Season 9: 1984-85
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Season 9: 1984-85 |
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I know this essay is supposed
to be about 1984-85, but I have drawn the story from present.
Don’t worry, soon enough you’ll see why this season
in Carbonneau’s career means so much to me.
On Wednesday, October 20, 1999, 5:30 a.m., I was sitting at the computer as I do each morning. This particular day, my newly purchased game-worn Carbo jersey was out of its case. So I put it on over my tee shirt to help keep me warm, and tucked my legs under me in the chair. While I waited for the PC to boot up, I picked up the 84-85 Habs schedule I keep on the shelf, to see what my 15-year-old jersey was up to on this day in history.
Interestingly, on October 20, 1984 it played against the Minnesota North Stars. That was a bit before Mike Modano’s time.
The PC came up; I downloaded the mail first. There was a reply to my message to fellow Carbonneau fan Richard Portelance, with whom I had been discussing my recent purchase. Richard wrote me confirmation that it was true, my sweater had been the only home jersey issued to Guy that season, and thus had probably seen nearly 40 games of wear. "There was a tradition that the new jersey was meant to represent good luck for a new season," Richard told me.
It was hard to believe this tattered garment had been pristine once, a "good luck in the new season" symbol. I wouldn’t have wanted it in that condition, of course. The fabric white as fresh Quebec snow, the sleeves crisp and clean, the stitching perfect, except for the "1" on the right sleeve, which was placed slightly low. A beautiful, nearly flawless pro jersey of the illustrious Montreal Canadiens, emblazoned with the name and number of their fine young center. But I wouldn’t have wanted it then.
The day prior, I had read a posting on the bulletin board of a game-worn jersey site. A visitor posed the question asking why the crazy collectors would pay hundreds of dollars for beat up old sweaters when a new one with your favorite player’s name could be had for so much less. The replies expressed consternation. Wasn’t it obvious? What could be more a work of art than a game worn sweater?
My jersey
has 96 puck and stick marks, 33 board burns, 62 team repairs and
16 holes. If there were a way to find out, I would like to know
the cause of every flaw. But it’s enough to know that Guy
Carbonneau earned those wounds taking faceoffs, checking opponents,
killing penalties, scoring goals and winning games at the Montreal
Forum.
So I sat there at the computer in my most prized material possession, reading the Texas papers online as I do each morning. I went to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram…Jennifer Floyd had done an interview with Carbo! My eyes gobbled up the words…and stopped dead at these:
"He says this season will be his last."
It was not a surprise, but the reality of NHL hockey without Guy Carbonneau suddenly hit me. His remaining games as an NHL player were certainly numbered, and were probably down to double digits already. And however I comforted myself with the conviction that some team would jump to have him as a coach, that he could surely earn equal prominence in that capacity, that he might even become this generation’s Scotty Bowman and have more Cup rings ahead of him, of course there were no guarantees. In fact, Guy might not miss hockey as much as it was going to miss him, and this could well be the last year I would read his words in the morning paper.
When I was done at the PC and it was time to go for my run, I hung the jersey back up in its case. I was more grateful than ever that it had come into my hands. I would never have to bid goodbye to this piece of what Guy Carbonneau gave us during his years on the ice. It would always be here in my living room.
Sure, there will be other players—brand new players just starting out their careers like the clean Habs sweater Guy put on the first day of the 84-85 season.
But as I’ve said, I prefer them old and worn.
See also: The
Nose (in our "Little Known Facts" section)
Resources:
"Stars depending on that old Guy," by Jennifer Floyd,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 20, 1999
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