From Wikipedia: "Allegedly, Gratton would live up to his 'feline' image by growling at opposing players on the ice, and even hissing like a cat during a fight." LOOOL
@@ProHockeyAlumni Seriously, the best sports channel on RUclips. As you can probably tell, my live for hockey is and will remain eternal. Where do you get all the footage and historical background. Sensational!!!! Would buy you a six pack of good beer 🍺
@@LordStanley94 thanks so much … I put a lot of time into these because true hockey fans (like you) deserve the best …. Thanks again for your support. It is greatly appreciated.
I played the Gratton family piano, which his father had rebuilt for $600...an old upright. Gilles walked in and said: "I've seen people play the piano, but, tabarnac, I never saw anybody play the piano like THAT!!!" That was in spring, 1969. He knew how to play guitar, but after my impromptu performance of my own compositions, he got into piano. He later had a band that practiced in his garage. They played some Beatles covers. He loved the Fab Four. We'd cross paths at the local tennis court, and played some doubles. Then he left town for hockey on the road. I used to get discount coupons for tickets to see his Junior B games in LaSalle, Quebec, in 1968/69. Good memories!
@Jay it's a curse word in french.. french Canadian use it more often than French people tho.. Caliss tabarnak osti criss sacrament siboire simonaque those are all slang that can mean fuck...
Great video and great channel! I remember reading in the late 70's about him missing a game because of a "leg injury". He said he'd been shot in the leg in one his past lives, as a soldier in the US Civil War, and sometimes it still bothered him.
It's definitely up there but I still prefer Cheevers mask with the stiches. Being a former goalie I can almost feel each time the puck hit his face. Obviously not a great feeling. Lol No wonder they say you have to be a bit crazy to be a goalie! ;)
Great video. I didn't know much about Gilles Gratton other than the lasting image of his famous tiger mask. It's true, a player this eccentric, free spirited, outspoken and indulgent could only have lasted as long as Gilles did in the 1970's.
Your videos are so exceptionally done! They flow so well with the right amount of clips and photos. I never knew all of that about Gratton. I just remember him for his mask and donning a Ranger uniform. Used to always wonder whether he was a good goalie or not. Excellent piece which answered my question.
Just discovered your channel this morning and have been watching a few episodes and I'm really enjoying enjoying it, you got a great channel going on here
I seem to recall a story where Gratton and his teammates burned his jacket in a bonfire while dancing around it, because the luck had gone out of the jacket.
I think I just found a new life coach. Lol Great little Doc. I love the fact that you use the old hockey cards in some of your photos. I'm a lifelong collector and it's fun to see my cardboard heroes on youtube. Cheers, mon ami :)
Sometimes a person has to find themselves... sometimes, a person gets lost in their own world... sometimes the two words collide in the crease "with a kick save and a beauty!" ...and another another shutout victory for the PHA video. I don't know what to say of Gratton! 🤭 Gotta love the "honesty?" even if it wasn't always the best for the teams he played for. Don't know how to size this guy up but the hockey landscape wouldn't look the same without his contribution. Thank you PHA for this video. And I love the community of viewer comments! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (Five Star Rating)🙂
Thank you for sharing the story of Gilles Gratton, he is quite the character hahaha! I remember first seeing that iconic tiger mask in an NHL book back in school, but forgot the goalie's name until now :). Other goaltenders such as Ed Belfour, Curtis Joseph, Patrick Roy and John Vanbiesbrouck were definitely inspired by Gratton in their own ways. Well done!
@@ProHockeyAlumni You're welcome :). Indeed, Gilles Gratton certainly left his mark on the hockey world! Some players win championships, yet lack personality and are deemed as boring and are often forgotten over time (not THAT overtime!). However, people with a unique personality tend to transcend their profession, leaving a lasting impression and ultimately getting the last laugh when all is set and done hahaha!
I remember when he came out with that mask. I'm a Rangers fan it was the talk of the town. Lots of fun! When he was there. Glad to see this video great memory
His 'eccentricities' sure, made good headlines, but the guy let down every teammate he played with and every coach he played for, let down the fans, abandoned the people who had supported him throughout and threw away a promising career. Nothing to respect, the guy wasnt a character, he was a loser!
Great video! I played pickup hockey with him in LaSalle at an outdoor rink in Mohawk Parc. Back in the 80’s and 90’s. He would play forward and he was pretty damn good. I think he loved hockey in the end.
