Enforcer Advent Calendar – December 7th – Stan Jonathan
For an array of reasons, December 2020 will be a month none of us will ever forget. The toll this pandemic has taken on society has been different for every individual in every part of the world. Regardless, we can all relate to experiencing some anxiety, stress and fear about the uncertainty of things. That’s why it felt fitting to put out the ‘Enforcer Advent Calendar.’ These warriors dealt with the aforementioned emotions night-in and night-out to a degree that only they can truly comprehend. I get it – it’s been tough not being able to go out with the boys, see a good game and cheer-on a good scrap, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the past. It sucks because enforcers are sometimes forgotten by fair-weather fans but, luckily, the diehards will always chant their name in the arenas and on the streets. Whichever side you land on, here’s a reminder of a few legends.
December 7th – Stan Jonathan
If Stan “Bulldog” Jonathan had a mantra during his playing days, it would have been: “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” The feisty winger stood 5’8” and 175 lbs, which put him at a disadvantage against the much larger enforcers of the late 70s and early 80s. But the former member of the ‘Big Bad Bruins’ didn’t have any height or weight restrictions when it came to choosing his challengers on the ice: whoever wanted to dance, got to have Jonathan as a partner. The Don Cherry led Bruins prided themselves on finishing every hit, capitalizing on turnovers and not relying on a ‘top-line.’ Instead, they depended on contributions from every line on every shift. This translated into an NHL record that will likely never be replicated – 11 players with over 20 goals, including Jonathan who finished with 27 during the 1977-78 season. The product of the Six Nations Reserve was fearless from a young age. This was largely instilled in him by his father during their summers working together as ‘high steel’ labourers who built apartment and office towers. When asked if he was scared working at those heights, Jonathan simply replied, “I was scared the first couple of times I went up. But soon I learned it wasn’t all that dangerous if you followed safety precautions. But it’s just like hockey: get careless and you can get hurt.” That fearless mentality helped Jonathan play nearly a decade in the NHL and, while he never got to raise the Stanley Cup in Boston, he remains a Beantown fan-favourite.
Stan Jonathan vs Pierre Bouchard – May 21, 1978 – 1st period – 6:28
It’s hard to believe it took until Game 4 of the series for these two bitter rivals to see a major penalty handed out. Jonathan made sure if he was going to be the first, it was going to be worth it. After finishing a check on Savard near the blueline, Bouchard stepped in and gave Jonathan a little stick-work that the former Peterborough Pete wasn’t going to let slide. Bouchard stood 6’2 and outweighed the Bruins winger by 30 lbs, but it doesn’t matter how big you are when you’re just standing and trading blows. It’s about who connects…and my goodness did Jonathan connect that night in Boston. Bouchard got the jump and was able to tie-up the smaller Jonathan while the two jostled for position. But all of a sudden, they both agreed to start letting off haymakers. While first flurry from Bouchard landed, they looked to have only been striking Jonathan’s helmet. Due to his reach disadvantage, Jonathan was initially unable to connect. The tide turned when Jonathan landed two quick right hands, which allowed him to switch to his left and connect two more huge bombs that drove Bouchard down to the ice. This was the second straight Stanley Cup Finals showdown between these storied clubs, and the animosity was palpable. So when Jonathan got Bouchard down, he didn’t hesitate to rain a few more rights down onto the Canadiens enforcer. Rising from the ice, Bouchard must have been glad he was wearing red because he was leaking blood everywhere, including all over linesman John D’Amico. The energy that came from the beating Jonathan put on Bouchard brought fans at the Boston Garden to their feet for the whole game, and the team rode that momentum all the way to a 4-3 OT win. Despite this win, the talent of the Canadiens was too much to handle that year, and they would go on to win back-to-back games on route to winning their 3rd straight Stanley Cup.
