Marek on hockey: Friday mailbag

Every Friday here on The Sheet I’ll be responding to comments readers place on the blog and send through emails (jeff.marek@sportsnet.rogers.com). So if there’s anything you’ve ever wondered about, maybe an incident, a player, a bit of news about your favourite team, send ’em in.

First up, ‘toofarnorth4golf’ asked yesterday on the blog asked about Derek Sanderson and the infamous ‘dressing room beating’ he took in 1965:

‘MAREK, homework question if you know the story – I’ve heard references to a Derek Sanderson junior fight that took place in a dressing room?? Would like to know what happened.’

I do know the story and in my estimation, it was not only the worst sucker punch in the history of the game but also one of hockey’s most violent moments. I watched it again this morning after reading your question last night just to make sure I had the facts straight.

It was the Memorial Cup 1965 in Edmonton, game three between the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Niagara Falls Flyers (Derek Sanderson’s squad). The visiting team took the first two games by scores of 3-2 and 5-1 in a very rough first couple of games to open the tournament.

Matter of fact, in the second game, Flyer Rick Ley claimed he was speared and said afterwards “I won’t tell you who it was but I got his number and you’ll find out who it was when he gets carried off before the end of the 1965 series”.

That comment foreshadowed everything that would unfold in Game 3. And it was a mess.

Technically the Oil Kings won the game 5-1 but that wasn’t the big story. The brawl was. Or should I say brawls.

In the first period, Sanderson and goalie Doug Favell fought Brian Bennett, which prompted fans near the boards to start grabbing sticks from players on the ice. Then, Bill Goldsworthy of the Flyers hurled Ross Perkins into the boards, which was in turn greeted by both a spear and then a beating at the hands of Oil King defenseman Bob Falkenberg. At the end of the first period, the Flyers had to be protected by police as they exited the rink to head to their dressing room.

Police reinforcements were called in for the second period and their presence around the rink, behind the benches and in the hallways, seemed to quell things.

The only disturbance was from the Flyers net where Bernie Parent, who had replaced Favell after the first period, was pelted with the occasional egg from the Edmonton fans. Also, Goldsworthy was hammered by a hit from Al Hamilton, which put him out of the game. But other than those incidents, the second period was quiet. The third period, however, brought the carnage.

The stick swinging began early as Rick Ley went at it with Ron Anderson, presumably the player who speared him in Game 2. After trying to knock each others blocks off with their twigs, they both got sent off and then the fights began.

Al Hamilton kicked it off by fighting Rosaire Paiement by the Oil Kings bench. Garnet ‘Ace” Bailey (who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre – he was on United Flight 175) challenged, and then took on the Flyers’ John Arbour and that seemed to touch off a number of fights all over the ice as players started jumping over the boards.

And that’s when the incident happened.

Sanderson and Falkenberg were standing next to each other by the Flyers blue line as officials tried desperately to break up the fights. Falkenberg was holding his stick around his waist with both hands watching one of the fights when out of nowhere Sanderson dropped him with the most vicious punch I’ve ever seen thrown. Falkenberg was KO’d immediately and landed on the ice still clutching him stick. Sanderson jumped on Falkenberg and continued to beat him even though he was unconscious. Falkenberg had to be carried off on a stretcher.

Guy Allen jumped and pummeled a member of the Oil Kings at which point the police were summoned and referee Jim McAuley stopped the game with 3:30 remaining in the third.

And remember who we talked a couple of weeks back here on The Sheet about playing the national anthem during brawls to get players to stop fighting? Yup, as the cops hit the ice, “God Save the Queen” rang through the arena.

And to finish the story (and finally get around to answering your question), when Sanderson was taken off the ice he was grabbed by various members of the Oil Kings alumni, was ushered into a room where he was beaten into unconsciousness and thrown out into the hallway. He suffered numerous facial abrasions and a concussion. One of the members of that gang of Oil Kings alumni is now the GM of the New York Rangers, Glen Sather.

I should point out, however, that later in life, Sanderson and Sather became quite close friends. No word if he ever made amends with Falkenberg but I’m trying to get in touch with him to find out. The two did play against one another years later when Sanderson was a Bruin and Falkenberg a Red Wing but the game passed without incident.

Thanks for the question, it’s quite a story.

And I don’t know what it was about Derek Sanderson yesterday but my buddy on Twitter, Mike Matthews (@MikeMatthews9), sent along this 1974 scrap between Sanderson and Bob Plager of the St Louis Blues. Stick with the video right to the end and you’ll see what the fight was all about, namely a sucker punch and lots of hair pulling. Was this the era when players had respect for one another? I guess I’m still searching.

Today in Hockey History

1949: Ron Stackhouse born in Haliburton, Ontario. Ok, you all know the story of the late Roger Neilson coaching the Peterborough Pete’s of the OHA and when his team would have a penalty shot called against them he’d pull the goalie and put a defenseman in net who would charge out and take the puck off the shooter, right? But do you know who the defenseman was? Yup, the former Oakland Seal/Detroit Red Wing and Pittsburgh Penguin was that player. In fact, he went a perfect six-for-six in penalty shot saves before the rule was changed and goalies had to remain in their net for the penalty shot.

1961: The Hockey Hall of Fame officially opened its doors in Toronto, Ontario. Man, I spent so much time at the original Hall. It was located on the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition and when our family took in the CNE each year my parents would drop me off at the Hall and leave me there all day. I’d watch all the videos, read every plaque, as well as memorize all the stats and stories. Oh, did I mention I was 8 years old? That’s probably why you never saw my folks on the cover of Modern Parent magazine. But I wasn’t complaining. Anyway, Syl Apps, Charlie Conacher, Hap Day, George Hainsworth, Joe Hall, Percy LeSueur, Maurice Richard, Milt Schmidt and Oliver Seibert were inducted on that day.

1987: Flyers trade Brad McCrimmon to Calgary (where he was paired with Gary Suter) for a 1st and 3rd round pick. McCrimmon was one of the great under-rated defensemen of that generation of hockey. He finished his career a +444 blueliner and even though +/- isn’t the best stat that is remarkable for a guy who always drew top assignments against all the first lines in the ’80s. As a rookie playing for the Bruins, McCrimmon roomed with Ray Bourque (who ended up being McCrimmon’s best man at his wedding as well).

1998: New Jersey picks up Ken Sutton from San Jose for future considerations. Ken Sutton, the man who put a visor on Paul Cavallini after catching him in the face with a slap shot. Come to think of it Cavallini had some REALLY bad luck with shots, he lost the tip of his index finger blocking a Doug Wilson shot in ’90. But I digress; this is supposed to be about Sutton. Here’s a neat one, Sutton was the first player the Devils acquired on three separate occasions and has his name on the Cup from 2000 even though, technically, he didn’t qualify.

1998: Mike Gartner retired from the NHL after 19 seasons in t
he NHL. Gartner was the first player to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame after starting their NHL career in Washington. He did play pro before however, in the WHA for the Cincinnati Stingers and on a line with Mark Messier.