He talks at about the 13:38 mark of Dave Tataryn needing to fill in for him. In an interview once with Bobby Hull, Hull was asked who the best goalie he had ever played against was. He said that when he was playing for the Winnipeg Jets, he played the Toronto Toros. They outshot the Toros that night by a 61 to 23 margin, or some weird number and lost the game 2 - 1. Hull said that Dave Tataryn was the best goalie he had ever played against. And I can remember listening to the Petrolia Gibbon-Squires (Senior A hockey) on Sarnia's CHOK radio. EVERY time Petrolia played the Cambridge Hornets, they gave Petrolia grief because of the goalie Hull said was the best goalie he'd ever played against.
I realize that the 'S" in silent -- I'd refer you to the Jacques Richard video ... I made an error in a late night voice over. Unfortunately, I can't correct it. THX
Great contents, as always! In certain respects, Gilles Gratton as a free thinker was to hockey what Bill “Spaceman” Lee was to baseball, except that Lee was (and still is) in love with his sport. Cheers!
Thanks for this presentation. In 1975 the Sabres goaltending was the weakest part of the team. I was disappointed when the Sabres could not sign Gratton and traded his rights to the Blues. Of course at the time I did not realize what a "Character" he was. Worked out for the Sabres until they went and signed Al Smith.
Thanks very much ... the '75 Sabres were an incredibly deep team at forward and solid on D ... Bones, Crozier and Desjardins were no match for peak Bernie Parent.
Your videos are excellent with incredible footage and information. Being perfectly bilingual, and coincidentally from LaSalle, for future use of the name I can assure you that the S in Gilles is silent. Cheers
I saw plenty of New Haven Nighthawks Games.at first the Nighthawks were the affiliate of the L.A. Kings,than they were split with the Kings and Islanders which I liked because I was an Islanders Fan.I got to see lots of Islanders prior to them winning their 4 Stanley Cups in a row,so I seen lots of the Cup winning Islander players including Goalie Billy Smith,forwards Bob Nystrom,And lots,lots more of them.
This was very interesting and I had no idea what kind of guy Gilles was while playing hockey. I do remember when he played for the Rangers back in the day and didn't know that he also played in the WHA too.
Although it may feel to recent for your channel (but still residing in the 20th Century), I would enjoy seeing a video recap on the life & career of Jim Carey.
@@misguidedangel6550, which for some reason despite the fact they are not physical entities, beings and therefore, cannot be harmed, are worried what would happen if they came out in public, so they always are only seen by a certain handful of folks who have yet to produce irrefutable proof that those folks actually saw the entities/beings, or interacted with them. Funny how that works. Nope, sorry, I aint that gullible.
Those Toro and Birmingham Bulls jerseys were spectacular .. Some people might not believe this but in Birmingham they actually played 'Dixie' (I Wish I Was In Dixie Land) instead of the U.S national anthem before some games.. Imagine trying that today?
I was a goalie played peewee travel to Senior in high school. I was part of the team and all. But everyone knew not to talk to me in pre game warm ups and in the locker room. I listened to the same set playlist on my iPod to get me in the zone while I threw my racket balls at the wall and caught them. Nobody played jokes on me or hassled me about it. I guess I had the demeanor of I’m in the zone don’t screw with me. But I did play with a chunk of my buddy’s mullet i banded up and stuck in my glove. We pinned him down and cut it off. I stuck it in my glove one game then got a shut out. Kept it in there ever sense
Seems like a great character, but if I was a fan of the team he played I would be pissed! Self-centered, unreliable, no team spirit - but he was honest about it, so props for honesty👍🏻
The man's a stoner's/drifter's dream. Going where life takes him. Legendary mask. They're just given different drugs these days. Word of note - it's a soft c in Vaclav...one of the things I picked up from working and living with "Eastern" Europeans.
Could you possibly produce more segments on other "colorful" goaltenders ? Dunc Wilson, for instance ? Mike Palmateer, Billy Smith or Hexy ? Thanks !! 🚬😎
Kinda funny how he said he just played to mess with the coaches “oh, the moon is wrong” or “the stars are in the wrong position” or “if you make me play I’ll let in fifteen goals” 😂 this guys funny but weird
Great story. It’s funny how professional, conditioned, PR coached and stiff pro hockey players are today. You do lose something when you move on from that lose environment. The 70’s sounded like such a riot. I guess everything is super stiff and uptight today so stories like these are a welcome break!
