The Forum was Cuthbert's favourite rink
Jun 16, 2005 17:39:58 GMT -5
Post by Forum Ghost on Jun 16, 2005 17:39:58 GMT -5
A snippet from the Gazette interview with Chris Cuthbert...
CanWest: You co-authored a book called The Rink, about venerable arenas across Canada. Pick one rink that ought to be the model for all others.
Cuthbert: The Montreal Forum. I did a lot of games there as a host and as a play-by-play guy and I did not grow up as a Montreal Canadiens fan, but I was in awe of that building every time I walked in. It just oozed history.
There was no other rink that on an every-Saturday-night basis created the same energy. It was always spotless. Every worker had so much pride in working at the Forum. There were ushers who were in their 70s and 80s. I remember the usher who manned the door to the press box. He was a gentleman of 75 to 80 and I wanted to treat him like Jean Beliveau because he had the same kind of aura about him. And to sit in the same seat as Danny Gallivan, there was no better broadcast location hanging above the ice than the Montreal Forum.
A typical Saturday would be going into a little media room where they put out the coffee and doughnuts. You'd have Red Fisher and Dick Irvin talking in one corner and you always had a Dickie Moore kind of legend in another area. Then you'd have the French conversations going on.
I remember going with Scott Russell to pick up the game notes that weren't down in the media room. We're banging on the back door of the office. The door swings open and it's Jean Beliveau. There were always those moments around the corner at the Forum.
CanWest: You co-authored a book called The Rink, about venerable arenas across Canada. Pick one rink that ought to be the model for all others.
Cuthbert: The Montreal Forum. I did a lot of games there as a host and as a play-by-play guy and I did not grow up as a Montreal Canadiens fan, but I was in awe of that building every time I walked in. It just oozed history.
There was no other rink that on an every-Saturday-night basis created the same energy. It was always spotless. Every worker had so much pride in working at the Forum. There were ushers who were in their 70s and 80s. I remember the usher who manned the door to the press box. He was a gentleman of 75 to 80 and I wanted to treat him like Jean Beliveau because he had the same kind of aura about him. And to sit in the same seat as Danny Gallivan, there was no better broadcast location hanging above the ice than the Montreal Forum.
A typical Saturday would be going into a little media room where they put out the coffee and doughnuts. You'd have Red Fisher and Dick Irvin talking in one corner and you always had a Dickie Moore kind of legend in another area. Then you'd have the French conversations going on.
I remember going with Scott Russell to pick up the game notes that weren't down in the media room. We're banging on the back door of the office. The door swings open and it's Jean Beliveau. There were always those moments around the corner at the Forum.