In Episode 12 of the Pro Hockey Alumni Podcast, we’ll play three periods: In Period 1 we talk classic New York Rangers Hockey with George Grimm, the author of “We Did Everything But Win: An Oral History of the Emile Francis Era New York Rangers (1964–1976)” …. We focus our discussion on two franchise-altering trades with the Boston Bruins in the 1970s and one potential blockbuster deal involving a Bruins Hall of Famer that would have changed the course of history for both teams. In Period 2 we w...
Aug 21, 2018•35 min•Ep. 13
Today we pay tribute to a hockey warrior - John Schella — who passed away on August 3rd 2018 at the age of 71. John Schella was Born May 9 1947 -- Port Arthur, ONT. He gained notoriety as one of the “Thunder Bay Boys” before signing with the Peterborough Petes in 1966-67. After honing his skills in Houston, Denver and Rochester he became an original Vancouver Canuck in 1970-71. Two years later John joined the fledgling World Hockey Association, where he would spend the next six years of his care...
Aug 07, 2018•19 min•Ep. 12
Jerry Rollins was a hard-punching defenseman, who fought all the tough guys in the wild World Hockey Association. A 2nd round draft selection of the Detroit Red Wings and the WHA Toronto Toros in 1975, Rollins earned the respect of teammates and foes alike as the protector of his team’s skilled players. Jerry is an entertaining and thoughtful man, who recalls a number of great stories from his playing days, including: How his run-in with a future NHL Hall of Famer startled his junior teammates a...
Aug 01, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 11
Andre Lacroix was the all-time scoring leader in the World Hockey Association with 798 points in just 551 games. Nicknamed the "Magician," Andre averaged nearly an assist per game throughout his WHA career. After a 147-point season with the San Diego Mariners in 1974-75, Andre was named the French-Canadian Athlete of the year, besting Guy Lafleur, Marcel Dionne and Gil Perreault, among others. Andre also had the distinction of playing for five different WHA franchises without ever being traded d...
Jun 24, 2018•42 min•Ep. 10
Toronto Maple Leafs Enforcer Kurt Walker Today’s guest on the PHA Podcast is Kurt Walker, who played three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an enforcer on a talented team that included Darryl Sittler, Lanny McDonald, Borje Salming, Ian Turnbull and the always colorful Tiger Williams. Kurt tells greats stories about his improbable rise from an unknown kid from Hingham Mass to hockey’s biggest stage. He also discusses Dignity after Hockey, a 501C3 charity that he created to help ex-players ...
May 01, 2018•47 min•Ep. 9
Peter Marsh - Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets, Cincinnati Stingers Today’s Guest on the PHA Podcast is NHL Veteran Peter Marsh After a prolific junior career with Sherbrooke of the Quebec Major Junior League, Peter played eight big league seasons between 1976 and 1984 with the Cincinnati Stingers, Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets. Peter notched 44 goals in the WHA’s swan song season in 1978-79, teaming with fellow youngsters and future Hall of Famers Mark Messier and Mike Gartner. Peter re...
Apr 27, 2018•26 min•Ep. 8
Today’s guest is Shannon Lewandoski Shannon is not an ex-pro player but he is an integral part of the hockey community. Shannon is a Financial Planner in Greater St. Louis and an avid adult hockey player, who created the popular LinkedIn Group “Hockey Player Doing Business Together” in 2010. That group has since grown to over 41,000 members and has recently merged with Hockey Players in Business (HPIB)—an international, not-for-profit network designed to help former and current hockey players bu...
Apr 25, 2018•22 min•Ep. 7
Frank Simonetti was an All-American collegiate player at D2 Norwich University, who went on to play four seasons with the Boston Bruins in the 1980s. Frank shares interesting stories from his Bruins career, partnering on defense with Ray Bourque, his somewhat awkward introduction to Cam Neely and the talented 1980s Bruins teams. We also discuss Frank’s Annual “Bowl with a Bruin” event that raises money for the Dana Farber Institute in Boston. Host: Mark Willand Website: ProHockeyAlumni.org This ...
Apr 05, 2018•39 min•Ep. 6
A member of the US Hockey Hall of Fame, Larry Pleau is one of the most respected people in the game. Larry was one of the top American hockey players in the late 1960s and 1970s, playing for Team USA at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble as well as the 1969 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Stockholm. He then played three seasons for the Montreal Canadiens from 1970-1972, winning the Stanley Cup in 1971. In 1972, Pleau became the first player to sign with his hometown New England Wha...
Mar 22, 2018•32 min•Ep. 5
The guest on Pro Hockey Alumni Podcast #3 is film producer and hockey fan Mark Greczmiel, who has produced an entertaining documentary on the California Seals hockey franchise, one of the six expansion teams added to the NHL in 1967. The nine-year NHL saga of the Seals includes everything from white ice skates and orange pucks, to disastrous trades and an out-of-control owner. From future hockey stars like Reggie Leach, Dennis Maruk and Charlie Simmer, to a female streaker and a cheerleader name...
Mar 16, 2018•37 min•Ep. 4
A prolific minor league scorer during the days of the six-team NHL, Norm Beaudin was an original member of the expansion St. Louis Blues in 1967. Later, he became the first-ever player to sign with the Winnipeg Jets of the fledgling World Hockey Association in 1972. With the 1972-73 Jets, Beaudin was paired with the “Golden Jet” Bobby Hull and center Christian Bordeleau to form the “Luxury Line.” All three players would top the 100-point mark with Beaudin netting 103. Beaudin turned up the heat ...
Feb 22, 2018•44 min•Ep. 3
OUR FIRST EVER GUEST ON THE PRO HOCKEY ALUMNI PODCAST IS "THE SNIPER" — BLAINE “STASH” STOUGHTON, WHO HAD TWO 50-GOAL AND TWO 40-GOAL SEASONS WITH THE HARTFORD WHALERS OF THE NHL ALONG WITH A 52-GOAL CAMPAIGN WITH THE WHA CINCINNATI STINGERS. IN ADDITION TO TALKING ABOUT HIS CAREER HIGHLITES WE DISCUSS HIS FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF TWO 17-YEAR OLD TEAMMATES IN INDY — WAYNE GRETZKY AND MARK MESSIER, THE SUSPENSION FOR HIS ATTACK ON THE NOTORIOUS PAUL BAXTER AND SOMEHOW PLAYBOY BUNNIES, CHERYL TIEGS, C...
Feb 16, 2018•43 min•Ep. 2
