Happy 80th birthday, Don Cherry
On this day in 1934, retired professional hockey player and coach and current Hockey Night in Canada commentator Don Cherry was born in Kingston, ON.
Cherry made his way up the minor hockey ranks and appeared in one game in the NHL for the Boston Bruins during the 1955 playoffs, later becoming the team's head coach and winning the Jack Adams Trophy in 1976.
He coached 480 NHL games during his career and won 250 regular season games and 31 playoff games.
However, it was with the CBC that he truly made his mark, speaking his mind while decked out in his truly unique style on Coach's Corner during the first intermission of Hockey Night in Canada since the early 1980s.
Here's a few of his more memorable quotes (courtesy of Global News):
- On fighting in hockey: “It’s always been a part of the game. The fans love fighting. The players don’t mind. The coaches like the fights. What’s the big deal? Anybody who says they don’t like fighting in the NHL have to be out of their minds.”
- On the Canadian Football League: “The best thing about this game, there’s no Russians or Swedes playing.”
- On seeing New York Islanders player Zigmund Palffy kiss teammate Travis Green on the lips after scoring against the New Jersey Devils: “I know those guys who wear visors are sweeties, but that’s a little too much.”
- On two Russian skiers who tested positive for a banned substance at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City: “I’ve been trying to tell you for so long about the Russians. What kind of people they are and you just love them in Canada with your multiculturalism.”
- On female reporters in the locker room: “I don’t believe women should be in the male dressing room. I don’t feel women are equal. I feel they’re above us. I think they’re on a pedestal and they should not be walking in when naked guys are walking in. And some guys take advantage of it and I don’t think (they) should be.”
- On Eric Lindros’ refusal to play for the Quebec Nordiques: “They don’t want our signs . . . they don’t want our language and then they can’t understand why an 18-year-old kid from Ontario doesn’t want to go there. Get with it.”
- On then-assistant coach of the Winnipeg Jets, Alpo Suhonen, in 1989: “Alpo? Isn’t that a dog food?”
Cherry routinely delivers these comments with his trademark "piano desk" hand gestures.
Happy birthday, Grapes. Never change.