This unemployed and out of shape goalie led the Winnipeg Jets to glory

Рет қаралды 66,742

5 ай бұрын

Looking back at the career of iconic NHL and WHA goalie Gary "Suitcase" Smith.
After retiring, and ballooning to 250 pounds, Suitcase Smith was called back into action by the 1978-1979 Winnipeg Jets, and went on to lead them to a WHA Avco Cup Championship.
Includes Winnipeg Jets highlights, Vancouver Canucks highlights, Washington Capitals highlights, Edmonton Oilers highlights, Chicago Blackhawks highlights and NHL highlights
#nhlhockey #nhlhighlights #winnipegjets #vancouvercanucks #washingtoncapitals #hockeyhistory #nhlhistory #icehockey #hockeynews

Пікірлер: 89

@txDDS 5 ай бұрын

I'm from the Peg and grew up in the NHL Golden Era of the 80s. Seeing old Winnipeg Arena brings back so many memories.

@cobaltsentry8182 5 ай бұрын

Seeing Eatons Place at 4:41 future site of Canada Life Centre!

@DonKnight-qi4tu 5 ай бұрын

First ever game my dad took me to at Maple Leaf Gardens, Suitcase was in goal for the Seals. He would drop the puck and stick handle to center ice. The second game my dad took me to was Vancouver. Suitcase was again in goal.

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

That's so cool!

@jamestiscareno4387 4 ай бұрын

I'm a forever Seals fan. I remember him doing that.

@jamiehooper7968 5 ай бұрын

Gary did the Post game show ( after Canuck games ) at our restaurant in the early 90’s. A true gentleman and a great guy!

@MacTeee 5 ай бұрын

Arguably, the greatest hockey nickname ever!

@MoneyHoneyBunny 5 ай бұрын

I consider myself a hockey historian but, as someone born in 1987, I never got to learn much about the WHA beyond what we can read about today. My dad always told me how they didnt have TV deals like the NHL and that's why there's not really much footage of the WHA in comparison. But I always wondered who stopped that Gretzky Oilers WHA team. Now I know! Pretty crazy, clearly Winnipeg was a great team with poor coaching and poor goaltending. And Smith being a former Vezina shared-winner, regardless of if it was the shared era (It was basically like the Jennings back then really) it's still impressive, having that on his resume probably got him that opportunity. The guy played for utterly horrible teams for half of his career, and yet he nearly carried the Oakland Seals through a playoff round 1 year! Definitely someone interesting to learn about :)

@mikegburnside 5 ай бұрын

Shades of the movie Slapshot. Great story

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Hahah was thinking that too

@bigfish322 5 ай бұрын

Great video! Watched him play in two games! The first on December 26/73 in Vancouver against the California Golden Seals and again on New Year’s Day of 74 against the Big Bad Bruins! Two games I will never forget as a 12 year old kid from Saskatchewan out there for Christmas of that year!!👍👍

@MacNur-tu3cq 5 ай бұрын

Old hockey and the allman bros.... I wanna go back to the 70s. I especially miss the way goalies played and their small gear. The game just ain't the same for me today. From the on ice product to the culture to players and their personalities, todays hockey just doesnt give me feel it once did.

@ryanjacobson2508 5 ай бұрын

It wasn't just the gear being smaller, it was the actual goalies being physically smaller. Over the last 25 or so years, most goalies were "selected" by parents, coaches, scouts etc. based on their physical size and then carefully groomed to be skilled goalies. The reason this system came to be is due to pro athletes making way more money than they used to. Back in the 60's, there wasn't this much grooming or investment in young athletes.

@AnEvolvingApe 5 ай бұрын

I'm Gen X and never enjoyed the game as much as I do now, watching NHL games on my HD TV and playing in the 50+beer league.

@Tampafan33 5 ай бұрын

@@AnEvolvingApepeople who say they miss back then are weird. Most goalies were pretty bad and drunks to put it plainly. Most games were just score fests but not even in a fun way. You could tell the game had become way too easy to score. And let’s be real the athleticism is nothing like it is now.

