Yeah, when he was in the press box, he would come down and talk to the older guys whom my father trusted me to to go to the games. (My father never went to a game, he was too busy fixing wreck cars at night to turn over,after pumping gas all day.)
One time Murray had this very loud sweater on and said he paid $30 in Canada for it, and Frankie Schiola (one of guys) said he bought the same sweater at K-mart for $3 dollars. (i learned the game as a kid from Frank, his brother Rocco, Don Damagoni, and the Swede...they were going to the games since the 40's...they were never quiet in their seats and they pointed stuff out thought we where and what to look at)
On to Phil: The version I heard from a certain person whose tonque loosened after several wines, was that Phil Bobby and Chico and others were inone of their hotel rooms, and Reay did a bed check hearing several loud voices partying started hammering knocks on the door to open it and Phil told him to go (frank) himself and they never opened the door.
Reay went to GM Ivan and said he wanted Phil gone, none of the others...
The thing ws WITH EXPANSION TO 12 teams from 6 the team thought that they would be exposing their surplus at forward w/o a return, and that Denis Dejordy who they thought would be the heir apparant to Glenn Hall actually was great minor league goalie, but sucked as in the 6 team league....so....knowing that Boston had a surplus of goalies (Favell Parent and Jack Norris...I don't think Cheevers was on the table as he and Eddie Johnston were their tandem...because Johnston was older and never a horse type and needed resting... ), the HAWKS expanded Espo to C Stanfield & RW Hodge to get d-man Gilles Marotte (who was like 22 and short but solid skater/hitter and expendable because Orr was coming or had already arrived the year before) AND the 5 ' 8" Pit Martin who was really quick and shifty compared to Phil who wasn't.
Clearly GM IVAN and his scouts were unable to get the best of the three tenders and the other two became attractive selections in the expansion draft...
And even though some of you would think I am talking out of my assm the players lost theri respect for Reay and never felt he was a good coach and actually blamed him for playoff loses because he shook up conventional lines with ones that didn't click...the players may not admit this a convention now out of respect for the past Reay, but they loved Rudy b/c the "St Cath's kids" got preferental treatment as long time players with Rudy...
- wiz1901
I never had heard Cheevers was on the table either until Hawk historian Harvey Wittenberg relayed that version.
Either way it wouldn't have been a good deal for the Hawks.
Billy Reay is one of the most overrarted coaches of all time....And from what I heard the players felt the same.
Pilous was the guy but he was strict and knew them from when they were young kids....Supposedly that was a reason they fired him....Another Ivan mistake....That group likd to have a really good time, more discipline wasn't a bad thing.
Look at the team Reay had, and to come away with 0 cups...Even after Espo was gone....Not good.
