John Brophy passes away

[yave1964]

  John Brophy who was a former Leaf coach, and a minor league coaching legend passed away yesterday at the age of 83.

 

  Brophy, who many if not most is considered the insparation for Reg Dunlop played by Paul Newman in the greatest movie ever made, Slap shot, is the second winningest coach in Hockey history with 2027 total wins, second behind only Scotty Bowman. The Reggie Dunlop character is based, in part, on former Eastern Hockey League Long Island Ducks player/coach John Brophy, who receives homage by his last name being used for the drunken center of the Hyannisport Presidents. Ironically, Brophy would later coach one of the Hanson brothers (Jack Hanson, real name Dave Hanson) in 1978 when he coached the Birmingham Bulls.

  His playing career was as a nasty bit of work as a defenseman, spending over 20 years in the minors, mostly in EHL and mostly for the forgotten Long Island Ducks, either leading or close to the leader board in penalty minutes year in and year out. He became a player coach late in his career, caught his big break when rebel owner John Basset hired him to run his WHA team, the Birmingham Bulls. It was a perfect fit, Alabama did not know much about Hockey but they knew fighting and Brophy had every goon who could scrape their knuckled on someones chin playing for him. He loved Birmingham so much that when the WHA folded he stayed behind and coached a minor league hockey club for two years.

https://youtu.be/25KfiSrPi4k

  He became coach of the Leafs in 87 after two years as an assistant and the team was dreadful, but the Norris division was worse still. They made the playoffs twice the second year with one of the worst playoff teams ever, going 21-49-10. The following year they were even worse and he was canned halfway through the season.Wendel

https://youtu.be/1zqny9BDoqs

Clark became a bit of a star under Brophy, having nearly 300 PIMs in a year. "Broph would tell the coach for whoever we were playing that I was trying to make a name for myself and was planning on going after their star players in a fight. Invariably, the other team would start their enforcer on the opening shift who would drop the gloves and come after me. It took me half a season to figure out what he was up to. You just have to laugh." Clark said a few years ago.

  After the NHL thing he returned to the ECHL where for a decade he coached the Hampton Roads Admirals, winning three championships along the way He stayed in the ECHL as an iconic coach, taking over the Wheeling Nailers and then finally as a favor to a friend came out of retirement for a year and coached the Richmond Renegades, satisfying his love for the South and their bloodlust, 6 players had over 100 PIMs, one had over 400. After that, for the past decade he was in retirement.

 The World of Hockey lost a great guy who loved the sport. He spent over fifty years in the game and deserves a moment.

[yave1964]

Brophy had a famous rant where he dropped 72 F-bombs in one conversation when talking about his Leafs, I couldnt find the video but one quote:

part-way through his record 72-F bomb rant in February of 1988 after a loss against the North Stars:

“Who are they? Who are these f-ing people that drag that uniform through the f-ing mud for Christ’s sakes? There’s been great players wear it and they act like this. Who are they? Where do they get the nuts to come to the f-ing rink every second day and play one period a week and get away with it? Who are they?”

 

Some other great quotes by Brophy or about him include:

""Don't consider this a threat boys, but I'm coming after each one of you." - Coach John Brophy

"He breathed that old school," The biggest message he gave me is you better make an impact every night, especially if you want to move up. If you haven't made an impact late in the game, if you haven't blocked a shot, made a big hit, had a goal, you'd better grab someone and fight and make sure everyone in the building knew you played that night." - Zenon Konopka

Was he tough? That’s not the word for it. I haven’t met a hockey player who wanted to win more than he did. He’s the most intense player ever, bar none. - John Muckler

"He would carve out your eye and not think anything of it" - Garrett Burnett

John Brophy was the Toughest & Wildest I ever fought - Dave Schultz

[pilldoc]

2 hours ago, yave1964 said:

After the NHL thing he returned to the ECHL where for a decade he coached the Hampton Roads Admirals, winning three championships along the way He stayed in the ECHL as an iconic coach, taking over the Wheeling Nailers and then finally as a favor to a friend came out of retirement for a year and coached the Richmond Renegades,

 

Sad day in hockey.  I had the pleasure of both watching him and had the chance to meet him when I used to live in Va Beach and had season ticket to the Norfolk Admirals (AHL/ECHL).

[jammer2]

Totally missed this, very sad....he was a great "old school" hockey man....RIP.