Excerpts from "Gabby - Confessions of a Hockey Lifer," Part II
by J.P. on Aug 18, 2009 11:30 AM EDT
19 comments
[Every day this week at Japers' Rink, we'll be sharing a new excerpt from Bruce Boudreau's forthcoming autobiography "Gabby - Confessions of a Hockey Lifer" (co-written by Tim Leone). The book, published by the good folks over at Potomac Books, Inc., hits book store shelves in October, 2009, but you can (and should) pre-order it now via Amazon.com or BN.com.
Our second excerpt is a glimpse at Boudreau as a young player...]
During my first pro year I was an undisciplined twenty-year-old who was all about having fun. Here’s a personal message for young players: Use Bruce Boudreau as an example of what not to do so you don’t have to live with the regrets that have haunted me. Paul Holmgren was absolutely right. My priorities were wrong, and I wasn’t serious enough about the game. That’s strange in light of how serious I am about the game now; my whole life is the game.
My girlfriend, Mary, visited Johnstown to see me play. That provided another way to highlight my lackadaisical attitude. She was in the stands with twelve hundred people, so she was easy to spot. I was on the bench, shouting, "Watch, honey, I’m going to score this shift." Then I’d score. Really stupid, show-off stuff. As a coach, I’d get mad at a player who did that now. I would really flip out. Despite behaving so unprofessionally, I had almost two points a game with the Jets. The sad fact is I could have had three a game if I had really tried.
I wish I knew then what I know now. It wasn’t until I became a minor-league veteran that I realized the importance of working out like a fiend and staying in great shape. It kills me that I basically wrecked my whole playing career my first year in pro hockey. I firmly believe I should have been in the NHL for many years. I ruined it by goofing off, taking everything too easily, and focusing too much on having a good time and too little on my job. It was dreadful.
The game came too easy for me, and it caught up when I turned pro. I was playing with guys who were older and were men. You had to be fit and compete hard, especially because I was a smaller player. I was a snot-nosed rookie with a big ego. That’s why vets like Dave Keon didn’t like me. I didn’t like Keon either.
In Minnesota, Keon and Johnny McKenzie took me aside every day and said, "You’re coming to lunch with us." We’d go to lunch—I’m thinking this is a great deal—and they never spoke to me once. They’d leave and make me pay the bill. That went on about four or five days in a row before I told them I wouldn’t go with them anymore.
I was dumb back then. I wish to God I could change it all, but I can’t. I learned too hard and too late that no matter how talented you think you are, there’s no free lunch in pro hockey.
[Tomorrow: Why we're lucky Bruce Boudreau is here in D.C. at all.]
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God, I love this man. I can’t wait for the book.
There's always more to learn about Hockey.
by WordsOnIce on Aug 18, 2009 11:33 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I wonder, had Gabby not gone on to coach, what people would think of him. How big would his Wikipedia page be?
"My face is my mask."
by jakeshapiro on Aug 18, 2009 11:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Some people are born to play … and some people are born to coach. Gabby is one of the latter.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Aug 18, 2009 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think the point of the excerpt is that he believes that he’s one of the former and pissed it away.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Aug 18, 2009 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
But thats a huge reason why now he is the latter. I dont think he could have been both. If he had succeeded as a player, he wouldnt have learned the lessons that make him such a great coach. But he couldnt pull it together as a young guy, and therefore became coach material
Fehr is fair, but I like Laich
by amkcaps on Aug 18, 2009 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I dont think he could have been both. If he had succeeded as a player, he wouldnt have learned the lessons that make him such a great coach.
Agreed. See: Wayne Gretzky
"My face is my mask."
by jakeshapiro on Aug 18, 2009 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I truly believe that all the great players, in any sport, were so good that it’s hard for them to explain to others what they did.
by JonnyP on Aug 18, 2009 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed. Nice avatar btw – always thought that was a badass pic.
by grapejoos on Aug 18, 2009 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is true, but you also have to compare the players Gretzky and Bruce have to work with.
by bigmac1124 on Aug 18, 2009 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Seconded. The regret and hard lessons he learned have shaped him to some degree what he is today. But the basic material for a good performer (be it coach or player) is there. A lesser person would have let the regret of missed opportunities sour the rest of his life. Gabby turned it into a source of strength.
There's always more to learn about Hockey.
by WordsOnIce on Aug 18, 2009 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Exactly this. Sometimes what you think you’re born to do isn’t really what you’re born to do.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Aug 18, 2009 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
When a door closes — even if it’s you doing the closing — sometimes a window opens. It did, and he jumped through it.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Aug 18, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wonder how relevant/topical this excerpt from the book is to some of the current players? Is it just coincidence that this ended up making the editting cut or a subtle message?
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
- Ferris Bueller
by war_capitals on Aug 18, 2009 11:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
seems to be a pretty defining perspective on his life. i don’t know an editor that would have left this out.
by Natty Bumppo on Aug 18, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You think that his players will read this book? Maybe later on a beach after they retire but I can’t imagine that they’ll read it now. Hopefully he’s told this to Flash and to Semin already and they don’t need to read it in his book.
by Sct112 on Aug 18, 2009 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m pretty sure he gets that message across without the book.
by Fehr and Balanced on Aug 18, 2009 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Keon and Johnny McKenzie took me aside every day and said, “You’re coming to lunch with us.” We’d go to lunch—I’m thinking this is a great deal—and they never spoke to me once. They’d leave and make me pay the bill.
That’s classic. What’s amazing is it took him four days to figure out their scam. Bruce is like the preacher who was a former sinner. He knows what the wrong path looks like and he’s determined to stop his flock from going down it.
by b.orr4 on Aug 18, 2009 1:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I think this part of the excerpt makes me feel that Bruce never liked being told what to do. Naturally, you can see that he doesn’t mind telling his players what to do. This also reminds me of myself toward the end of my hockey career in high school. I gave up playing hockey when I got to college—oddly enough, just to have fun—but still to this day, hockey is my life. Your love and dedication for the game, whether your playing it or not, doesn’t go away.
by bigmac1124 on Aug 18, 2009 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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