Shaun Newman Podcast - Ep. 129 - Detroit Redwing's Dennis Polonich

Episode Date: November 9, 2020

Originally from Foam Lake SK he stands at 5'6 and spent 14 years pro suiting up for 390 games in the NHL all for the Detroit Red Wings amassing 1242 penalty minutes the man backed down from no one. He tells stories about the greats - Fighting Orr, being told he was dead if he touched the Great One, facing off against Howe & emotional stories about Ted Lindsay and the Detroit Redwings franchise. Let me know what you think   Text me! 587-217-8500

Hi, this is Braden Holby. Hey, this is Tanner, the Bulldozer Bozer. Hi, this is Brian Burke from Toronto, Ontario. This is Daryl Sutterin. Hello, everyone. I'm Carlyagro from SportsNet Central. This is Jay On Right. This is Quick Dick, quick, tick coming to you from Tough Moose, Saskatchew. Hey, everybody, my name is Theo Fleary.

This is Kelly Rudy. This is Corey Krause. This is Wade Redden. This is Jordan Tutu. My name is Jim Patterson. Hey, it's Ron McLean, Hockeynet in Canada, and Rogers' hometown hockey, and welcome to the Sean Newman podcast. Welcome to the podcast, folks.

We got a great one on tap for you today. I got to give a shout out here first off to Lauren over at Art and Soul. I got my three, if you check out my Instagram or Facebook, Twitter. I got my three new pictures hanged. I got an original Lloydminster Blazers jersey that looks superb. Showed to Troy Clark for donating that one. I got the Corlack Heat. Everybody, you know, our AAA Bannam hockey program is such a big thing in the hockey world.

Lots of eyes on some of the young talent in town. While I got the original jersey from their inaugural year 2003, 2004, they used to be the Corlack Heat. It's up, you know, it's got a guy named Braden Holpey on that. And I actually had a bunch of players reach out that are playing on that team and loving that it's up in the room. And then, of course, I had to have some Helmand in here. So I got a home on Hitman jersey from the year we won the Sask Delta up on the wall. And just a huge shutout to Art and Soul for doing it up. They look unbelievable.

She does such a good job over there. And I just can't say enough about it. The room looks fantastic. And a lot of it comes from the frames that are up on the wall. Like the jersey just looks superb. So if you're looking for any jersey or artwork framed, I really highly recommend Lauren over at Art and Soul. Now, I'm teaming up with the Lloyd Minster Regional Health Foundation for giving Tuesday Radiothon on December 15th to help raise some money for the hospital and extended care facilities here in Lloyd Minster.

We'll be doing a 12 hours, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Facebook live stream will sit down with different people from the community to share stories about the hospital and why it is so vital to our community. Last year, we raised $50,000 for a new PIXus automated pill dispensing machine. And this year, you know, we won't exceed that goal. The goal has been set at $200,000. And I know some people are probably going, huh on the earth, are you going to do that? Well, here's the thing. We got an amazing community.

And I know even when the tough times are on, we always pull together, we always find a way. And I'm looking to try and I want to hit that goal. And now, you know, we got Mikey Dubbs coming on. He's going to run 12 hours straight, raising money that way. He's up to three bucks per column. So if you want to get on the kilometer goal, let me know. It does not have to be a dollar kilometer.

It can be as high as you want or as low as you want. You want to toss him 50 cents a kilometer. I'm cool with that. He says he can run somewhere between 80 and 100 kilometers. You do the math and let me know if you're interested in that. Otherwise, during the day, there's going to be links where you can donate. And it's just going to be a really cool event. You know, we got guys like Clark MacArthur and Scott Hartnell and Wade Redden,

calling in. We got Jody Carrington now, who's an author, going to be a part of it, Colin obviously. I'm looking forward to right off the hop. I got Shep coming in to sit down and have morning coffee with me and talk about the community. And there's just, there's so many different guests that are starting to stack up for the day, whether we're talking Colleen young politician or we're talking some of our health care providers. We're going to have a great mix of people all through the day for 12 hours, so make sure you tune into that. December 15th, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Lloyd Regional Health Foundation's page. It'll be a Facebook live. Clinton team over

at trophy gallery. Championship belts, custom medals, diecast signage, name tags engraving on Yetis and Brumates, business awards and crystal and glass. The brothers were in here a couple weeks ago and we got jibber jabber in about doing possibly a championship belt up for the podcast or maybe. for a brother's battle royale. I hear that Garrett over at Fight Farm is willing to sign off on that. So maybe there will be a championship belt coming soon enough.

For you, what you've got to know is go to trophygallery.ca. They shop online with over 5,000 products. They ship Canada-wide and use Newman as your promo code to get 15% off anything. Clint does fantastic work. I stand by that. Any sport, any time, from bodybuilding, hockey. HSI group, they are the local oil field burners and combustion experts that can help make sure you have a compliance system working for you. The team also offers security and

surveillance like we're getting done here at the Wake Gartner's building. They're putting in the security system. It looks pretty cool what they're doing here. They offer products for residential, commercial, livestock, and agricultural applications. We've got a healthy dose of snow outside. It is cold. You want to be inside using your technology to make sure you've got a piece of in mind so you can focus on the things that truly matter. I'm talking about Brody and Kim over there at HSI Group. Stop in and see them at 3902.52nd Street.

We're giving a call 306, 825-6310. How will Clay Smiley and the team over at Prophet River? Profit River is a retailer of firearms, optics, and accessories serving all of Canada. They specialize in importing firearms from the United States, hard-to-find calibers,

wear firearms, special additions. Check them out at Profitriver.com. Gardner Management is a Lloyd Minster-based company specializing in all types of rental properties to help meet your needs, whether you're looking for a small office like I got, or a 6,000 square foot commercial space. Give Wade Gartner a call today, 780808, 5025. SMP Billboard across from the UFA. Shout out to Read and Write, and of course, the amazing Deanna Wander,

who makes me look sharp at every step of the way. If you're heading into any of these businesses, make sure you let them know, you heard about them on the podcast, And if you're interested in advertising on the show, visit shan Newmanpodcast.com, top right corner, hit the contact button and send me your information. Otherwise, visit me on social media and hit me up with a message that way. Now, let's get on to our T-Barr 1, Tale of the Tape. Originally from Foam Lake, Saskatchewan, he stands at 5'6. He was taken in the 1973 NHL entry draft, selected it.

in the 8th round, 118th overall by the Detroit Red Wings. Through his career, he played 390 games in the NHL, all for the Red Wings. He scored 59 goals, 82 assists for 141 points, with 1,242 penalty minutes. He wore the C for the Red Wings and spent 14 years pro between the NHL and AHO. One of the big things that Plonich is remembered for is on October 25, 1978. He got under the skin of Colorado Rockies' Wilf Paymont, and what has been termed as the worst ever case of brutality in the NHL Paymont smashed his stick across Plonich's face

and leaving him with a concussion, severe face lacerations, and a broken nose requiring reconstructive surgery. Back then, Plonish sued and was awarded a settlement of $850,000 back in 1982. Yes, I'm talking about Dennis Polonich. The table has been set. Let's get on to the main course. My name is Dennis Polonich, and I'd like to welcome you to the Sean Newman podcast. Well, welcome to the Sean Newman podcast.

Tonight I'm joined by Dennis Palanich. So thank you. On top of it, yeah. So thanks for hopping on. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Now, I know you. to our mutual friend.

That's right. Old Dean, I appreciate him, him hooking us up here. You know, you keep telling me we're not going to have anything to talk about.

