Excerpts from "Gabby - Confessions of a Hockey Lifer," Part V
by J.P. on Aug 21, 2009 11:30 AM EDT
41 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.
Today's excerpt picks up in overtime of Game 7 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Flyers.]
There were two controversial calls by my neighbor, referee Paul Devorski. Devo and I owned homes in the same subdivision in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He lived two doors away. Yes, it’s a small world.
…
In overtime Devo made a neutral-zone hooking call on Tom Poti that set up Joffrey Lupul’s power-play series winner. I understand the standard is to not let everything go. The problem is that a no-whistle tone had been set. They didn’t call any penalties in the third period and didn’t call John Erskine earlier in overtime for a trip that stopped a potential Kapanen breakaway. A call on Erskine, a defenseman who competes his butt off and provides a needed physical element, would have been a more valid penalty on which to decide the series.
I give Paul credit for having the guts, whether he’s right or wrong, to make the call on Poti. Devo had an explanation for everything. However, he was the back referee. Why did he make that call? Why didn’t ref Don Koharski, who had the play right in front of him, make that call? I don’t understand that.
I had a bad gut feeling when we got the penalty. Poti was our best penalty killer, and he was in the box. We almost killed all of it, but Lupul scored at 6:06 with nine seconds left on the power play for a 3-2 Philly win. I tried not to look at the Flyers’ celebration. You hate it when you lose. I wanted to hug all my players. I’d believed they were going to go deep into the play-offs. I was so proud of their effort. It would have been easy for them to quit on many occasions.
We did our best, and it was just one of those things that went the other way. A great hockey game, a great series. I didn’t have a lot to say in the locker room. I told them, "I’m so proud of the way you guys worked for me as a guy who just showed up. You could have said you’re waiting until you get a big-name coach. But you worked your hearts out for me, and I’m so proud of you. You did something great, and we’re on the verge of being really great."
They weren’t ready to hear it. They were crushed. But they needed to keep their heads up.
I was numb. I didn’t have any emotion left, either sadness or happiness. You’re going a hundred miles per hour, all your senses are operating at their peak, and everything comes to a sudden halt in a blink.
The bottom line is it was time to say good-bye. To the 2007–8 season. To a special group of players.
We had the traditional end-of-season exit meetings with the players. After meeting with Brooks Laich, he left the room and then poked his head back in.
"Bruce, I wanted to tell you," Brooks said. "Sergei Fedorov said the best two coaches he ever had were you and Scotty Bowman, for instincts behind the bench and stuff."
I don’t know if it’s true. But, boy, it hit me. Being in the same breath with Scotty Bowman in the eyes of Sergei Fedorov. What a moment. For a minor-league guy who had been shot down most of his life, that was pretty incredible.
…
When I got home to Harrisburg after we’d wrapped up the season, I took my son Brady to Paul Devorski’s house.
I knocked on the door and said, "Paul?"
"Yes?" he warily answered.
"No hard feelings." I shook his hand, and Paul seemed relieved
"Good," Devo said. "Now will you phone my son? He hasn’t talked to me in three days."
"I’m over here to say there’s no hard feelings," I added, "because you’re the only one in the neighborhood who has a pool. And we’re going to have to use it this summer."
[This concludes our week-long series of excerpts. Special thanks go out to Sam Dorrance of Potomac Books for all of his help, and, of course, to Bruce Boudreau and Tim Leone for writing the book and making this possible. There's obviously quite a bit in the book that we didn't get a chance to share with you this week (remember this tidbit from well before the two met in the playoffs?), but hopefully the sampling we've provided has fed your hockey-starved appetite for a bit. Now go and buy the darn thing - it won't be 34% off forever.]
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Devo pool story FTW
Awesome stuff. Thanks for providing this all week.
by Scott in Shaw on Aug 21, 2009 11:42 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Yeah, the pool story is great. Definitely sounds like Bruce.
by gfcaps fan on Aug 21, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I LOL’ed. A lot.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Aug 21, 2009 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The pool story was the first thing I was going to comment on, a Rec’ for saving me the trouble.
"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 21, 2009 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
A great closer for the week. Thanks.
Is there anything in the book about BB’s thoughts on Feds leaving the team?
"My face is my mask."
by jakeshapiro on Aug 21, 2009 11:52 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I don’t recall that specifically, per se, but I also haven’t seen a final version, so it might end up in there.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Aug 21, 2009 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Perfect excerpt to conclude the series.
Rockin' the Red in Section 412
by boutros23 on Aug 21, 2009 11:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
That’s a good cap on things.
http://wewintrophies.com/ - 12 major trophies in national and international competitions. Be a part of the next one.
by Bald Pollack on Aug 21, 2009 11:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I see what you did there.
"My face is my mask."
by jakeshapiro on Aug 21, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
remember this tidbit from well before the two met in the playoffs?
