March 18 ... anniversary of the death of a friend - VIVE LES CANADIENS!

This is a story that marks the anniversary of the passing of one of my closest friends. I think about him a lot.

If you're 50-60-70-ish and a fan of NHL hockey and Hockey Night in Canada, you'd know him.

Initially, I thought I would just send this reminder note to other friends of "coach".Like me, they might be a little shocked at how quickly time has passed.

But, I thought I'd share the story with you because you are a hockey person. I thought you might enjoy knowing a little about a guy with a surname that's part of hockey's royalty.

Interviewing Howe & Bower

If you proceed, it will be a time commitment because I go on a bit.

This is about Frank Selke Jr.

He was a Montreal Canadien executive for 21 years - he handled publicity and his father ran the team and developed the NHL's first farm team feeder system.

FYI ... when former Canadien superstar, Serge Savard was the team's general manager, he created a special, gold, Stanley Cup ring for each of the members of the Habs who were part of the Richard, Beliveau, Plante, Harvey Stanley Cup dynasty.  Frank proudly wore his ring until he left us.

He told me that his father advised him not to take the job with the 1967 expansion team Oakland Seals, (remember the white skates) ... "there will be lots of jobs with expansion" warned Frank Sr.

Incidentally, Frank Sr. was the Assistant General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs for 17 years. During owner Conn Smythe's absence from the team, he traded one of Toronto's most popular players, Frank Eddols (Eddols was like what Doug Gilmour was to the Leafs in the 1990s).

Frank Sr. wanted the rights to a 16-year-old kid from Port Colborne, Ontario who was the property of the Montreal Canadiens.

This is the story of legend.

Smythe promptly fired him for making such a terrible personnel "mistake". However, Selke Sr. found another hockey job with the Montreal Canadiens - manufactured that farm system and made NHL history by earning a never-to-be-repeated milestone. He created The Flying Frenchmen who went on to win 5 consecutive Stanley Cups - a 1950's record that still stands today.

By the way... that 16-year-old player that Selke Sr. liked so much, "The Legend" ... became Ted "Teeder" Kennedy - the best player ever to wear the Leafs' blue and white and the first NHL player to earn five Stanley Cups, all for Smythe - the owner who didn't want him. Kennedy led his Toronto teams to the 5 Cups without the help of superstar teammates and defeated rival teams which were stacked with eventual Hall of Fame inductees with Montreal & Detroit & Boston.

Frank Selke Sr. knew hockey and he knew how to pick guys who could play.

Ted Kennedy earned the Hart Trophy as the League's best player in the same season that Maurice "Rocket" Richard had his best year. But, I say Kennedy was the best Leaf ever because he scored 23 points in 26 Stanley Cup FINAL games and holds the team record for that category.

How long will it be for another Leaf to just participate in 26 Stanley Cup FINALS?

When Frank Jr. ignored the warning from his dad the hockey wizard, he went to work for one of the worst owners of a professional franchise, Charlie Findlay. Frank became president and general manager of the expansion NHL Oakland Seals hockey club (later the California Golden Seals) and, unfortunately for him, his dad's prediction came true. Findlay didn't honour Frank's contract so he resigned.

Next, he became the Executive Vice President of Hockey Night in Canada for 20 years and helped establish the television format that every hockey fan enjoys today.

Here's a SCOOP ... during the 1980s, Frank told me that he had an agreement in principle with Harold Ballard to personally assume ownership of the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club.

The deal was never consummated because, at the last moment, Ballard decided to accept an offer from one of the banks.

Because of my friend's vast hockey knowledge and history, he never needed much encouragement to launch into some fabulous stories.

"We had a terrific player with the Canadiens ... you had to see him at practice at 11am on game day... he could stickhandle like Mikita, shoot like Hull and skate like Keon but he had the heart of a mouse".

That was classic Frank... to the point... funny as hell. Also, typically, thoughtfully, he would never reveal the name of the poor victim of his stories for fear he may embarrass the person further.

He was one of the TV sports pioneers who created the dos and don'ts of reporting on hockey and interviewing players. When Hockey Night in Canada hired Don Cherry, Don contacted Frank. Cherry was never afraid of the camera but he needed coaching on how to sit, how to talk directly to the viewers through the camera lens and he'd have to answer one of Cherry's most pressing questions ...