I laugh about that because, you know, the more I dig on you, I just keep thinking to myself, you know, all my life, I've always been told

if you were a few inches taller, you would have went further, you would have made the NHL. And here you are, five foot six. I would have loved to have watched you back

in your heyday. You're my size. and you spent a good part of your career playing for the right and white. So I think this is going to be super cool. I really appreciate you hopping on. Thank you. And you're right. You know, as we get older here, and I'll be 67 in December, you know, the last 10 or 15, 20 years,

you get to appreciate your life more than when you were 30 or 40 years old. You kind of took things for granted. And there's no question coming from a small town, Saskatchewan being a little guy. I bucked a lot of odds and I've had an interesting life. Bucked a lot of odds is bang on. I mean, how many people did you hear when you were five, six, that, yeah, you're going nowhere, Dennis. Well, I just, I had a, I get asked that question all the time. Like, you know, they look at me, how can a little guy like you, how can you be so tough?

How can you have played? I can't explain it other than the fact that I just, I didn't care. Like if I lost, I lost. If I won and it was a feather in my cap because everybody was bigger than I was. But I had a lot of good mentorship and a lot of good direction when I was young. And Patty Janelle really molded me in flinflon in two years to become the player that I became. And then Doug Barclay and Al Coates had a lot of influence in the mind. in the first couple of years before I made it to Detroit.

So, you know, I was, I was one of those fortunate guys growing up on a farm. I knew how to work and, and I knew how to listen. And I think that's, that was the biggest attribute I had. I listened and I learned. Yeah, well, listening is definitely an art. And a lot of people don't give it enough credit. Yeah, and, you know, focus. You got to have all the intangibles.

I coached up until just recently. I've done a lot of coaching throughout my life and mentored a lot of kids and that. And it wasn't about making the NHL and that. He was just trying to teach them to be good citizens for later on in life. And a lot of them thank me now. They get good jobs.

And they're still playing hockey. Play hockey for the rest of your life. But they may not be making a living playing hockey, but they got good jobs and they're solid citizens and good family people. And it's really heartwarming. I mean, when I cross pass with them now. Well, I think being on a hockey team and being a good teammate teaches you a lot about the outside world, whether you believe it at the time or not.

And tons of hockey players, myself included, once you get into the business world, a lot of those skills that are coaches are trying to hammer into our young minds. And sometimes we take it and sometimes we don't really do translate into the business world where you're a different type of team. Well, trust me, I got five grandkids now. And, you know, my daughters are athletes. So, you know, the kids are going to be athletes as well. And I told my both daughters, I said, Grandma and grandpa aren't raising them. But I can tell you I'm going to have a say in whether they play sports or not,

and they're going to play sports. Well, you know, you mentioned you don't know how you're so tough, but I think being a small guy, you have one or two choices. You fade away or you dive in. And like, I mean, being the small guy, you don't have any choice, right? Like, I don't think you do. You got to. No, you're correct.

You got to stand up for yourself. And certainly, it's your upbringing. You know, we didn't, there was five kids in a two-bedroom house out on the farm. And you learn very quickly that the first one up gets, is going to be the best dress. Five kids, two parents, and a two-bedroom house. That must have been nice, tight living. We got by. We never went hungry.

And like I said, it was a good upbringing. I'd read a little bit up on you. And back in that time, my father is roughly your age. Actually, you're younger than you. And he played senior. Helmon back when he was in his teens. And reading up on you, you got to play for the foam like flyers when you were 15, 16. Well, again, that was huge because I went to Saskatoon.

My brother was a newlywed living in Saskatoon. And I tried out for the blades. And Jackie McLeod was a coach there. And I didn't make the big junior team, but they wanted me to stay in Saskatoon, play for the Junior B team. and they would affiliate me. But we didn't have any money, and I wasn't going to room and board and school and that with my newlywed brother.

So I went back to Foam Lake. And lo and behold, I played senior hockey. I played juvenile hockey. I played midget hockey. I just, I lived at the rink. And the two years I played senior hockey really developed me because you keep your head up.

You're playing against men, and you need to learn. how to compete and fight for the puck and so forth. So that was, again, that was huge in my development. I'm curious in that senior league, were you as feisty as you were at the other levels you played? Well, we had a tremendous hockey player in Foam League, but the name of Harold Sandberg, and he was a big six foot two, six foot four centerman. And it was my job to go and dig the puck out and give it to him the slot and he would score at will. But I didn't do much scrapping, obviously, at 15, 16 years old, but I sure, you know, you learn how to compete. And again, you know, nobody's going to bully me.

You know, you're going to stand up for yourself. You head to Flin Flan. And I think, you know, in all of Canada, there's very few places like the Flim Flom Bombers in hockey lore. What was it that attracted you to go that way instead of maybe going back to Saskatoon? Well, back then there was no protected lists or any drafts or anything in Junior. So Flinflon had a goalie by the name of Herman Hordell. And he lived in Winyard, Saskatchel, and it was just 30 miles from Formula 8. So I seen Herman in the summertime and he said, Polo, what are you doing? And I said, well, I'm going to play.

I'm going to try out for Junior somewhere. and he said, why don't you come to Flin Flan? So he told Patty Janelle, and Patty Janelle sent me an invite. So I got the invite, but we didn't have a phone on the farm. So I phoned Patty Janelle from my grandma's house because I was concerned I didn't have good skates. I never had a pair of CCM tax. I just had some Black Panthers from the catalog or whatever,

and they were breaking down. But I didn't want to sound cocky and ask them on the phone, Mr. Janelle, if I make the team, are you going to buy me equipment or are you going to buy me skates? So I said to him, I said, Mr. Janelle, what kind of skate should I bring? And there was silence. He didn't understand the question, obviously. So after about a few seconds, Sonny, bring the fastest ones you got. So anyways, I loaded up, went up to Flin Flon on a bus with my old skates.

and made the team. And he personally took me across the main street to the hardware store and bought me my first pair of tax skates. What'd you think of the first set of tax skates? I might have slept with him the first couple of nights. I was I was pretty proud, pretty happy. It was a big moment. What did you think of playing in Flynn, Flon?

You got to play there a couple years? Well, again, like when I was 15 or 16, Moose Jaw picked me up. And I played with Clark Gillies, by the way. Okay. We ended up winning Saskatchewan Provincials, which was a big deal back then. And then I won most gentlemanly player. You won most gentlemen. I won most generally player when I played midget hockey in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

and then I go to Flynn Flan and Patty Janelle molds me into what I became and I remember at practice one day I'd never blocked the shot in my life so the defense one we were scrimmaging or we had a drill

and the defense one wound up to take a shot so I went down to block the shot and I got in Reaganway got back then the shoulder pads and the equipment wasn't like it is today so knocked the wind out of me and I thought we'll be damn like I can't stay down on the ice. So I gather myself, get up to there. I can barely breathe, like, can't get my breath. And I skated by him. And he says, that a boy, Sonny. And I thought,

good. He noticed. You know, again, he's seen my tenacity and stuff and just little things like that. And yeah, when I went up to Flin Flan, I thought, wow, like, talk about growing up fast. Yeah, well, you're on, you're on your own in the middle of no one. And I mean that in the highest sense of all for Flynn Flan. Yeah. And then, you know, once, you know, there's no way I wanted to get caught or go back home. Like, what am I going to tell my friends, you know, that I didn't make the team? So, you know, I made the team.

