You're Eddie Shore.
Read all about him, at
http://members.tripod.com/cuparcanucks/shorebiography/shorebio.htm.
A most interesting passage:
SPRINGFIELD INDIANS
After a short time with the New York Americans Eddie hung up his skates and took to
coaching his Springfield Indians full-time. Eddie soon became the most unusual
owner hockey has ever seen. Shore was known to open training camps by having his
players tap dance in the lobby of a hotel, to have his players do ballet steps on the ice,
tape players' hands to their sticks if they were in the improper position, and lock a
referee out of his dressing room as punishment for poor officiating (Beddoes, 1973).
The players who served under Shore have many stories to tell about the ex-Bruin.
Don Johns recalled an incident when Shore attempted to tell him why he was not a
better hockey player. Eddie told Johns that he would improve if he parted his hair on
the other side and that it would help him because he would have something else to
think about (Beddoes, 1973). Johns also recalled an incident with a rookie when
Shore wanted him to skate with his legs closer together. To accomplish this Shore took a piece of cord and tied the player's legs together and told him to skate (Beddoes, 1973). Shore had exact ideas about technique in the game of hockey. Eddie believed that a player's hands had to be two feet apart on the stick, the legs had to be 11 inches apart and that skating should be done in a sort of sitting position (Beddoes, 1973). One practice this point was brought home to Guidolin who had just made a perfect pass to another player who scored a goal. Shore called Guidolin over, asking him what he thought he had done wrong. Guidolin, in complete confusion, told Shore he thought it had been a good play. Shore replied, "Mister Guidolin, your legs were two inches too far apart," (Beddoes, 1973). Another such incident occurred when Don Cherry was playing under Shore. Cherry recalls that after goalie Claude Evans once turned in a 5-0 shutout, Shore marched into the dressing room and fined Evans 50 dollars because he did not bend his knees (Cherry, 1982).
However strange Shore's tactics may have appeared, it has now been shown that they
are well-grounded in physiological theory. Kent Douglas once commented that
studying under Shore was like getting your doctorate in hockey science (Beddoes,
1973). Shore also defended his rule that his players take tap dancing lessons. He
explained that dancing improves balance, and balance is the foundation of any athlete's
ability (Beddoes, 1973). Perhaps a down point to Shore's coaching was his
expectations that players would be as tough as he was in their hockey playing style.
One player by the name of Kilrea related a story of Shore's unrealistic expectations.
Kilrea had suffered a double fracture of the jaw in one game. While he was in the
hospital, he received a phone call from Shore telling him to go back to the rink.
Kilrea thought Shore was being a concerned owner, and so went back to the rink. Shore ordered Kilrea and Eagan, the assistant coach at the time, to go and get dressed
in full equipment. Eddie then told the two to go to opposite ends of the rink and skate
"like hell" at each other and butt heads. Shore was trying to find out how much
pain Kilrea could take to decide whether to put him in the next game (Guay, Feb. 5,
1989).
Shore was also known for his antics during games. Once he was so enraged by a
referee's call, he took his entire team off the ice for one play. The goalie was left to
fend for himself and managed to fall on the puck before the other team scored. Shore
then conceded to put his players back on the ice (Beddoes, 1973). Another time Shore directed his anger toward a player on the opposing team. After manhandling a few Springfield players, the Baltimorian was sent to the penalty box which was beside the Indians' bench. Shore walked down the bench and yelled to the player that if he were a few years younger, he would knock the dickens out of him (Beddoes, 1973). That did not satisfy Eddie, however. When Baltimore went on to win the game Eddie ran to the announcer's box and began calling the referee every name he could think of to protest the loss (Beddoes, 1973).
Shore is also remembered as a very frugal coach. Billy McCreary recalled how, when
he played under Shore, that the players were only allowed to tip the cab drivers 15
cents. Eventually it got to the point where the Indians could not get a cab ride
because no driver would pick them up (Beddoes, 1973). Shore also got out of many
bonus contracts with players. If any player was getting close to the 30 goal mark,
at which point they would get a bonus, Shore would bench them so the mark could
not be reached (Beddoes, 1973).
Shore used to keep players who were injured busy, despite their inability to play
hockey. These players became known as Shore's Black Aces. They were forced to do odd jobs such as paint arena seats, sell programs, make popcorn, and blow up balloons (Beddoes, 1973). Shore also got extra work out of his coaches. The coaches were not only required to do the same jobs as the Aces were, one coach reportedly repaired Shore's house (Beddoes, 1973). It was common knowledge, however, that Shore would never give any player or coach a job he would not do himself. In fact, when Shore first owned the Indians, he would sometimes play for them when the team was short. Eddie would be seen out parking cars ten minutes before the game started,making a mad dash to change and make it on the ice for the drop of the puck (Cherry,1982). One day the Black Aces took advantage of Shore's frugalness to repay him for all the work they were required to do. Shore was changing light bulbs in the arena's ceiling. To do this Shore climbed up a platform and the players pushed him from bulb to bulb. At one point Shore was screwing in a light bulb with one hand and holding on to an overhead cable with the other. One of the Aces pushed the platform out from under Shore, leaving him hanging there from the cable. The players did not see Shore scream and yell for help, instead he calmly looked down and asked one of the players to return the platform to its proper place (Cherry, 1982). Eventually theAces pushed it back under him and he went on changing the bulbs (Beddoes, 1973).
Eddie's trading tactics were also questioned at times by the players. Once Shore
traded for a player named Smith. At the first practice Smith came into the dressing
room and was immediately questioned by Shore about the whereabouts of his goalie
pads. Smith, confused, replied he was not a goalie but a forward. Shore had traded for the wrong Smith (McFarlane, 1991). Another time Shore traded player Jake
Milford to Buffalo for a pair of goal nets. He later commented he had gotten a bad
deal stating he had thought the nets were newer (Duff, March 19, 1985).
Due to varying circumstances Shore was moved from the Indians to the Buffalo
Bisons back to Springfield and then to the Syracuse Warriors. Finally in 1954 he
returned to Springfield for good. Over his many years of coaching, managing and
owning professional hockey teams, Shore, with various teams, won the Calder Cup six
times (Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, undated).
Shore's hard-nosed tactics did get him into hot water in 1966-67. The players on his
team went on strike, protesting against his hard-nosed tactics. They were represented
by a lawyer named Alan Eagleson. This development triggered the formation of the
National Hockey League Players Association, of which Eagleson became President
(Duff, March 9, 1985). Shore sold the Springfield players to Los Angeles after the
strike was over. This was one of the few setbacks Shore ever experienced, and his
prestige suffered (Beddoes, 1973).
It was also in 1966 that the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame was opened in Regina.
It is thought that at this time Shore was asked if he would let his name stand to be
considered and he refused (Tiefenbach, May 11, 1985). It may be possible that the
incident with the players' strike had injured Shore to such an extent that he did not
want to be recognized by his home province.
Shore sold the Springfield Indians team in 1976 to George Leary ( Edmonton Sun,
March 18, 1985).