@AnEvolvingApe 5 ай бұрын

@@Tampafan33 Yep, I agree and all the people who yearn for the "old time hockey" are mostly sad drunk losers.

@AHockey1993 5 ай бұрын

What an interesting player. Never heard of him until your video! Great breakdown and history of Gary Smith's career!

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@raybarker2180 5 ай бұрын

I was at that Championship game with a buddy. Myself, my brother and a friend went three ways on two season tickets for the last 3 years of the WHA and then into the NHL.

@tunnsie 5 ай бұрын

There's a hilarious or tragic story regarding Suitcase Smith on how he ended his days in Vancouver. It involves a very drunk Smith after being introduced to the owner and his wife of the Ballard's dog food company during a party of who's who and Smith's response after meeting the CEO's wife " I see the resemblance on the can "

@alisonbonar1613 5 ай бұрын

I remember Gary Smith exactly as pictured. I saw Smith in his full length fur coat strolling through the Main Concourse at the Coliseum in Vancouver, accompanied by George Gardner who was clad in a cerulean blue, Nehru collared suit. Good times!

@jockejocke1 5 ай бұрын

I don't think you mentioned it, if you did I missed it. I recently learned that Smith had 1 penalty shot save in his NHL career. He stopped a penalty shot in the 3rd period on March 5, 1978 at the Detroit Olympia arena, the shooter was André St. Laurent.

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Didn't mention that! Thanks for sharing that!

@johnfake2739 5 ай бұрын

Worth noting that photographic evidence of the answer to the trivia question "what was Gretzky's first professional team" appears at 0:26.

@MekoUnknown 5 ай бұрын

Alot of people don't know about his time in Indianapolis, or Peterborough. Good catch!

@Rockhound6165 5 ай бұрын

Messier also played for the Racers before going to Cincinnati.

@ryanc9888 5 ай бұрын

One of the best logos in the history of sports.

@JacksonAxe 5 ай бұрын

I've still got some of his cards from the 70s.

@thomasw5466 5 ай бұрын

Awesome documentary

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Thanks!!

@sidDkid87 5 ай бұрын

*_what great story! quite the character!!!_*

@RichardTavilla 5 ай бұрын

Thank you for the fun story. Good ol days

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@xAnAngelOfDeathx 5 ай бұрын

Great video, thanks!

@notintohandles 5 ай бұрын

Excellent presentation! Thank you for such a good mini doc.

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@robscott9414 5 ай бұрын

Should have told the Ballard's dog food story! One of the best one-liners of all time!

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Good call! "I can see the family resemblance from the can!" 😂

@robscott9414 5 ай бұрын

@@RedHotHockeyYYC That’s what got him shipped out of Vancouver. Still, brilliant!

@jeffreybarry4694 5 ай бұрын

I’m happy I found this detailed account since this happened before my time. An under appreciated redemption story at the end of an important era in pro hockey. You’re earned by subscription

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Appreciate it!

@youngblood9000 5 ай бұрын

Great storytelling!

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

@crazyralph6386 5 ай бұрын

What a great story! Thanks.

@Chrsly 5 ай бұрын

I do love a good redemption story. Thanks for posting this.

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@klnrklnr4433 5 ай бұрын

wonder what current goalie stats would be like if they had to wear 1980s scale equipment?

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Would be so fun to see them try out the old gear

@skifusya2814 5 ай бұрын

And use 1980s training and nutrition methods.

@tomfilipiak3511 5 ай бұрын

Great story,at 75 years old,I remember this,you are right,I played goal,for twenty,never as a pro,but the equipment,was primitive ,it started to change in the mid 80 e,with Vaughan and Brown,making lighter,more protective arm,chest and shoulder protection!The pads were sill heavy,and the best goalie skates I had,were micron,but they were heavy!

@tpor1206 5 ай бұрын

Great video - thanks for doing this!!!