And then once you make the team, you have a choice. You could go to school or you could work in the mine. Well, again, there was nobody giving me any direction. So most of the guys quit school and worked in the mine and made. and made like $8 or $900 or $1,000 a month back in 1973, 74. So that's what we did. We worked in the mine from 8 until 12. You're telling me, while playing for the bombers,

instead of going to school, you went, ah, screw it, let's go work in the mind? Yeah, yeah. Majority of the players did that. 80% of the players worked in the mine and made and got paid. You could never do that today with, with the unions and that, but we'd work in the mine eight to, eight to 12 and practice at 130. And we'd get a paycheck, a full paycheck every two weeks and paid our room and board

out of there. I think I paid $105 a first year. And I think she opted the next year to the 15 or 120. And I thought, oh, my God. But yeah, so you learn quickly how, again, you go out fast and you learn how to manage money. So you were paying for your own room and board in Flint Flon as well? Yes, because we worked in the mine. No kidding. That's unbelievable. That's super cool. $105 a month and we ate late kings.

I had a great billet. Who did you bill it with, Dennis? Mrs. Peters. I can't remember. Agnes, I think it was Agnes Peters. And she had hockey. She didn't have a big house, but we had the whole upstairs. She had two bedrooms upstairs.

And she had hockey players for years. And I could remember eating, you know, her cooking fork chops or whatever. And you didn't just get one or two. Like you could eat as many as you wanted. She was unreal. And her husband worked in the mine. And obviously she was a homebody. And, yeah.

How about, you know, going back that, back to those. days. You know what? All kids just think of hopping on the bus and away you went. I've heard different stories of the different bus trips teams had taken. But Flim Flam being that far out there and playing different while you're playing the Saskatoon's of the world, the Regina's, the Emmentons. I mean, you guys had a lot of road trips. When we went on road trips, Sean, we'd go for two weeks. we'd start like Saskatoon, Regina, and then you'd come out, Calgary Centennials, New Westminster Bruins. Yeah. So you were gone like two weeks at a time.

Our closest trip was Winnipeg. Winnipeg, that's right. Yeah, Winnipeg or Brandon, you know. And I guess Saskatoon, but yeah, you spend a lot of hours on the bus. What are your fondness memories of being back on that bus with the teammates? Well, you know what? I got to learn how to sleep anywhere. I can goze off on a recliner or a couch or on an airplane or in my office if I put my feet up or whatever.

Like I have no problem taking a 10 minute or 15 nap, 15 minute nap. You know, I was one of the smaller guys. I recruited Sedano chair to play with the Prince George Cougars. And you can imagine him riding on the bus when it was. time to nap he'd lay down a piece of foam in the in the middle of the aisle in the middle of the aisle and stretch out there us little guys you just curl up on the seat yeah we can sleep anywhere that's one of the glorious things about being short yeah how did you wait so you recruited zedanum charr yeah when i uh i played pro for 14 years yeah when i finished when i finished pro

my first job was in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Junior League. And again, I had to do it all back then. You had to sell season tickets. You had to sell advertising. You recruited players. I didn't have like three or four. I didn't have a major staff.

And, you know, when you play hot, I played hockey for 14 years. I didn't know how to put together an invite, a player invite or a letter. You know, if I had to go to or speak, you know, to the to the uh commerce or you know some group in in uh in yorkton about you know so again you got to re-educate yourself and so then from yorkton i went to medicine hat for four years managed the tigers and then from there went to prince george and uh they have the the european

the import draft and major juniors you know and and each team has allowed two players and i had Zadeno chair in my list. I'd never seen him play. Obviously, we didn't have the financial weatherall to scout in Europe. So I just, I had him on a list from a player agent or someone. So the NHL draft, Mike Milbury drafted him in the third round, but for the New York Islanders. So I immediately phoned Mike Nelberg and I said, Mike, I said, you drafted Zadeno chair. Our draft is coming up and I said, I'd like to take him. Do you think he'd come to North America to play. Oh, yes, Polo, we love that. Get him acclimatized and stuff. And I thought, well, if he's good enough to get drafted in the third round by the NHL team, he's good enough to

play junior. So I called him and I said, Zedano, I said, Dennis Polanich here, he didn't know who I was, but, but I said, I'm a general manager of a major junior team, Prince George, and I called Mike Milbury. And I want to draft you. and bring you to Canada to play junior. He says, yes, I come. So that's all I needed the year. So I drafted him. And then the wheels were motioned.

I flew him in. And, you know, he came to Prince George. At that time, he was 6'4.5. And about 200 and 14 pounds. Or maybe less than 200. He was just a tall, gangly, skinny guy. And, you know, obviously a little bit awkward. But you could see his, you know, his.

you know, his passion and his commitment and everything. And, yeah, and we became, we're friends to this day. I can, I will tell you some neat stories about Zadeno. So do you want to go on? Absolutely. Okay. So he played junior with us and, you know, he was tremendous in the wake room and just, you know, did all he could to make himself better all the time.

It was tremendous to be around. So at Christmas time, the Canadian kids get to go home because you have a four or five day break. Well, the European kids can't because by the time you fly them there and back, that's two days. There's no time. There's no time. Yeah. So I had Zedano and another kid by name of Ronald Petrovicchi come to our house for Christmas. And we treated them like our family.

And we bought them gifts. And my girls were, you know, 10 years old at the time. eight years old or whatever. So they were playing with Zadano and Petroviki. We exchanged gifts and we drank wine and we had Christmas dinner and stuff. And they really thought that was something, became part of the family. Well, lo and behold, Zadeno became the player that he became and he's playing in Boston. My one daughter ended up going to school in Hartford, Connecticut on a squash scholarship at Trinity.

So she won it. Wash. She was a Canadian champion. And yeah. And so she goes to Trinity on a scholarship, becomes captain of the team and said, Dad, I want to take the girls to Boston to a Bruins game on the train and then come back, you know, as a team bonding thing,

can you help me with tickets? I said, yeah, let's call Zedeno. So I called Zadeno. And instead of me going third person, I just said, you know, talk directly to Loran, and he freed up his box and had all the girls in Zee's corner, watched the game and that, and all the food, drinks,

and then he sent up an usher and took him down to the Wives Lounge, and they waited for him after the game, so he signed all their parfenali in that. So I said, Zedno, I said, let me, you know, pay for, like, tickets or drinks or food or whatever. No, Dennis, remember when you buy me jacket? When he came to Prince George, he didn't have any winter clothes. So I took him out with my family.

I had the team credit card and bought him a winter jacket and a shirt and tie, you know, some clothes and stuff. And he remembered that. That's the kind of guy he is. He says, no, no, you don't owe me anything. He said, remember when you buy me a jacket? So that was pretty special. Another time, whenever he comes to Calgary here, we always go for lunch.

When they have, they usually have a day off or a morning skate or whatever. So I pick him up. And he doesn't want to go to restaurants because people, you know, he's in restaurants all the time and he wants privacy. So I said, what do you want to eat? Like, you come to my life, have barbecue. I don't know if you want, because I know how fussy they are. So I don't know if he wants chicken or steak or fish or seafood or whatever. So he's all we have steak.

So I went and bought a nice 14 ounce prime rib or I'm sorry, ribide. So I barbecue the steak and everything. And again, he loves it at the house and my wife makes a salad and everything. And I barbecue the steak and he cuts it in half. And I said, Zedeno, like, you're not going to, no, no, it's too much for me. This guy is 6'9 and the steak is 14 ounce steak is too much for him. But that, he says, he says, I'm okay. He says, I eat six, seven times a day.

So he was going to eat when he goes back to the hotel, another snack. That's, that's a, you know, and he's reading the labels. He's reading the counting the calories on the dressing and stuff. Because, you know, he's just, he's so fit. I mean, he's 42 years old. He's still playing. Well, I mean, the career he's had, Dennis, has been just unbelievable, right? Yeah, he's been an incredible human being.

