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Hammertime: Celebrating 100 years of NHL hockey and legends

This week, Hammertime takes a look at the sport of hockey and the NHL
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Mike Rainone

Hammertime

I guess I have been watching hockey games and wildly cheering the great plays, goals, hits, saves, and a few good scraps since I was about 10 years old, which is over 65 years ago.

Along with so many millions of loyal and fanatic fans of all ages we have chosen sides, stressed a little, but loved to watch or listen decades of games on our radio or television sets, as well as at jam-packed and rowdy rinks across our province and nation. Hopefully, most of us have or will have the thrilling chance to play our great Canadian game, whether it is on arena ice or on the traditional and chilly outdoor rink, but there is absolutely no doubt, then or now, that we will never be able to stay away from the best end-to-end knock-em sock-em game in the world.

Along the way yours truly has had the amazing opportunity of rubbing shoulders with, writing stories about, and even flooding the ice for so many great players and teams and coaches involved with our long-standing and first class Ponoka senior, junior, minor hockey, farm, and fun hockey programs. Where ever the puck may have been dropped over all these years, how very proud our town and county community should be that they have given thousands of boys and girls and adults of all ages the keen opportunity to play some hockey at their unique pace and skills within a strong team effort.

If you stroll along the walls and the trophy cases of our complex everyone will be treated to the photos of the Ponoka and district players who have moved on into the higher ranks of hockey as far as the NHL, as well as pictures, trophies, and banners of so many teams who have proudly won hockey championships and glory for their hometown. Most of them over the years have also stayed on in the sport as busy and dedicated hockey parents, coaches, referees, officials, promoters, executives, volunteers, and of course avid fans, and will always deserve our applause and support.

As we proudly celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NHL (1917 to 2017) it is gratifying that over the years each and every team have and always will proudly honour their late, great and legendary players of the past by holding colourful family ceremonies before regular games and raising their photo banners up to the rafters of their arenas.

I will always admit that I have been a faithful Toronto Maple Leafs fan from the moment I got my first radio and listened to Foster Hewitt from the Gardens in my tiny bedroom on Riverside Drive. When they honoured their late and great goaltender Johnny Bower last week I shed a few tears and shared some great memories, including the LAST TIME they won the Stanley Cup under the direction of Punch Imlach in 1967. In honour of each and every one of the NHL teams and players during their first century of spectacular and gritty hockey action, here is a list of the top 100 players of that exciting era, as chosen by the sports writers, coaches, team-mates, and of course their millions of avid fans of all ages from countless family generations and most of us senior ‘puck fanatics’ will never forget:

Sid Abel, Syl Apps, Andy Bathgate, Jean Beliveau, Max Bentley, Toe Blake, Mike Bossy, Ray Bourque, Johnny Bower, Turk Broda, Martin Brodeur, Johnny Bucyk, Pavel Bure, Chris Chelious, King Clancy, Bobby Clarke, Paul Coffee, Charlie Conacher, Yvan Cournoyer, Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyk, Alex Delvecchio, Marcel Dion, Ken Dryden, Blll Durnan, Phil and Tony Esposito, Sergei Federov, Peter Forsberg, Ron Francis, Grant Fuhr, Bob Gainey, Mike Gartner, Bernie (boom-boom) Geoffrion, Wayne Gretzky, Glen Hall, Doug Harvey, Domonic Hasek, Tim Horton, Gordie Howe, Bobby and Brett Hull, Jaromir Jagr, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Red Kelly, Elmer Lach, Guy Lafleur, Ted Kennedy, Dave Keon, Jari Kurri, Pat Lafontaine, Brian Leetch, Jacques Lamair, Mario Lemieux, Nick Lindstrom, Eric Lindros, Ted Lindsay, Al McInnes, Frank Mahovolich, Mark Messier, Stan Mikita, Mike Modano, Dickie Moore, Howie Morenz, Scott Niedermayer, Joe Niewendyk, Adam Oates, Bobby Orr, Alex Ovechkin, Bernie Parent, Brad Park, Gilbert Perreault, Jacques Plante, Dennis Potvin, Chris Pronger, Jean Ratelle, Henri and Maurice Richard, Larry Robinson, Luc Robitatalle, Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic, Borje Salming, Denis and Serge Savard, Terry Sawchuck, Milt Schmidt, Teemu Selanne, Brendan Shanahan, Daryll Sittler, Eddie Shore, Billy Smith, Peter Stastny, Scott Stevens, Mats Sundin, Jonathan Toews, Bryon Trottier, Georges Vezina, and Steve Yzerman.

As the NHL rolls into its second exciting century we can always look forward to seeing so many more stars and legends, all who have and will continue to learn their skills along with their team-mates and coaches on our friendly hometown rinks, and will always long for an opportunity to follow their flashy hockey idols.

One of my greatest memories of being involved in the local sports scene as a reporter for the Ponoka Herald was becoming very good friends and sharing some great old tales with another NHL super-star Max Bentley (The Dipsy Doodle Dandy from Delisle) when he was here coaching the Ponoka Junior ‘A’ Stampeders.

Wishing each and every one of our Ponoka and district hockey teams an exciting and fun 2018 season and looking forward to seeing you at the rink to cheer them on, and in the meantime have a great week, all of you.