The entire book is only 214 pages and there’s and entire chapter about coaching Sean Avery? For a week? Wow. (Maybe a short chapter?)
by gfcaps fan on Aug 21, 2009 12:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Well, there isn’t exactly a whole chapter on Avery… but he’s in there.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Aug 21, 2009 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He’s one of those faces that always seems to pop-up. I hear there’s going to be a movie made about him too.
by bigmac1124 on Aug 21, 2009 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I love that part about Laich coming back in with the words from Fedorov. I’d get jazzed if Fedorov said anything nice about me.
by zephyr on Aug 21, 2009 12:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
it won’t be 34% off forever.
In honor of Al Iafrate?
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Aug 21, 2009 12:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Martin Gendron.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Aug 21, 2009 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nah, it’s for Bruce’s pet player, Flash. A subliminal homage to his old jersey number of 43.
by Cluster on Aug 21, 2009 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If that was the case, it’d be 14% off – Flash’s number in Hershey – where Bruce & Flash fell in love…
by OverTheBoards on Aug 21, 2009 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ted’s watching us reading Gabby: Lulz.
IS PAЯTY NOW
by Your Nation's Capital on Aug 21, 2009 1:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I can see Snyder calling offensive packages down onto the field via bumblebee dance.
Winterion Game Studios
Visit us online at : http://winterion.com
by winterion on Aug 21, 2009 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let’s all try to talk Snyder into buying the Pens or Flyers.
"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 21, 2009 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Or? Why not and? He could merge the two teams, build a $1.3 trillion stadium (just enough to trump Jerry Jones) directly in between the two cities, call the new team the Dutch Country Desperados, and sign Marian Hossa.
The only problem is, with Hossa, they’d be guaranteed to lose in the Finals.. meaning we wouldn’t be in them. =(
Winterion Game Studios
Visit us online at : http://winterion.com
by winterion on Aug 22, 2009 9:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why not and, bad strikeout.
Winterion Game Studios
Visit us online at : http://winterion.com
by winterion on Aug 22, 2009 9:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Crap. It just dawned on me that we’re going to have to produce original content again now. Why can’t other guys on the team write books?!
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Aug 21, 2009 2:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I think “A Blog War A Day” would make for an exciting week: each day, I tear apart a new site and wait for them to respond. Hilarity ensues.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Aug 21, 2009 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Can you believe that I’m so desperate for real hockey that I’m sad that I’m going to be away during rookie camp?
by gfcaps fan on Aug 21, 2009 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The somethingawful shtick was way better for a laugh when there were 14 million geocities sites with flashing gifs.
I say go for it though.
by zephyr on Aug 21, 2009 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
One more week +/- a few daze before everyone’s back on the ice at Kettler. In the meantime we can keep reading and posting bad googletranslate articles about the antics of the Sashas and young Semyon at the Russian Olympic team camp.
And maybe (just maybe) we should all step…outside (?) at least once before the frost…
IS PAЯTY NOW
by Your Nation's Capital on Aug 21, 2009 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And maybe (just maybe) we should all step…outside (?) at least once before the frost…
Weather.com said it’s 96 and feels like 104. I think I’ll pass….
by David M. Getz on Aug 21, 2009 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It’s raining right now, here. Rain is good.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Aug 21, 2009 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is this how you’ve been blogging all summer?
by Cluster on Aug 21, 2009 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He’s been blogging all summer?
Zing!
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Aug 22, 2009 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Raining isn’t how I would have described it (it’s stopped for now here). I couldn’t figure out why it sounded like someone was taking a shower upstairs (working in my basement at the moment).
by gfcaps fan on Aug 21, 2009 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Who posts bad googletranslate articles? We have top notch translations here.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Aug 21, 2009 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Don’t they have that little disclaimer “This translation cannot replace the translation of an interpreter” or something like that?
by red army line on Aug 21, 2009 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m guessing the part that got ellipsesed out was Kapanen’s goal? I’d be interested to see what Boudreau says about that one, since I think it’s the more legitimately controversial of the two calls.
The tripping on Poti was a must, especially since I’m sure the refs warned the Caps to watch it after Erskine got away with a clear trip just minutes before.
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Broad Street Hockey.
by Ben Rothenberg on Aug 22, 2009 12:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, it was the Kapanen goal. Buy the book to see what he thought of it! :)
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Aug 23, 2009 9:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If the refs warned the Capitals, then the players and coach wouldn’t have been upset about the call after a period and more of no calls. There most likely was no warning.
by Forsch31 on Aug 22, 2009 4:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Regardless of a warning Poti took his feet right out. That’s a PIM. The Kappanen goal is where the Caps’ complaint lies for game 7. The reffing was pretty terrible all series, but watching around the league the reffing has been pretty terrible in all series recently. It’s a thin subjective line and the NHL hasn’t figured out a way to get that line to be consistent.
by Fehr and Balanced on Aug 22, 2009 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington
|
21 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 30 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 23 |
|
Atlanta
|
18 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 22 |
|
Florida
|
19 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 18 |
|
Carolina
|
21 | 4 | 12 | 5 | 13 |
(updated 11.20.2009 at 9:16 AM EST)
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