So I pick him up and it was a, it was a beautiful. beautiful day one year and I had a little convertible in my garage and I thought you know what I'm going to take that little convertible I didn't put the top down but I'm going to pick him up so I go downtown and the light turns red so I had to stop at the light and I can see him coming down the sidewalk and he's on his phone and he's talking on his cell phone he spots me in the car and he starts nodding his head on like no no don't tell me And I thought, oh, shit. So the light turns green. I popped through the light and I pull over to the curb.

And I had my window down. I said, get in. He says, you're joking. I said, no, come on, get in. We've got to go. He says, no, you must be joking. He says, at least put top down. I couldn't put the top down because it's manual and stuff.

So I had to see it all the way back. So he squeezes into the car. His chin are right. His knees are right after his chin and that. He says, hurry. drive. I don't want my teammates. See me. So we laugh like hell about that. But yeah,

he's just, he's an incredible man. Oh, big man problems. Complete opposite. That would, seeing you two must be, uh, together must be quite comical. I bet. Yeah. No kidding. Like he just, you know, when you see little things like that, you must think to yourself like how uncomfortable it is. You know, he, when he sleeps in a hotel room, he's got to sleep corner to corner, like diagonally, you know, and it's got to be a king.

size bed. Otherwise, he wouldn't fit. Yeah, I just, I said to him, I said, what do you do? Like, when he got in my car, I said, well, what do you do for anything? So I drive Lexus. He's got a Lexus four-report, but they especially, they take the front seat, and they move, and they literally bolted

back like they do for the basketball players and stuff. They customize it. Being tall as in all it's cracked up to be. Yeah, he can afford a customized car. Is he the tallest the tallest guy you've ever hung around with Dennis?

I think he's the tallest player to ever play. That's six foot nine, yeah. Yeah, it's six foot nine. He's an absolute giant. I played some rec hockey here in Calgary with Mike Civic, the Lionsman. He was six, seven. But I think I don't think anybody, I think there was another player at six foot eight maybe,

but I don't think anybody was over six nine. You know, back in your playing, days. You were, let's say, not afraid to drop the mitts every once in a while. What was the biggest guy you ever thought? The what? The tallest, the biggest guy you ever dropped the mitts with. Oh, I remember, I remember hanging on to Jill's Lupin one time with the Montreal Canadiens and he let me go. He says, go pick somebody your own size. I thought, oh, thank God. But Yeah, Dave Schultz, you know, Don Seleski, you know, all those guys were 6-2, you know, 6-4. There was a lot of guys.

Larry, I'd never fought Larry Robinson, but, you know, Larry Robinson was big. Boucher was big. At that time, there was a lot of guys that were 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. And then all of a sudden, Bob Daly came, he was 6-5, you know, for the Flyers. And now you see tons of guys that are 6-7, pray, 8,000. and go on and on. You were taking in the 19... Actually, no, before we get to the draft,

I got to know in your first year in Flynn-Flawn, you guys played Regina in the first round of playoffs. And if I read that correct, you guys lost three games to two with two ties. How is that possible? Honestly, I don't recall the setup. I do remember playing Regina in the playoffs, and I remember playing Regina through the season

because they had gillies. Wanchuk and Sobchuk. Dennis Sovchuk and obviously Clark Gillies and Wanchich were a phenomenal line. But we were 19 and 20, you know, we were 18, 19, 20 years old. These kids were 16, 17, 18. They were just coming into there. They had Greg Jolly and, you know, Bob Bourne. They had a tremendous team.

And we beat them in the playoffs the one year because we were older. And then once we all graduated, then they ended up winning the Memorial Cup. the paths. But yeah, I, I, I, I played Dennis Sobchak hard, hard, hard. And, you know, I remember, and it's funny, I met him in Phoenix in Arizona. He works on a golf course. He's a greenskeeper. Lovely, lovely personality, great guy.

And we, when he spotted me, we hugged it out. And it was, it was pretty incredible. And then after we had some drinks together and stuff, and I literally chased him off. the ice when we played junior and uh you know like i said i was a little bit older than him but you know i did what i had to do we were trying to win i like how you say you played him hard hard hard i'm wondering what back in the day defines hard i was vicious and there's there's no way that that you could play that style of game today um yeah i was vicious and and uh you know obviously, you know, people say it eventually caught up to me and stuff, but I was tenacious.

I played against all the other team's top lines, Marcel Dion, Charlie Zimmer, Renni Robert, you know, Gila Fleur, Jacques Lamar, Steve Schott. You know, that was my job to shut those guys down. And I, like I said, I was hard on some of those guys. Who was maybe the one line when they lined up against you? You went? Man, I really hate playing these guys. Well, I played against Gretzky in Edmonton. And Gretzky was just a young kid coming into the league. And he was at the rink in the morning fixing up his sticks.

So he was asking Lee Fulglin and Kevin Lowe and Dave Semenko and that some of the veterans and that, you know, we're playing against Detroit. I know they're not very good. The record is not very good, but who do you think I want to play against? Like, is there anybody I need to look out for now? And Fogelin said, yeah, you're going to play against the Red Wings. And they got this little guy, number eight, clawed it. He's a tough little bastard.

But don't worry about it. We'll look after it. So we start the game. And Gretzky is starting the game, and I'm starting the game. so the national anthem is over and I'm at Center Ice putting my helmet on and doing my strap up and Lee Fogelin and Dave Semenko

come skating through the center ice and they said Polo you touched a great one tonight, you're dead. That's what they looked. That's what they looked up to. So we played that night and I think we lost five, two or five, three or something like that. Gretzky had like a goal and four assists.

I thought I did a good job. job. Was that their first game in the NHL? I don't know if it was the first game, but he was probably 18 or 19 years old, just came from the WHA at the time. And then that was early 80s. Yeah. You know, obviously, and then, you know, his career became.

I mean, now that you know, everyone knows, you know, the great one's career is the great one's career. But back then, what did you think of Wayne when you saw him step on the ice? Were you going, this kid? Exactly. That's it because he, you know, he was a hunched over skater. You know, he honestly, and he had the jofe helmet. Like he didn't look like, you know, a Western Canadian, you know, hockey player. But boy, oh boy, when the puck dropped, like his hockey sense and his skills, you know,

the way he could pass the puck and make plays were just uncanny. I mean, look at some of the guys he played with that scored, you know, Brett Kemp. Callahan, you know, guys, you know, were nothing. And they ended up playing with him and scored like, you know, 40, 50, 60 goals. You know, I could have kicked him probably 30 or 40 with him as well. I'd like to think I could have kicked in a couple as well with him. Yeah, no, he, you know, I'm just a consummate pro. Like, you've never heard a bad thing about him.

And, you know, he's just, you're so good for the game. You know, they certainly looked after him. Yeah, absolutely. You know, you mentioned, you've dropped a couple different names of absolutely talented hockey players. One that, you know, I was a defenseman, grew up playing defense, and I've watched the Rockham Sockham videos of them. Is Bobby Orr, you would have got to have known him. I got the tail end of Bobby. The tail end, that's right.

Yeah, I turned pro. the Bruins were the Bruins in the early 70s. I turned pro in 73 and then I started playing in the NHL in 74, 75, you know, somewhere in there. I played against him when he was with the Bruins and then I played against him when he was in Chicago. You know, we couldn't all believe, you know, how that transpired, how that happened. And if you check the records, I believe that I have the last major penalty against Bobby Orr. when he was with Chicago. We were playing in the Detroit Olympia,

and it's a small oval-shaped arena, the ice service. And the puck went in the corner, so of course I'm trying to make a name for myself and, you know, get more ice time. So I run him in the corner, and the puck goes behind and that, and I run him again over on the other side. Well, the puck turned up the ice,

and we're jarring at each other behind the plate. You know, and he's going, yeah, yeah, up from the mind. trying to make a name to yourself. I said, I'm not impressed with your press clippings, you know, like, who are you? And I'm trash talking. Showing him no respect. Today, I'd shine his shoes.

