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INDEPTH: DON CHERRY
The Don of hockey
How Don Cherry went from being a journeyman minor league player
to the game's biggest personality.
Don Cherry and his dog, Blue |
By his own admission, Don Cherry was a lousy car
salesman. It just wasn't his passion. His heart and soul were wooed
by another love. Hockey.
Donald Stewart Cherry was born Feb. 5, 1934, in Kingston, Ont. He
became enamoured with the game early in his life, acquiring an interest
in sports from his father, Del Cherry. Del was an outstanding baseball
player who some have called the greatest athlete Kingston ever produced.
Hockey eventually provided Cherry with an early opportunity to leave
the Eastern Ontario city. Barely a teenager, he chased his hockey-playing
dream across the continent, from Sudbury, Ont., to Spokane, Wash,
and many other North American whistle stops. The crowing moment of
his on-ice career came in 1955 when he appeared in a playoff game
for the Boston Bruins. It would be his only NHL appearance.
Cherry's early travelling days also led him to another love -- Rosemarie
(Rose) Madelyn Martini. The pair met during his rookie year in Hershey,
Pa., in 1954. Cherry brought Rose to a hockey game on their first
date, where she watched him get into a bloody fight. They would marry
two years later and later have two children -- Cindy and Tim.
Cherry decided to end his playing career after 16 years in the minors.
Now in his mid-30s, Cherry stepped away from the game and dabbled
in different careers, from construction to the "world's worst
Cadillac salesman."
But hockey's allure proved too strong. Cherry returned to the ice
to play for the Rochester Americans in the early 1970s. His comeback
lasted only 19 games, and in January 1972, he took over as the team's
head coach.
Cherry was a popular figure with the Rochester fans and media during
his three seasons. The success helped open the door to his first NHL
coaching opportunity. In 1974, he was hired as head coach of the Boston
Bruins.
Cherry's Bruins finished first in their division four seasons in a
row, and he earned NHL coach of the year honours in the 1975-76 campaign.
The same year, he was named assistant coach of Team Canada.
Despite his success in Boston, Cherry's tenure is often remembered
for Game 7 of the 1979 Stanley Cup semi-final against the Montreal
Canadiens. His Bruins were penalized late in the game for having too
many men on the ice. They went on to lose the deciding contest when
Yvon Lambert scored in overtime. Cherry was subsequently fired.
He joined the Colorado Rockies for the 1979-80 season but was fired
as coach when the club finished in last place.
Cherry next embarked on the career that would make him a star -- hockey
commentator.
In 1980, he appeared on Hockey Night in Canada with host Dave Hodge
in a segment called Coach's Corner. Years later, in what became a
career-defining interview with CBC's Brian Williams, Cherry condoned
on-ice violence in hockey, after a bench-clearing brawl during a world
junior championship game between Canada and the Soviets. The move
helped boost Cherry's popularity and made the flamboyant TV star the
king of tell-it-like-he-sees-it hockey commentary.
The Coach has branched out from his HNIC endeavours, becoming an enterprise
unto himself. He's released a popular series of video titles called
Don Cherry's Rock'em Sock'em Hockey. Accompanied by his famed English
bull terrier Blue, he gives fans what they crave in a hockey compilation:
remarkable plays, stunning saves, bloopers, and of course, plenty
of heavy hits.
The venture is a family affair for Cherry. His son Tim, who runs Tim
Cherry Enterprises, is the driving force behind the successful series.
The 15th edition of Rock'em Sock'em was released in 2003.
Cherry is also a part of the radio world, co-hosting a nationally syndicated
program called Don Cherry's Grapeline with Williams. The Coach is
also one of this country's most successful pitchmen. From food and
beverages to car insurance ads, Cherry's mug is a common fixture on
posters, billboards and in TV spots.
Cherry suffered a huge personal loss in 1997 when Rose lost her battle
with liver cancer. Shortly after her death, the Rose Cherry's Home
For Kids was founded, a hospice in her memory that helps terminally
ill children and their families. The facility, located just outside
of Milton, Ont., will be finished in the summer of 2004.
Meanwhile, the candid Cherry and his broadcasting partner, HNIC host
Ron MacLean, remain Saturday night mainstays on CBC Television. Cherry's
outspoken opinions have made him a favourite among Coach's Corner
fans and a target among his detractors.
Cherry is no stranger to hot water. One of the more contentious moments
on Coach's Corner came March 22, 2003. Hockey talk was brushed aside
in favour of world affairs -- more specifically, a heated debate over
the U.S.-led war with Iraq. The Coach, wearing a sparkling U.S.-flag-inspired
tie, berated MacLean about being neutral on the war, then slammed
the Canadian government for not supporting the U.S. in the war. The
exchange became a water-cooler-conversation favourite and sparked
national debate along the way. His views on fighting and visor-wearing
have also raised eyebrows in the past.
Entertainer to many, agitator to some. Either way, there's no denying
Don Cherry is a hockey original.
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