Go On, Episode 7

 

Retired hockey players Jean Francois "J.F." Jomphe of the Anaheim Ducks and Richard Anthony Costello of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers were outside the Laguna Beach Jack In the Box restaurant where a scuffle broke out early last Friday, Dec. 21.

Before 1 a.m., 39-year-old Aliso Viejo resident Jomphe and his pal of Dana Point, Costello, who is 10 years older, were riding in a cab that cut off a VW Jetta in the drive-through line. One of the young adults in the Jetta yelled out something that he punctuated with a certain finger.
                J.F. Jomphe                                 Rich Costello

That's when former center Jomphe is alleged to have done the equivalent of bouncing off the bench, jumping over the wall and starting a scrum. Laguna Beach Police say he went after the hand gesturer, smashing the Jetta's back window in the process. A shard is said to have injured a 20-year-old in the back seat. Costello, also a retired center, went to restrain Jomphe, but when a 44-year-old man police described as "good Samaritan" tried to explain the Jetta occupants were just kids and get the ex-hockey players back into their cab, Costello is accused of taking a swing at the guy and trying to kick him. He missed.
Police arrived in time to arrest Jomphe and Costello on suspicion of assault, book them into jail and kick them loose on their own recognizance pending a looming court date.
Jomphe played mostly for Anaheim during his four NHL seasons, which also included stops in Phoenix and Montreal. He spent many more seasons in the lower leagues and also played in Europe and with the Canadian National team. He was once married to the heiress of the Smith food store chain.
Costello was drafted by the Flyers in a cup-of-coffee-eh career that had him playing in 12 games from 1984 to 1986 with the Leafs. He was included in the Darryl Sittler trade.

These sort of things happen all the time. But when you have even a bit of celebrity status, it makes the news.  I guess these are the train wrecks we all go looking for. With New Year’s eve coming up, I wonder what I can find for my next episode of Go On.

You want the truth

 

 

 

 

NHL Head games

 

1971/72 Colgate Heads

 

 

 

Referred to as either “heads” or “busts”, each are approximately 1 1/4" in height with a base of 7/8" , with the player ‘s last name printed on the back of the base. These were made of a cream coloured or beige plastic.Of note, an error variation was present in the set, with the Norm Ullman head/bust being released with a proper (Ullman) and incorrect spelling (Ullmann) on it. The promotion was carried out over five months during the winter of 1972, with the heads/busts being issued in series of four in differing sizes of Colgate toothpaste.

 

Checklist in alphabetical order

 

1. Yvan Cournoyer

2. Marcel Dionne (error - the head is really Stan Mikita)

3. Ken Dryden

4. Paul Henderson

5. Guy Lafleur

6. Frank Mahovlich

7. Richard Martin (short-printed)

8. Bobby Orr

9. Brad Park (short-printed)

10. Jacques Plante

11. Jean Ratelle

12. Derek Sanderson

13. Dale Tallon

14. Walt Tkaczuk

15.Norm Ullman

15 Norm Ullmann

16. Garry Unger 

 

So I have  the error Ullmann and not the Ullman. I picked these up at a show in the 80’s for 25 cents a piece. It was not even from a vendor. There was this guy walking around who had bags full of the different heads. Since I liked oddball stuff, I picked up one set.  I guess I should have bought more. I did pick up an extra Orr somewhere but that’s it.

 

Without hockey now, I can show off some of my non card items for my (and I hope, your) viewing pleasure.

12/12/12

My favourite number 12

 

My favourite number 12 will always be Ron Stewart.

 

When I first started getting interested in hockey, he was # 12 for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

Ron Stewart played his first two seasons of junior hockey with the Toronto Marlboros, until being traded to three different teams in his last year of OHA play. The Marlies sent Stewart to Windsor where he played only two games, then moved on to Barrie. He was picked up by Guelph for the playoffs, and what a playoff it would be! Stewart was exceptional in the post-season as the Biltmores took the Memorial Cup in 1952.

The next season saw Stewart make his NHL debut with the Leafs where he would play for thirteen straight seasons. Stewart joined the team while they were in the process of rebuilding but would see better days down the road. The Leafs and Stewart would be a part of three straight Stanley Cup championships from 1961-62 to 1963-64. During his time in Toronto, Stewart played in four All-Star Games, '55, '62, '63 and '64.