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

@johnshields6852 5 ай бұрын

Back in the day I used the titan hockey stick that gretz used, I loved those sticks. .

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

I still have my dad's old Titan stick. One of my most prized possessions

@JohnNewtoner 5 ай бұрын

An interesting bio from a fascinating time period in pro hockey with the rival WHA league. Well done 👍

@inthelionsden6335 5 ай бұрын

I remember well when Gary was back up to Tony-O in Chicago!

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Love it!

@skifusya2814 5 ай бұрын

In Dick Irvin's book "In the Crease," Smith stated that he believed that he learned the most about goaltending during the two years that he backed up Tony Esposito in Chicago.

@jeffnossan1083 5 ай бұрын

I remember opening pack of hockey cards in the 1970's and pulling his card out laughing at this crazy hair and face. Great story

@busherjackson5016 5 ай бұрын

Well done sir subscribed

@14daze 5 ай бұрын

...I second that!

@Mephistopholies 5 ай бұрын

Good show!

@RussellmaniaXXV 5 ай бұрын

Wayne Gretzky sitting next to Smith in Racers team photo

@whaleoilbeefhooked3892 5 ай бұрын

A Canuck "insider" told me that at a team party, Arthur Griffith introduced Gary to his mother (Canucks team owner). As a topic for conversation, Arthur told Gary that his mother was also the CEO of Ballard pet food. Gary replied to her that he'd seen her picture on the cans. A week later Gary got traded to the North Stars for Cesare Maniago.

@Michaelbos 5 ай бұрын

You know, he hated that suit case trend phrase.

@FalloutUrMum 5 ай бұрын

That's not a nagging wife, that's a supportive wife. We'd all be so lucky to have someone who cares enough to push us to success and put so much work into paving the way for us as best they could.

@danielupsdell2697 5 ай бұрын

remember Smith in vancouver

@register1430 5 ай бұрын

Well put together doc. Good script. Knew him from the VAN days. P H A has some competition.

@RedHotHockeyYYC 5 ай бұрын

Appreciate it!

@MyMW3Channel 5 ай бұрын

If I got lost in a rink, I wouldn't mind coming across that suite accidentally. There were some 70s rockets in there. The ginger smokeshow on the end of the couch? YEW!

@ryanjacobson2508 5 ай бұрын

Back when Goalies weren't all 6'4" guys with massive pads.

@TheBlazersfan22 5 ай бұрын

Lol he looks like will farrel in that basketball movie. 😆 🤣

@johnmulkerrin3978 5 ай бұрын

Good info but the video is confusing because it jumps back and forth. Maybe a timeline or just follow chronological order.

@malcolmrae77 5 ай бұрын

Nice work…

@Callumaroo 5 ай бұрын

She do that to make him crazy.

@Guy-kn6jt 5 ай бұрын

His teammates called him Gary suitcase smith

@RiDankulous 5 ай бұрын

It all started with the nagging wife who made sure he kept on track to get a hockey job!!!

@MetalAsFork 5 ай бұрын

It's all well-written and the pics are great, but you sound like a 5th grader reading an essay for the class.

@strats991 5 ай бұрын

Interesting video BUT,... to put it diplomatically, your delivery needs a LOT of work. It's needlessly fast, you sound bored, everything is monotone,... To be sure, I checked older videos and newer ones - same thing. You have a great way of compiling things + your topics are interesting but I can't get past the delivery.

@ryantownsend2730 5 ай бұрын

Did your wife just leave you? 😅

@tycro23 5 ай бұрын

Please, talk a bit faster.

@jogendron6320 5 ай бұрын

Misleading title. The Jets never had any glory.

@minorprohero8893 5 ай бұрын

Multiple Avco Cups proves your comment incorrect

@beorlingo 5 ай бұрын

If you speak just a little bit faster not one single person will be able to follow. Why settle fore a few still understanding when you can make the narration 100% unintelligible!?