"Frank, what do I do with my hands"?

Like Cherry or not, he always focussed directly on the camera, always sat upright so we'd pay attention to his newest suit/tie combination and his hands were always parked on the desk in front of him so as not to distract from what he had to say.

All Frank.

Frank Selke Jr. departed on this day, March 18, seven years ago.

History will say ... the hockey gods or the charity gods the Special Olympic gods ... or maybe just God threw me and Frank and Special Olympic Canada president, Jim Jordan, together more than 30 years ago.

Just days before his passing, Frank and I talked on the phone. He didn't want to leave.

He'd been consulting with a retired doctor who helped him remember and relish his wonderful life and family and accept what was about to happen to him. He was relaxed.  He even joked a little about being on the back nine. As our conversation came to an end, he said he loved me.  I felt honoured to know he felt about me the way I felt about him. "Coach" wouldn't have approved of the way I behaved following our conversation when I was alone.

Jim Jordan Frank and I were a fund-raising troika. For more than a quarter-century, we presented the charity to prospective sponsors.  Frank was our center man.  With our business connections, we raised north of seven million dollars in cash and corporate sponsorships.

Additionally, we created much-needed awareness for the organization through our connections at The Toronto Sun, The Globe and Mail, Maclean's Magazine and TSN. We forged friendships and partnerships with Canada's largest media organizations. Things that may be impossible to attach a price tag to.

Also, it would be difficult to put a value on the more than 100 international sports celebrities we attracted to our fundraisers to act as cheerleaders and event hosts.  Rocket, Chuvalo, Clemens, Lindsay, "Edge", Jean Claude Keely, Lafleur, Nadia, Cito, Sittler, Howe, Whitt, Lanny, Sandy Hawley, "Teeder", Brett "Hit Man" Hart, "Pocket" Rocket, Gilmour, John Tavares, Marnie McBean & Kathleen Heddle, Keon, "Pinball" Clemons, Eric Lindros, Beliveau, and Cournoyer were just a small sample of the remarkable celebrity support we secured for our events.

And, none of them ever asked for or received an appearance fee.

Please don't interpret the aforementioned successes as boasting.  Frank wouldn't approve.  I mention it because in today's sport-speak, Selke was an "impact" player and it's a graphic example of the type of home runs he was able to hit.

Canadian and Cooperstown Baseball Halls of Fame honoured member, Ferguson Jenkins, was also a pretty fair junior hockey player who loved the Habs. He gushed like a 10-year-old when I introduced him to Frank at one of our events.

Selke opened doors.

But, typically, he thought his influence was simple, over-rated and non-effective. He didn't realize how much people enjoyed him and wanted to know him and wanted to be a part of anything he was supporting.

Frank Selke Jr. was a force. He had no ego. He was a magnet for attracting people to our charity.

When Jim Jordan and I attended the first-ever Summer Special Olympic Games to be held outside of the USA in 2004, in Dublin, Ireland, it was the biggest sporting event in the world that year -- imagine -- for an event devoted to and showcasing the best-in-the-world intellectually handicapped athletes.  Frank Selke was selected as Team Canada's honourary coach. He led our team of 800 into the stadium as 80,000 fans in downtown Dublin's Croke Park rose to cheer.

The emotion of the moment put a lump in my throat - seeing my buddy leading the team. I could see him smiling from a mile away.

Frank said ... "Special Olympics is contagious"

He didn't realize that lots of business decision-makers and corporate sponsors were a little addicted to him.

The proof of that statement is what he left behind ... more than 30,000 Special Olympic athletes across Canada playing/competing/making friends and earning medals.

Proper, meaningful descriptions of people can sometimes be found in the most unlikely places.

I just finished reading a strange-for-me book ... Stu Grimson, The Grim Reaper.  You may remember him ... 400 heavyweight NHL fights as one of the league's tough guys for 14 years ... became a lawyer ... became an on-air hockey broadcaster and analyst ... became a writer and included the following line in his autobiography that perfectly describes my pal. "it's not who you are that counts. It's what you do".

"Look how far we've come," said Special Olympic Foundation creator, President Kennedy's sister, Eunice Kennedy, to start her welcome speech to family, athletes and fans in Dubin. In my opinion, her/our international organization would never have reached its level of success and awareness in Canada without Frank Selke Jr.

