Back in my late twenties I had the privilege of playing hockey with a Canadian icon, Mr. Paul Henderson. We played Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays at noon hour at the old barn in Oakville on Kerr Street. To my clients, I was at a “lunch meeting”, but for me it was a time to get some exercise while learning from a bunch of guys that were ten to twenty years my senior. It was a diverse bunch including veterinarians, fire fighters, cops, lawyers, ex NHL’ers, realtors etc. The dressing room was a great place to discuss utter nonsense but also a place to learn about life.
For the younger crowd, Paul Henderson, is renowned for scoring the winning goal in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union (now Russia). He played 13 seasons in the NHL and five years in the WHA. He played over 1000 games professionally and had 760 points when he retired.
My hockey career was almost as illustrious as Paul’s; at my peak I played AAA Midget and was an assistant captain for my high school team. I think I averaged a handful of goals a season, if you count warmups.
Luckily, Paul was about 25 years older than me so I could at least keep up with him on the ice. The thing that stood out for me was that Paul was a true gentleman in every sense of the word but when he laced up his skates he went into beast mode. His level of compete was extraordinary and you could see his utter frustration when he ended up on a line with someone who didn’t have his same level of skill, or at the very least, the desire to compete.
One year the 1972 Summit Team was being honoured by the Hockey Hall of Fame, and I picked up a few posters to have Paul sign for me to give to a charity auction and to keep one for myself. I’m not usually one to ask for autographs, especially from guys I’ve showered with, but I figured it was for a good cause, and I should risk embarrassing myself. Paul graciously agreed and to my surprise, addressed mine to “The Mucker of Noon Hockey”. Coming from Paul, this was a huge compliment!
I was reminded of Paul while watching the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5 against the Florida Panthers last night. I can only imagine the level of frustration Paul would have had if he was part of that team! So much talent, so little compete. They definitely needed a few muckers!
For those of you unfamiliar with the term mucker, a “mucker” is a player who is known for their physical presence and tenacious play, often focusing on the “dirty work” around the boards and in front of the net. Muckers are not typically known for their offensive skills but are valuable for their hard work, checking, and ability to create turnovers and disrupt the opposition.
I always say you can tell a lot about a person by the way they play hockey. If you’re looking for a Mortgage Broker that is all flash, I’m not your guy. But if you want a mucker, someone that will fight in the trenches to help solve your financial problems, you know where to find me!