Stan Jonathan vs Chris Nilan – April 05, 1980 – 1st period – 14:32
Stan Jonathan was a busy man during the 1979-80 season. In 79 games played, he recorded 21 goals, 19 assists, and amassed career-highs of 208 penalty minutes and 26 fights. The ‘Bulldog’ had no intention of slowing down, so when Chris Nilan finished a hard check on his young teammate, Craig MacTavish he immediately jumped the Northeastern University alumnus. The fans at the famed Montreal Forum erupted when they saw two of the toughest enforcers in the league lock horns. Nilan landed a straight right hand to start, but Jonathan’s uncanny ability to switch hands freed him up to land two big left hooks and a quick right jab. The two grappled for a bit before Nilan was able to shake his right hand free and throw a huge bomb that just missed. Jonathan capitalized on the miss with a few left jabs before Nilan appeared to go for a leg sweep, but instead ended up on the receiving end of a Jonathan body slam. These warriors jump-started a testy game between the long-time rivals that included 29 penalties, for a total of 106 minutes. Ending in a 6-1 blowout, the producers of the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast were likely pleased to have these extra-curricular activities throughout the game. At least the fans watching around the nation got a little bit of excitement that Saturday night in April.
Stan Jonathan vs Don Jackson – November 12, 1981 – 3rd period 8:10
Jackson likely skated away from his tilt with Jonathan thinking, ‘Why didn’t I just let Semenko fight him?’ Whether Semenko would have fared better against Jonathan is debatable, but it would have been tough for anyone to have left any worse-off than Jackson did that night at the Boston Garden. Jonathan’s ability to switch hands was on full display in his battle with the 6’3,” 210 lbs Oiler. The two chatted near the left circle and dropped the gloves to a deafening roar from the crowd. Jonathan tricked Jackson with a quick right before shaking free and unleashing a storm of left jabs that landed right between Jackson’s eyes. The two grappled for a bit but once again, Jackson’s uncertainty in which direction the punches were coming from left him vulnerable to another quick 1-2 combo. Credit to Jackson for surviving the flurry and was finally able to land a couple rights of his own. But Jonathan was just too quick and strong for the lanky defenceman. To add insult to injury, Semenko and Terry O’Reilly simultaneously started their own tilt, which distracted the linesmen and allowed Jonathan to land a quick uppercut and one more hard right hand before they finally jumped in to break up the one-sided affair. By keeping Gretzky, Messier and Kurri goalless, the Bruins dominated the Oilers from the get-go and capped off their dominant performance with good ol’ fashion ‘Bulldog’ beat down.
During his time in Boston, Stan Jonathan racked up 91 goals, 110 assists and 751 penalty minutes in 411 games. Although the Bruins enforcer may have ended his career in Pittsburgh, he will always be remembered as a member of the ‘Lunch Pail Gang’ in the Massachusetts capital. After hanging up the skates, the proud Tusacora native immediately when back home to the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario. Jonathan always enjoyed the outdoors and expressed his desire to return home and pursue what he missed most: hunting and fishing. For over 25 years, Jonathan was able to live out his retirement at home until disaster struck on Remembrance Day, 2012. The hunting enthusiast went out deer hunting early that November morning, and by all accounts practiced what he preached when it came to gun and hunting safety. However, an unfortunate series of events forced the paths of Jonathan and Peter Kosid to cross that fateful day. Kosid was an avid bow-hunter who had driven to the reserve to hunt with a friend, but his friend had left to take his son to a hockey tournament, leaving Kosid hunting alone. In hopes of bagging his first ever deer, the 28-year old novice hunter and Hamilton resident was wearing all camouflage fatigue. At this time, Jonathan – who had hunted in that area for years – spotted a buck in the middle of Frank Mountour’s field down the Third line. He pulled his truck to a rusty metal gate where hunters parked their vehicles, loaded his gun and fired at a buck that was approximately 200 metres away. To avoid it running too far, hunting protocol suggests waiting an hour-or-so before approaching your target. It is reported that the former Bruin then went to pick up his ATV and texted his brother for help picking up the deer. That’s when they saw Peter Kosid’s lifeless body in the field. They immediately called the police. Jonathan was taken into custody for questioning and remains adamant that the bullet must have gone through the deer before striking Peter. DNA results of the case were unable to find any residue of a deer on the bullet that killed Peter Kosid. Stan Jonathan was initially charged with criminal negligence but the charges were later dropped. An awful mistake and a horrible accident, the tragic events of that Remembrance Day shouldn’t define Jonathan. He was a legendary teammate and I bet he’d be the first to tell you that he’d give it all up to bring Peter Kosid back to his family.
Twitter:@Jonesinthezone