Probably because some sports writer was told that someone knew someone who told them Gratton had done an IQ test and scored 150. And chances are it was Gratton who made it up in the first place.
The POSTER OF THIS, PRO HOCKEY ALUM, OR WHOEVER HE IS: " ..He was authentic!.." No, he wasn't. He was signed to work/play, and he intentionally did not try to help his teammates win. That is bad faith. Secondly, he said: "I would play with the coach's mind by saying that I couldn't play because the moon was not aligned correctly.".. saying that when he knew that had nothing to do with it. He admitted that in the interview we saw. He was by his own account= LAZY.. And, when you are under contract...that is dishonest..not authentic.
Why are you so upset. He did well at first, and was always obviously a risk. The man took an absurd amount of shots, and even two concussions as a child? He was probably fucked up, like all y'all boomers are from doing stupid shit like this.
@@SickOstrich, because he said that his intent from childhood was never to work at anything or work a day in his life. Ok..then don't hitch yourself to other folks' aspirations in which your attitude affected theirs and their goals. His goals of spoiled laziness were set before he took shots to the head. Nice try..
@@robertsprouse9282 why is there no responsibility on the teams for hiring him? Isn't that your capitalist goal, like businesses take risks and pay for the outcome? Dude DID work, he worked for a long time and got fucked up from it, and decided he didn't want to anymore. Imo, the work he did and the physical toll it took on him is more than enough to earn him his personal welfare.
Me being the fan of Japanese animation that i was had figured that he really liked the Tiger Mask manga, when i heard about this guy playing for the Rangers. It was super popular around this time, so much so, that New Japan Wrestling hired a guy to be Tiger Mask around 1980.
omg. i am reading a book right now! about his life and career called "gratoony the loony: the wild, unpredicatable life of gilles gratton". and it is friggin' awesome!!! if you are a fan of 70's hockey, and know some of the players, the journalists, the names, the teams...you better find it and read it. the most unvarnished tales of hockey life, on and off the ice, I have ever ever read, and it is massively entertainging!
i remember like it was yesterday being a kid 8 yrs old thinking this was the coolest mask ever, i used to draw his mask all the time,it was the best mask ever
12:38, 99% sure that isn't Gratton. Davidson wore 30 the year Gratton was a Ranger. Plus the 76-77 jerseys are different. Probably 1976 Davidson after he switched from #35 to #30.
very interesting ... looking closely, it's definitely Gratton ... he's wearing the cage, which he adopted during the 76-77 season ... I wonder if its a pre-season game in 1977 and they gave him the #30 for some reason. Now, this is going to drive me crazy!
@@ProHockeyAlumni Didn't think of preseason, so it could be the old 70-76 uniforms and Gratton, a new player, didn't have one so he got what was available. But it still could be Davidson in 75-76 with a backup helmet.
If they had ever made a movie about Gratton, Russell Crowe would be a natural. Crowe already proved he cant skate however, if youve seen Mystery Alaska.
I watched a lot of WOR games in 76-77 and it was a bleak time for the NYR ... but to their credit they pulled out of it quickly and made the finals just two years later.
There was some sucking for sure but the 1970's wasn't all bad. Early/mid 70's Rangers were very good and made it to The Stanley Cup finals in '72 and came within one game of doing the same in '74. And in '79 they made it back to the finals under the mad genius Shero. To my mind, The Rangers of the 1970's belonged in that second tier, along with the Black Hawks of the early part of the decade and the up and coming Islanders a few years later; all very good teams but not quite good enough to win it all. But you're right, there were a few years in the middle there when it was kind of a mess.
@@ProHockeyAlumni I think their problems started in the semi final playoffs against the Flyers 2 seasons before. Schultz beating up Dale Rolfe and captain Vic Hadfield laughing at a joke in the penalty box as time was winding down. Then next season that awful trade getting the hated Carol Vadnais and later on Ken Hodge. It was so disheartening to watch that I divorced my beloved Rangers and rooted for the up and coming Islanders for 2 years. Then as you say they made the finals with a young and exciting team a few years later. I remember Gilles Gratton and the mask. My Dad was becoming a hockey fan at that time and got a big kick out of it, too. Thank you for the great video. Brings back memories.
From Wikipedia: "Allegedly, Gratton would live up to his 'feline' image by growling at opposing players on the ice, and even hissing like a cat during a fight." LOOOL
never a dull moment in a terrible year with NYR!
A furry?