But anyways, so we dropped the gloves and we get seven minutes each. I thought, well, this is a great tradeoff. His cover is on the program that night. So when we go to the penalty box, the people are streaming down from the stands. and stick in the program underneath the glass for him to sign his picture on the thing. And I'm over on the other side, still joining at him. And I'm thinking, oh, my God, I wish you'd just sign one for me. So wait, you fought Bobby Orr?

I scrapped with him. That was part of my gig. Like if I could take Marcel down the on off the ice. Yeah, absolutely. Agile Flore or, you know, Brian Trotche or Mike Bossie or, you know, somebody like that to come and sit in a family. box with me for... It was a great trade-off. Yeah, it was a good trade.

It was a good trade-off. You know, so that was part of my gig. Yeah, but you still fought, you know, what are we talking here? The greatest defenseman of all time. Some people argue one of the best, the greatest players of all time. You dropped the mitts with Bobby R. I know, and I broke Bob. I broke Ray Bork's jaw one time, too.

I read that today. Yeah. So you fought Ray Borks'all. And you fought Ray Bork when he was like a 20-year-old. I was a bad little bugger. I told you. I wanted to win at all costs, and I wanted to be there at all costs. You know, it's just one of those things.

I guess that's what separated me from others. You know, when you go back to 1973, the NHL entry draft, like today the draft is such a big production, right? comes in, it's, I mean, it is what it is now. It's, it's a big industry. It's a big moving machine. Back in 73, when you get taken in the eighth round, I assume you're not at the draft. How do you hear about it? Who gives you the call? And what's your thoughts? As I told you, we didn't have a phone on the farm. So, so I spent the day at my grandmother's house in Foam Lake and obviously sat by the wall phone waiting for.

for the phone to ring. I didn't have an agent, Patty Janelle, the coach. I stayed in touch with him. And I stayed in touch with another person, Linus Westberg. He was a sports announcer out of Yorkton, Saskatchew. And he was with CTV, and he was, you know, they were getting it back in those days. There was no internet, so they were probably getting it on ticker tape

or whatever you call it. And so he was updating me. you know, with the draft, I would call him or he would occasionally call me. And then Patty Janelle called me. It was getting later in the draft. And he said, Dennis, he says, I think Detroit's going to take you. He said, I'm not promising you, but he said, I just talked to them because he was promoting me and said, you know, you can't go wrong. Much like Calvary Flames took Theron Flurry with the last pick, you know, kind of thing.

I was taken in the eighth round, and at that time, I think it was 116th or 118th overall. So today it would be like the third or fourth round in today's draft. But honestly, I didn't care who, where or, you know, I got drafted. Obviously, I wanted to get drafted, but I just wanted an opportunity. I just wanted an invite to training camp, and the rest I would look after myself. And lo and behold, an original 16, you know, chose me. So, you know, I just like, wow, like Gordy Howell, Alice Dovecchio, Ted Lindsay, you know, the story franchise like that.

It was just, it was numbing. And so you know what? When it happened, you just, I never had a personal trainer in my life. You start running a little further. You start lifting a few more weights. And you start getting ready because, you know, your window of opportunity. community is not that big. And yeah, so when I went to Detroit, I,

with my style, like, you know, they just kept asking, who is that little guy? Who is that little? Look at them. Like, every day it was, you know, something, you know, I would do something that they would notice. Your first, what was your first training camp like? Because, I mean, you end up going to Britain, all right?

You end up being overseas that first year, but do you end up going to the first training or to a Red Wings training camp? Yes, the London lines were actually a part of the Detroit Red Wing or the Detroit Red Wings organization. Back in those days, in today's society, in today's NHL, each team gets 50 contracts. So you have 22 or 24 NHL guys in Detroit. and then you got another 22 guys in the minor leagues, you know, in the American League, and then you might have, you know, a couple of guys in Europe. You know, so you're only allowed 50 contracts.

Back then in 73, 74, Detroit had 80 hockey players signed to contracts. So when you go to training camp, I know I'm not going to make Detroit. Because they got Alex Del Vecchio, Red Berenson, and Marcel Dion, et cetera. I'm not naive, okay, but I'm going to make an impression. So when we broke training camp, you know, because I was a young guy, single guy, they were sending a team over to Europe. And I thought, my initial thought, when they told me, I thought, oh, like, screw this. Like, I just signed a three-year contract, like an entry-level contract.

I'm getting further away from the NHL than I am getting closer. Like, what's going on? But then once you talk to some guys and, you know, find out what's going on, you know, I turned it into positive and say, wow, like I'm 19 years old. I didn't turn 20 until December 4th. I'm going to travel Europe expenses paid, you know, and that's what happened. We played 72 games there. Doug Barclay was a coach. Al Coates was the trainer. And it was mostly single guys. I think we had three or four married guys on the team. And we just traveled around Europe. and played exhibition games and tournaments. There was no league, but we played some good, like, Spartag, Dynamo, you know, lots of good Czechoslovakian club teams,

like against Vaclav Netamansky, Sal Ming, Headberg, Nielsen, you know, and then it was kind of ironic because a couple of years later, those guys started coming to the NHL. And that was the whole theory. They wanted to start a pro team,

and they still talk about it to this day, this NHL teams going over to play an exhibition, games. So that's how that evolved. You know, called the London lines. It was a line with a with a red wing coming out of the shoulder. It's kind of neat. I have a jersey downstairs. One of my original jerseys. That is super cool. I mean, when I read about it and I read a, you know, I read a couple different articles talking about the history of it and what they were trying to do and you've summed it up quite nicely. When you look back at that year and you got to travel across Europe. Are there some cool things that you got to do that stick out? Oh my God.

As I said, I got 7,500 signing bonus. And then I think I made, you know, around 10,000 or something in the minors, you know, my minor league salary. But I didn't spend any money because, you know, combinations were paid for, meals were paid for. I didn't have a car and that. So I saved up a bit of money. So when I came back to North America and came back to Saskatchewan, I didn't want to live with mom and dad on the farm in that two-bedroom house. I'm spreading my wings. So I bought a cottage at the lake for $8,000 and I paid cash for it. And I still have it today. And it's considerably more than $8. More money. Yeah, no kidding. No kidding. It was, you know, as I said, you learn how to manage money. But yeah, just traveling, you know, going to see, you know, whenever we had a day off,

you know, we would explore, you know, go to Trafalgar Square. You know, we're here in London. I went to a soccer game, you know, 100,000 people, you know, where I'd never seen 100,000 people in a stadium. I wasn't, I didn't go to Ann Arbor, Michigan, you know, to a football game, you know, just things like that. I remember we were traveling. And for Christmas, each player, The owner of the Detroit Ritland's Bruce Norris gave each player and staff a Rolex watch, an oyster perpetual Rolex watch engraved in the back, you know, London lines 73, 74, Dennis Blonich. You know, so I get the watch. I go to a tournament and I think it might have been the Ahern Cup,

ended up playing against sob chicken gillies. Regina Pats brought their team over there. So anyways, we won the tournament and I won him most valuable player. So I get a Vassaron-Constantine watch from the tournament. And when the guy gave it to me, he says, no-sell, no-sell, very expensive, very expensive. So I got that watch. Then I bought my mom and dad two watches, a Christmas gift, rattle watches. So now I got to bring them back across the border back to North America.

