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Marshy's Memories: My Life as a Well-Traveled Hockey Veteran |
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As I I got to thinking about what I’d write about this week, it occurred to me that I kind of jumped into things without properly introducing myself to hockey fans who may not remember me or are too young to have seen me play.
When I’m talking at the various speaking engagements I do, one thing is becoming increasingly clear. I played a heck of a long time ago!
It’s certainly nice to hear people tell me that they remember watching me play but as the years tick by, the League changes, more players come and go and my story moves further and further into the back in the history books.
So here we go…
My NHL career spanned parts of three decades: 15 years beginning in 1978 until 1993. I played a total of 1,086 games, which is not bad for a guy who could not skate, shoot or stickhandle! I scored 23 goals and added 175 assists for a grand total of 198 points.
As a matter of fact, I hold a special distinction: Among all NHL players who played in over 1,000 games, I am the one who scored the fewest goals. While some people may have a chuckle at that, I take pride in it. Even though I wasn’t going to be the goal scorer or highlight reel guy, I found a way to contribute to the teams I played on and give the GM and coaches a reason to keep me around.
Now let's take a little trip together across North America.
PRE-DRAFT
For a kid who grew up in Canada playing hockey on an outdoor rink, being drafted by an NHL team was the ultimate dream. I was fortunate enough to realize that dream when I was selected in the first round as the 11th overall pick by the Atlanta Flames in the 1978 Amateur Draft (as it was called back then before it became the Entry Draft and, now simply the NHL Draft).
As excited as I was, I must admit I was a little disappointed. Yes I was happy to be drafted, yes I was happy to be on my way to the NHL, but to Atlanta? There wasn’t even any snow there! I even had to ask a fellow draft hopeful what the name of the Atlanta team was.
The Draft was not the big production that it is now. Not even close! There were no TV cameras fixed on you, no walk up to the stage, no jersey with your name on it, and no interviews. Once I learned I'd been picked, I went out to celebrate with my parents and that was a lot of fun as you could imagine.
I signed my first pro contract that evening. Are you ready for this? As a 1st round pick, 11th overall, I received $55,000 in my contract. Back then, I thought I had it made!
ATLANTA FLAMES, 1978-1980
My first year was great. Atlanta had absolutely incredible fans. They may not have known much about the finer points of hockey but they were a rowdy bunch at the games and behind us 100 percent.
In hindsight, my initial disappointment about going to the Flames should have been excitement. Atlanta was in need of a big defenseman so I had the opportunity to jump right onto the NHL roster. Had I been drafted by another team with more depth on the blue line, I may not have been able to crack the lineup.
I was named team rookie of the year and the Flames best defenseman. As a team, we were actually rather strong but under achieved in the playoffs. We lost to Toronto in 1979 and the New York Rangers in 1980.
CALGARY FLAMES, 1980-1982
The Flames franchise was sold to ownership in Calgary after the 1980 season, and as difficult as a move is, it sure was nice to be back in hockey country. We were the toast of the town and I was named captain of the newly relocated franchise.
Our first season was a huge success we went 25-5-10 at home during the regular season and every single game was sold out. That year we made it to the semi-finals.
My personal highlight from that playoff run was beating the Philadelphia Flyers in a seven- game series. I was on top of my game and little did I know that my play would lead to me being traded there the following year.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS 1982-1988
One never knows what to expect when you are traded…. I have often said that the trade to Philly was quite an eye opener for me, in fact it was the first time that I truly understood what it takes to be a professional athlete.
The atmosphere in Philadelphia was incredible. The moment you walked in the door you knew there was something different - it was all about winning.
I was a little wary when I got there that I’d have to wear those awful Cooper-Alls but other than our ugly long pants, our team looked good. I was lucky to be there at the time I was. It was the start of the happiest years of my career. We were a tightly-knit team that expected to win on the ice and shared great rapport bordering on brotherhood.
Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber were still around as players when I first arrived in Philly but, at the same time, we had a lot of young players just coming into the league.
When we won the President’s Trophy in the 1984-1985 season we had seven players under 21 (that was a lot at that time!). With such a young team I was looked at as somewhat of a veteran even though I was still quite young myself. I made a lot of great friends in my years in Philly and did a lot of learning and growing up there, both on the ice and off the ice.
I experienced so much in Philadelphia. Times of joy. Times of sorrow, especially after we lost our Vezina Trophy winning goalie Pelle Lindbergh (I'll talk more about Pelle next Monday, which is the anniversary of his death). Times of rallying around one another. Times of physical pain and emotional exhaustion. Times of being supported by some of the most devoted fans in the sports world. Once a Flyer, always a Flyer: We were, and still are, a family.
In hockey, happiness and winning go hand in hand. We won a lot in my time in Philadelphia. Unfortunately we never got to hoist the Stanley Cup. We came close when we reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1985 but lost to Edmonton in five games. We returned to the Finals again in 1987 and again, we lost to those same Oilers, this time in seven extremely hard-fought games.