What a character 😅😅
@@ProHockeyAlumni Seriously, the best sports channel on RUclips. As you can probably tell, my live for hockey is and will remain eternal. Where do you get all the footage and historical background. Sensational!!!! Would buy you a six pack of good beer 🍺
@@LordStanley94 thanks so much … I put a lot of time into these because true hockey fans (like you) deserve the best …. Thanks again for your support. It is greatly appreciated.
I played the Gratton family piano, which his father had rebuilt for $600...an old upright. Gilles walked in and said: "I've seen people play the piano, but, tabarnac, I never saw anybody play the piano like THAT!!!" That was in spring, 1969. He knew how to play guitar, but after my impromptu performance of my own compositions, he got into piano. He later had a band that practiced in his garage. They played some Beatles covers. He loved the Fab Four. We'd cross paths at the local tennis court, and played some doubles. Then he left town for hockey on the road.
I used to get discount coupons for tickets to see his Junior B games in LaSalle, Quebec, in 1968/69. Good memories!
Great comment and thanks for the interesting anecdotes!
The most Québécois things to say lol tabarnac hahahaha
@@alexdimaria3689 yep tabarnac estie de calis LOL
@Jay it's a curse word in french.. french Canadian use it more often than French people tho.. Caliss tabarnak osti criss sacrament siboire simonaque those are all slang that can mean fuck...
@@VAGHUNTR I love how most French Canadian swearing is based on the Catholic church. Canticle!
Great video and great channel! I remember reading in the late 70's about him missing a game because of a "leg injury". He said he'd been shot in the leg in one his past lives, as a soldier in the US Civil War, and sometimes it still bothered him.
That’s awesome … thanks for sharing!
This is the most ambitious TAFS crossover yet.
Gay French Canadian Hockey Furry is one of Nick's best characters.
One of the coolest mask in hockey history
gotta agree with that!
still the coolest
It's neat .Tony 0 was my favourite goalie ,his mask is unforgettable ,especially at the end of his career when he put that screen over the eyes.
Gary Bromley had some great ones too
It's definitely up there but I still prefer Cheevers mask with the stiches. Being a former goalie I can almost feel each time the puck hit his face. Obviously not a great feeling. Lol
No wonder they say you have to be a bit crazy to be a goalie! ;)
Great video. I didn't know much about Gilles Gratton other than the lasting image of his famous tiger mask. It's true, a player this eccentric, free spirited, outspoken and indulgent could only have lasted as long as Gilles did in the 1970's.
Well said! Thanks for watching!
I can't pay attention to the words being spoken when the Adam Freidland Show theme is playing
you know it
I remember a Life magazine article on Glen Hall. Quote " I like everything about hockey, except the games"
That's very funny!
The man played 502 consecutive games. Didn't want anyone taking his job.
His brother Elvis Gratton is also an iconic character here in Quebec !!
"J'ai un garage, un gros garage!"
C’est son frere? Wow I never know. Salut. De Montreal.
😆
Tink big !.
Goalies are often among the most fascinating and insightful athletes. I remember the streaking thing. As honest as they come.
Omg. Adam Friedland show.
no matter how many videos have been made about this guy, i never get tired hearing his story
what a dude
Thanks for watching ... yes, Gilles got a lot of mileage out of a very brief career.
Same for me. Gosh I love the 70’!
Your videos are so exceptionally done! They flow so well with the right amount of clips and photos. I never knew all of that about Gratton. I just remember him for his mask and donning a Ranger uniform. Used to always wonder whether he was a good goalie or not. Excellent piece which answered my question.
Thank you so much, Anthony! I greatly appreciate your comments and feedback!
Back in the early 80's, I received a poster at an Ottawa 67's game. I think it was a 50 best goalie masks. Gratton and Cheevers were my favorites.
Just discovered your channel this morning and have been watching a few episodes and I'm really enjoying enjoying it, you got a great channel going on here
Welcome aboard! We won't let you down! Thanks for watching.
ITS THE ADAM FRIEDLAND SHOW RIF
Thanks for the laughs - Gratton was like many goalies, nuts!
Glad you enjoyed it. Loony was an original -- shame he didn't last longer.
I seem to recall a story where Gratton and his teammates burned his jacket in a bonfire while dancing around it, because the luck had gone out of the jacket.
never heard that one ... but it sounds legit!
I put off this vid because I thought “ how can it deliver? “ but the door bell rang and what a delivery!
lol! ... awesome comment and very much appreciated ... Looney will never let you down!