Stewart finally left the Leafs when he was traded to the Bruins in 1965, where he spent two seasons. From Boston, he was claimed by the Blues in the Expansion Draft of 1967 but was traded to the Rangers during the season. After three years in New York, Stewart was dealt to Vancouver, only to be sent back to the Rangers for their run for the Cup in 1972. New York took on Boston in the Cup finals but was downed by the combination of Orr and Esposito.

After being dealt one last time, to the Islanders in the 1972-73 season, he retired from the game as a player. Stewart stepped behind the bench to coach minor league teams and made it back to the NHL for the 1975-76 season as the coach of the Rangers and then with the L.A. Kings for 1977-78. Back in his hometown of Calgary, Stewart became the manager of a couple of local junior teams and several business endeavours. Died of cancer in 2012.

 

 

Hockey Day in Canada, National Hockey Card Day 2013 Canadian Edition

Saturday Feb 9th

 

 

Since the year 2000, the CBC has aired an annual special Hockey Day in Canada broadcast to celebrate the game in Canada. The broadcast includes hockey-related features all afternoon, leading up to  NHL action featuring the seven Canadian teams . This year we had the Oilers vs Wings, Jets vs Senators, Leafs vs Canadiens and Canucks vs Flames. Upper Deck has helped celebrate by having NHCD. You can see pictures of the cards and see the checklist on other blogs and on the UD site. This year I had to find a new LCS as the last one closed in t he last year. First of, my pal Sal at PunkJunk bought a case of OPC hockey.

http://puckjunk.com/2012/11/08/i-bought-a-case-of-opc/

There was a Canada only redemption program where 50 wrappers got you a 6 pack of cards , 5 special red-bordered version of the entire 600-card set and one unique card from a 50-card All-Star set .  I brought these in two weeks before NHCD and they were ready to be picked up on Feb 9th. Killing two birds with one stone. My new store is CloutsnChara

http://www.cloutsnchara.com/

I brought my wife with me some I could get another pack. When I arrived, they handed out a 2011/12 UD series 1 tin with one pack of 2013 NHCD and one pack of 2010 NHCD. Inside was also a raffle ticket for a signed mini helmet by rookies from the NHLPA Rookie Showcase (didn’t win) ;(  After buying a few singles, I’m still two cards short of a set but I should be able to get them somewhere. Now a few days before this, I joined Upper Deck’s National Hockey Card Day Facebook page. There was a contest  where you could show pictures of you and your NHCD cards for the opportunity to score FREE Team Canada autograph cards

 

We know that our fans love free trading cards, but they love FREE AUTOGRAPH trading cards even more! Upper Deck has put together a small allotment of autographed Team Canada cards from players like Casey Cizikas, Marcus Foligno, Jonathan Bernier, Jamie Benn, Adam Henrique, Tyson Barrie, Cody Eakin, Ryan Ellis, Brayden Schenn & Sean Couturier to use with Canadian fans on National Hockey Card Day .

 

I did get notification that I was one of the lucky recipients of an autographed card.

 

 

Plus I got my wife to pick up some packs for me and I got a 12/13 UD Tomas Holmstrom jersey card and a UD 11/12 SP Authentic Future Watch Rookie autograph of Sean Couturier. Better let her pick any future packs. I’m trying to decide which one I hope to receive. I’m leaning toward Henrique as he is a local boy.

 

And in the US of A, hope your National Hockey Card day is a great one.

Dec 6 NHL game result

Buffalo vs Hartford 1988

 

(HF5)  Hartford, Conn., Dec. 6--I'll Get It--Ron Francis (10 of the Hartford Whalers skates in to get the puck as Kevin Dineen (11 in white)  of Hartford and Doug Bodger of the Buffalo Sabres collide in the first period of the Whalers-Sabres National Hockey League game in Hartford Tuesday. (AP Laserphoto)c (rc32105stf/bobchild) 1988

Hartford  9   

 

Buffalo   0

 

 

Box score here

http://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/198812060HAR.html#BUF_skaters::none

 

 

Both Dineen and Francis had three point nights while Bodger was a -1.

