Happy Birthday Scotty !

[BOSSMANPC]

Scotty Bowman Born on September 18, 1933. The greatest coach in NHL history. Bowman won four straight Cups from 1976 to 1979 in Montreal.

Then it was on to Buffalo as general manager and coach. He took over a team that was in transition, and despite several big player moves couldn’t get the situation straightened out. The Sabres fired him in 1986.

Then it was on to the Penguins and Red Wings, where he won four more Cups to bring his coaching total to a record nine.


Happy BD Mr Bowman.

 

[BF4L]

Today is also my Bday

Spread rep now people!

 

[dash]

Scotty wasn't loved by his players, but you could tell he was respected. Happy birthday Scotty!

 

[mattola]

A Montreal Canadien was asked one time to explain Scotty Bowman and he said.... You hate him 364 days a year but on the 365th day you get a Stanley Cup Ring....... Happy Birthday Mr Bowman

Canadiens star Steve Shutt put it this way: "You hated him 364 days years, and on the 365th day you got your Stanley Cup ring."

Scotty wasn't loved by his players, but you could tell he was respected. Happy birthday Scotty!

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

Today is also my Bday

Spread rep now people!

24 hour period.

Happy birthday, though!

 

[puckhead]

Daryl Sittler turns 62 today as well.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Scotty Bowman Born on September 18, 1933. The greatest coach in NHL history. Bowman won four straight Cups from 1976 to 1979 in Montreal.

Then it was on to Buffalo as general manager and coach. He took over a team that was in transition, and despite several big player moves couldn’t get the situation straightened out. The Sabres fired him in 1986.

Then it was on to the Penguins and Red Wings, where he won four more Cups to bring his coaching total to a record nine.


Happy BD Mr Bowman.

I believe Bowman started his NHL coaching career in St. Louis in 1967 with the expansion Blues.

 

[dash]

I believe Bowman started his NHL coaching career in St. Louis in 1967 with the expansion Blues.

That is correct and he did a very good job coaching the Blues (as they made three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances).

/Although the 1967 expansion placed the six expansion teams in one division while the Original Six teams stayed in their own division, making the Blues run to the Cup finals a lot easier.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

That is correct and he did a very good job coaching the Blues (as they made three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances).

/Although the 1967 expansion placed the six expansion teams in one division while the Original Six teams stayed in their own division, making the Blues run to the Cup finals a lot easier.

The original 6 teams screwed over the new 6 so bad. They didn't even have a universal draft until two years after expanding to 12 teams.

 

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The NHL also screwed the WHA teams that joined the league by only allowing them to protect two players on their respective rosters...

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

The NHL also screwed the WHA teams that joined the league by only allowing them to protect two players on their respective rosters...

Yikes.

No wonder these teams sucked early on. I remember Bill Torrey saying he went to the owner of the Islanders & said we have a choice. We can try to get a bunch of veteran players & try to be competitive or focus all of our resources on the draft. The Islanders were put in the Eastern Conference with teams like Montreal, Boston & NYR. That made the decision to go the draft route easy.

Bowman was a great coach, but I think he was also very fortunate. Most of his teams were extremely talented.

 

[mbhhofr]

Happy birthday Scotty.

He was the coach of the Peterborough Petes when they played and lost to the Winnipeg Braves, in the 1959 Memorial Cup. I was a Linesman in that series. The Braves won the best of seven series four games to one. I worked three of the five games and it was the only time that I had ever worked games involving Bowman.

Fast forward fifteen years to 1974 when Bowman was coaching Montreal. I had never seen him since 1959. The Habs had just beaten the North Stars 7-0 and I was downstairs going to see Andy Van Helemond who had refereed the game. As I was walking past the Montreal dressing room, Bowman came out, saw me, called me by name, walked over and shook my hand. I was very surprised. We talked for a couple of minutes and he bitched about the refereeing even though the Habs won 7-0. All I can say is that he has one hell of a memory.