I love hockey, but I love the history of hockey even more
Im new to Hockey, I been looking for a channel like this. Thanks for the videos! I wanna learn more about history 🙌🏾
There's only one name you really need to know : Bobby Orr.
What an interesting episode of TFS.
I think I just found a new life coach. Lol
Great little Doc. I love the fact that you use the old hockey cards in some of your photos. I'm a lifelong collector and it's fun to see my cardboard heroes on youtube.
Cheers, mon ami :)
Thank you very much for your thoughts and for watching this video! Gilles was a one-of-a-kind player.
Fantastic job!
A few laugh out louds while watching this one.
So good.
Thanks ... glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the feedback!
Sometimes a person has to find themselves... sometimes, a person gets lost in their own world... sometimes the two words collide in the crease "with a kick save and a beauty!" ...and another another shutout victory for the PHA video. I don't know what to say of Gratton! 🤭 Gotta love the "honesty?" even if it wasn't always the best for the teams he played for. Don't know how to size this guy up but the hockey landscape wouldn't look the same without his contribution. Thank you PHA for this video. And I love the community of viewer comments! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (Five Star Rating)🙂
Thank you for sharing the story of Gilles Gratton, he is quite the character hahaha! I remember first seeing that iconic tiger mask in an NHL book back in school, but forgot the goalie's name until now :). Other goaltenders such as Ed Belfour, Curtis Joseph, Patrick Roy and John Vanbiesbrouck were definitely inspired by Gratton in their own ways. Well done!
Thanks very much ... I agree, he raised the bar in mask design!
@@ProHockeyAlumni You're welcome :). Indeed, Gilles Gratton certainly left his mark on the hockey world! Some players win championships, yet lack personality and are deemed as boring and are often forgotten over time (not THAT overtime!).
However, people with a unique personality tend to transcend their profession, leaving a lasting impression and ultimately getting the last laugh when all is set and done hahaha!
You're so right!!! John Vanbiesbrouck was the goalie I was trying to think of as I watched this video. 👍
@@TudorOwen50s Cool :).
I remember when he came out with that mask. I'm a Rangers fan it was the talk of the town. Lots of fun! When he was there. Glad to see this video great memory
Thanks for watching and sharing!
I was living in MYC back then and the Ranger fans and I at work all were Gratton fans. You had to like a strange dude like him!
The world needs more guys like this to lighten things up 👍
man, you ain't kiddin'
To bail on teammates? Nah
His 'eccentricities' sure, made good headlines, but the guy let down every teammate he played with and every coach he played for, let down the fans, abandoned the people who had supported him throughout and threw away a promising career. Nothing to respect, the guy wasnt a character, he was a loser!
Hey I know this opening track from The Adam Friedland Show. Really good centre left podcast and tv show for anyone looking
Great video! I played pickup hockey with him in LaSalle at an outdoor rink in Mohawk Parc. Back in the 80’s and 90’s. He would play forward and he was pretty damn good. I think he loved hockey in the end.
Thanks -. Great Gratton anecdote!
They need to make a movie about this character
no doubt. can't make this stuff up. THX
Maybe Rob Zombie could direct it...
Great Channel 👍
Thank you! 👍 Glad you stopped by!
Awesome video! This guy was nuts!!!
crazy as a fox -- or tiger. Never be another like him!
He talks at about the 13:38 mark of Dave Tataryn needing to fill in for him. In an interview once with Bobby Hull, Hull was asked who the best goalie he had ever played against was. He said that when he was playing for the Winnipeg Jets, he played the Toronto Toros. They outshot the Toros that night by a 61 to 23 margin, or some weird number and lost the game 2 - 1. Hull said that Dave Tataryn was the best goalie he had ever played against. And I can remember listening to the Petrolia Gibbon-Squires (Senior A hockey) on Sarnia's CHOK radio. EVERY time Petrolia played the Cambridge Hornets, they gave Petrolia grief because of the goalie Hull said was the best goalie he'd ever played against.
Wow...a fellow Senior A fan!
Yup. Lava!! Love hockey and am still an active goaltender playing at least twice a week. I'll be 72 in August.
I am very impressed by the fact that despite the depth of your research, you weren’t able to find out that the « s » of Gilles is silent in French.
I realize that the 'S" in silent -- I'd refer you to the Jacques Richard video ... I made an error in a late night voice over. Unfortunately, I can't correct it. THX
Why doesn't MY mental illness result in extreme talent in any category? 😭
comment of the week!