 

 

There was also some old time hockey.

 

 

I guess I'll just look at my wire photo collection and relive the 88/89 season. If this season doesn't get started soon, I'll have to post more of these.

 

Enjoy.

Go On Episode 6

 

 

 

 

So, we don't have real hockey and we're reduced to this??

 

 

 

Actor Mark Wahlberg poses for a photo as he promotes the movie "Broken City", in Toronto on Tuesday December 4, 2012 .

 

 

Mark Wahlberg challenges his buddy Tie Domi to ‘friendly’ boxing match

 

 

Oscar-nominated actor Mark Wahlberg caught up with his buddy Tie Domi in Toronto on Tuesday and tempted the retired NHL enforcer with a friendly bout in the boxing ring.

“Hey, Tie Domi, I’m officially challenging you,” Wahlberg, who co-produced and starred in the 2010 Oscar-nominated boxing flick The Fighter, told Domi when the tough-guy hockey player called him on his cellphone during an interview.

 

“Because there’s no hockey, I’m officially challenging you to a fight at the Air Canada Centre. Are you in or not? ... Don’t duck me.”

Wahlberg, who was in Toronto to talk about his upcoming film Broken City and do a youth charity event, then gave Domi the number of the downtown hotel room he was in with his entourage.

“We’re gonna have to open the double doors so your head can fit through,” quipped Wahlberg, 41, in his native Boston accent.

Hanging up, he then said: “He’s been ducking me, so make sure you put it out in the newspapers.”

Domi did indeed show up to the hotel room, giving Wahlberg a hug before exchanging mock fisticuffs. He told reporters the feisty Hollywood star often poses such challenges to him.

Wahlberg said the two have been friends since he was 18, when he met Domi on his first visit to Toronto to perform a concert with his rap group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.

“He’s fun because obviously he’s a big hockey fighter but boxing and hockey is pretty different. You can’t hold somebody’s shirt and punch with the other hand, and there’s no body protection, no equipment in boxing,” said Wahlberg, a 2007 best supporting actor Oscar nominee for The Departed.

“I don’t want to fight him on skates, I want to fight him in the ring. But I pose the challenge right now.”

Wahlberg, whose mother is French Canadian and Irish, could skate if he had to, though.

“I hadn’t skated for, like, 15 years and then I was doing Four Brothers and I had to skate again, so I started skating all the time and then we shot it up here, which was fun, so we’d go to a lot of the rinks,” he said.

“It was funny because there was a hockey strike then. What’s going on?”

Broken City, which stars Wahlberg as a fallen cop who runs into trouble when he helps out the city’s mayor (Russell Crowe), opens across Canada on Jan. 18.

 

 

 

vs

 

Bring back the 80's, boys.

DALE IP autograph

Now, don't get too excited. I'm not talking Hawerchuk, Hunter or even Smedsmo.

 

 

 

 

Each year on December 3rd, the United Nations recognizes International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This year’s theme is “Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.”

Over one billion people live with some form of disability and often face barriers to full participation in society. Barriers can take many forms, including physical, or those resulting from legislation or policy, or from societal attitudes or discrimination. The result is that persons with disabilities do not have equal access to society or services

Today at my workplace we had an event called DALE. (Disability Awareness Learning Expo). There were booths with information on guide dogs and several disabilities. (blindness, hearing ,mental health). The guest speaker was Tyler Miller, a member of Canada's gold medal winning wheelchair basketball team at the 2012 Paralympics. He told of his journey from being an able bodied kid who loved sports to where he is today. His message was one we've heard before. Focus on what you can do, not what you can't. Hearing it from him seems a lot different than reading or hearing it. Afterwards, he was at a booth wearing his gold medal and signing autographs.

He had a stack of these Super Athlete postcards with the Canadian Paralympic Committee logo to sign.

 

Also a postcard of the Canadian Paralympic team and roster on the back.

 

 

I had heard on Friday that Tyler was going to be the guest speaker. I made a couple of CIC's for him to sign. He was quite surprised to see these. Very informative day and autographs from not a mainstream sport.

Listening to what he went through makes me glad I didn't have to go through it. I don't know how I would react. I don't think anyone would. Something to think about.