FiredUp Network
Thursday, August 1: Don Cherry's Grapevine Podcast
It's been a very dark few weeks for the cherry clan Many of you might have read in social media or in the newspaper that my beloved sister Cindy Passed away about two weeks ago very suddenly We'd like to thank everybody for their thoughts and prayers that have been sent and Some of you might not know the story between Cindy and I When I was young I had some health issues and my kidneys failed And Cindy at 18 years old donated her kidney to me and Literally only by the grace of God and Cindy that I am alive today. I Know she would want us to keep going with the podcast Every Sunday morning Cindy would come over with dad and my daughter Grace and my wife laying we would come right to our house We would sit on the porch and talk about life and then come in and in the kitchen do the podcast and Then have lunch after so it was great that the family got together for almost two hundred and fifty weekends and Be able to share times and remembered stories for Cindy's memory we're going to do a Interview on the grapevine show that we did with Jerry Cheavers Now the Cheavers and the cherries Have been friends back into the 60s when dad played in Rochester with Jerry Cheavers and his wife Betty and my mom Rose Became very good friends and then in dad's second year of coaching the Bruins Jerry Cheavers came back from the WHA and played with the Bruins and so of course mom and Betty Cindy and I and Robbie and Craig Cheavers all met up again in Boston and Cindy always likes to tell the story of the first year mom and Cindy went into the wives room and if you don't know what the wives room in is kind of an area where the wives and girlfriends all sit before the game and You know what have some drinks or something. I'll get ready before they would go out to the seats and Before the game would start at the Boston's wives room at the time there was two levels there was kind of where you walked in there was a bunch of tables and then there was a a nice little upstairs area that had like a fridge and a little kitchenette and all the sandwiches would go upstairs and that's where Some of the big stars wives would sit and the rest of the wives would sit downstairs So a lot of the wives were feeling uncomfortable to go upstairs to get the sandwiches or to get drinks With the superstars wives up there. So mom and Cindy didn't know what to do They felt a little uncomfortable. It was you know dad's first year. He was kind of a rookie coach And these were established NHL superstars. So mom and Cindy didn't like the whole situation But they just kind of lived with it Well, then the next year when Jerry came well Betty and mom straightened everything out that the sandwiches stayed downstairs and the drink stayed downstairs and Betty started to set some rules and mom started to set some rules and things Started to feel a lot more like a family other than almost like a class system The other thing that happened a lot was during the Easter school break the Bruins and the Celtics would both go on long road trips Because the Boston Gardens would have the ice follies coming in so for four years it would be my mom and I and Cindy Betty Cheavers and her kids and a bunch of other wives would go on vacation during Easter break and They would have a lot of fun and Cindy was really into animals back then and of course Jerry Cheavers was really into the horses and he helped Cindy get a job in Rockingham Raceway, which Cindy had a lot of fond memories on and Was a very eye-opening experience to the world of horse racing for Cindy. So in Cindy's memory We're gonna play the Jerry Cheavers Grapevine show again. We did two shows a night. This was shot in Mississauga, Ontario and the second guest was Bobby or so dad talks to Bobby or at the start of this grapevine show. So without further ado Here's the Jerry Cheavers grapevine show Here is the greatest hockey player in the world Bobby or Well, you know cheese Play on my team any time any time. Yeah Well grapes I got to tell you know I've said it many times a lot of excitement and I know he's your type of guy and Anytime the tough get going and the rough and the tough, you know the saying yeah Jerry Cheavers Bobby was making me laugh early. He always came through in the clutch Yeah, he's the greatest money goaltender of all time blues got the blue movie. Let's go blue right now His name is Cheavers, but overachiever might have been more appropriate Jerry Cheaver simply put was outstanding in 14 seasons of professional hockey the Boston pucks Dopper was a veritable rock of Gibraltar Cheesy would retire in 1980 with 26 shutouts and the goals against average of just 2.89 The St. Catherine's native was synonymous with clutch performances while the likes of or Esposito and music were getting it done up front The masked Marvel stoned the opposition. He was the final bastion of defense and with Cheavers between the pipes The Bruins would capture two Stanley cuts opposing shooters considered stop a