He encouraged Canada's biggest corporations to step up. He was a fabulous example to me for how I could help out. I'm certain others followed him the same way.

He was the charity definition for leadership ... doing something for someone else, when nobody is looking and expecting nothing in return.

When Frank got to the Pearly Gates do you think he was asked about his time at Hockey Night in Canada?

Surely, his eagerness to help others and his devotion to our charity would have been the only thing that mattered as the Gates opened wide for him to enter.

On a personal note, Jim and Maggie and Frank and "Red" and Lorraine and I got together regularly for dinner.  Frank's "Red" ... would only warn you once not to call her by her birth name.

"Red" liked Jean. A lot.

However, I was in the room with her on a few occasions when Jean Beliveau entered and, loud enough so everyone could hear, he said ... "Hi, Dorothy! It's so good to see you!”

"Red" always blushed at Beliveau.

Incidentally, "Red" never blushed.

She spent every Saturday afternoon in her living room watching American college football - she knew all the players -- those who could play and those who couldn't. If I dropped in during a game, she'd tell me to take Frank into his office so she wouldn't be interrupted.

She was a US college football superfan.

Also, she was very firm ... "don't phone us between 4:30 and 5:30 because we have to watch "The Young and the Restless!"

One night, we all had dinner at a downtown Toronto restaurant. Original Six superstar, Henri Richard was joining us but arrived late.

Also, with us was Brian "Bugsy" Watson who'd played with Henri in Montreal. We all knew him as Henri or the "Pocket Rocket" but throughout the evening, Brian kept calling him "Hank".

I doubt the guy who earned 11 Stanley Cups ever allowed anyone else to call him "Hank".

"Bugsy" Watson must have been very special to him.

When he eventually arrived and walked into the dining room, Henri was smiling and tanned from a winter in Florida and beautifully dressed in a $2000. suit. "Red" announced for everyone to hear ... "he can leave his slippers under my bed anytime". That was "Red". If you were in a bar with a group of friends, you'd only want to sit next to her.

Frank met "Red" on a golf course. They shared the same passion for the sport and travelled everywhere to be with friends who shared their love of the game. Frank wasn't shy to say she was the light of his life.

Knowing "Red", who passed away in 2015, and Frank was a privilege and calling them friends was one of the true highlights of my life.

The Selke family was also about thoroughbred horse racing in addition to their love for hockey. Frank insisted that he and I go to Toronto's Woodbine track to watch (and bet) Sandy Hawley's final race, on July 2, 1998.

Sandy had been chosen as Canada's Best Male Athlete twice. With over 6,000 wins before this race, he was regarded as one of the greatest jockeys of all time. I'd convinced him to join our charity event as a celebrity host. That's where Frank's contagious remark comes into play. Sandy was one of our Special Olympic celebrities who never, ever missed one of our events - even brought his family along.

We just had to be there for his final race - to support him and cheer him on(and win some money). We went to the paddock and when the starter yelled, "Riders-Up", Sandy and his mount were only 30 feet away. We both gave him a thumbs-up as he took his place in the post parade. From the expression on his face, it was very clear he was happy to see us and the wink he gave us assured me ..."I've got this".

Celebrities don't come any better than The Sand Man. He earned that nickname when he'd sit in the middle of the pack for most of a race ... then win it while his competing jockeys were sleeping in the last 70 yards.

Unfortunately, Sandy came "third" that day. That all-knowing wink may have just been a pre-race twitch. I still have my unclaimed betting ticket ... a wonderful memento of one of the world's most famous jockeys and a fabulous reminder of my fun day at the track with Frank.

Incidentally, Frank Jr. didn't inherit his father's ability to evaluate winners ... we didn't cash even one ticket that day.

As mentioned Frank's dad knew how to pick em, in hockey and horse racing. He was inducted into the Horseracing Hall of Fame for good reason. He'd bred BUNTY LAWLESS, Canada's Horse of the Half Century and WONDER WHERE the Canadian Horse of the Year in 1959.

In thoroughbred horseracing vocabulary my friends, Frank Selke Jr. and his "Red" were an entry 1 and 1A.

I miss them.