The Good Friday Massacre
Mar 1, 2005 20:38:19 GMT -5
Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Mar 1, 2005 20:38:19 GMT -5
Clint Malarchuk: the former Nordiques goalie recalls the day that the contentious Montreal-Quebec rivalry turned ugly
- The Game I'll Never Forget - Quebec Nordiques
Hockey Digest, Dec, 2003
by Chuck O'Donnell
DURING THE INFAMOUS GOOD Friday Brawl between the Canadiens and us in the 1984 playoffs, the benches emptied, there were fights all over the ice surface, the backup goalies were fighting, the coaches were screaming at each other, and Hunter brother was fighting Hunter brother.
Recently they brought back a bunch of the guys from that--game you know, Chris Nilan, Pat Price, and so on--and held some reunion games in Montreal and Quebec City. I was kind of surprised they would do something like that. I don't know how the games turned out, but I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of the guys wanted to go at it again for old-time's sake.
Back in the 1980s, that rivalry was unbelievable. We hated the Canadiens and I'm sure if you asked them, they hated the Nordiques. Even the cities--Montreal and Quebec City--seemed to hate each other. It was very intense until the day the Nordiques moved to Denver and became the Avalanche.
The excess of media coverage just magnified everything. There was a ton of hockey media in Montreal and Quebec City in those days. Back then, there was a lot of hype, and it just made the rivalry that much more intense. You always bad reporters asking you about the rivalry, magnifying every little word that was said.
Through the years, there were many, many battles between the teams, but it never reached the level it did when we met in 1984, in the finals of the old Adams Division.
- www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCM/is_2_32/ai_110458303
*
By Josie Lemieux
Sports Central Columnist
It all exploded when the bell rang the end of the second period at the Montreal Forum. Another rivalry playoff. With a crucial Game 6 needed to be won, frustration by both teams concerned many aspects: terrible referee calls, hatred fuelled by the media and fans (reporters even fought in press rooms), it had to explode.
As the players jumped on Dale Hunter as he was pushing the Habs' Guy Carbonneau on the ice, everyone seemed awed by what was seen on TV. I was 16 at the time, but I remember that I was not fearing for the Nordiques being punched, it was worse -- I was certain that someone was going to die.
My family was half-Habs, half-Nordiques, and completely hysterical -- even the goalies were fighting, top scorers like Guy Lafleur, Peter Stastny, and goons like Chris Nilan and Louis Sleigher punched everyone in their path. The crowd at the Forum found it amusing at the beginning, but it lasted. And lasted. Amusement turned to awe and panic. Commentators were speechless.
Referee Bruce Hood lost control that night, giving 198 penalty minutes and 10 game misconducts. I hated hockey that night. Chris Nilan had to be crucified, Dale Hunter had to be killed. I hated that night. Others adored it. Even today, we still ask ourselves who started it.
- www.buzzle.com/editorials/text4-28-2003-39653.asp
*
Ah, good times, good times.
- The Game I'll Never Forget - Quebec Nordiques
Hockey Digest, Dec, 2003
by Chuck O'Donnell
DURING THE INFAMOUS GOOD Friday Brawl between the Canadiens and us in the 1984 playoffs, the benches emptied, there were fights all over the ice surface, the backup goalies were fighting, the coaches were screaming at each other, and Hunter brother was fighting Hunter brother.
Recently they brought back a bunch of the guys from that--game you know, Chris Nilan, Pat Price, and so on--and held some reunion games in Montreal and Quebec City. I was kind of surprised they would do something like that. I don't know how the games turned out, but I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of the guys wanted to go at it again for old-time's sake.
Back in the 1980s, that rivalry was unbelievable. We hated the Canadiens and I'm sure if you asked them, they hated the Nordiques. Even the cities--Montreal and Quebec City--seemed to hate each other. It was very intense until the day the Nordiques moved to Denver and became the Avalanche.
The excess of media coverage just magnified everything. There was a ton of hockey media in Montreal and Quebec City in those days. Back then, there was a lot of hype, and it just made the rivalry that much more intense. You always bad reporters asking you about the rivalry, magnifying every little word that was said.
Through the years, there were many, many battles between the teams, but it never reached the level it did when we met in 1984, in the finals of the old Adams Division.
- www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCM/is_2_32/ai_110458303
*
By Josie Lemieux
Sports Central Columnist
It all exploded when the bell rang the end of the second period at the Montreal Forum. Another rivalry playoff. With a crucial Game 6 needed to be won, frustration by both teams concerned many aspects: terrible referee calls, hatred fuelled by the media and fans (reporters even fought in press rooms), it had to explode.
As the players jumped on Dale Hunter as he was pushing the Habs' Guy Carbonneau on the ice, everyone seemed awed by what was seen on TV. I was 16 at the time, but I remember that I was not fearing for the Nordiques being punched, it was worse -- I was certain that someone was going to die.
My family was half-Habs, half-Nordiques, and completely hysterical -- even the goalies were fighting, top scorers like Guy Lafleur, Peter Stastny, and goons like Chris Nilan and Louis Sleigher punched everyone in their path. The crowd at the Forum found it amusing at the beginning, but it lasted. And lasted. Amusement turned to awe and panic. Commentators were speechless.
Referee Bruce Hood lost control that night, giving 198 penalty minutes and 10 game misconducts. I hated hockey that night. Chris Nilan had to be crucified, Dale Hunter had to be killed. I hated that night. Others adored it. Even today, we still ask ourselves who started it.
- www.buzzle.com/editorials/text4-28-2003-39653.asp
*
Ah, good times, good times.