four-letter work But it was vocabulary Cheavers live by I always remembered as one of the very best goal-tending great Jerry Cheaver We've come a long way since Rochester ain't not a long way grapes. You only went about 90 miles down the road Travel Ronnie should say one thing right now this year Jerry Eamon a great American League player Don Cherry an American League player and Myself are being inducted into the Rochester Americans Hall of Fame, and it's a privilege to go in the same year as you The guy put it in he says you're not going in for your plan. He says you're going in for your coaching I mean that hurt. I'll tell you that player. Oh, I played in front of you. I was pretty good guy I mean a few times you get hit. We're a good guy. Yeah, I can't argue that. Yeah, not a good player Are you not gonna say anything? I said you're a good guy. I could fight though. Yes, you could a greatest fighter I saw you in a spider-mazer. I couldn't believe it. That was my first year pro Maybe my second you hit each other over the head with the sticks you both then getting stitched up together I said I got another 19 years of this to go through At least I think I was about 25. That was a good one. Remember red baron said now you remember the red baron? Oh, yeah, I I gone through my whole junior career first couple years of pro without a serious injury My wife presented me with a child the night before Premature child weighed six pounds very tough night and I went to bed all night And the first shift down the ice red baron soon was a great American League player He comes down in grapes and I wasn't sharp that night and Usually when a player come down on grapes, I felt I had to be sharp to bill itself And anyway, he danced around grapes like I expected and let a routine shot go and I missed it And that was the first time I got seriously injury I lost all my teeth and 40 stitches and I want to thank you Also, I would never have been a complete hockey player Go back to me Joe Crozier. I got stitched up and finished the game. Yeah, it's stitched up knocked off. You got benched I got to know what else is new remember remember the next day. He wanted you to practice I go wanted you said go in grapes and ask them if I have to practice well the old crow Joe Crozier We're talking about our coach. It was a great great coach. Yeah, you have some funny ways Major go back own practice pit Martin another one. I mean I I even right I'm just saying the world for me though I never get hit in practice. Oh, you're not kidding. We'll talk about that a little later. I'm a little pit Martin That was scary one. I have to admit this one. That was one of the worst injuries ever had in hockey Once again pit Martin was coming down the ice in the American League and he was about to either go around or threw down Sure, I couldn't figure out what at the time and I thought he was gonna go around and I was prepared for that But he went through him and I reached out to grab the puck and my hand slipped out of my glove and he skated right over my hand And I think I was over a good two or three months there. It was a terrible injury and and then you had to like you I don't know why What are you doing? Where you remember you had to go the hickcock award thing or something with my hand. Yeah, that was the only reason I was invited because I was injured. Yeah teeth knocked out and everything now. Where are you living? What are you doing now? I think he's found paradise by the way, but go ahead I'm living in the Boston area north of Boston. I worked for a racetrack which I love I also just started recently working for a stable where we buy and resources at a high level I'm very excited about that and I do the color on sports channel for the Hartford willers now What do you love best and I'm gonna throw this one at you and what do you love best? I know back when you played what you love. You love the horses or do you love hockey the best? Well, I love them both equal put it that way. It's I They've gone both together with me all my life and I enjoy both. It's I didn't enjoy them I wouldn't be there royal ski what a horse you the only guy there every jinxed him Yeah, I had a champion horse Royal ski had a champion horse and grapes. He doesn't a horse player or horse better anything like that and this horse Should have been two year old champion the year he won seven out of eight races and the only day he last was a day that grapes But $50 on it Said it's a sure thing sure thing any last never forget that remember Harry I couldn't tell you a day of the game or something and Harry you tell him day of the game you won three you won three races in a row And I told you day of the game and you won the three games in the day I told you and you lost that was my falling in Harry was great for that now. What a team you played in in Oklahoma What a team there boy my brother played on that team. You sure did and that was a great team A lot of guys gone on John Paul Parisi cash I was when I first discovered that Wayne Cashman