spent with him in the gym the coffee shop and on the ice.

Pierre passed away in September 2017.

The Original Six era has also lost "Rocket" and Henri and Howe and Lindsay, Ted Kennedy and Mikita and Bathgate and "Red" Kelly and Beliveau and "Butch" Bouchard and Johnny Bower and The Golden Jet and Milt Schmidt and Lafleur and Bossy and the Boston hard rock, Teddy Green and. don't forget Bryan "Bugsy" Watson ... the only player that Henri Richard allowed to call him "Hank"

If they put Al Arbour and Pat Quinn behind the benches at Moose's fabulous rink @ North Toronto with the legendary referee, Bruce Hood attempting to keep the peace on the ice, they could stage a pretty good hockey game. 

And, no, I am not quite ready for them to use me as an aforementioned pylon during their games.