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10 Notable Characters (listed alphabetically)
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Harold Ballard - (Toronto Maple Leafs owner) |
- In protest to the new NHL rule of putting players' names on the backs of their game jerseys, Ballard had players' names stitched on the jerseys - but in the same colour as the jersey itself, making the names unrecognizable (fined $10,000 by NHL President John Ziegler)
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Fired coach Roger Neilson and reinstated him two nights later
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Don "Grapes" Cherry - (NHL coach) |
- Once signed autographs during a timeout he called in a game
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Regularly brought his bull terrier into dressing room, frightening players
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Bill "Cowboy" Flett - (NHL forward) |
- Fashioned a thick beard and sideburns on the ice
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Wore cowboy boots and a feather in his Stetson off the ice
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Dave "The Sign Guy" Leonardi - (Philadelphia Flyers season-ticket holder) |
- Would stand up hoisting a large sign (24" x 30") after key moments of play
- Lugged 100-plus signs in a filing box to each game
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Mike Palmateer - (NHL goaltender) |
- Flamboyant style of play (loved wandering out of his crease and exaggerating glove-hand saves)
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Ate popcorn before every game
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Peter Puck - (Cartoon figure) |
- Introduced as an intermission feature on NBC to explain hockey rules and fundamentals
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Supporting cast included Sneaky Snodgrass, Tommy Toothless and Buster Bonehead
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Derek "Turk" Sanderson |
- The decade's Mr. Nightlife
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Boston radio station held a "date Derek Sanderson" contest and got over 13,000 entries (contest winner was a 76-year-old grandmother)
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Eddie "The Entertainer" Shack - (NHL forward) |
- Instigated fights and then raced around ice in retreat
- Named most colourful character of the century
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Gary "Suitcase" Smith - (NHL goaltender) |
- Religiously took off entire equipment between periods
- Played for seven NHL organizations in 1970s and lost a record 48 games in 1970-71 yet remained unflappable - met press after trade to Vancouver with "Everything you've heard about me is true. I'm a fantastic goaltender"
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Dave "Tiger" Williams - (all-time NHL penalty leader) |
- Renowned for goal celebration (rode his stick à la toy pony number)
- Involved in two on-ice incidents that went to court
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