was a great competitor and winner in that team Who was but Terry Christmas very good thing in a better Glen say there was there Teddy Irvine? I mentioned John Paul Parisi Peter Panett gacko. That was a lot of fun. Don't throw them all 50 gold score John from a vote 50 gold. You're right and Well, you got a good memory. I don't forget. What do you think I'm a pretty face around? That was you got a good memory. Yeah He wants me to comment on his tie that's that's a nice tie thank you very much thought what you said before No, you knew played I used to when we get up 6-1 and we did used to get up 6-1 you're in the net I used to go nuts because I knew we're going to have in a harder tack anytime now But you never cared about your average a it was always the wins. What was the record now? I want you to tell a record that you set in the National Hockey League I didn't set any record the team I played I said alright don't give it that one. We We went 30 33 games without losing and this is no kiddin. Of course you had Robert was playing at the time and I tell you a story about that record We went 33 games without losing and we had first place since we're getting ready for the playoffs and our coach Tom Johnson Decided that he'd rest Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito the night that the streak was broken and it was for nothing at the 10 minute mark Well, that sounds like Tom's right You do you remember that game? It's silly that overtime game remember that that was like two over times Yeah, two over times was 10 to one. I think he had about six and a one 10 to one. That's what it went in and it's something Oh, okay. Oh, no, I don't we miss last fall and it really bucks me. You couldn't get to the burn time I'd really bother you remember that game. That was that was an unbelievable game And it was an up-and-down game for two over times also and we're lucky. I think Terry Riley scored the one I put him on But it was your win no doubt about it that was That was one of the fun hockey games that played in two because anytime you went in We've all won and lost in overtime But it's really really nice to win was nice to beat Philly to because Remember they were the guys that put you out and they were the Broad Street bullies. Do we show those guys the next three years? We certainly didn't know I didn't know what was going on when I got there how much you guys hated Philly But remember the Canada Cup back in the 76th hour had to be one of your Favorite times tell us about how you drove the coaches nuts well, I That was 76 and as we all know Bobby played in that series and you know all the best players and I can never make a team Like that. I was asked to go and you have to practice hard and I was not a great practice players as My only but go ahead and Don knew that he was one of the coaches And I'm sure that Don wanted me to play and understood me But the other coaches Scotty Bowman and Bobby Chrome I think it was an Al McNeil and Al McNeil they just couldn't believe that this guy I could ever be there to and and he was to steer the pucks into the net for the and We don't always back me in all their meetings ahead You must have meetings every day and Bobby Chrome He just couldn't take it anymore So he decided to practice tip-ins with me and goal and I just fired my gloves and sticks at him and walked out I hadn't take anymore But needless to say I went through the whole series as the backup goalie with a cheerleader and never got in the game That's already had a lot of fun. You better believe it. This is a great Canada cup this year, wasn't it? I miss a lot of the games. I was away But from what I saw I really enjoyed it remember the game when sitler set the record in Toronto What do you get 11 points or something like that? You were the backup goalie. That's my first game dress when I come back from a little hockey Yeah poor Davy Reese, you know how Davy Reese was a nice nice guy and I think after yeah That was the last game you ever played. I looked down at him It was about the eighth goal and I looked at Jerry and I went like that to Jerry He put a towel over his head and went down like that But you come back the next night we shut out Detroit. I never forgot that Tell us about the WHA a lot of strange things you played for Cleveland, right? Besides getting the big dole there a lot of strange things went on there Well, I love the WHA really give me the opportunity to meet a lot of different play great against the Russians and that's here You're the most valuable player. Yes, it was it's against the goalie had to be that there believe me to survive But I met a lot of new friends in the WHA and it was a different competition It's usually an HL most practice were optional and and I think of the first couple years the games were optional for a lot of players First came I never forget we went in there and I walked in and I went in to have my Usual in between in between period cigarette and four guys were having hot dogs This is going to be somewhat of a