Mr BioFile Interviews by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: NHL right wing 1976-1988 for Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, Minnesota North Stars and Boston Bruins.
HT: 6-3 WT: 205
DOB: June 7, 1955 In: Asuncion, Paraguay
First Hockey Memory: They called me up in 1976. Played the Montreal Canadiens and Larry Robinson who I grew up watching. In the Omni. Robinson was a good player, good guy.
Hockey Inspirations: As a kid, listening to Chicago Stadium, Bobby Hull coming down the left wing, slap shot.
First Famous Player You Met Or Encountered: When you’re just a rookie, they’re all famous. Let me see… maybe one of my teammates Tom Lysiak. Maybe on the ice running into Phil Esposito. As I went along in my career, I met Gordie Howe, who I thought was pretty cool. At the All Star Game in Atlanta, I sat at a table with Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull, just the three of us. Pretty cool.
Greatest Career Moment: Yeah, probably winning Rookie of the Year (Calder Memorial Trophy in 1976-77).
Most Painful Moment: Never really dwelled on that [laughs]. My first year in Calgary (80-81) we went to the semifinals and lost to Minnesota North Stars. That kind of ticked me off a little bit. We lost the first game at home and lost the series in six.
Favorite Uniforms: Chicago’s uniform is the best, for me.
Favorite Arenas To Play: Back in the day, the old Corral in Calgary. Chicago Stadium. Boston Garden – they always had a tough team so going in there was always a little interesting.
Funniest Players Encountered: One of them is Eric Vail. (Any standout stories?) Yeah but we can’t talk about it [smiles].
Most Memorable Goal: This one I do remember. 1981 Calgary playing Chicago in the first round. We won the first two games at home, went to Chicago. Tony Esposito was in goal. With about three minutes or two and a half minutes left in the second overtime, I crossed the red line with the puck. I was tired, just decided to shoot it on goal and go for a line change. It just took off, went into the top corner. I don’t think he ever saw it. We swept them 3-0.
Closest NHL Friends: The ones I’ve been with here in Atlanta – Eric Vail, Tim Ecclestone. The ones who live here. We’ve spent a lot of time together over the last 20-30 years. Jim Peplinski in Calgary, we stay in touch. You should do one of these interviews with him, he’s such a good guy and hockey player. He called me on my birthday a few weeks ago, “Happy birthday Wilbur.”
Fiercest Competitors Encountered: I had a few fights in my career… one who comes to mind is Terry O’Reilly. He could play, he could scrap, there was no quit in that guy. Clark Gillies was the hardest puncher. He and I had one fight, he hit me on the side of the head, the hardest one I ever took. When that punch landed, I grabbed him. There was no future in that. After the game we happened to run into each other on the Island, had a beer, he said, We don’t need to be doing that anymore. I said, I agree! For the rest of our careers, we would play our games but we wouldn’t drop the gloves. Behn Wilson and I had one fight in Atlanta, got started running at each other. Normally I grabbed, tried to control ’em, not free-wheeling. In that fight we both started punching, we hit each other really hard. I usually tried not to go toe to toe, would try to get a lot of ties, instead of free swinging all the time. Gillies was one of the toughest, Behn Wilson was different tough. Probably got a couple of scars from him. So we just kept on going, we fought seven or eight times. By the end it got a bit personal. Neither of us could give in to anyone, give them the advantage. At the end we talked, had a few beers together. I had no problem with him. I would never give in to think the guy is tougher. That’s why I retired. Physically I could still do it. But I didn’t have the heart to play anymore that way. Too old to hold guys accountable. I didn’t really have to do it. I could play. I took everything so personal. That ended up being part of it
Strangest Game: A few bench clearing brawls which was not really unusual in our day. In the Stanley Cup finals with Boston in 1988, the lights went out in Boston when we were playing Edmonton. We had to cancel that game.
Embarrassing Hockey Memory: They’re all the same, not really.
Funny Hockey Memory: One that always stands out in my mind, Nick Fotiu, he was in New York. Really good guy. He would get the crowd cranked up before the game, throwing up pucks and things to the fans in the crowd. Somebody shot the puck in. Our defenseman touched the puck for icing. Nick skated all around the boards and got there like ten seconds late. Our defenseman went straight to the corner. When Nick did that I started laughing on the bench. He’s a good guy, I don’t mean to make fun of him.
Favorite Sport To Watch: I guess, I watch football.
Favorite Sport To Play: Golf and beer drinker, my favorite sport [laughs].
Worst Injury: Dislocated shoulder. Just in a fight against Don Jackson, exhibition game in Edmonton. When I was holding him with my left arm, he moved away, just pulled my left shoulder out of the socket. He knew it and quit, which was good for me. For the rest of my career I had to wear a harness.
Favorite Athletes To Watch: Kelce. Big Tom Brady fan but he retired. Mahomes. McDavid. I don’t watch a lot of hockey now but I’m intrigued by the finals, the way Florida and Edmonton play different styles.
Least Favorite Rinks To Play: Probably for different reasons I like Boston Garden but also one of the least favorite to play. When I was there my last year I loved it, it’s really old, the corners are sharp, for the home team it was a huge advantage. Boston usually had tough teams.
People Qualities Most Admired: Just honesty. Work ethic.
Career Accomplishments: Won Calder Memorial Trophy 1976-77 (Rookie of the Year); Scored 222 career NHL goals and 38 in 1980-81; Recorded six 20-plus goal seasons; Totaled 2,572 penalty minutes.
