For a man vilified by most Isles fans, why is he suddenly on the cusp of a possible head coaching job already in Boston? This series will look at the man, coach, TV personality, and GM.
B.D. Gallof
Author's note: The following is either satire, hockey prognostication or just errant observations...anything factual or actually insightful is unintended
There have been reports that Mike Milbury might land as the new coach of the Boston Bruins. But according to the NY Post, Mike Mibury had actually already been in contact with them since almost 2 weeks ago, just after his leaving his VP position in Charles Wang's sports holdings.
Part 1: 1979
December 23rd, 1979 is an interesting date for many reasons…
Afghanistan: Soviet forces began to occupy Kabul, the Afghan capital…which only two days later would touch off the war in Afghanistan. The U.S. attempts to arm insurgents against the Soviets would be basically arming and training the next generation of terrorists. While, back in our corner...in the world of hockey, the New York Islanders had one of their worst shutout losses (8-0) vs Chicago Black Hawks. Soon to be UFA Scotty Gomez was born this very day in Anchorage, Alaska.
But this day is infamous in hockey for something else…for in NYC, the Boston Bruins came to town, taking a close game from the Rangers. It was Ray Bourque's rookie season. But what makes most hockey fans who recall the old days fondly really recall this game...is what transpired at the buzzer, which includes Bourque’s mentor and on-the-road roommate Mike Milbury.
Milbury went back to the locker room to celebrate a hard fought victory, and suddenly noticed nobody was there with him. Coming back out, he spied the rest of his team, including Terry O’Reilly and Peter McNab climbing over the glass.
Video of the fight
Many accounts have been given to what set it off. Some say someone reached over the glass and took a stick. Another says that they tried to hit O’Reilly with that stick. My best read on it is an interview with Bruin’s player, Al Secord who gave an interview with a Finnish sports outfit. He basically said simply that team captain Terry O’Reilly was hit on the bench by a spectator. O’Reilly along with Stan Jonathan went to the stands. One guy tried to escape…somehow taken back by the angry Bruins coming for him, but McNab caught him from behind. Al Secord himself went to pummel the guy, and Milbury came over and did what I, and others will never forget, beat the man with his own shoe. Subsequent carry-over was quite tame for that day. O’Reilly got a 8 game suspension, Milbury 2 games. A million dollar lawsuit was filed, but later on, folded.
Nobody ever forgot that image, and even when he left the Isles organization two weeks ago, many articles and writers still allude to this still legendary hockey fiasco. He was a tenacious and gritty player for a tenacious and gritty team. He is the man who made Ray Bourque fear turning on his TV addiction: Soap Operas...when rooming together on the road. Perhaps that very fear, beside his hardworking style, helped Ray Bourque become the legend he became?
For Milbury's career, he amassed 1,552 minutes in penalties, second only to O'Reilly's club record 2,095. He worked hard, fought hard and when he retired in 1987, he was immediately tapped to be coach and general manager of the Bruins' farm team in Portland, the Maine Mariners of the AHL. His assignment was to mold the young players into hard workers like him.
It took him only two years to become the Bruins coach and Assistant GM, ironically, replacing his former captain, O'Reilly.
Next: Part 2: Bruins Coach and then ESPN
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