country club feeling but And it was maybe but but not really it it served a great purpose in hockey the WHA because there's some franchises But I should tell one story that Sports Illustrated come to me after the first game of the WHA and Cleveland did play the first game They said what is the big difference in the WHA and the NHL? And I said well from where I see it being a goaltender every time I look and see number four going up the ice It's not Bobby or it's Ralph Hoppe Vary Neil Ralph was a very good good kid played in our team and tried very hard But obviously he wasn't a Bobby or and his parents sent letters Try to be funny and it jumps back. Yeah, listen you remember how we used to go a little bananas when somebody had touched you or any of our Gold tenants I mean the team was paranoid if you touched and I'll just show you a little clip with the flames You come out and willy-plat run at you and blue you're ready run that clip now and show you how we act to watch You almost could kill here watch look at look at five guys jumping guys jumping over watch you sneak out around here Let me out of here. I didn't sneak out. I was up Yeah, I'll tell you boy. You never touched our boy. Look at his high stick. I want a great team That that was a team with Jonathan and Wednesday in the in all our guys Seacort a very tough team and I did I hurt my knee a little bit that and I was a little cuckoo there I got my bell wrong and Don wanted to take me out and I said there's no way I'm coming over this game we're behind that game in fact 5-1 I want another crack at this willy-plat and I know I couldn't look my lips believe me But I wanted another crack at him But halfway through the third period it came up and he come in front of the net and I leveled him with a two-hander And he went fell into the boards and I I said well I did what I wanted to do Now I have to stick up for what I did and I was actually gonna go with him We're not on what happened, but I was gonna go with them, but I had to stick in my hand I said I you know I made my bet I got to sleep in it right there I heard this breathing behind me and it was John Wenzick, you know coming off the bench and I was like the bullfighter went Oh lay and let him go right out I remember that game too was I never forgot I'll tell you I we we chased what we chased plucked right out That was one of the worst things ever seen that was in the Atlanta the Omni in Atlanta And when all this was all over it that we just witnessed there plat was behind the boards hiding I couldn't believe it on its own ring and hid behind in his own ring. Remember George Plimpton? Oh, I love them. He's a great man. He was the member seaweed was And you guys scared the light photo in the poor bugger. Yeah. Well George Plimpton wrote a story on the Bruins for what? bugger. He's a fighter in England. Oh, yeah, so okay, so Plimpton wanted to do a story in the Bruins and for some reason he got to read a room with this Great character. We had Jim Petty called seaweed. He wanted he was gonna play goal in a in an exhibition game in Philly for five Minutes and Don put him in with with Jimmy Petty who was a great favorite of all ours, right? so we used to go to this bar similar to the grapevine here and hang out after practice and Cash and I led the troops in there and and he wanted to be all part of it So we got in there and one thing led to another We had a very good session that night drinking beer and in fact we had the lacrosse XL plane lacrosse in the middle of the bar it was an awful evening just a normal night for the Bruins normal training camp evening and Plimpton said I had to leave this accorded one We knew that Don wouldn't be checking curfew that night for whatever reason and I was afraid what I'd find And he says we got I got to go home because young Jim Petty is a rookie and you know I don't want to wake him up and bother him. He's trying to make the team and we said that's don't worry about it He's no so he left so he snuck in open the door crawled into bed Never made a sound it was peacefully sleeping at about 5 30 in the morning income seaweed petty-eye George How are you and everything like that, but George continued on And I'm the coach she imagine that I didn't know that was going on we had George played a period for us Stopped a penalty shot by Reggie leech. I'm not so sure it was in the satchel or straight up But it was a good effort and he went in to get undressed and then we had the biggest brawl in history of Hocky was really a pop probably an insult to hockey to and poor George who wanted to do anything to write about it Was in the restroom in the shower right that was the biggest disappointment of his life, right? Okay, we got more I'm gonna ask him about the way he used to practice. Don't you go away Jerry? I'll be right back put her there I just wanted to ask about if you like coaching that jury I enjoyed it for most part of the time I enjoyed it. It's when you win it. It's a great feeling when you lose you you absorb 20 bad