smithers joe Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 in 1984, i took my hockey team to vancouver to play in a tournament.... one evening, my best friend and his son and my son and i, went to a playoff hockey game between new westminster bruins and portland winter hawks.. the atmosphere was electric and fans boisterous.... one fan tied a long string to a rubber chicken, threw it over a rafter and every time a portland player skated by, they would lower it down in front of them...they would pull it up when someone tried to grab it...finally, the referee grabbed it and threw it in the time keepers bench...there was a lot of ahhh's... the game itself was pretty entertaining too....this one player, in his final year of juniors, was making his opponents look foolish...he could turn on a dime and when he went behind the net for a puck with three players on him, he would emerge with the puck and make exciting plays...oh, how i wanted the canucks to draft him...they didn't... several years later he was traded to the canucks and became a fan favourite. someone made a big sign and within minutes the whole building was chanting, free that chicken, free that chicken... that was the craziest and most entertaining game i ever saw... the players name if you haven't figured it out, was cliff ronning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Blight Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 13 minutes ago, smithers joe said: in 1984, i took my hockey team to vancouver to play in a tournament.... one evening, my best friend and his son and my son and i, went to a playoff hockey game between new westminster bruins and portland winter hawks.. the atmosphere was electric and fans boisterous.... one fan tied a long string to a rubber chicken, threw it over a rafter and every time a portland player skated by, they would lower it down in front of them...they would pull it up when someone tried to grab it...finally, the referee grabbed it and threw it in the time keepers bench...there was a lot of ahhh's... the game itself was pretty entertaining too....this one player, in his final year of juniors, was making his opponents look foolish...he could turn on a dime and when he went behind the net for a puck with three players on him, he would emerge with the puck and make exciting plays...oh, how i wanted the canucks to draft him...they didn't... several years later he was traded to the canucks and became a fan favourite. someone made a big sign and within minutes the whole building was chanting, free that chicken, free that chicken... that was the craziest and most entertaining game i ever saw... the players name if you haven't figured it out, was cliff ronning... I'm assuming the game was at the old Queen's Park Arena...............best place ever to watch Junior Hockey and the Salmonbellies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heretic Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 40 minutes ago, Rick Blight said: I'm assuming the game was at the old Queen's Park Arena...............best place ever to watch Junior Hockey and the Salmonbellies. I even played there once! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithers joe Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 41 minutes ago, Rick Blight said: I'm assuming the game was at the old Queen's Park Arena...............best place ever to watch Junior Hockey and the Salmonbellies. yes,,,,i've watched canuck games there too when they were in the pchl and the whl...lots of donnybrooks....players going into the stands fighting with the fans.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithers joe Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 11 minutes ago, Heretic said: I even played there once! your so old....retirement home soon eh....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithers joe Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 ernie punch mclean had some nasty teams there...my favoutite canuck stan smyl played there..tough mother... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Blight Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 21 minutes ago, smithers joe said: yes,,,,i've watched canuck games there too when they were in the pchl and the whl...lots of donnybrooks....players going into the stands fighting with the fans.. I remember the days of watching the Canucks play there as well as at the old Forum. Loved watching the Portland Buckaroos and Connie Madigan come to town for the best donnybrooks. Loved watching Guyle Fielder and the Seattle Totems for skill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Blight Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 31 minutes ago, smithers joe said: ernie punch mclean had some nasty teams there...my favoutite canuck stan smyl played there..tough mother... He was one of the most focused, determined players I ever saw in Juniors. I believe he was also the only New Westminster Bruin ever drafted by the Vancouver Canucks that actually played in the NHL. Too bad they couldn't have drafted guys like Barry Beck, Glenn Anderson, John Ogrodnick, etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Building Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 I like your stories joe, but I must confess that I like fried chicken over freed chicken. Free chicken could be fried, yet fried chicken is only free among friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyWalton Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 1 hour ago, Rick Blight said: I remember the days of watching the Canucks play there as well as at the old Forum. Loved watching the Portland Buckaroos and Connie Madigan come to town for the best donnybrooks. Loved watching Guyle Fielder and the Seattle Totems for skill. Art Jones was pretty good on Portland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyWalton Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 1 hour ago, smithers joe said: ernie punch mclean had some nasty teams there...my favoutite canuck stan smyl played there..tough mother... Barrie Beck was tough as well along with Berube and Todd Ewen....they used to intimidate the other team . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Blight Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 2 minutes ago, ShakyWalton said: Barrie Beck was a tough as well..one tough team..they used to intimidate the other team . They were a tough team when they played in Weyburn as well prior to relocating to New West. My brother-in-law played for Weyburn and had some great battles against Fran Huck and the Regina Pats....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Blight Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 16 minutes ago, ShakyWalton said: Art Jones was pretty good on Portland Jones was pretty good but I don't think there was a more skilled player at the time than Guyle Fielder. I believe Gretzky, Howe and Fielder are the only 3 players with more than 2000 points in North American professional hockey history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithers joe Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 14 minutes ago, Rick Blight said: Jones was pretty good but I don't think there was a more skilled player at the time than Guyle Fielder. I believe Gretzky, Howe and Fielder are the only 3 players with more than 2000 points in North American professional hockey history. they use to say that fielder was the best player to never play in the nhl..so slick....we sure all hated connie madigan... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyWalton Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 23 minutes ago, Rick Blight said: Jones was pretty good but I don't think there was a more skilled player at the time than Guyle Fielder. I believe Gretzky, Howe and Fielder are the only 3 players with more than 2000 points in North American professional hockey history. Jones was 3rd alltime in the WHL..Fielder was not doubt the class of the league and saw him play a few times at the old forum against the Canucks...he only played a handful of NHL games..I remember hearing that he really didnt want to play in the NHL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Blight Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 Just now, ShakyWalton said: Jones was 3rd alltime in the WHL..Fielder was not doubt the class of the league and saw him play a few times at the old forum against the Canucks...he only played a handful of NHL games..I remember hearing that he really didnt want to play in the NHL. When the Western Hockey League folded they gave the scoring championship trophy to Fielder......he had it most of the time anyway. The story always was that he was happy living in the West and more comfortable without the NHL pressures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithers joe Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 2 minutes ago, ShakyWalton said: Jones was 3rd alltime in the WHL..Fielder was not doubt the class of the league and saw him play a few times at the old forum against the Canucks...he only played a handful of NHL games..I remember hearing that he really didnt want to play in the NHL. i never knew why he never went up to the nhl...was seattle the farm team of any nhl team?...i know the rangers were our parent club... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyWalton Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 1 minute ago, Rick Blight said: When the Western Hockey League folded they gave the scoring championship trophy to Fielder......he had it most of the time anyway. The story always was that he was happy living in the West and more comfortable without the NHL pressures. He wasnt very big..but I remember hearing something along the same lines.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Blight Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 6 minutes ago, smithers joe said: they use to say that fielder was the best player to never play in the nhl..so slick....we sure all hated connie madigan... I can't think of a more hated rival than Connie Madigan............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyWalton Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 2 minutes ago, smithers joe said: i never knew why he never went up to the nhl...was seattle the farm team of any nhl team?...i know the rangers were our parent club... I dont know Joe..I know that Fielder played a few games for Detroit and Boston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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