Don Cherry's Hockey Stories and Stuff
CBC Books | CBC News | Posted: July 11, 2017 2:26 PM | Last Updated: June 4, 2019
Don Cherry & Al Strachan
Don Cherry has been named a National Hockey League Coach of the Year with a winning percentage of over .600 and also received Coach of the Year honours in the American Hockey League. His comments on Hockey Night in Canada's "Coach's Corner" routinely make headlines as they entertain, educate, and often upset some fans throughout North America. He may be controversial, but no one can deny the popularity he enjoys; popularity that was reflected in his top 10 ranking in the competition to determine "The Greatest Canadian."
Now from Grapes himself comes the book that hockey fans of all ages have been waiting for. Written with veteran sports journalist Al Strachan, here are Don Cherry's favourite stories from his career in hockey. And you can imagine the stories he has to tell. (From Anchor Canada)
From the book
To even go farther with a little story — it must have been in 1983, my producer sat me down the morning of a game, if you can believe it, between the Islanders and Edmonton, and he said — John Shannon was there, and Dave Hodge, for breakfast and I went down all bubbly and everythin' and ready for the game.
So the producer said in front of these guys, "I'm really worried about the way you pronounce names."
Now, this is six months in! I'd been doing it now for six months and all of a sudden, he tells me the day of the game in the Stanley Cup finals that I don't pronounce Gillies right when I'm talkin' about Clark Gillies! That really bothered me at the time — because it was my first year, I guess.
I used to worry about things like that back then.
From Don Cherry's Hockey Stories and Stuff by Don Cherry ©2008 & Al Strachan ©2008. Published by Anchor Canada.