SCREAMER

THE FORGOTTEN VOICE OF THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS

THE HOCKEY BROADCASTS

Front:Al Rollins,Andy Barbe,Stan Kemp,Baz Bastien(Coach),Peanuts O’Flaherty, Bob Hassard?, Gil Mayer.
2nd row Bob Sollinger,Les Costello, Eric Pogue,Tim Horton,Ray Hannigan,Ken Robertson,Rudy Migay, Trainer Socko McCarran.
Back Row Phil Samis, Church Russell, Pete Backor,Bill Benson,Frank Mathers, Elldred Kobusen

It was November 1936 that I had my real start in broadcasting There were years of elation and disappointment that came with announcing the sport I loved most. Almost from the start, my colleagues in the print media were not only supportive, but also complimentary. One went so far as to say that I could speak coherently at seven words per second. If correct, I was speaking faster than I could read.  In one instance in 1939 the game was transcribed and after it was played over the air, it was given to me. I could not count the words per second, but I did talk fast, and, if I may say so, was excited and exciting.

Down the ice in a blaze of fast skating action, Aurie on the right, Deacon on the left with Brown at center. Over the blue line and into Hershey territory, Aurie feeds Brown, Brown slides the puck between his legs to Deacon. Aurie sets a screen in front of the goalie, Deacon fakes the shot, passes to Brown, back to Deacon. He shoots, He Scores! A sizzling wrister, Moore never saw it.

I learned from one newsman that Pittsburgh became a member of the NHL in 1925, prior to the entry of the New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks in 1926.  Pittsburgh gave up the franchise after the 1930 season because the City reneged on building an arena that would provide seating for at least 12,000. Amateur teams played to meager crowds in the Duquesne Gardens. John Harris reinstated pro hockey in 1936 and my broadcasts were to be key in lifting attendance.

Having lost its NHL franchise, John H. Harris secured a minor league team for Pittsburgh. The NHL had decided to deny entry to additional teams because the owners felt that such expansion would reduce the talent pool, increase salaries they’d have to pay and simultaneously reduce fan interest. The NHL controlled player development from juniors through most minor league clubs.  All players before the 1950s came from Canada, and they knew from birth (because their parents knew) that if they wanted to play pro hockey they had to be in virtual servitude to an NHL team.

To obtain talent, Harris had to associate with an NHL club. Some freelancers were available. They had either played out their NHL days, or were not talented enough to play in the NHL. These men provided a core around which future NHL stars coalesced. Harris was fortunate in lining up an agreement with Detroit. In the years before WWII, several players received seasoning in Pittsburgh before their promotion to the NHL. In deference to Detroit, the Hornet’s team colors were red and white and remained so for all but one year when, after winning the AHL Championship, John Harris decked the boys in new black and gold uniforms representative of the colors of other Pittsburgh pro sport teams and the City of Pittsburgh.

Tommy Hughes, a former Detroit starter, was the first coach.  While the team’s record was average, it did earn a trip to the playoffs. It was a thrill that Spring to broadcast the playoff home games. Fan interest peaked and “standing room only” was the sign in front of the Gardens. The air was charged and, as a 27-year old, newly naturalized citizen, with Canadian blood running through my veins, nervous energy provided an unusual high. The series was a best of five and had all the liveliness one could ask for in a pro sporting event.  Syracuse had finished ahead of the Hornets in regular play and beat Pittsburgh to win the semifinal series 3 games to 2.

The Hornets’ record was better in the second year, earning them another go at the Championship. Again the Syracuse team eliminated them. The 1938 team was heavily weighted on offense. The team scored more goals than any other team, but had the worst season of its early life. Sid Abel played for the Hornets that year.  His play was spectacular and earned him a starting spot with Detroit. But the League’s leading scorer was Hornet Don Deacon.

Perhaps the greatest season prior to World War II was 1939-40. This was the year “Red” Kelly provided key playmaking ability coupled with defensive play so lacking in the team of the prior season. This was the year the Hornets advanced to the Calder Cup finals. Kelly returned to Pittsburgh thirty years later as a coach.

Fan interest was so high that I was sent to Providence to broadcast the finals. Providence was the farm club of the Chicago Black Hawks. When the Hawks finished their season out of contention, the entire NHL team was sent to Providence.  The Hornets put up a good showing against what was basically an NHL team, but lost the best of five in three games each with the score 4-3. 

