Enforcer Advent Calendar – December 15th – Eddie Shack
It’s the half-way point! Not only are we are nearing the end of the ‘Enforcer Advent Calendar,’ but also this crazy year. Every fan has a different player who they hold near and dear to their heart, meaning that there are so many more warriors that could have made this list. That’s the beauty of sport, we all have a different favourite. Some think Gretzky, others – Mario Lemieux, the older generation may tell you Gordie Howe, while the younger generation argues for Sydney Crosby. Regardless of who your favourite is, we can agree that all these men deserve to be celebrated for their sacrifices. Frankly, enforcers deserve a little spotlight for their accomplishments too because they are far-too-often the unsung heroes. So, let’s celebrate some legends… ‘tis the season, after all.
Past Poster Boys –
December 1st – John “Fergy” Ferguson Sr. December 2nd – Tony “Twister” Twist
December 3rd- Dave “Cementhead” Semenko December 4th – Ryan “Muffin Man” Reaves
December 5th – Darren “Big Mac” McCarty December 6th – Colton “Bobby” Orr
December 7th – Stan “Bulldog” Jonathan December 8th – Lyle “Cornelius” Odelein
December 9th –Krzysztof “The Polish Hammer” Oliwa December 10th – Stu “The Grim Reaper” Grimson
December 11th – Basil “Baz” McRae December 12th – Jordan “Tootoo Train” Tootoo
December 13th – Dave “Browny” Brown December 14th –Darcy “Hordichuks” Hordichuk
December 15th – Eddie Shack
Clear the track, here comes Shack
He’ll knock you down and he’ll give you a whack
He can score goals, he’s got a knack, Eddie, Eddie Shack
You know you’ve made it when you have the fans write a song about you. Eddie “The Entertainer” Shack was a fan favourite during his 7 seasons in Toronto and a key member on the 1967 Leafs – the last team to bring the Cup to Ontario. The Sudbury native brought two unique traits to hockey: entertain and antagonize. These made Shack an extremely polarizing player. If he was wearing your team’s jersey, he was your favourite, but if he was in opposing colours, you hated him. The folks that got to watch Eddie Shack play live will tell you he was one of toughest and most talented players they’ve ever seen. The former Guelph Biltmore enforcer played in over 1000 NHL games, tallied 1439 penalty minutes, won 4 Stanley Cups and scored 20 or more goals for 5 different teams. Pretty good resume eh? Well, a lot of that was achieved because the opposition quickly learned to clear the track for Mr. Eddie Shack.
Eddie Shack vs Bob Leiter – January 18, 1964 – 2nd period – 6:40
The only thing missing from this video is some Stone Cold Steve Austin theme music, on full blast when Bob Leiter and Eddie Shack burst through the glass. And even that addition could never do this fight justice. The tilt started when Shack, picking up momentum flew down the wing, was rode by Leiter along the boards until…BAM. To the delight of a raucous Maple Leaf Gardens, the glass shattered. Staying true to old time hockey form, the two didn’t care about the glass shards in their jerseys, they continued to drop the gloves. ‘The Entertainer’ was clearly livid about the big hit and took it out on Leiter with a series of deadly uppercuts. Credit should be given to the linesmen for jumping in to restrain the two fighters as they fought to get loose and keep their dance routine going. A few teammates got into the action as well, but the melee ended without any significant blows. Fans in the front row will likely remember this glass-shattering game, which also went down in history as the Bruins largest ever shutout victories during their dominant 11-0 win. Luckily, after the embarrassing loss, Shack and the Leafs rallied to end the season and won their 3rd straight Stanley Cup.
Eddie Shack vs John Ferguson Sr – April 27, 1967 – 3rd period – 19:29
In our modern game, it’s rare to see a fight in a playoff game because players don’t want to put their team in a weakened position during the most important time of the year. But for Eddie Shack, it was the 60s and things were a little different back then. The tilt between Shack and Ferguson got started after Shack delivered a huge hit in the corner and saw Ferguson coming for retribution. It looked as if Shack tried to clip Ferguson with a knee, which understandably enraged the Canadiens enforcer. The two were only able to trade a couple of weak shots before restraining one another, but at about the 19 second mark Shack attempted to land a headbutt and just missed. The headbutt was nothing new to Shack – in a previous brawl he had landed one that gashed Canadiens star, Henri Richard. Eddie Shack joked that when he went to Montreal, Maurice Richard said to him, “Thank God you never hit him with your nose or you would have split my brother in two.'” Nothing says old time hockey like joking with the guy that headbutted your brother about how big his nose is. Nowadays there would be a sworn vengeance, but once again, it was the 60s and times were different. This tilt between Ferguson and Shack may have been uneventful, but it set the stage for a thrilling Game 5 and 6 that ended with the Toronto Leafs lifting their last Stanley Cup 53 years ago.
Eddie Shack vs Jim Dorey – October 26, 1968 – 3rd period – 18:50
During the 60s and 70s Eddie Shack was considered a journeyman of the NHL as he played on 6 different teams in a relatively small league. This meant Shack couldn’t have many friends on the ice because his teammates became foes in the blink of an eye. In 1968, Shack was traded from the Leafs to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Murray Oliver and ‘The Entertainer’ looked to remind the Leafs brass and fans about what he brought to the game. Perfect target? Jim Dorey – the bright-eyed rookie. The melee started near the right hash marks when Dorey started jostling with a couple Bruins and then, out of nowhere, Eddie Shack grabbed Dorey and cracked him with a good left hook. Trying to avoid a bench clearing brawl from erupting, the linesmen quickly intervened, but not before the opportunistic Shack landed another big right hand to Dorey as he was getting wrapped up by the linesmen. Shack mastered the art of skating away long enough for the linesmen to forget about him before rushing the opposition to keep the party going. Fortunately for Dorey who would have been on the losing end if they traded blows, Shack wasn’t able to spin past the linesmen this time. Instead, Shack just rolled up his sleeves, flashed a smirk to the crowd and found his familiar seat in the penalty box. Dorey was able to escape the wrath of Shack as the Leafs cruised to a 2-0 win with goals from Dave Keon and Larry Mickey.
You don’t earn the nickname, ‘The Entertainer’ from just being entertaining on-the-ice. You have to keep the energy going off-the-ice, as well. For decades after he left the game, Eddie Shack did exactly that, working as a spokesman for The Pop Shoppe and Schick razors. This included some classic commercials where the moustached enforcer stood front-and-center. Unfortunately, after losing his battle with throat cancer, the Leafs legend passed away this past July at 83 years-of-age. By all accounts, Eddie Shack was a larger than life character who left a lasting imprint on the league, his teammates and the opposition. It seems absurd that Shack was not made a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame during his lifetime and I hope they will add him posthumously because he deserves to be inducted. The Sudbury native tallied over 400 points during his time in the NHL and even scored the game-winning goal in the 1963 finals after redirecting a shot with his backside. Whether it was by accident or not, it didn’t matter to Shack or Leafs fans – sometimes you need those lucky goals to win it all. ‘The Entertainer’ will remain a Canadian folk hero and serve as a reminder of the last time the Stanley Cup was lifted by the Blue-and-White.
Twitter:@Jonesinthezone
