John Brophy Reflects on Playing and Coaching Days, Old School Hockey
John Brophy remembers the good old days, when hockey still had an edge
Speaking in hushed and hesitant sentences, Brophy wondered why the pro game has lost its rugged edge and moved away from fighting and bodychecking.
“You have too much written about fighting and all this stuff,” Brophy said. “So somebody gets hit and knocked out by a punch. Big deal, you get up. You didn’t go to bed and cry.
“The way we were brought up in hockey, there was more hitting, more contact in the game. Players played a lot different game. They were hitting and they expected to get hit back.”
The modern game seems a little soft for his liking.
“Why that ever happened, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because nobody knows how to fight anymore. I don’t miss the fights as much as I used to because there used to be better fighters.”
Brophy talked about growing up in Southside Antigonish Harbour, on the other side of Antigonish from his current address.
He described how big he was when he started playing hockey by holding his hand parallel to the floor at about the height of his seat on the couch.
Brophy remembers skating on the harbour, fighting brisk and bitter winds in pursuit of the puck. Ever since, he has fought for everything hockey had to offer.
