A reunion of two hockey originals
It was all 67’s, all the time as 47th edition of oldtimers golf day saluted team’s 50th
Pierre Jarry and Gary Doyle, the first two legitimate stars of the Ottawa 67’s, hadn’t seen each other since the last game of the 1968-69 regular season.
That seems like way too long, considering Doyle used to watch Jarry 60 minutes most every night from the 67’s crease. Meanwhile, if Jarry wasn’t scoring a goal at the other end, he was marvelling at how a diminutive Doyle could face 50 or 60 shots a night and still keep the 67’s in a game.
The two originals, Jarry from Rosemount, Que., and Doyle from Smiths Falls, were reunited Friday at the 47th annual Ottawa Valley Hockey Oldtimers Golf Day at Hylands, this year honouring 50 Seasons of Ottawa 67’s Hockey.
The meeting at the registration tent went as though the two were still suiting up every Friday night at the Civic Centre before a raucous and packed house on a very bad expansion team that won just six games all year while surrendering about six goals a game.
They were joined on the course by the likes of Brian Kilrea, Denis Potvin, Murray Wilson, 67’s governor Jeff Hunt, new 67’s GM James Boyd, and 67’s player Matt Foget.
The theme of the 47th oldtimers golf day was all 67’s, all the time.
“What I remember that first year is everyone said we wouldn’t win five games all season,” Jarry said. “Well, we went into London the third game of the year and the Nationals were a very good team and we beat them 2-1. Then I don’t think we won another game until Christmas.”
His second vivid memory comes from the spring of 1968, when Jarry went on a recruiting trip with 67’s original owner Howard Darwin and head coach and GM Bill Long to Thurso, Que., to try to recruit a 16-year-old Guy Lafleur to play for the 67’s.
“I was really the only guy who spoke French on the team,” Jarry said. “So off we went to Thurso to see Lafleur and they offered him $5,000 to come play for the 67’s. But Guy’s heart was set on going to Quebec City and he said no.
“So on the way home, I thought, well, I had a pretty good first year with the 67’s ... so I asked for, and got, the $5,000. That was a lot of money then, too.”
Jarry did score 36 goals in his first season in Ottawa and a remarkable 41 goals in 53 games his second and final year in barber poles. That’s 77 career goals for the 67’s in just 103 games, accounting for a large percentage of the entire 67’s offence those years.
After two seasons in Ottawa, Jarry was the 12th overall pick of the New York Rangers in 1968 and spent two solid seasons with the Central League’s Omaha Knights before setting out on a 344-game NHL career with the Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota North Stars.
Before all that, Jarry was with the 67’s trying to almost singlehandedly outscore the opposition while Doyle was facing a shot a minute, though often in rapid succession.
Both will never forget the January 1968 exhibition game versus the Montreal Canadiens, to mark the official opening of the Civic Centre.
Doyle was supposed to hold the fort against one of the best all-time Habs teams and Jarry scored the game’s first goal less than five minutes in. Darwin was seated with Canadiens GM Sam Pollock.
“I scored and, as I was told, Pollock turned to Howard and said, ‘Well, I guess there will be no shutout tonight’ and Howard said, ‘Yeah, well you guys haven’t scored yet,’ ” Jarry recalled. “Well, that didn’t last long because the Canadiens scored the next nine and beat us 9-1.”
The golf event’s field also included former 67’s like Gord McCormick, Paul Sheard, Timmy Higgins, Paul Tosh, Adam Courchaine and Peter Harasym.
“Gary was a really good goalie,” said Jarry, of Doyle. “I remember the next year, though. I thought we had picked up the worst goalie I had ever seen and that was Bunny Larocque. Turns out he got his name on a Vezina Trophy so I guess I was wrong about that.”
What I remember that first year is everyone said we wouldn’t win five games all season.