Gilles Gratton - Gratoony the Loony: The Wild, Unpredictable Life of Gilles Gratton

Dennis Maruk From feared NHL sniper to ship captain and bellhop with hockeys greatest stache

Only 20 men in NHL history have scored 60 or more goals in a single season: Gretzky, Lemieux, and Hull all hit the magical mark. And so did an undersized, take-no-prisoners centre named Dennis Maruk. When Maruk found the back of the net 60 times in 198182, he was the toast of Washington he even dined with the president. A few short years later, he was out of the game. Maruk not only left the rink, his life did a complete 180. Instead of flying up the ice and in on goal, he was behind the wheel of a service ship in the Gulf of Mexico. Instead of setting up teammates, he was setting up furniture for Goldie Hawn. He was never sent down to the farm as a rookie, but after the game he was a farmhand for John Oates. And instead of fighting in the corners, Dennis Maruk found himself fighting for his life.

ECW digital titles are available online wherever ebooks are sold. Visit ecwpress.com for more details. To receive special offers, bonus content and a look at whats next at ECW, sign up for our newsletter!

Copyright Gilles Gratton and Greg Oliver, 2017

Published by ECW Press
665 Gerrard Street East
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4M 1Y2
416-694-3348 / info@ecwpress.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any process electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the copyright owners and ECW Press. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the authors rights is appreciated.

To the best of their abilities, the authors has related experiences, places, people, and organizations from their memories of them. In order to protect the privacy of others, they have, in some instances, changed the names of certain people and details of events and places.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Gratton, Gilles, author
Gratoony the loony : the wild, unpredictable life of Gilles Gratton / Gilles Gratton and Greg Oliver.

Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-1-77041-337-5 (softcover)
978-1-77305-067-6 (PDF)
978-1-77305-068-3 (ePub)

1. Gratton, Gilles. 2. Hockey goalkeepersCanadaBiography. 3. Hockey playersCanadaBiography. I. Oliver, Greg, author II. title.

GV848.5.G69A3 2017 796.962092 C2017-902405-1 C2017-902984-3

Editor for the press: Michael Holmes
Cover design: David Gee
Cover Photo: Bruce Jessop
Unless otherwise noted, photos are from the personal collection of Gilles Gratton

The publication of Gratoony the Loony has been generously supported by the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund. Ce livre est financ en partie par le gouvernement du Canada. We also acknowledge the contribution of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

Four of the Gratton kids in March 1958; Im on the right.

A rare shot with almost the whole family, with me, Claudine, Norm and Frank (Jacques not in the photo), and our parents in front.

With my mom and dad.

Here I am singing at a party in H-oshawa. Courtesy Wayne Kewin

General Gratton reporting for duty...

...and in action. Courtesy Wayne Kewin

My brother Norm, playing for the Sabres, tries to go around Carol Vadnais of the Bruins. International Hockey Archives

The Atlanta Flames took Norm in the 1972 NHL expansion draft. International Hockey Archives

With my niece Chantal Puyleart.

Playing goalie is always a bit of a scramble. International Hockey Archives

My dead fish routine would always bring out a trainer. International Hockey Archives

Rick Cunningham keeps Gary Jarrett of the Cleveland Crusaders away from my net. Graphic Artists/Hockey Hall of Fame

Bob Liddington of the Chicago Cougars and I both watch the puck head to the corner. Graphic Artists/Hockey Hall of Fame

Hanging out in our music room with my kids Charlotte and William.

With my wife, Anne.