feelings and you take it home with you, too That really bothered me to but I must say one thing honestly. I learned everything. I knew about coaching from grapes That's why I got fired Same guy fired is we have something common. Yeah same guy. I never brought the game home with me. I left it in a bar Practice the worst practice player in the world He used to steer the pucks into the net. You remember that remember the time? I almost had you going there once well if we ever got divorced would have had it would have had been this time We had a week off We had won the buy one first place and a buy and grapes said to me You don't have to come for practice for the whole week and I said well, you know I got a practice I'm coming he said no don't go because he knew I'd ruin practice the players hated me in practice and everything and I said, I'm going he says you know I don't want you there little Friday take a good skate and go play the games anyway I showed up we warmed up a little bit and he called all the players to center ice and he said you get down the net and Obviously we were going to scrimmage and he I heard him talk say something of the players and there was a little chuckle and all that and I really didn't Apprehend what was going on then all of a sudden Peter McNabb come down to break away and Peter's a pretty good goal scorer and he hit me in the stomach and he raised his arms and it didn't hit me yet then Terry Riley came down and Terry likes to Deacon dive and he shot into my pads and Raised his arm for a goal and I still couldn't figure out then finally I figured out that Cherry told them at Center ice if they hit me and count as a goal and scrimmage I threw my gloves and stick at it was as close as we came to divorce. Yeah, that's true I truly but you know I remember the time I left you in Buffalo remember that time was what a genius move on my part Well, we had a big game in Buffalo on a particular evening and we played somewhere else the night before and he was going to play The other goal ten of the night before and I was going to play the game in Buffalo So he sent me by myself a little early the night before to get a good rest And that's really a bad play in his part And I got in there and I thought I'd go have a couple beers and got paralyzed needless to say Never stopped to park the next night. We got beat eight one. I was in a better move on my part How about the story about Bobby in Oakland? Oh, that was that was a great story This is a Bobby is we all know and even his teammates You know was the greatest player to play the game and we're killing a penalty Eddie J Was playing goal that time and I was on the bench and was right next to the Oakland Seal bench and Bobby got up Was killing the penalty and you like to rag the puck at all and he got it and he circled our net went up The right boards and one of the Oakland players hit him and he and knocked Bobby's glove off But he still controlled the puck went down inside their blue line circled around back around our net No one could believe what he was doing because he really give up an opportunity of a scoring chance Circle our net the Oakland players started picking him up picking him up Finally come Bolton down the door the right side. Stop pick up this glove went in and scored a goal The best part of the story was even though our our bench was in a frenzy the Oakland bench was up cheering too Tell us a quick story about Bobby Hall the way used to come down in blasting got to be oh my god You know thank God I had three or four sets of underwear. I've never got through the games He was scary Bobby Bobby Hall was and we were two men short and I always told my defense when like Bob or someone like that I'd say you take the short side I'll take the long side so the hole was on the point with Pierre Platt and the other side He'd pass it to Hall and I'm supposed to take the middle of the net and the defensemen Say Bobby or Teddy Green or something would take the short side But I always cheat a little bit and I'd be right behind them and he shot one and I always left my stick there I could handle my stick pretty good and I tipped it off the glass went back to Platt back to Hull again He walked in a step closer and finally I the defense is moving the way to make a long story short This happened short this happened four times the fifth time I was tumbling over my defensemen in the corner of the ice of the rink and he hit it He had to get it high because I was stopping all the loans He put it right through the crossbar through the press box And you were in the netting trouble in the corner Put it there for the right chair and boy let it go Did I wait there? This guy I was hoping to hear and this guy won't finally put it there, Tom Well, take us home right now Well, thanks for listening again, and thanks for everybody who sent out their thoughts and prayers Needless to say Cindy will be dearly missed. I miss her every day And all I can say is Godspeed Cindy It's time to be a piece and rest. [BLANK_AUDIO]