Hi everyone! Another weekend is upon us, and it is hotter than hell up here in Eastern Ontario. Temps are supposed to be in the low 30s for the next four days – that’s the low 90s Fahrenheit for all my American friends – so it’s going to be one hot Father’s Day weekend. It’s also the first weekend in months where I’m actually going to visit someone at their house. In this case, my Dad and his girlfriend and my brother. I hope all of you fathers out there have yourselves a great Father’s Day too, and those of you who aren’t fathers, don’t forget to give your Dad a call or send him a card.
Like I said before, it’s going to be one hot weekend. Almost enough to make me want to shed all my clothes and have a cold one under a tree. Speaking of wearing not enough clothes, this week’s article comes from the November 19, 1971 Oakland Tribune, and it is all about the dangers of not dressing properly for the right occasion. On this night, the Seals won what can only be described as a barn-burner, but they were worse for wear afterwards. Goaltender Lyle Carter, when he was interviewed for my book, told me about that night and how it had a profound affect on his career. Here is an excerpt from the interview I did with Lyle on July 17, 2011:
“We were leading the game 2-1. I’m going to say we were in the second period, I’m pretty sure, and the rebound went back to [Richard] Martin. He didn’t even stop it; he blasted and they tell me it was 90 miles per hour or more and I was using a belly pad that shouldn’t have been used in peewee hockey that they had come up with for me to use in that game, and you think back and you wonder… why didn’t somebody think of me using Meloche’s belly pad, but anyone who knows goaltender gear, a belly pad in those days was one piece, the arm pads were another, today I believe they’re all the same piece, and this was a very small belly pad, it was not well-padded, whereas mine had reinforcements on it which went practically around to your back on both sides. There was nothing like this on this belly pad, and that’s why I was injured, because it hit — next to maybe a hockey sweater and an undershirt or something underneath — it hit no equipment. I hit me just in the bare skin you might say. It cut me for about a five-inch gash. It tore the rib cartilage, and actually knocked me out. I never knew what happened until I looked up and the players were all around me. I was laying on my back on the ice, and they took me off on a stretcher and so on. That was the injury and it pretty much ruined my debut in the National Hockey League and ruined my season.”
Being short a piece of equipment is something this week’s newest Hall of Shame inductee need not worry about. In fact, he wears his equipment places where it isn’t even necessary. This week’s newest induction to the Overexposed wing is another classic card from the awful 1992-93 Topps Stadium Club set. This time around we’re featuring former St. Louis Blue Craig Janney and his shoulder pads! Like so many other cards in the Topps set, it is stunningly awful, and you can read all about it and a few other mistakes from that same set right here.
Before you take off to enjoy that wonderful summer weather, don’t forget to cast your votes for the 2020 Seals Hall of Fame. The voting closes June 30th, so if you haven’t gotten around to voting, you’d better do it soon!
Until next time, stay gold!