What do I do with them? I can't put them in my coat pockets and everything. I got to go through customs. So I hit them in my hockey bag and my luggage and everything. I think, oh, my God. I hope they get to where I'm going. Just, yeah, it was, yeah, 19 years old, traveling around Europe with a bunch of guys that you'd go to war. Yeah, it was fun.

Growing up, who was your favorite team in the NHL? Toronto Maple Leafs. You're a Maple Leafs fan. Yeah, we never had any TV, but I listened to Farmer. Hsuitt religiously and Dave Kian was my idol and I when I went to Flin Flan I ended up wearing number 14 and Dave Kian when we played road hockey I was Dave Kian and I would pretend I'd be carrying the pocket and doing play by play and Keon's got it over that you know so and so on back to Kio four you know and yeah strong away police do you remember the first time you played in the

gardens? Yeah, I remember the first time I played in the gardens. I remember the first time I played in the forum. I remember the first time I played in Boston Garden, all the original 16s. Because you grew up, you know, watching that stuff. You grew up idolizing. I got goosebumps. I would go there and just take it all in. It was just was fascinating. And, and, you know, like, wow, I'm here. I'm here. I arrived. Look back at it and you got to pull on the red wing jersey for the first time. What night was the best, not the best night, the most memorable night? Was it the first night you get to pull on the jersey? The first night you play maybe in something like Toronto, you know, your childhood team or your first goal, your first fight. What night in that first season really sticks out to you? There's no real definitive.

You know, they were all great. You know, when I scored my first goal, when you played your first game at Montreal Forum, you know, or Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens, when I had my first interview on Hockey Night in Canada, the moment that sticks out for me the most is when I get called aside by the coach and the team and became captain.

It was pretty emotional. Just to have them just, no, it's all good, Dennis. Just to have somebody believe in you that much? Yeah. And the responsibility that goes with it. And your teammates, you know, voted you that. Yeah, it's pretty special. Like I said, for an original 16, you know.

and you know, I remember Ted Lindsay came to my wedding in Foam Lake, Saskatchewan. You know, that's how much he thought of me. The general manager, the destroyed Red Wings, Hall of Famer. You know, flew from Windsor to Saskatoon, rented a car and came to Fuln Lake, Saskatchewan for two days. I had like 13 teammates at the wedding.

So, yes, just special times. You don't ask for that. You just, you earn it. And I've had a good life, but I've earned it. I appreciate you sharing that. Anytime your teammates think that highly of you is a special honor. And you should hold that in high regard. Obviously, you do.

Yeah. Yeah, it does. And like I said, don't take, you don't take it for granted, but you don't think much of it, you know, when you're younger, you know, things are happening. But now when you sit back and, you know, you see your grandson or, you know, somebody with a Polanish jersey with a sea on it, like, wow. So, anyways. You know, you bring up Ted Lindsay. Ted Lindsay is in hockey world. I mean, there's far there isn't many bigger names than ted lindsay you must have a ted lindsay story or two

well i just like i said uh by him coming to the wedding just tells you what kind of a man he was and uh you know what kind of a person he was and then again what he thought of me so having said that um the night of my accident with wilf paymont uh October 25th 1970s when they took me to the hospital in an ambulance. And my wife came later. Who else shows up? Ted Lindsay. You know, I couldn't talk.

I couldn't see him. My eyes were swollen shut. But I remember him squeezing my head on the hospital bed. So, so yeah. That's a tremendous. Ted Linsie's story and he's a man at his word and you know I I wouldn't say I was a junior manned player if I had to play you know I I was every bit as good as Gary Howard or or Doug Jarvis or Doug Rysboro but Gary Howard gets to play with New York Islanders and

the other guys get to play with Montreal Canadiens they want to stand the cops you know I'm not I'm not crying about spilled milk or anything but you know but you're you're talking about. I'm just saying I'm, you know, on par with those guys. But for him to come to the hospital again, you know, and, you know, he was there for me and, you know, crucial time. He said he would look after me. And because I didn't know, you know, at that time, whether there'd be a lawsuit or, you know, where I would end up financially in that. He, when everything was, when everything was, I was all healed and I got back playing and everything, he signed me to a five-year, one-way contract.

That was the first time in my life. I finally felt some security. When I played in Detroit, and I was captain of Red Wings in 76, I had 18 goals, 46 points, 278 minutes and penalties, I made 85,000 a year. on a two one year or two year contract that's the way it was back then you know it was year to year day to day and uh you know finally i got my one way contract you know guaranteed five years like i said it just finally could take a deep breath and say you know you knew where you were going to play the next year or if you didn't play you knew you're still going to get paid because then i you know

I started a family, young kids. No, I appreciate you sharing that. You know, on a lighter side, maybe not a lighter side, we'll see here, is I read that back, you're mentioning the Detroit Red Wings, not being the top of the league, shall we say. But the Philadelphia Flyers at one point were rate one of the best teams in the NHL. And I read, blood was shed every time they came into the old Olympia. and you led the charge. Well, that was some of my best games.

And let's call a spade to spade. And when I, in the mid-70s, the red wings were called the dead wings. And I think I made the playoffs one year when I was there. And I was with Bobby Crom. And we won, we beat Atlanta Flames in the playoffs in a three-game series. And then we played against Montreal. Well, they lost 12 games all. year. So we

go to Montreal, we split. We thought, oh boy, like, we got them right where we want them. They came to Detroit. They'd be just like 9-1 and 8-0. And I broke Ken Dryden's shutout with my only playoff goal. But yes,

Detroit was, you know, and then all of a sudden, you know, and then they, there was a lot of turmoil. I had like 11 coaches and eight years and three or four different general managers. A couple of different owners that went from Bruce Norris to the Ilich family. If I'd have played a few more years

with the illichists, they loved me. You know, but they provide a stability. And then Jimmy de Villano came along and drafted Steve Eisenman. You know, I remember him coming to training cab at 18. You know, I didn't play with him,

but I was a training cab with him. But anyways, in the mid-70s, yeah, we were awful. But I made things interesting. because Detroit was a blue-collar town. You know, it was a motor city. That's where they built cars. A lot of, you know, blue-collar workers,

and they love blue-collar hockey players. And, you know, we had Bugsie Watson, Dennis Hextall, myself, you know, Dan Maloney. You know, so I felt safe on the ice. You know, when things were dead, like, I made sure something happened on the ice and they'd shout like, polo, polo, polo. you know, at the old Detroit Olympia. And yeah, when we went to Boston and we went to Philadelphia,

I got lots ice time because nobody else wanted to play. Broad Street Bullies, yeah. Like I said, I played against the other team's top lines. And I'd line up against Bobby Clark. Well, Bobby Clark would come off the ice and I would come brick with the cleesh. I'd line up against Bill Barber. Off comes Bill Barber. Out comes Dave Schultz.

You know, so what do you think is going to happen? He's not coming to wish me, Mary Cush. So, yeah. So they, yeah, I used to, you know, a lot of times they were more interested in me than the actual game. But that was some of my best games because you played alert. And you played, I played with two hands on my stick. I know, I think, A, the Broad Street Bullies are the Broad Street Bullies for a reason.

I think it's a cool little news clipping. They were incredibly tough and you know what? They got two Stanley Cups out of it. Yeah. And, you know, when they started dismantling the team, you know, then, you know, guys around the league started getting even with them, you know, with, you know, there were, there was some. tough guys like Bob Bob Kelly and like I said

Dave Schultz and Moose DuPont and the Watson brothers and you know on and on but when they started just pamphling the team a lot of guys started getting even and I remember playing against Dave Schultz when he was in Pittsburgh

and Dave Schult and Pittsburgh was coached by Johnny Wilson and he's a Red Wing alumni who I had met many times and kind of looked up to. So he ended up coaching Pittsburgh. And there was a face off in the Detroit Olympia at the blue line, offside face off, and I was playing right wing. Well, my back and my butt are right up against the Pittsburgh Penguins bench.