Great contents, as always! In certain respects, Gilles Gratton as a free thinker was to hockey what Bill “Spaceman” Lee was to baseball, except that Lee was (and still is) in love with his sport. Cheers!
Thanks ... love the Spaceman and I agree.
Lee had a more successful career .
@@marcdemell5976 As free thinkers, they belong in the same category 😜
Except he was full of excuses and did not care for his teammates
@@TheGlow57 I never said he was a team player
Thanks for this presentation. In 1975 the Sabres goaltending was the weakest part of the team. I was disappointed when the Sabres could not sign Gratton and traded his rights to the Blues. Of course at the time I did not realize what a "Character" he was. Worked out for the Sabres until they went and signed Al Smith.
Thanks very much ... the '75 Sabres were an incredibly deep team at forward and solid on D ... Bones, Crozier and Desjardins were no match for peak Bernie Parent.
Your videos are excellent with incredible footage and information. Being perfectly bilingual, and coincidentally from LaSalle, for future use of the name I can assure you that the S in Gilles is silent. Cheers
not sure why I made that error ... if your watch my other francophone-oriented videos I get it right ...thanks!
@@ProHockeyAlumni Because of your high standards I thought you'd like to know. Cheers
Great video
Thanks!
Thanks you for sharing a crazy character. Hockey didn't need that type of behavior.
I saw plenty of New Haven Nighthawks Games.at first the Nighthawks were the affiliate of the L.A. Kings,than they were split with the Kings and Islanders which I liked because I was an Islanders Fan.I got to see lots of Islanders prior to them winning their 4 Stanley Cups in a row,so I seen lots of the Cup winning Islander players including Goalie Billy Smith,forwards Bob Nystrom,And lots,lots more of them.
CT doesn’t have anything worth a damn anymore Bridgeport islanders don’t look to bad though
This was very interesting and I had no idea what kind of guy Gilles was while playing hockey. I do remember when he played for the Rangers back in the day and didn't know that he also played in the WHA too.
Thanks for watching ... its a same he couldn't focus on goaltending while with the NYR ... With JD's injuries, they could have used him.
It's the adam freidlan shooow
The more people comment about the Adam Friedland show, the more it'll get recommended to people. You got the bug's blessing.
I’ll take your word for it … all I know fi
for sure is that you gots the best handle on RUclips 😀
@@ProHockeyAlumni Ayyy thanks my man!! 👈👈😎
Although it may feel to recent for your channel (but still residing in the 20th Century), I would enjoy seeing a video recap on the life & career of Jim Carey.
Man, I love these
Any chance you'd look at Dustin Byfuglien?
Thanks absolutely!
@@ProHockeyAlumni sweet! I'm stoked
Whoah this is a good video👍
for anybody from Quebec this man is bob "Elvis" Graton's brother lol
Great video! Gilles resembles another iconoclastic pro athlete from that era, Bill Spaceman Lee.
True! Both products of their era ... never to be repeated.
He wasn't so weird...in the 1970s everybody was reincarnated, had a ghost in their house, and had seen a UFO!
LOL -- you are correct!
Especially after smoking the WACKY TOBACCKY..
Lol that's funny and ya a lot of people had haunted houses with ghosts or even demons haha
@@misguidedangel6550, which for some reason despite the fact they are not physical entities, beings and therefore, cannot be harmed, are worried what would happen if they came out in public, so they always are only seen by a certain handful of folks who have yet to produce irrefutable proof that those folks actually saw the entities/beings, or interacted with them.
Funny how that works.
Nope, sorry, I aint that gullible.
Man this is GOLD I love your vids so much., my dad was a journalist in the WHA!!! Do you know where is Gilles now?
Thanks very much ... last I heard, he was working for classicauctions.net
@@ProHockeyAlumni he lives in Florida?
Those Toro and Birmingham Bulls jerseys were spectacular .. Some people might not believe this but in Birmingham they actually played 'Dixie' (I Wish I Was In Dixie Land) instead of the U.S national anthem before some games.. Imagine trying that today?
Sounds like an amusing guy for the fans but an annoying hindrance for teammates.
Michel 'Bunny' Larocque!! Oh, what a great name!
