Colourful Meeker left a lasting impression
Howie was never one to mince words, so after I invited him to commentate on a couple of games, I had to caution him about what CBC and NHL considered acceptable language. — Ralph Mellanby, former executive producer of Hockey Night In Canada
In my last year of high school, I had the opportunity to meet Howie Meeker who died this month at the age of 97.
For those unfamiliar with Howie, he played eight years in the NHL, all of them for Toronto, won the Stanley Cup four times and the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 1947.
But perhaps his greatest claim to fame was as colour commentator for Hockey Night in Canada during the '70s and '80s.
Meeker peppered his commentary with phrases like `gee whiz', `Jiminy Cricket', `holy jumping' which often earned him some derision among those following the game. I had an occasion to spend time with Howie during a hockey game between our high school teachers and our Grade 13 students. The event was organized in connection with a dinner Howie was attending at Essex High School along with Marcel Dionne, Danny Grant,
Bill Hewitt and Ralph Mellanby.
Part of my job involved escorting Howie at the conclusion of the game on to the ice to present a trophy to the winning team. We walked across the end of the arena where another student from school sat on a bar stool leaning against the wall.
“Oh, Mr. Meeker, can I have your autograph?” The question reeked with insincerity and it didn't go unnoticed.
“Yeah kid, if you get up off your damn ass to get it,” he responded.
The kid looked sheepish and stunned.
Nine years later, I had the chance to again cross paths with Marcel Dionne. Marcel was playing with Los Angeles and the team was in Victoria, B.C. for pre-season training when we were staying in the same hotel.
He was in the dining room with Rogie Vachon when I went up to his table and introduced myself.
He greeted me warmly, but professed not remembering our first meeting.
I recounted my experience with Howie from that day. Both Marcel and Rogie started to laugh. “Howie is not the choir boy everybody thinks he is,” Marcel said.
Ralph Mellanby, executive producer of Hockey Night In Canada for nearly 20 years and an Essex alumnus, explained it this way: “Howie was never one to mince words, so after I invited him to commentate on a couple of games, I had to caution him about what CBC and NHL considered acceptable language.”
People might make fun of Howie's old fashioned terminology, he said. “but believe me, if he had
his way Jiminy Cricket would definitely be something else.”
If St. Peter doesn't know much about how to play hockey, he's about to learn. Sharpen up your skates, Howie is on his way. Richard Kokovai, Essex