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Although I was not able to be in Johnstown, PA for the Hockeyville events surrounding the preseason game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning, I was there in spirit. As the Maxine Nightingale song from the "Slap Shot" soundtrack goes, the nostalgic tone of the night took those of us who were part of the NAHL scene at the time "right back where we started from."
In past HockeyBuzz blogs, I have talked about how my bit part in "Slap Shot" came about. I've also talked about what life was like as a member of the Binghamton/ Broome Dusters in my rookie season in my Christmas on the Bus blog. I won't rehash those stories today except to say that "Slap Shot" was pretty damn close to what the NAHL (called the Federal League in the movie) was actually like. I had over 40 fights my first season alone -- and that was in 46 games!
One of the nicest touches around this week's Hockeyville event in Johnstown was the Hanson Brothers (Steve Carlson, Jeff Carlson and Dave Hanson) meeting up with Galen Head, who was decked out in his Johnstown Jets sweater with the captain's C. The Jets, of course, were the inspiration for the Charlestown Chiefs.
Galen is a beloved figure in Johnstown to this very day, but since he barely played in the National Hockey League -- a one-game appearance for the Detroit Red Wings -- only hockey diehards recognize his name. He was an outstanding offensive player for both the Edmonton Oil Kings and Johnstown, scoring 50-plus goals and 100-plus points multiple times.
Just like the Charlestown Chiefs' Reggie Dunlop, Galen Head was the Jets' player-coach during the mid-1970s. As with myself and numerous other NAHL players, he was cast in an uncredited bit part for Slap Shot.
Shortly after the game in Johnstown, Galen's son, G. Jason Head proudly posted a photo on Facebook of his dad with Jeff and Dave. To me, it was just nice to see one of our old NAHL brethren get a bit of recognition from today's NHL fans. Good job, guys!
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Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born citizen to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the first American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.
The longtime referee heads Officiating by Stewart, a consulting, training and evaluation service for officials. Stewart also maintains a busy schedule as a public speaker, fund raiser and master-of-ceremonies for a host of private, corporate and public events. As a non-hockey venture, he is the owner of Lest We Forget.