I was a goalie played peewee travel to Senior in high school. I was part of the team and all. But everyone knew not to talk to me in pre game warm ups and in the locker room. I listened to the same set playlist on my iPod to get me in the zone while I threw my racket balls at the wall and caught them. Nobody played jokes on me or hassled me about it. I guess I had the demeanor of I’m in the zone don’t screw with me. But I did play with a chunk of my buddy’s mullet i banded up and stuck in my glove. We pinned him down and cut it off. I stuck it in my glove one game then got a shut out. Kept it in there ever sense
great memories from the front lines of hockey goaltending ... THX!
Don't forget Glen Hall. Was so nervous before games. He said." I love hockey except the games "
😀
I remember reading about one interview in which he discussed a prior life as a Conquistador.
Adam friedland show music
Bryzgalov is another one
Seems like a great character, but if I was a fan of the team he played I would be pissed! Self-centered, unreliable, no team spirit - but he was honest about it, so props for honesty👍🏻
@Matt Joseph 😄 some heads would be sure to roll, if a goalie pulled a stunt like that in NHL today
Some great footage playing against the New England Whalers there.
right ... very rare Whalers playoff footage
Idc how high he was, that mask is iconic
The man's a stoner's/drifter's dream. Going where life takes him. Legendary mask. They're just given different drugs these days.
Word of note - it's a soft c in Vaclav...one of the things I picked up from working and living with "Eastern" Europeans.
Thanks!
A "C" is pronounced "TS," such as tsar or car.
Could you possibly produce more segments on other "colorful" goaltenders ? Dunc Wilson, for instance ? Mike Palmateer, Billy Smith or Hexy ? Thanks !!
🚬😎
Funny ... I was just thinking about Dunc Wilson!
Glenn Hall!
Wonder if those two concussions he suffered while young had anything to do with his beliefs….
Good observation ... in so many of these stories I see multiple concussions at a young age
Love Gratton! i hope he is doing well and doing what he wants to.
Sweet music. Same as adam friedland show.
The great NFL running-back Curtis Martin of the Jets/Patriots said he hated football. Lol
curtis was a real good guy, too.
He lives near me in LaSalle, Talk about a thin talent pool . BTW , the 'S' in Gilles is silent.
Thanks -- can't believe I hit the "S" ... Should know better, but I gotta live with it.
That tiger face makes a badass mask .
Kinda funny how he said he just played to mess with the coaches “oh, the moon is wrong” or “the stars are in the wrong position” or “if you make me play I’ll let in fifteen goals” 😂 this guys funny but weird
My new NHL hero
Good video. Why do you hide your subscriber count?
Thanks - I wasn’t aware I was hiding it!
Gilles, the “s” is silent. Thank you
Yes, stupid error ... won't be repeated.
Great story. It’s funny how professional, conditioned, PR coached and stiff pro hockey players are today. You do lose something when you move on from that lose environment. The 70’s sounded like such a riot. I guess everything is super stiff and uptight today so stories like these are a welcome break!
Well said! For better or worse old time hockey is gone forever.
Imagine him in today’s nhl 😂
Lol. He probably wouldn’t have played a single game.
Yet another great PHA video. Cheers
Thanks again! great appreciated!
How come yall only put it in the footnotes that this fella had a 150 IQ, that is absolutely nuts...
Probably because some sports writer was told that someone knew someone who told them Gratton had done an IQ test and scored 150. And chances are it was Gratton who made it up in the first place.
OMG! That’s the best one yet!
Thanks ... they don't make 'em like Looney anymore!
The POSTER OF THIS, PRO HOCKEY ALUM, OR WHOEVER HE IS:
" ..He was authentic!.."
No, he wasn't.
He was signed to work/play, and he intentionally did not try to help his teammates win.
That is bad faith.
Secondly, he said: "I would play with the coach's mind by saying that I couldn't play because the moon was not aligned correctly.".. saying that when he knew that had nothing to do with it. He admitted that in the interview we saw.
He was by his own account=
LAZY..
And, when you are under contract...that is dishonest..not authentic.
Why are you so upset. He did well at first, and was always obviously a risk.
The man took an absurd amount of shots, and even two concussions as a child? He was probably fucked up, like all y'all boomers are from doing stupid shit like this.
@@SickOstrich, because he said that his intent from childhood was never to work at anything or work a day in his life.
Ok..then don't hitch yourself to other folks' aspirations in which your attitude affected theirs and their goals.
His goals of spoiled laziness were set before he took shots to the head.
Nice try..
@@robertsprouse9282 why is there no responsibility on the teams for hiring him? Isn't that your capitalist goal, like businesses take risks and pay for the outcome?
