Great time tonight in Toronto at the Hockey Hall of Fame where Fred Shero was finally given a long, overdue honor.
Here is the acceptance speed from his son, Ray:
On behalf of the entire Shero family, I’d like to thank my father’s good friend, Pat Quinn, Mr. Jim Gregory, Kelly Masse from the Hall of Fame and the entire Hall of Fame election committee. My dad’s inclusion tonight into hockey’s greatest team would make him extremely proud. Congratulations as well to Geraldine, Brandon and Scott, for your induction tonight and outstanding careers and contributions to the game.
My father passed away 23 years ago in 1990. Since then, a lot of people – especially lately – have asked me, ‘What was your father like?’ Back in 1990, Nov. 24, my father was eulogized by Flyer captain Bobby Clarke. I still remember the words he used to describe my dad.
Mr. Clarke said, ‘Freddy was a complex man and a very simple man. He was a loner,yet he loved an audience. He was shy, yet he was quoted extensively. He never backed down from a fight, yet he had no enemies. In short, he was Fred Shero: husband, father and coach.’
As his son, to me and my brother, Jean-Paul, Fred Shero can be described as a kind and generous man. He was known as ‘Freddy the Fog.’ I guess I can describe him as shy, gregarious and distant all at the same time. Growing up in the ‘70s, my dad had these great bifocals, a fu-man-chu mustache, and as you can tell, flows right out of American Bandstand. He also had some of the darndest stories you’d ever hear. He was very keen on education and put me and my brother through college. When he played, he also attended classes at the University of Winnipeg. He was an avid reader of Shakespere and Dickens. When everyone was threatening in the 1970s to to play in the WHA for more money–Mr. Snider might remember this–my father threatened to go to law school instead. When he was playing for the Rangers back in the 50s, he also claimed to be the first New York Ranger to ever hold a public library card.
He coached the Flyers for seven years. They took no prisoners, just a pair of Stanley Cup championships in ’74 and ’75. People have said he was ahead of his time and maybe an innovator. Maybe it was because he used video before most or maybe hired the first non0playing assistant coach in 1972, Mr. Mike Nykola. He implemented the morning skate, believe it or not. It’s not too popular now, but back then it was. We had these systems, which they practiced over and over. My dad was a big believer in repitition and the repitition led to proper execution on the ice. I remember back in the Stanley Cup playoffs, I think I was 12 years old, back in the ‘70s, the other coach closed their practice and had the day off but wouldn’t let the media in. so the media went to my father and said, ‘Freddy are you gonna close your practice as well?’ My father’s response was, ‘Come and watch our practice any time. Execution, not surprises, win championships. In contrast to the reputation of coaching the ‘Broad St. Bullies’ back in the ‘70s, he became a student of the Russian style of play when he coached in St. Paul in the 1960s. Hall of Fame builder Anatoli Tarasov was known as the ‘Father of Russian hockey.’ My father was an avid follower of Mr. Tarasov. He claimed to have read his book over 100 times. After the Flyers won their first Cup in 1974, my father immediately went over to the Soviet Union for three weeks. There were hockey drills and practices during the day, seven hours of vodka and laughs later on, my dad had a wonderful experience, but I know my mom came back and said she cried for the entire three weeks. When he went to Russia to study immediately after winning their first Stanley Cup, he came back and the media asked why he went over. What he said was, ‘He who was honored yesterday, will lose tomorrow if he stops practicing today.’ A year later in 1975, the Flyers won their consecutive Stanley Cup. My father was a player’s coach. There’s no doubt about that. He was blessed with not only great teams, but he told me, great captains. Back in St. Paul, there was Jean-Paul Denis. My brother Jean-Paul was named after him. He had a captain in Buffalo named Gerry Ouellette. Of course he had a captain in Philadelphia named Bobby Clarke. I think he had a unique and special relationship with his players. Back in ’74 when the Flyers won their first Stanley Cup, Bernie Parent won the Conn Smythe Trophy. Bernie was given a car for winning the award and promptly handed the keys to my dad. Low and behold we ha a brand new car in the parking lot. After winning the Cup in ’75, Bernie was nice enough to invite our entire family down at his beach house at the Jersey shore for a couple weeks. Back then, and he still is, Bernie was an avid fisherman. Bernie could wait to take my brother Jean-Paul and myself and my dad fishing. We were 60 miles off the Jersey shore. My brother and I were having a great time and Bernie said, ‘It’s getting pretty rough out here. You guys want to go back? Your dad’s pretty sick.’ My dad’s down below not feeling too well. Bernie went down and said, ‘Freddy, what do you think?’ He said, ‘Bernie, I’m not feeling too good.’ He said, ‘Well, Freddy, remember all those stops and starts you made us do in training camp? Well, screw you!’
I remember back then in 1976 the uniqe relationship my father had, he got his first dog from Bob and Sandy Clarke and my father, for some reason, named her Cherrybelle. She was with us for 14 years. It was costly preaching togetherness. It was him and his players against everyone else. He told his players, the team is like a family. You’ve got to find a way to live together, to work together, to laugh together and to fight together. To see the support here tonight by the Philadelphia Flyers and Mr. Snider is truly heartwarming. Mr. Snider’s been the owner of the Flyers since 1967 and many of the players who played for my dad and staff members are here tonight to honor my mom and my dad. Words can’t adequately express how I can say thank you for doing this and what it would mean to my dad. It touches my heart and my family’s to know what you guys meant to him.
Asks players to stand up.
Also, I wanted to recognize the general manager of those teams, Mr. Keith Allen, a Hall of Famer. He took a chance back in 1971, along with Mr. Snider on a 46-year-old coach who had spent the previous 13 years in the minor leagues. Thank you again for that opportunity, Mr. Snider and Mr. Allen. Our family will never forget it. On May 19, 1974, before Game 6 against the Boston Bruins, my father wrote on the blackboard, ‘Win today and we walk together forever…” Thirty-nine years later, it’s safe to say that not only has that team not broken bond to this day, but the City of Philadelphia still has a love affair for a bunch of feisty Canadien kids. These kids helped define not only a franchise, but an entire city. They truly are walking together forever. Thank you so very much. It’s been an honor to accept this on behalf of my father and my family.
* Thanks to Dave Isaac for the transcription service.
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