Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 
Forums :: Blog World :: Matt Ross: Once Upon a Time in Hockeywood
Author Message
Matt Ross
Joined: 06.01.2019

Jul 28 @ 8:19 PM ET
Matt Ross: Once Upon a Time in Hockeywood
hockeygm
Season Ticket Holder
San Jose Sharks
Location: Reno, NV
Joined: 05.12.2008

Jul 28 @ 8:53 PM ET
I've always thought that the original uni's looked a lot better than the Black, Gray and White that they have now. You forgot Bill "Cowboy" Flett...I used to listen to the Kings on my GE clock radio when Jiggs McDonald was the radio voice and he would intone "Clear the track, here comes Shack." They should still play "The Kings March" after every goal instead of the truncated version at the end of each period...
Matt Ross
Joined: 06.01.2019

Jul 28 @ 9:40 PM ET
I've always thought that the original uni's looked a lot better than the Black, Gray and White that they have now. You forgot Bill "Cowboy" Flett...I used to listen to the Kings on my GE clock radio when Jiggs McDonald was the radio voice and he would intone "Clear the track, here comes Shack." They should still play "The Kings March" after every goal instead of the truncated version at the end of each period...
- hockeygm


Awesome, hockeygm

I remember reading about the nicknames given to guys. Funny stuff,
But a good idea. If you don’t have the star power, why not try and create some characters for the fans?
jkaflagg
Los Angeles Kings
Joined: 06.02.2006

Jul 28 @ 11:21 PM ET
Saw my first hockey game at age 14 at the Fabulous Forum late in the 69-70 season....as you can imagine with a team that finished 14-52-10, it did not go well for the home team, but I was instantly captivated by the sport and remain so today.

The season before the Kings had gotten a strong performance from rookie goalie Gerry Desjardins, who had been acquired from the Canadiens in one of the first of the many trades that teams like Montreal and Boston used to fleece the Kings of virtually all their draft picks in the early years. But at first Desjardins looked like a keeper, so much so that author Bill Libby wrote a book about him - that came out right about the time he was traded to the BlackHawks !

Although I had never actually seen Desjardins play, I was interested in the book and wrote a letter to Kings broadcaster Dan Avey asking him how I could acquire it. Avey, who attended the same high school in Southern California as I (CalHi in Whittier), responded by sending me a free copy of the book with his compliments - I know it wasn't like it would someday be a best seller, but what a great thing to do for a young fan. That lesson (and the book) has stayed with me always.

Avey went on to a long career in Los Angeles as a sportscaster and radio personality
until passing away due to cancer in 2010. His wonderfully dry sense of humor often kept things going as the Kings struggled on the ice, and I'll always remember this aside during a telecast from Oakland: "If Oakland had a player who liked to stick around the locker room and help clean up.....would he be known as the Good Housekeeping Seal" ?

RIP Dan
Only_A_Ladd
Los Angeles Kings
Location: Sabres VERY Much in Hellebuyck Hearing they are the closest treat to getting a deal…bu a mile., CA
Joined: 06.06.2013

Jul 29 @ 1:03 AM ET
^^Thanks for sharing this story. Great stuff^^
Matt Ross
Joined: 06.01.2019

Jul 29 @ 8:53 AM ET
Saw my first hockey game at age 14 at the Fabulous Forum late in the 69-70 season....as you can imagine with a team that finished 14-52-10, it did not go well for the home team, but I was instantly captivated by the sport and remain so today.

The season before the Kings had gotten a strong performance from rookie goalie Gerry Desjardins, who had been acquired from the Canadiens in one of the first of the many trades that teams like Montreal and Boston used to fleece the Kings of virtually all their draft picks in the early years. But at first Desjardins looked like a keeper, so much so that author Bill Libby wrote a book about him - that came out right about the time he was traded to the BlackHawks !

Although I had never actually seen Desjardins play, I was interested in the book and wrote a letter to Kings broadcaster Dan Avey asking him how I could acquire it. Avey, who attended the same high school in Southern California as I (CalHi in Whittier), responded by sending me a free copy of the book with his compliments - I know it wasn't like it would someday be a best seller, but what a great thing to do for a young fan. That lesson (and the book) has stayed with me always.

Avey went on to a long career in Los Angeles as a sportscaster and radio personality
until passing away due to cancer in 2010. His wonderfully dry sense of humor often kept things going as the Kings struggled on the ice, and I'll always remember this aside during a telecast from Oakland: "If Oakland had a player who liked to stick around the locker room and help clean up.....would he be known as the Good Housekeeping Seal" ?

RIP Dan

- jkaflagg


Great story and thanks for sharing, jkaflagg!

It's awesome that Avey sent you a copy of the book. I looked it up. Is it titled "Rookie Goalie"?

Again...thanks for chiming in
Leniwm1
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Joined: 02.24.2015

Jul 29 @ 11:42 AM ET
Q.T. says he is done after film 10, this was 9 I thought?
Matt Ross
Joined: 06.01.2019

Jul 29 @ 11:47 AM ET
Q.T. says he is done after film 10, this was 9 I thought?
- Leniwm1


Yep. This is 9, but I saw a couple articles with rumors he might be done now.

I hope he does a few more. I like his movies. Always stylized and character/dialogue driven.

This one is right near the top for me. Thought Leo and Pitt were great in it
Leniwm1
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Joined: 02.24.2015

Jul 29 @ 11:51 AM ET
Yep. This is 9, but I saw a couple articles with rumors he might be done now.

I hope he does a few more. I like his movies. Always stylized and character/dialogue driven.

This one is right near the top for me. Thought Leo and Pitt were great in it

- Matt.Ross


He aint done. He might step away for a while, which will just create more hype($$) when he returns.

And I havent seen it yet!
Matt Ross
Joined: 06.01.2019

Jul 29 @ 12:04 PM ET
He aint done. He might step away for a while, which will just create more hype($$) when he returns.

And I havent seen it yet!

- Leniwm1


100%

Drop a line after you check it out!
Osprey
Joined: 11.10.2015

Jul 29 @ 2:45 PM ET
Don't forget that Tarantino is attached to writing and directing a Star Trek film. I seriously doubt that he'll retire as long as that's still in the cards, since that'd probably be a dream come true for him.

I, for one, am not a fan of his. Every one of his films has just been "OK" to me.
Matt Ross
Joined: 06.01.2019

Jul 30 @ 9:39 AM ET
Don't forget that Tarantino is attached to writing and directing a Star Trek film. I seriously doubt that he'll retire as long as that's still in the cards, since that'd probably be a dream come true for him.

I, for one, am not a fan of his. Every one of his films has just been "OK" to me.

- Osprey


What!? How dare you have an opinion that differs from mine...haha. Just joking

I totally get it. His style isn’t for everyone. I doubt he’s done, too. He’s probably so geeked on that Star Trek flick.
Osprey
Joined: 11.10.2015

Jul 30 @ 2:04 PM ET
What!? How dare you have an opinion that differs from mine...haha. Just joking
- Matt.Ross

That's funny because I was always disagreeing with and contradicting the Kings blogger that was here quite a few years ago. I think that he eventually thought that I was trolling him, but I honestly just legitimately disagreed with a lot of what he said (and the way that he said it matter of factly) and felt compelled to make counter arguments. I'm glad to not have that problem with you