Dude DID work, he worked for a long time and got fucked up from it, and decided he didn't want to anymore.
Imo, the work he did and the physical toll it took on him is more than enough to earn him his personal welfare.
How does allowing 3.5 goals a game make you allstar?
when the other goalies are allowing 4.00
Me being the fan of Japanese animation that i was had figured that he really liked the Tiger Mask manga, when i heard about this guy playing for the Rangers. It was super popular around this time, so much so, that New Japan Wrestling hired a guy to be Tiger Mask around 1980.
I can't decide if Gratton's story inspires me or if it offends me....
"He really thought he'd been reincarnated" and you really thought you haven't
That was a con= THEY ARE THROWING ROCKS/PUCKS AT ME..I HAVE TO DUCK..
LOL, ROFL..
Never heard of him. Glad I did
omg. i am reading a book right now! about his life and career called "gratoony the loony: the wild, unpredicatable life of gilles gratton". and it is friggin' awesome!!!
if you are a fan of 70's hockey, and know some of the players, the journalists, the names, the teams...you better find it and read it. the most unvarnished tales of hockey life, on and off the ice, I have ever ever read, and it is massively entertainging!
Gratooney the Looney!! I too made a video on him! He’s certainly an interesting dude 😂
I guess there was enough material for TWO videos! God bless Gilles. What a character.
Goalies are generally the weirdos of the world, and that's why I loved being one.
... and we're glad to have you here with us! Weird goalies welcome!
They have the most stress, no doubt. Stress makes you eccentric
Goalies rule! 😊👍👍
I was lucky enough to see him play in Ottawa...he was...special!😉
He had an excellent year there, for sure.
I could not imagine him playing under Punch Imlach. He would have been out of hockey within a year.
i remember like it was yesterday being a kid
8 yrs old thinking this was the coolest mask ever, i used to draw his mask all the time,it was the best mask ever
Gilles Gratton is still alive... 70 years old
12:38, 99% sure that isn't Gratton. Davidson wore 30 the year Gratton was a Ranger. Plus the 76-77 jerseys are different. Probably 1976 Davidson after he switched from #35 to #30.
very interesting ... looking closely, it's definitely Gratton ... he's wearing the cage, which he adopted during the 76-77 season ... I wonder if its a pre-season game in 1977 and they gave him the #30 for some reason. Now, this is going to drive me crazy!
@@ProHockeyAlumni Didn't think of preseason, so it could be the old 70-76 uniforms and Gratton, a new player, didn't have one so he got what was available. But it still could be Davidson in 75-76 with a backup helmet.
That mask IS really cool though!
Wow what a legend
If they had ever made a movie about Gratton, Russell Crowe would be a natural. Crowe already proved he cant skate however, if youve seen Mystery Alaska.
Good idea!
I swear, Chris Lilley could be Gratton's son! Lol
i wasn't laughing in the mid seventies when the rangers sucked and this guy was part of the goalie rotation
I watched a lot of WOR games in 76-77 and it was a bleak time for the NYR ... but to their credit they pulled out of it quickly and made the finals just two years later.
TOTAL PUTZ
@@ProHockeyAlumni Thx to Emile “The Cat” Francis trading the heart and soul of our team. #NYR
There was some sucking for sure but the 1970's wasn't all bad. Early/mid 70's Rangers were very good and made it to The Stanley Cup finals in '72 and came within one game of doing the same in '74. And in '79 they made it back to the finals under the mad genius Shero. To my mind, The Rangers of the 1970's belonged in that second tier, along with the Black Hawks of the early part of the decade and the up and coming Islanders a few years later; all very good teams but not quite good enough to win it all. But you're right, there were a few years in the middle there when it was kind of a mess.
So true about the Rangers being a mess in 1976.
I watched it all on cable ... but, amazingly, they were in the finals two years later.
@@ProHockeyAlumni
I think their problems started in the semi final playoffs against the Flyers 2 seasons before.
Schultz beating up Dale Rolfe and captain Vic Hadfield laughing at a joke in the penalty box as time was winding down. Then next season that awful trade getting the hated Carol Vadnais and later on Ken Hodge. It was so disheartening to watch that I divorced my beloved Rangers and rooted for the up and coming Islanders for 2 years. Then as you say they made the finals with a young and exciting team a few years later.
I remember Gilles Gratton and the mask.
My Dad was becoming a hockey fan at that time and got a big kick out of it, too.
Thank you for the great video. Brings back memories.