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RIP Stan Mikita

Discussion in 'Off Topic [BG]' started by hbarcat, Aug 7, 2018.


  1. Aug 7, 2018 #1
    hbarcat

    hbarcat Supporting Member

    Aug 24, 2006
    Rochelle, Illinois
    Blackhawks legend Stan Mikita was a lesson in greatness



    Stan Mikita was very active in charity work after he retired, particularly in bringing the game of hockey to the hearing inpaired and other players with disabilities.

    I met him (and some other BlackHawks players) at several charity events over the years and he was always gracious with his time and friendly to everyone. My brother's men's league team played against Mikita's team in a charity game and it was interesting to see someone who had been retired from the NHL for several decades actually play with more energy and intensity than the 20 and 30 year olds on my brother's team.

    I was in attendence at the Chicago Stadium when Mikita scored his 500th career goal. The place was notoriously loud ("Remember the roar"), but the thunderous applause on this occasion was profound.

    I'm not the type of person to revere famous athletes or entertainers but I've always had a huge amount of respect for Stan the Man.

    RIP.
     
    TOOL460002, JimK, maxmaroon and 7 others like this.
  5. Aug 7, 2018 #2
    stratovani

    stratovani

    Nov 18, 2007
    Spencer, MA, USA
    RIP Stan Mikita. I remember him coming to the Montreal Forum along with the rest of the Hawks, and how smooth a skater he was and how shifty a stickhandler and scorer as well. He had that big banana blade on his stick which looked pretty impressive to me. This is what sucks about aging, your childhood heroes also age and pass away.
     
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  10. Aug 8, 2018 #3
    dwm74

    dwm74

    Nov 8, 2009
    Phoenix, AZ
    Always a class act. You'll find quite a few of those kinds of guys in the NHL from that era.

    RIP #21.
     
    JimK likes this.
  14. Aug 8, 2018 #4
    hbarcat

    hbarcat Supporting Member

    Aug 24, 2006
    Rochelle, Illinois
    The Blackhawks retired his jersey long ago and so did I. I had the MIKITA 21 jersey when I was a kid and continued to wear it until I outgrew it in high school.

    I still have it. And its the only sports jrsey I've ever owned.
     
    DirtDog and dwm74 like this.
  18. Aug 8, 2018 #5
    JimK

    JimK

    Dec 12, 1999
    RIP...great memories.
     
  22. Aug 9, 2018 #6
    HeavyDuty

    HeavyDuty Supporting Curmudgeon Staff Member Gold Supporting Member

    Jun 26, 2000
    Suburban Chicago, IL
    When I was a little boy in the mid 60s, his family lived in the same Chicago suburb as my grandparents. I remember a few times shopping with my grandfather at the little neighborhood Certified food market and running into Mr. Mikita - my grandfather was second generation Slovak with family from near where Mr. Mikita was born. He was always very kind to me.
     
    JimK likes this.
  26. Aug 9, 2018 #7
    MJ5150

    MJ5150 Moderator Staff Member

    Apr 12, 2001
    Olympia, WA
    I remember him most from Wayne's World.

    -Mike
     
  31. Aug 9, 2018 #8
    TheMaartian

    TheMaartian Always forward. Never straight.

    Sep 23, 2014
    Flagstaff, AZ
    A lot of the '60s Blackhawks used to hang out once a week at a seafood restaurant in the Oak Brook Mall (I think it was called Braxton's). All wonderful, friendly guys. Stan was one of them. Where would the hockey world be if Stan hadn't accidentally discovered the curved blade, and hadn't had Bobby Hull to help him work it out. I remember some of the early shots those guys took. I never saw a puck make it to the third level of the Chicago Stadium, but holy crap, they went everywhere!

    Love you, Stan!
     
    JimK likes this.
  35. Aug 9, 2018 #9
    pie_man_25

    pie_man_25

    Jun 28, 2007
    Kingston, ON, Canada
    If they're still heroes when they grow old and die, I'd say that's the best thing for anybody, at the very least.
     
    stratovani likes this.
  39. Aug 9, 2018 #10
    danesdad

    danesdad

    Feb 24, 2018
    Western PA
    Sad.
     
  43. Aug 10, 2018 #11
    jugglingfreak

    jugglingfreak

    Aug 12, 2009
    Savannah Ga.
    Sad. Even though I only knew of him through "Wayne's World".
    stan_mikita_donuts_nhl.0.jpg
     
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