National Hockey League - Don Cherrys Hockey Greats and More

Scotty Bowman trying to show me up by wearing a tux on the Grapevine show.

S COTTY B OWMAN IS THE WINNINGEST COACH of all time. He has over 1,200 wins in the NHL, hes won nine Stanley Cups as a coach and a total of 14 Stanley Cups as a coach and executive. Hes the only coach to win the Cup with three different teams, and he won the Jack Adams Award for NHL coach of the year twice.

Of course, I was coaching the Bruins and Scotty was coaching the Canadiens when we met in the Stanley Cup final in 1977 and 78. In 1977, we lost to them four games straight. In 78, we lost in six games. We met again in the 79 semifinals, and we were ready this time. Both teams knew whoever won this series was a shoo-in to win the Cup because they would meet the winner of the New York RangersNew York Islanders series. Neither the Bruins nor Montreal had had a problem with either of those teams in the regular season.

Just before the series, one of our defencemen, Mike Milbury, who now does a great job on the NBC telecasts, was asked what he thought about playing Montreal for the third time in a row. Mike said, Well, the first time we played them in the finals, we were maybe a little happy just to be in the finals and gave them too much respect. The next year, we were a little more familiar with them and now we knew this guy is a little bit of a backstabber and this guy a little shy in the corner. Now, this time we cant stand the SOBs.

After our morning skate in the Forum, Mike was on the bench, looking up at all of the Canadiens Stanley Cup banners. One of the Montreal press corps asked Mike if he was in awe of all the historical banners hanging from the rafters. Mike said, No, I was just thinking how chintzy they looked.

That was our mentality during this series.

During that series, Scotty and I were going at it in the newspaper. I remember saying, I cant believe Im getting beaten by a guy who wears brown Wallabees with a blue suit.

Before we taped the Grapevine show with Scotty, I was wearing a really loud suit. Executive producer Ralph Mellanby said maybe I should wear something a little tamer. For the show, I wore a really sharp maroon jacket with a great polka dot tie. When Scotty came out for the show, he was wearing a tux and a bow tie.

DON: Where are your brown Wallabees?

SCOTTY: Well, Im the best-dressed coached now. No, those shoes were from Finlandthey werent those Hush Puppies.

DON: Remember the 1979 semifinals when I put too many men on the ice?

SCOTTY: Oh, yes, I think I remember. That was in the playoffs, wasnt it?

DON: No, seriously, did you see right off the bat there were too many? Truthfully, did you notice it?

SCOTTY: I was so excited I couldnt even count to six myself. One of the players yelled there were seven guys on the ice. So we started yelling at the linesman, and of course, I think it was John DAmico called the penalty. I felt bad about it. But I was hoping wed score, though, and I wanted to tie the game up.

DON: Sure, you felt sorry for, what, five seconds?

Like I said, Scotty and I were at war in the press. The day after the games, Scotty would call the press into his office and show videos of all the penalties (or what he thought were penalties) that the refs didnt call. Then the press came running over to me to tell me what Scotty said. I was saying the refs and NHL wanted a MontrealNew York final for TV ratings.

We went back and forth like that the entire series. The NHL was not too happy, but the press and the fans loved it. Back then, during the playoffs, Hockey Night in Canada broadcast the games and WSBK TV38 in Boston picked up the feed. I started saying that Hockey Night in Canada was biased and was pro-Montreal. I wasnt kidding. When Stan Jonathan and Pierre Bouchard went at it, they didnt show a replay. I knew that Hockey Night in Canada didnt show replays of fights, but I said the reason they didnt show that replay was because it was a Bruin beating up on a Canadien.

The Boston press and fans went nuts protesting Hockey Night in Canadas treatment of the Bruins on their broadcast. A few games later, Mario Tremblay and Bobby Schmautz got into a fight and Mario cut Schmautzy. I left the bench in the middle of the game and ran into the control room where executive producer Ralph Mellanby was and said, You didnt show a replay of the Jonathan fightyou better not show this one.

I think Ralph thought I was crazy.

I also noticed something else that seemed to have Hockey Night in Canada on Montreals side.

DON: In Montreal, you were always looking for an edge. I know for a fact that you went to Hockey Night in Canada when we were playing you and said, Look, when Guy Lafleur is tired and wants a rest, Ill adjust my tie and you go to commercial. Why is it that you want the edge over everybody?

SCOTTY: We had it figured out that every time we got a power play or a penalty situation, we wanted a rest. We didnt tell them when to call for a commercial. We just said, When the other team gets a penalty, wed like to get a rested power play. I guess the guy was a good hockey fan and maybe a Canadiens fan

DON: You and I had a thing going in the papers that series. After the series, John Ziegler (the president of the NHL at the time) sent me a letter and it said, Don, I want to congratulate you, the Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens on a stirring and unforgettable series. So its with deep regret that Im fining you $1,000. Did you get that letter?