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Wednesday, February 23, 2000
Marty then and now
Pitchfork spear on Flames' Bullard remembered from '88
Martin James McSorley's rap sheet includes one plea of temporary amnesia.
Nothing short of guilty in the first degree will suit the jury on this occasion.
No matter, the fullest co-operation will undeniably still turn McSorley, 36, into a lifer - as it is known around the NHL.
A dozen years ago the robust enforcer - during his first of two Edmonton tours of duty - skewered Calgary Flames opponent Mike Bullard with the spear seen around the NHL during a Stanley Cup quarter-final playoff match.
McSorley immediately fled the scene.
The following morning - April 24, 1988 - he took the witness stand while seated on the ping-pong table in the Oilers' bathhouse.
Apparently acting upon the advice of his prominent local attorney, Glen Sather, McSorley maintained he couldn't recall what had transpired after he was hit from behind by Flames' Gary Roberts, now of Carolina.
By the time he speared Bullard - in a delayed reaction following a series of hits - he was disoriented and amnesia had taken hold.
THREE-GAME SUSPENSION
Six days following the incident McSorley drew a three-game suspension. Back then criminals were not only treated with leniency, but punishment wasn't overly expedient either.
Well, following Monday night's chop to the temple of the Canucks' Donald Brashear in Vancouver, rest assured the NHL will not only act swiftly but also harshly.
McSorley flew directly to New York for the hearing with Colin Campbell.
On this occasion, even having the dean of NHL GMs Harry Sinden on his side, won't be sufficient to allow McSorley back.
Not this season at least.
This despicable incident won't be treated as lightly as the one back in '88.
There won't be any ping pong table laughs. Not even after time performs its proverbial healing process.
"No, I don't think so,'' reacted Oilers' coach Kevin Lowe, a friend and former McSorley teammate as he stood only a few feet from the ping-pong table. "It's as severe as I've seen ... although you forget.
"Brownie's (hit) on (Tomas) Sandstrom was pretty severe, too,'' added Lowe of a mid-'80s cross-check delivered in New York by Dave Brown that netted the former Flyer and Oiler 15 games.
"Knowing Marty, I have to think after it happened it crossed his mind, 'Oh, no, what have I done?'
"I'm certain he had no intent in doing that. I think he wanted to send a message to Brasheer. Maybe he even wanted to cut him. But I don't think he wanted to do what happened.
"As vicious as that sounds ... (ex-Bruin and Oiler) Bobby Schmautz was a master at that. Gordie Howe was a master of getting his stick up in guys' faces ...''
Stickwork from different times and eras although McSorley's history isn't one cluttered with stick-related offences.
"He's been a good professional. He's been honourable in fighting the tough guys. He fought all the wars,'' said Lowe, "and he's fought them fairly ... the majority of the time.''
Indeed, although McSorley's esteem dropped locally when Wayne Gretzky hustled him off to L.A. as part of the Sale of the Century package.
And, of course, there was the Bullard incident that only added fuel to the Battle of Alberta when it raged at its most torrid pace.
Bullard, actually a friend of McSorley's from a stint together in Pittsburgh, was the innocent caught up in trench warfare.
THE DASTARDLY DEED
Tim Hunter, Jim Peplinski and Shane Churla made certain McSorley's face was never far removed from the plexi-glass. After Roberts put in his two cents worth, McSorley performed his dastardly deed with a pitchfork to the groin.
"Any more of a direct hit in that area and he'd be in the Gulf of Persia,'' said Calgary coach Terry Crisp at the time.
"I was pitchforked where it matters the most. I was hurt bad,'' said Bullard, a former 50-goal scorer. "That's the kind of thing you don't want to see in hockey.''
McSorley wasn't into remorse.
"How badly was Bullard hurt?'' asked McSorley once his 'amnesia' had cleared up. "The ambulance attendant said, `How do you write up a report? The guy hops off the stretcher and walks into the dressing room.' ''
The most hilarious quote emerged from the mouth of Edmonton's Mike Krushelnyski: "We're going to win this series because our idiots are better than their idiots - and our idiots are smarter than their idiots.
Edmonton swept the series in four.
That was then, this is now.
After Monday's production in Vancouver McSorley stated: "I'm in shock with what I did.''
Likewise is the hockey world ... and this shock would be much more legitimate than the notorious amnesia of '88.
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