To this day, I hate the sight of the Oilers' crest. To this day, I can't watch the end of a Stanley Cup Final when the winning team celebrates. That was the one thing I wanted more than anything else in the NHL and the one I never got.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 1988-1990
I suffered a concussion during the 1987-88 season, and my subsequent play was not really up to my satisfaction or the team's. After the 1988 season, I was put on waivers by the Flyers. Emotionally, it was quite difficult leaving Philadelphia, but I was excited for my next opportunity.
Thhat opportunity came from my favourite team growing up, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Even though the franchise at the time more closely resembled a three-ring circus than an NHL team, it was very special to put on the Maple Leaf sweater for the first time. During my almost three seasons there, I had coaches and there were more than a few eccentricities within the organization.
When I arrived in Toronto, I realized we were the only team in the league without exercise equipment -- none!
When pressed on why the team didn’t have the things we needed to train, owner Harold Ballard said, “What do you guys need a gym for? You’re in last place!”
While it wasn’t exactly the experience I dreamed as a child that playing for the Leafs would be like, it’s undeniable that playing for such a storied franchise is something special to look back upon and know I'm among their alumni.
DETROIT RED WINGS 1990-1992
When the opportunity came to leave Toronto, I was pretty excited for another fresh start. I was especially glad to have the chance to get back to a winning atmosphere. Detroit in the beginning of the 90’s was a pretty exciting place to be.
The Red Wings were in transition after a lot of tough years and the young talent that would lead the team to back-to-back Stanley Cups later in the 90’s were all just starting.
Steve Yzerman was putting up career highs in goals. Sergei Fedorov was exciting to watch. Nicklas Lidstrom was a rookie starting his Hall of Fame career and my own defense partner with the Wings was Vladamir Konstantinov. Forward Keith Primeau was a promising young talent taken early in the first round of the 1990 Draft. Playing in Detroit really was a lot of fun with all those young guys starting up.
While all the young players were beginning their careers, I celebrated an important milestone in my own career. I played in my 1,000th NHL hockey game and at the time I was the 16th defenseman in NHL history to do so.
The team threw an on-ice ceremony and I’m pretty sure I’ve still got a few “Swampy’s 1,000th Game” tee shirts in my closet. The team and my teammates made the entire experience one I won’t forget.
OTTAWA SENATORS 1993
My last year in the NHL was a very odd one. We had a terrible team but for me, I could not have written a better final chapter to my NHL career.
Coming to a city as part of an expansion team was a lot like how it was when the Flames moved to Calgary. The entire city was excited for NHL hockey. Some fans out in Renfrew even started a Brad Marsh Fan club!
Unfortunately, all the excitement didn’t translate to wins and we had one of the worst seasons in NHL history. It took us 38 games to win one on the road and that was the only win away from Ottawa that we had all year!
That year, I was selected to attend the All Star Game in Montreal. As much as I had played with and against all those guys throughout my career, it was pretty fantastic playing with such talented players. To cap it all off I scored a goal!
I heard through the grapevine that Wayne Gretzky who was playing for the opposing Campbell Conference team (who ended up losing 16-6) said something along the lines of “If Marsh scores again, I’m out of here!”
Getting the nod as the Commissioner’s Selection for the All Star game was an honour, and the perfect way to cap off my active career. Back in 1985, my Flyers teammate Mark Howe had to withdraw from the NHL All-Star Game in Calgary game due to injury. I was named to the Wales Conference team in Howie's place. Unfortunately, my connecting flight from Toronto was cancelled due to heavy snow, and I was unable to make it to Calgary in time.
So, yes, getting to play in an All-Star game years later was pretty cool. I'm glad I go to do it.
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WEEKLY CHUCKLE
I like to keep up to date with what is happening with my former teams, and right now in Philadelphia, Hal Gill’s return to the lineup has caught my eye. You don’t have to look far for criticism of his skating ability or his lack of offensive production but I’ll tell you what I think about that: Who cares? The thing about players like Hal Gill is that they get the job done.
Hal has played in over 1,100 NHL games and in my opinion was one of the main reasons the Penguins won the cup in 2009. Yes they had Crosby and company but it was Hal who stood tall game in and game out.
Call me biased towards a player that I can relate to but I predict that the Flyers go on a little bit of a winning streak anchored by big old slow Hal.
I chuckled at those criticisms because I had those same headlines written about me some 30 years ago. I used to joke that yes it took me a little longer to get from A to B but when I got there I knew what to do - far too many players do not. Hal reminds me a lot of myself when I watch him.
I’m not sure who is faster but as of right now I’ve got more career NHL points than Gill!
Oh and if current Philadelphia defenseman Nick Grossmann -- another player in the same mold as Hal and myself -- someday makes it to the 1,000 game mark, Hal and I both might still have him beat in that career scoring points column that is so very vital to judging the worth of a defensive defenseman.
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