Agreeing with my protests on air, the AHL took action that Spring to eliminate the possibility of NHL players coming to the AHL after mid February. Ability to pay talent depended on being in and winning the playoffs.  The lending of established talent, “ringers,” to an AHL farm team after a parent club completed its season, was abhorrent. Making matters worse, Detroit was in the 1939 Stanley Cup playoffs.  Thus, as its farm club, the Hornets were in double jeopardy having to supply talent to Detroit as its injuries mounted.

Canada became involved in WWII in 1939, two years before the U.S. In 1941, the youth available to play hockey was reduced by over half. NHL teams, anxious to maintain a semblance of the fast pace their fans came to expect, bled their farm teams. Detroit put emphasis on its closer farm club in Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh turned to Montreal for support.  The Canadiens had by far the greatest number of players available. Al Sutphin, owner of the Cleveland Barons, controlled the contracts of half the non-NHL players.  He offered assistance to other teams in the League as shortages forced teams to consider dropping out.

After the war, I grew to look forward to Wednesday and Saturday nights from October through March. Fan interest increased dramatically, and the Hornets did not let the fans down. Wally Wilson and “Peanuts” O’Flaherty sparked the offense, but it was the defensive play of Pete Backor and goalie “Baz” Bastien that kept many of the games in reach. Bill Ezinicki, who rotated to and from Toronto, helped the defense with his hard checking.

One of those upsetting times came in 1949 when, during the first day of practice, Baz was hit in the face.  Try as they could, Baz lost the use of his right eye.  Taking care of their own, the Hornets began to groom this once promising goalie into a formidable coach and then general manager. Always available to the press, he provided very candid comments on the prospects of the teams he coached. Gil Mayer replaced Baz in the nets.  His performance was outstanding. 

“King” Clancy came to the Gardens as coach for the 1951-52 season. Toronto was committed to the advancement of the Hornets and on a number of occasions we saw Clancy’s former partner on defense, Toronto Coach “Hap” Day and its owner, general manager, Conn Smythe. Born in Canada, my meeting and interviewing these two gentlemen was like an American meeting Babe Ruth (which I also did in 1947).

The sterling defensive coaching set up by Clancy used stalwarts Pete Backor and Frank Mathers. Rookie Tim Horton, was augmented by Toronto hard checking talent Bill Eziniki and Leo Boivin.  Offensive power came from Andy Barbe, Bob Hassard, George Armstrong and Phil Maloney.  Gil Mayer who won the “Hap” Holmes award as the Leagues best goalie five times from 1951-1956, was just edged out by Cleveland’s Johnny Bower.

With the team as Division leader in the West, it faced East leader, Hershey.  The Bears (B’ars to be more specific) were no match for the Hornets who held a 20-point advantage over them in the regular season.  Perhaps fortunate for the Hornets, the Providence Reds downed the Barons.  The Hornets in a thrilling 6 game match defeated the Reds to garner their first of three Calder Cup trophies.

A powerful Cleveland team edged out the Hornets for the League championship the following season. A gang of rookies, headed by a sensational stick handler, Willie Marshall, flanked by Earl Balfour and Bob Sabourin on the wings, led the scoring.  Bob Solinger and Danny Lewicki supported the youngsters as the Hornets moved from emphasis on defense to offense.

In April 1952 the team, with Gil in the net, moved to the Calder Cup finals.  In a tense, mainly defensive seventh and deciding game at Cleveland, there was no score at the end of regulation.  In one of the most disappointing moments of my career, a puck was sent up to the rafters by Baron’s defenseman Bob Chrystal. Gil was confused and left the net. The puck careened off the Boards, hit Mayer’s skate and turned on the red light for a Cleveland victory and the Calder Cup.

This game was a personal disappointment for me.  The local television station had decided to televise the game, but because of a conflict in beer sponsors, Ray Scott was brought in.  I did not hear his description as I was covering the game on radio, but from what fans and newsmen told me, the tv sound was turned off and my radio call was used to describe the game. After the game, Ray told me that I should have been the broadcaster.

There were many times that I should have been the broadcaster.  Broadcasting is a very competitive business and like so many businesses has been taken over by people who have control, but no talent.