Goalie had butterflies in his stomach ... and his style
Humboldt has never forgotten Glenn Hall.
If you drive through the city, you go right past its main park, which is named after Humboldt’s most famous National Hockey League hero — Hall, who pre-dated future NHLers like Brad Lauer and Brendan Witt.
Back in 1961, after Hall won a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks, Humboldt honoured him with a Glenn Hall night, a party thrown by the mayor and town councillors.
An innovator who helped develop the butterfly style of goaltending now used today, Hall once played 552 consecutive games in the National Hockey League during an era when goalies played without masks.
He couldn’t mask his nerves, however.
Nicknamed “Mr. Goalie,” Hall was a reluctant goalie who once described hockey as “60 minutes of hell.” His pre-game ritual included vomiting prior to each and every game.
“It was real,” Hall later explained. “A doctor once told me I was a born worrier and I’d worry whether I was on the ice or working on the farm.”
Hall was also known for holding out from reporting to his NHL team in the fall so he “could paint the barn” on his farm.
Now 85 and living in Stony Plain, Alta., Hall played nearly 1,000 games over 17 seasons in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues.
The 13-time all-star won three Vezina trophies to go along with the Calder trophy as rookie of the year and Conn Smythe trophy as Stanley Cup playoff MVP in 1968. He got his name on the Stanley Cup three times, only once as an active player. As we celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, the StarPhoenix and Leader-Post are telling the stories of 150 Saskatchewan people who helped shape the nation. Send your suggestions or feedback to sask150@ postmedia.com.