I heard about that thought I’m no Howe fan. He hit my buddy Cal for no reason in the first period of a game, Cal didn’t have puck or anything, then in the third period when Howe had the puck, Cal got off a clean hit. Howe immediately went and cried to the ref, asking him does he know who he is, and who is he to touch me etc. Not a class act. He is nothing like this legendary Montreal Jean Beliveau that my dad talked about a lot.
Cal died last new year’s day, but he didn’t get mention. Him and Pat Quinn were roommates in the early hockey days. He was a good friend to me and is missed.
Yah, it’s rare that you hear bad things about famous players. It’s hard to keep a balance between reality and fame. It’s very hard to balance personal connections with numbers, too. Class doesn’t have much connection to that. People remember media moments, not real life.
I’m glad you got to know the better person.