BOSTON BRUINS QUOTES RICK MIDDLETON NUMBER RETIREMENT CONFERENCE CALL Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
BOSTON BRUINS QUOTES RICK MIDDLETON NUMBER RETIREMENT CONFERENCE CALL Tuesday, July 31, 2018 FORMER BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD RICK MIDDLETON On what this honor means to him... Well, Joe, thanks for being on the call. You know, it’s something that, obviously, you think about especially over the last four or five years when nobody has worn the number 16, and you think well maybe, maybe it’ll happen. You never know for sure. I’m getting up there in age a little bit, so, and especially in the month of July it’s not really the type of call you think you’re going to get. And when Cam [Neely] called me, you know, every once in a while, we talk about different alumni stuff, and he just caught me so off guard with it that I actually got emotional when he said it because it was just a dream come true. And, you know, I don’t compare it to the Hall of Fame. It’s a special, special honor to me to be included with the other 10 people that are up there. A very special group of hockey players that date back to the beginning of the Boston Bruins, and to be included on that last I can’t even explain what kind of an honor that is. On where he was and what he was doing when he got the call from Cam Neely… I was actually at home just doing some paperwork and making some calls of my own. And I was actually on another line when Cam called. I saw his name, so it went to voicemail and he didn’t let anything on. He just said, “Hey Nifty, give me a buzz when you get a chance.” So, when I got off the call I called him back. I missed him, and then he called me back less than a minute later and after some small talk he said to me that I or we, he corrected himself, have decided that we’re going to, going to put your number up in the rafters next season. And, to me, it knocked me off the chair. It certainly was not something I expected from the call in July to hear something like that. Although, I can’t lie I’ve certainly thought about it many times, especially with no one wearing the no. 16 in a few years. It’s been in the back of my mind, but you never know when these things happen or if they’re ever going to happen, so when it hit me it was like a sledgehammer. And I’m still in shock. I’ve been telling my family and not I guess it just got released on the internet and twitter and all that, so I’m getting a lot of things and a lot of texts and a lot of calls right now from friends. So, it’s such a great day for me. On his work with the Boston Bruins Alumni and his comfort level when all of the focus is on him during the ceremony in November… Well, you know, it’s hard to think about. I remember I was with Terry O’Reilly when Terry’s jersey went up and, you know, being on the ice again in front of 18,000 people after all these years is going to be a little nerve wracking and then having to speak. My biggest worry is to forget somebody I should thank. I’ve already thought about that. But as president of the Bruins Alumni for the last 10 years — you know I didn’t start the alumni, running the way it is, Johnny Bucyk did it, passed it onto Bob Sweeney and then I took over about 10 years ago. And we, the way that John started it, still works today. We help raise money for a lot of different charities, youth hockey across New England every year. And the players — we have so many ex-Bruins in the area that we get to meet, a lot of them I had never met before, and play hockey with them. It’s special for us, and I think it’s special for the people that are doing the games. I hope to continue for a couple more years. It’s starting to wear on me physically a little but still having fun at it. So, I’m just honored to be, to be as I said, a part of this group and this organization. The oldest U.S. hockey franchise in the NHL, and to be put up and honored amongst this group of men is a dream come true honestly. I can’t say anything else about it. I’m still in shock. On how often he looks up at the rafters when he is at TD Garden… Well, you know, usually we go up into the alumni room in the alumni suite on the ninth floor, so they’re about eye level. I can’t miss them, but you know where I’ve noticed them quite a bit lately is when I go over to Warrior rink. They’re really the only thing hanging up there, and I’ve seen it. I can’t lie, at times I’ve looked up between Milt Schmidt and Terry O’Reilly, there seemed to be a lot of room there, and I was just hoping one day, maybe, my name would go up, and today’s the day. On the names of the influential people in his life who came to mind upon hearing this news… Well it’s funny that you said that, I was, you know, just talking with my family about a couple people that I’d love to have there. And my old coach from my days growing up in Toronto that was really the main person, my main coach that helped me change my skating around, Because I was a scrawny little kid and not a strong skater; around the age of 13-16, in those three years, or I never would’ve made the NHL. His name is Frank Miller, and he’s in his 80’s now in Toronto, so I’m hoping he’ll be able to make the trip down to enjoy this with me. You know and along the way Emile Francis was the coach and GM of the New York Rangers that ended up drafting me, so he was the guy that gave me the first chance, and if he didn’t do that I would never have ended up in Boston. And to be coached by Don Cherry, who kind of saw something in my game that was more than offensive type of a game and helped me realize what the complete NHL game was. And then Gerry Cheevers, who over those five years gave me all the ice time in the world that I would never have been able to put the numbers up that I did. And ultimately Terry O’Reilly, who I played with and under as my last coach, who always showed me what it took to be a Bruin and the guts and what you have to bring to the game every night. And Terry certainly showed that every night as a player and a coach. I was so fortunate to have all these people from the age of 13 on and even before that a fellow by the name of Glenn Mortley, who made hockey fun for me growing up that I never remembered anything, any bad moments from the game, and I don’t think a lot of people can say that. On what Boston means to him and why he decided to stay after he retired… Well, it’s funny. A lot of people don’t realize that I actually lived in New England and played in New England back before I was with the Bruins. The New York Rangers’ farm team back in 1973 was the Providence Reds. I lived in Cranston, Rhode Island when I was 19 years old and played against the Boston Braves. I got a taste of New England, and little did I know that, less than three years later, I would be back in New England living here, playing for the Boston Bruins. And, to be able to stay here and play here and play for 12 years with such a great organization as the Bruins and then raise a family, put some roots down, go into business after my career, coach my kids in hockey growing up and so on, and then get into it with the alumni. The years just go by, and looking back, it’s been a great, great ride, and to have this honor bestowed to me at an age that I am now, I honestly never thought that it would happen. It was always hoping but never really thought about it, so I was really knocked off my feet when Cam told me today. It was a dream come true. #07/31/18# .