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Happy Birthday, Steamer

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-DLC- Canucks Hall-of-Famer

-DLC-

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You know what, I'd posted this elsewhere but it deserves its own thread and not to be buried in a discussion about Jim Benning's firing.

image.png

 

 

I've saved this magazine for 35 years (really?).  Because Stan's always been something special (Punch too).

 

 An excerpt:

 

"By the time he was five or six years old he had decided that he wanted to play in the NHL. His reputation as a goal scorer opened the doors for him when he was 14, and he quit school and left home to play for the junior league New Westminster Bruins.

 

Bruins coach Ernie "Punch" McLean worked with Smyl in the important formative years and reshaped Smyl's style of hockey to be more physical and aggressive. When the Bruins competed for the Memorial Cup four times, winning it twice, Smyl was team captain. His leadership abilities, talent and drive made him an above-average player, and Punch McLean believed he was NHL material.

 

McLean acted as a scout for the Detroit Red Wings and told them several times to draft Smyl.  But it was the Canucks who finally picked him up as third-round choice in 1978."

 

Happy birthday to a heart and soul, life long forever Canuck. 

 

 

When I get older losing my hair
Many years from now
Will you still be sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine

 

 

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YEGCanuck Canucks Rookie

YEGCanuck

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33 minutes ago, smithers joe said:

my all time favourite canuck.  wish everyone could have seen him play. i coached ateam that played against his brother harvey's team.

One of my all-time favourites as well. I can still remember a game where Stan and I think Fraser started fighting their opponents at the same time coming to the defense of Thomas Gradin.

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Mackcanuck Canucks First-Line

Mackcanuck

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I was at the Duncan Arena that day for Training camp the day Harry Neale made him Captain.

Told work I was sick and went to the Arena

Ex- Captain Kevin McCarthy was not a happy camper, you could see it!

Was a day I'll never forget, (and at my age that is saying something)

Steamer was a great leader, outstanding Canuck and always one of my favorites!

Edited by Mackcanuck
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-DLC- Canucks Hall-of-Famer

-DLC-

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I also really love hearing stories from those of you who are connected to our team's history in some way or another.  I mean really, we all are if we're fans.  But the interactions you've shared with players and the way we can add to their stories through your own accounts is great.

 

If we could build a team of all Steamers we'd be champions. Hard working, tough, totally dedicated team players.

 

 

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Fanuck Canucks First-Line

Fanuck

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Funny story about Smyl - like others I've been a fan of his since he first joined the Canucks.  In another life I lived in in Toronto during the early 2000's and I would routinely go down to Hamilton to watch the Bulldogs Play - I have a friend who works for the AHL and he actually got me an 'arena' pass (I just showed it to security at any AHL arena and I got full access to most rinks - a couple times it worked at NHL rink also). 

 

So one night I'm in Hamilton specifically to watch them play Manitoba when Smyl was coaching down there.  The Bulldogs were one of the better teams in the league at that time and the Moose were not.  It wasn't a good game, the Bulldogs destroyed the Moose on the ice and Smyl and the team had to make the looooong bus ride back to Manitoba in the middle of the night after a long road trip and bad loss.  I was happy because I got to see Ryan Kesler's first pro-hockey game (I believe he'd left Ohio State that week to turn pro and his first game was in Hamilton).  So the team was boarding the bus in the old Copps Coliseum secured parking area where nobody was supposed to have access to (except me:), and I approached Smyl and said hi.  He turned around and while he was turning I could hear him say "What the F*&k is it now?".   He was clearly pissed and didn't want contact with anyone so I just said sorry to bother you Stan, I hope you have a safe trip back to Winnipeg and I walked away.  He must've either regretted muttering that phrase and/or he spotted that I had a fist-full of hockey cards with me and a sharpie.  I had no intention of bothering him further but he actually called me back and insisted he sign all of the cards that I had brought with me - I had a bunch of his cards from his playing days as well as an original game program from when he was with the Bruins in New West.  Believe it or not I had several CHL hockey cards with me and Stan was kind enough to go on the bus and get those signed by the guys that had already boarded (Baumer, King and Auld were the ones I remember).   He apologized for his reaction and I apologized for bothering him in the 'secure' area of the arena, then the bus left and I drove back to Toronto.  I did see the Moose play in two other AHL arenas that season and I saw Stan both times after the game when I was looking for autographs from some of the players - we said hi each time.  I then saw Smyl in Whistler years after that when he was there for one of the Canucks' rookie orientation camps and I said hi to him in one of the local restaurants - I don't suspect he remembered me, but I told him how I used to watch his team play in the AHL and we had some small-talk. 

 

He's the definition of 'forever-a-Canuck' and I hope it stays that way.

 

Happy Birthday Steamer! 

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rychicken Canucks First-Line

rychicken

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2 hours ago, smithers joe said:

stan wasn't big, but if he couldn't go around you, he would go through you. the ultimate team player.

one of the many things I liked about Smyl (even though I was relatively young at the time) - if you just watched him play, you would have no idea of the score, time of the game, or game # in the season....he played 110% every shift. 

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BarnBurner Canucks Third-Line

BarnBurner

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5 hours ago, smithers joe said:

my all time favourite canuck.  wish everyone could have seen him play. i coached ateam that played against his brother harvey's team.

I watched him with the New Westminster Bruins, along with Barry Beck, coached by Ernie "Punch" McLean. 

 

Happy Birthday Stanley! 

Edited by BarnBurner
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singing chef Abbotsford Star

singing chef

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Was at a game in the early '80s between Canucks and Oilers.  Dave Semenko was running everyone so Smyl took him on;  gave up 7" and 30 lbs. but didn't hesitate to stick up for his team mates.  A real gamer is Stan and one of the MANY reasons he is so well respected in the hockey world.

 

All due respect to Semenko, he took it easy on Smyl and tried to disengage without losing face.  Both players earned kudos from me that evening.

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smithers joe Canucks Franchise Player

smithers joe

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53 minutes ago, BarnBurner said:

I watched him with the New Westminster Bruins, along with Barry Beck, coached by Ernie "Punch" McLean. 

 

Happy Birthday Stanley! 

there was some great games back in the whl in stan's day. punch like his teams to play tough. some great donnie brooks too.

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BarnBurner Canucks Third-Line

BarnBurner

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9 minutes ago, smithers joe said:

there was some great games back in the whl in stan's day. punch like his teams to play tough. some great donnie brooks too.

Unreal. You're right, many times it was war. Even Brad Maxwell could throw 'em down. 

 

Amazing team and Smyl was the heart and soul, as he was with the Canucks. That's why his number is hanging from the rafters.

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Tiger-Hearted Canucks Rookie

Tiger-Hearted

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14 minutes ago, BarnBurner said:

I love Trevor, they are both guys you go to war with, but Stan gets the nod here. 

 

Imagine both in their prime. 

There are things about Trevor that I'm starting to realize in comparison to Stan. Stan is a true blue Canuck through and through.

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BarnBurner Canucks Third-Line

BarnBurner

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1 minute ago, Tiger-Hearted said:

There are things about Trevor that I'm starting to realize in comparison to Stan. Stan is a true blue Canuck through and through.

Trevor is a Canuck true and true. None of us no exactly what exactly played out behind the scenes with Benning and FA. 

 

If you know, please enlighten us. 

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