It is often said that time is the ultimate cleanser. What is fact today will become a blur tomorrow. In the hockey world that statement can be all too true, especially when it concerns comparing past players with current ones.
In the 1950’s prior to the arrival of Bobby Orr , the best defenseman in hockey was undisputedly Doug Harvey of the Montreal Canadiens .
Prior to any league television contracts and when teams travelled by train rather than plane, Harvey was controlling and dominating the game from his position on the blueline.
Fans in Toronto relied on the radio and Foster Hewitt to describe what was happening on the ice.
Soon after cracking the Montreal lineup Harvey was mentioned frequently. “Harvey to Richard, Harvey has the puck, Harvey across ice to Beliveau, Harvey still has the puck” were a few phrases commonly heard when listening to a Canadiens broadcast. ...
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Article written by Warren Shaw