And Dave Schultz is standing up on the bench. Pull on it, pull on, I'm going to kill you. I'm going to cut your eyes out. I'm going to get even with you. I'm going to do this. I turned around, just turned my head. I said, Shultzzi, I said, how are you going to get even? You never get on the ice.

Oh, my God. Johnny Wilson had to turn the other way. I could trash talk with lots of them. With the best of them. And then if I had to back it off, I backed it off. And a lot of people were a little bit leery fighting me because I was tough. But, you know, if they lost to a little guy, it was a bit of an embarrassment. So.

I tell you what, probably the funnest 40. minutes of my life today was watching your old fights because the entire time all I'm thinking Dennis is like this guy is my size going at it with some heavy weights in the NHL like this is frigging cool and I love the commentators because ah pawn to chat it again and then and then you'd be getting thumped on and all sending out of nowhere and I suggest to any listener to look them up you come out with some absolute flying punches and it is awesome because I'm just sitting there all over again going, this guy's five, six going at it. Like, this is awesome. I get room for you. You'd be sitting in Chicago going, you may hate Blonage, but he's five, six out there giving it.

Like, this is sweet. Yeah, I was, I was a good teammate. You know, I guys knew that I had their back. I started it, but I'd be there if they started it as well. And yeah, it was fun. I was, I was tremendously strong. I worked out, you know, religiously on the way. I could bench press a lot, so I used to pull the guys in close. And I could fight with either ham. And like I said, I just, I bury myself and start throwing jackhammers. You got, you came to Detroit after How's done. But Gordy does come back in the NHL.

Did you ever run into any of those legendary elbows? Oh, my God. I, as you said, when he's, I missed him by one year. He ended up going to the WHA to Houston. That's right. Yeah, and then they became Hartford Whalers. Well, when they became Hartford Whalers,

he played in the All-Star game in Detroit at Jolulu Serena. I believe it was 1980, 80 or 82, I think it was 1980. And my mother and father-in-law were in Detroit from Saskatchew. Atkins, farmers. Jack is six foot something, worked the farm all his life, picked rocks by hand and stuff. So I had tickets through a doctor, and the tickets included a VIP pass. So after the All-Star game, we got to go into a room and have drinks with the actual All-Stars. So I went up to Gordy Howe and I said, Gordy, he knew who I was and I knew who he was. And obviously I worshipped the ground he walked on because he's from Saskatchewan.

I said, Gordy, I said, my father-in-law is here from Saskatchewan. I said, can you please say hi to him? Oh, yeah, yeah, no problem. Bring him over. So I said, Jack, come with me. You're going to meet Gordy Howe. Oh, great. So Jack, when he shakes your hand, it's like, oh, my God.

like it's like putting in an advice because he's a farmer. And Jack is, sorry, six or four. Well, Gordy is no slouch either. So they shake hands and Gordy jumps back and he said, oh my God, how many milkers you got back home? Like how many cows do you milk? So that broke the ice. Well, you know what?

They talked for 15, 20 minutes. And till the day Jack died, it would warm my heart. He'd have friends over, whatever, they'd be having a coffee or we'd have a Sunday dinner or something,

a picnic or whatever and be out to the side telling people how he got to meet Gordy Howe one time in Detroit. It was so heartwarming, and that's Gordy. And then we played,

I played against him, and you may not know this, but I'm in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Not as an inductee, but my picture's in there. There's a picture from the press box. I took a face off against Gordy Howe when he started the game with his two sons.

They moved Marty up from defense and put him on right wing and Mark was on left wing and Gordy was taking the face off and I got to take the opening face off against him. Jean Anel was on my left side and Bill Hoguebaum was on my right. I let him win the draw. You got to line up again. the hows? The how father and two sons playing in the NHL. That'll never happen again.

And someone took a picture from the press box with the names on the back of the jerseys. So that picture is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. I have one better in my basement. It's all signed with all six guys. Oh, wow. I've heard your basement is pretty dang impressive. I got a nice band cave.

And when the game was over, I happen to be on the ice and the crowd is literally going crazy. They're just standing ovation and the buzzer goes. And I skated up to Gordy and I asked him for a stick and he reached, he reached back and handed it to me. So I got the last stick that Gordy Howe used to Joe Lewis Arena. That's pretty incredible. That's pretty incredible.

Yeah. And then obviously all the players, it was his time. So we all left the ice. We went to the benches and he skated around the ice and he took his glove. and he took it by the string, and he twirled it, and he sent it up in the stands at center ice was incredible. And then he went, skated all the way around to the other side, and he did the same thing on the other side, twirled his glove and flung it up in the crowd, and the place just went nuts. It just, it was incredible, it was deafening.

So can I then infer that in your time of playing Gordy Howell, Dennis Plonich didn't turn into polo, the guy who agitated a living crap out of everyone. Did you try and do that with Gordy? No, not a chance. He might have put me over his knee and spank me. But no, it was just ultimate respect. Ultimate respect, too. Ultimate respect.

I mean, he's 40, at that time in his 40s or just what he'd done for the game. And to be honest, I wasn't hard. Wayne Gretzky was just starting. I wasn't too hard on him, but I was, I was vicious on Marcel Dion when he came back to Detroit to play. You know, Daryl Sittler, I remember, you know, because it was a rivalry, you know, between Detroit and the Leaps. I was hard on Sittler. Not so much on Clark. I respected Clark.

Clark was a bit of an idol for me because I played in Flinflon and that's for him and Reggie Leach played five years before me. So I knew, you know, I knew the stories before. you know, his Philadelphia days. You know, I kind of, I respected him an awful lot. I still, I respect Marcel Dion to this day as well, but it was different when we played. I want to ask about Steve Eisenman. Steve Eisenman, growing up, is my favorite player.

He's like, I know you didn't get to play with him, but I know while you're in the organization, they draft him and he becomes, you know, it took him a few years, but he eventually becomes what everybody remembers is Steve Eisenman and the ultimate leader and everything else. Well, there's a reason why those guys are leaders. They're born leaders.

It's just, that's the way they are. They're genuine, unbelievable people. And I'll give you two stories, Nick Lidstrom and Steve Eisenman. Steve Eisenman was 18 or 19 years old when he came to Detroit's training camp and then obviously went back to junior or where I was gone to the minors or whatever. to play with them. But in the Detroit locker room, in the weight room, they have a head and shoulder shot of all the ex-captains around the top of the thing. So they know who I am, even though I never played against them. And they respect that. So when they had, when they were celebrating 100 years

in the NHL, and they brought back, you know, all of us ex-captains and lined us up, you know, at Center Ice and introduced us to the crowd on the Jumbotron. Steve Eisenman came up to our car. We were sitting in the back of convertibles, came up to my car because it was close to where he was standing at the blue line. And he said, Polo, I just want to congratulate you,

you know, awesome that they're doing this and welcome to Detroit, enjoy your stay. Like, he didn't have to do that, you know, but that's the kind of guy he was. You know,

he knows that I bled, you know, red and white just like he did. Nick Lydstrom, when they came to Calgary, a friend of mine that I play hockey with had a Nick Lidstrom jersey. He said, Polo, can you get this sign for me? I don't like to bother them, but of course I have access to them. So they let me walk right into the dressing room because I know Kenny Hall

and the training staff and so forth. So I walk into the dressing room and Nick Littstrom is sitting right there. And I said, Nick, Dennis Quonich, Would you mind signing for this? Would you mind signing this jersey for me? No, not at all, Mr. Pallanich. Mr. Pallanich. Come on in, make yourself, you know, make yourself, you know,

like, yeah, I just, they know. And you know what? That's why they're captain. That's why they are, you know, superstars or elite people. There's a reason why he was captain for 20 years. Well, I don't want to keep you all night. We've been going for an hour. I know I'd said about an hour.

