RIP Gump Worsley

A legend passed this evening.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/6416944

 

I was in Windsor a few years ago watching Much Music, the MTV of Canada. There was this "behind the scenes" show with Faith No More who was touring in Montreal. They did a concert in the Forum and their dressing room was a dump. They demanded better accomodations, so the Forum folks opened up the old Canadiens dressing room to them and they were awestruck. Like 10-year-old boys.

And I'll never forget, one of the members was standing in the shower and said, "Dude, Gump Worsley washed his balls in here."

RIP.

 

Lou Nanne, one of his former teammates, said something of him I doubt you'd hear today:

Somehow, I can't imagine Martin Brodeur chain-smoking between periods.

 

A legend and a gentleman. RIP Gumper.

 

When I first started covering, I was amazed at the number of players who smoked while in uniform. Baseball players would come up through the tunnel to the dugout and ditch their smoke right before they hit the dugout steps. I can remember sidebarring on an NHL playoff series and Mike Palmateer couldn't answer any questions until he got his smoke going. Lemieux used to smoke when he first came to the NHL. He finally stopped because he was developing bronchitis a lot.

 

One of my childhood heroes. Always loved the fact he looked nothing like an athlete, and he never wore a mask, as if saying, "I double-dare you, you pucking bastard!"

RIP.

 

So long, crewcut. Game was more fun, with you in it.

 

With a real first name like Lorne, Gump wasn't so bad as a nickname. When he was paired with Caesare Maniago in Minnesota, it was the best-named goalie combo in league history. R.I.P.

 

He wore a mask in his last season.

 

Truly a legend.

My two favorite Gump stories are:

When a reporter accused him of having a beer belly, The Gumper replied, "Beer, hell. That's all V.O."

And when he was playing for the Rangers, someone asked him which NHL team gave him the most trouble, and he said, "the Rangers."

RIP.

 

Sirs, Madames,

Talked to him at the Hall of Fame a few years back. Pretty tiny guy, but he looked (facially) exactly like his hockey card. Mrs Gump sorta looked like his hockey card too,

What a freakin' nickname ... they just don't do it anymore.

RIP

YHS, etc

 

A friend of mine's father knew the trainer for the North Stars. When they played at the Aud he went in for a practice and the Gumper gave him an autographed goalie stick, which my friends subsequently gave to me because he didn't play backyard shinny. It was forever know as the "Gump stick" and I think we still have it someplace, nearly 40 years later.

RIP, and thanks for the memories.