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Eddie Shore
Cherry tells a story about how determined Eddie Shore was back in the day. One time, he missed a train to Montreal and took a taxi to get to MTL. The driver was too nervous to go further, so Shore took over. He drove, got the cab in a ditch, got it out and made it in time after being on the road for 22 hours. He got the game-winning goal in a 1-0 game, but he got fined for missing the train. Shore was a "tough as nails" type of guy and this defined it. -
Honest or Stupid?
While in the junior leagues, Cherry says that he drank while with the Barrie Flyers although he didn't. He ends up getting suspended by coach Hap Emms. Two players who were also guilty asked for a meeting with Hap. His wife was worrisome about the possible suspensions (think of their parents, what if it was their child?). The three left with a warning and not a train ticket. After that, the team went on to win the Memorial Cup. -
Keeping Beer Cold
Cherry recalls the time he was able to keep some bottles of beer cold. He got a pillowcase, put six bottles in there, put the pillowcase outside the window from where he and his teammates would play cards and close the window tightly on the pillowcase. After twenty minutes, Cherry got the pillowcase with beer in it and cracked the bottles. The below zero weather was able to make the beer ice cold. He was praised for "making the greatest invention since the wheel." -
Meeting Harry Sinden for the 1st Time
Cherry recalls the time he met Harry Sinden, the coach of the '72 Canada team, as well as the General Manager of the Boston Bruins. The two would become best friends. They first interacted when Cherry was playing for Tulsa and Sinden was coaching Oklahoma City. The conversation went like this: HS: "Don, I knew it was you."
DC: "How come?"
HS: "Because of your cocky walk."
DC: "I knew it was you, Harry."
HS: "How come?"
DC: "Because of your big head." -
The Boston-New York Trade
Cherry pulled off the huge Bruins-Rangers trade in early November 1975 when Phil Esposito, along with Carol Vadnais to the New York Rangers for Brad Park, Jean Ratelle and a minor leaguer (Joe Zanuzzi). Phil's initial reaction was that if he was traded to the Rangers, he's "jumpin' out of that window (of the room he was in)". Cherry, as a little joke, told Phil's roommate "get away from that window". This was supposed to turn the Bruins around, but a huge injury put the end to that (more later) -
Bobby Orr's Injury
A few days after beating the Rangers, Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr, who had knee problems for most of his career, couldn't move his knee. It locked on him, a few days after walking down a tunnel from Madison Square Garden. This cost Boston and Cherry a chance to win a Stanley Cup because Orr never played the same again. Prior to the injury, Orr and Brad Park (from the trade), were unstoppable together on defense. Now, Cherry can only think of what could've been. -
Miracle on Manchester
Cherry, along with Bob Cole, were the commentators for Game 3 of the Edmonton-Los Angeles first round series. The Oilers were heavily favoured to win and were tied 1-1 heading in to the game. It seemed like an ordinary game, the Oilers were ahead 5-0 heading into the 3rd period. Then, in the final frame, the Kings scored five unanswered goals to tie the game up. The Kings ended up winning 6-5 in overtime. The teams would win one more game each, sending the Kings to the second round (best-of-5). -
Punch-Up in Piestany
Cherry was helping Brian Williams with the World Juniors in 1987. All of the sudden, Canada and the Soviet Union fought each other until their was no tomorrow. Cherry then said something about kids beating other kids up (this is an Under-20 tournament) and how that is bad to do when you have a chance to win the gold medal. Williams, on the other hand, said otherwise, stating that supporting your country is a good thing to do. He got backlash, while Cherry was praised. -
Blue, Don Cherry's white Bull Terrier
Cherry has a love for dogs, especially his white Bull Terrier, Blue. The original Blue died in 1989. Since then, Cherry has owned white Bull Terriers and they were all named Blue. The two even had a song, Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life". About a year after Blue died, Cherry heard this song on the radio and got a way too misty. He even gets misty thinking about the song because it reminds him of his 1st Blue. -
Cherry on ESPN
Cherry still works on Hockey Night in Canada today, but for a brief time in 2008, he was on ESPN, the American TSN. He would get positive feedback from people in Tennessee, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia. He even got props from a few bartenders in Pittsburgh. These people who would write to him were Canadians living in America and they couldn't get CBC, watching Cherry on ESPN made them feel like they were in Canada again.