Let's do the Crude Master Final Five, five quick questions for you, and then I'll let you get on with your night, Dennis. I really appreciate you coming on and sharing some stories. One, what's the best prank you ever saw pulled or pulled yourself while playing for the right ways? I have a couple, and Alex Dovecchio, he was our general manager, and he was a meticulous guy, you know, dressed of the nine, you know, hair always done.

And he had white hair. So he would, we'd practice and he would sauna, you know, work out in the dressing room and sauna or whatever. You know, occasionally he'd get caught, you know, a little bit late. And we would be showering and, you know, hanging around the dressing room and that. Well, I filled up the hair blower with baby powder. So, so when he had to dry his hair, he turned the

hair dryer on you got this poof of baby powder all over his face all over his head and the guys were watching the police that's our general man

you were like another another time I hit in the stick bag we emptied the stick bag and I crawled in the stick bag and I took my teeth out and I was just in there

with my hockey underwear and Joe Kosher and Igor Larianov were in on the joke and they sent one of the guys. I don't have time. I don't have time. Can you go to the stick bag and grab my sticks for me? So the guy bends down to unzip the stick bag and I jumped out of the stick bag and the whole room just bucking.

It was hilarious. Yeah. Just a lot of stupid shit like that. I nailed the guy's cowboy boots one time with a little finishing nail. nailed them down to the bench and couldn't get them off there. You know, we used to tie, we used to tie the $10 bill in a string at the airport because we all flew commercial back then.

It was all, you know, it was not chartered. So we had time to kill. So we dragged the $10 bill around. And yeah, it was. Did you ever remove the doors off a guy's vehicle? By the name of Eddie Jockerman. He had, he had a, Jeep. It was literally called the thing. That's what they called it, the thing. And it was a summer

vehicle. I don't know why he had it in Detroit, but he had a summer. So he brought it to practice one day, and it was blistery, cold and windy. It was awful weather. And the doors, you could just pull the doors off and roll back the canvas on the hood or whatever. Well, we did all that. But we didn't leave in the doors. We put the doors in the trunk of my car. And took the doors home with you? Yeah, we took the doors home. And I ended up setting him up against his garage because we beat him home. He could travel more than 30, 40,000 hours.

He didn't have a two. He had a hockey sock on his head because he was freezing. And we passed him in the highway. We were waving to him on the expressway. And oh, my God. He didn't want to leave his car down at the Olympian downtown Detroit. He'd come back and you wouldn't have any wheels left. Oh, man.

Yeah, we did a lot of crazy things. I had another good joke, too. Dennis Hexton and Terry Harper were really good hunters. And they went up in northern Michigan hunting all the time. So I bought three duck calls, and I passed them around in the dressing room. So when we'd be on road trips at the airport or in a hotel, you know, you'd hide around the corner and you'd do this duck call. And so it took them two or three months.

They were totally convinced that I had one, that it was me. But I never, I passed them out among the team. Well, they caught one guy and then they caught another guy. So you're in the airport and all of a sudden there's a duck call going off? Yeah, and everybody's looking around. Holy shit. Is there a duck in here? And we stayed in a hotel in Chicago where it was all open up to the top.

And they were on like the ninth floor. And I was down in the restaurant and the lobby. I was hiding behind a tree and I was doing this duck call. And people thought there was ducks in the hotel flying around. And so anyways, we had a party. There was one duck call out. So we had a party. And they were totally convinced that I had it.

So one of the guys were going home early. So I said, take this duck call. When you get home, I want you to call this residence and give them the duck, ask for Dennis Hextol and give him the duck call over the phone. So he went home. He dials the residence. I made sure that I was sitting right beside Dennis Hextall. He said, Dennis Hextall, telephone.

So he goes to the call and all I could hear is, and he looks directly at me. me okay it's not you he raced upstairs he thought it was somebody up in the upstairs on the on the extension on another telephone oh my god so that went on for that went on we had so much fun with that for months you know i ask everybody who comes on uh with me if they could do this with one person so essentially pick the brain of of uh of anyone who would they take so who would you take if you could sit across from somebody and and sit and pick their brain you know what i had the pleasure meeting some of these guys.

John Winsink, you know, he always, you know, he was an interesting character when he played, you know, Stan Jonathan, Dave Schultz. I met him, you know, and Bob Kelly at a golf tournament. And we just, you know, bust out laughing and had a great thing. So, you know what? Sometimes when you see these guys on the ice, their character on the ice, they're totally different off the ice. if people judged me just by the way I played and my character on the ice

they think I was a real asshole well you know what I'm not so yeah it surprises you you know and you know what at the end of the day they're ordinary people Bobby Orr is an ordinary person Wayne Gretzky is an ordinary person or human beings

Steve Eisen Nick Lichstrom yeah that's actually that's probably one of the cool things about doing this is you see that all the time. You get to talk to really, I don't know, high profile people, I guess would be the right terminology. And they're just, you sit and it's enjoyable just to sit and converse and share some stories.

You know, and I talk my kids that. I'm teaching my grandkids that. You don't put yourself above anybody. You are what you are. Be nice. Be kind to people. I can vote for that. My son-in-law is black.

and they live in Arizona and this has been a tough time for everyone. They get three beautiful, beautiful children. And yeah, we work with them every day, not to get pushed around, not to be bullied, be kind. You know, everybody's equal, that type of thing. We've got to get our heads out of the sand. Yeah, absolutely. If you were traded from Detroit and could bring one guy, who would you bring with you? who would have you brought with you oh boy probably Dennis Hextall Dan Maloney

Dennis Hextall um Brian Watson you know Bugsie Watson just guys that you if I'm walking down a back alley they got your back and it's dark outside and I'm confronted those are the guys I want with me how about this and that and you know what they would probably say the same for me. If you were lining up, you're at center, and you can pick your wingers, any wingers. It doesn't have to be on Detroit. It could be any wingers you want to have with you. What two guys would you toss on a line with you?

Who's playing with Pallanich tonight? We had a tremendous line. Walt McCackney, scored 82 points, was best year in the NHL, Dan Maloney, 67 points, and myself. And we could play any way you wanted to play against anybody. We had skill, we had grit, we had everything. Those are the kind of line mates I need or I'd want. I obviously want at least one guy with skill, but I want the other, I want some toughness there too and some compete.

Your final one, if you could give one piece of advice and you've probably done this an awful lot through your life to up-and-coming hockey players or people in general, what piece of advice would you pass along? Obviously learn how to work, no excuses. You know, don't compare yourself to others. You know, I know it's a little bit more than one. But there's probably five things that I would ingrain, you know, not only into my kids, but kids that I coached in that, getting them ready for real,

life. It's not easy out there, man. And, you know, learn to do things for yourself. You know, quit pointing fingers, no excuses. And just roll up your socks and, you know what? And get to work. And you know what else? Deal with shit. You know, shit's going to happen. You got to deal with it. I think it's awesome. I really do appreciate you hopping on, Dennis. And I've really, really enjoyed this. And nice getting to meet you. And I appreciate you hopping on. So thank Thanks again. Thanks for having me. Hey folks, thanks again for joining us today.

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