Best of the Rest Series: Wayne Cashman

[BNHL]

Cash wasnt big on 'the Code'. When he snapped, he snapped. He'd throw 'em even if you were down and out.

I cant find the story but Terry O'reilly does tell a beauty about when he went at it with somebody. At end of the fight they both went down but out of the corner of his eye he saw Cash coming in and Terry basically laid on top of the guy to protect him from Cash giving him another pounding.

There were guys who fought as the 'norm' and when it was over it was over. There were guys who fought to put you in the hospital. Cash was the latter.

That was Dave Tiger Williams who Cash had already kicked in the face and was trying for another.

Tiger Williams on Cashman: "During one scrap, O'Reilly had me down on the ice and Wayne Cashman was trying to kick me in the head with his skates. He got one in through my helmet, leaving a deep cut which required six stitches. But it was obvious he wasn't going to leave it at that. It was then that O'Reilly said, low enough to escape Cashman's hearing, 'Put your head under my body, I'll shield you.' I guess he believed that Cashman was capable of kicking my eyes out."

 

[Gee Wally]

That was Dave Tiger Williams who Cash had already kicked in the face and was trying for another.

Tiger Williams on Cashman: "During one scrap, O'Reilly had me down on the ice and Wayne Cashman was trying to kick me in the head with his skates. He got one in through my helmet, leaving a deep cut which required six stitches. But it was obvious he wasn't going to leave it at that. It was then that O'Reilly said, low enough to escape Cashman's hearing, 'Put your head under my body, I'll shield you.' I guess he believed that Cashman was capable of kicking my eyes out."

Thanks!

I knew I didnt dream it up.

 

[doc5hole]

Productive, durable and tough as nails. A bit 'out there' too.

He also was the last skater to retire that had actually played in pre expansion Original 6.

http://web.archive.org/web/20050227153525/http://www.bruins-legends.com/C/cashman.htm

Holy crap, I forgot that. Awesome piece of trivia about one of my favorite Bruins alums.

George Plimpton's book "Open Net" has an entertaining section on Wayne Cashman in the late '70s. Fun read.

 

[jgatie]

That was Dave Tiger Williams who Cash had already kicked in the face and was trying for another.

Tiger Williams on Cashman: "During one scrap, O'Reilly had me down on the ice and Wayne Cashman was trying to kick me in the head with his skates. He got one in through my helmet, leaving a deep cut which required six stitches. But it was obvious he wasn't going to leave it at that. It was then that O'Reilly said, low enough to escape Cashman's hearing, 'Put your head under my body, I'll shield you.' I guess he believed that Cashman was capable of kicking my eyes out."

I'd heard that O'Reilly story before, but I didn't know it was Cash trying to kick Tiger's head in. I should have guessed it, though (and knowing Tiger Williams, he probably deserved it).

 

[BNHL]

I'd heard that O'Reilly story before, but I didn't know it was Cash trying to kick Tiger's head in. I should have guessed it, though (and knowing Tiger Williams, he probably deserved it).

I think Tiger was a biter!

 

[BobbyAwe]

Cash wasnt big on 'the Code'. When he snapped, he snapped. He'd throw 'em even if you were down and out.

I cant find the story but Terry O'reilly does tell a beauty about when he went at it with somebody. At end of the fight they both went down but out of the corner of his eye he saw Cash coming in and Terry basically laid on top of the guy to protect him from Cash giving him another pounding.

There were guys who fought as the 'norm' and when it was over it was over. There were guys who fought to put you in the hospital. Cash was the latter.

Absolutely true. Cashman wasn't just tough, he was mean. O'Reilly, as tough as anyone ever, was more of a guy who fought on principle and for a purpose. Cashman and Jonathon wanted to hurt you, they would continue to hit you even if you were down and out.

 

[BNHL]

Absolutely true. Cashman wasn't just tough, he was mean. O'Reilly, as tough as anyone ever, was more of a guy who fought on principle and for a purpose. Cashman and Jonathon wanted to hurt you, they would continue to hit you even if you were down and out.

In that era,you can find examples of all of them hitting downed opponents. I agree Jonathan was a calculating fighter intent on hurting you,Cashman would try to hurt you outside or within a fight. O'Reilly was just pure terror,you got it all.

 

[jgatie]

In that era,you can find examples of all of them hitting downed opponents. I agree Jonathan was a calculating fighter intent on hurting you,Cashman would try to hurt you outside or within a fight. O'Reilly was just pure terror,you got it all.

When Cashman was made interim coach of the Flyers a while back, my dad had a classic line. Although he loved Cash, he knew his reputation (and limitations), so he exclaimed "Cashman as coach? What the hell is he going to do, tell them all to go in the corner, throw an elbow, and pass it out to Espo!?"

 

[jgatie]

I think Tiger was a biter!

Biter, clawer, eye gouger, stick swinger, skate kicker; as dirty an sob who ever lived. But since that incident, he said he respected Taz like no other player before him.

 

[doc5hole]

In that era,you can find examples of all of them hitting downed opponents. I agree Jonathan was a calculating fighter intent on hurting you,Cashman would try to hurt you outside or within a fight. O'Reilly was just pure terror,you got it all.

I agree. I often see "the code" referenced in these discussions, but each decade seemed to have its own, and individual players seemed to have their own. Thing about Cash was he wasn't a troll on the game of hockey, he got beat up as much as he beat up.

I think SI had this story in the '77 playoffs when the Bruins swept Philly. In the quarterfinal vs. L.A., the Bruins had led the series 3-0 and dropped 4 and 5, heading to the Fab Forum for Game 6, Cap'n Cash cut the wire to the microphone where it passed under a carpet out to the ice for the anthem singer. So pregame interrupted, no crowd momentum, Bruins close it out on the road, making possible that glorious moment for Bruins fans who saw their team gain some revenge on the Flyers. Garden organist John Kiley, whose custom was to follow the game-ending siren with "Paree," instead broke into God Bless America, which the sellout crowd sang loudly as the teams shook hands at center ice. The Flyers exited and he switched to Paree as the Bruins skated off to the finals vs. Montreal. The moment belongs in the pantheon of the great, home-game series enders like Game 7 OT's in '83 (Park), '11 (Horton) and '13 (Bergeron). 5-10-70 is forever on its own level.

Oh, and in typical SI fashion (at the time anyway), the jump pages showed a picture of big Bob Dailey and one of Rick Middleton (scoring the Game 1 OT winner in Philly) with the caption: "Dailey was the Flyers' answer to Robinson, but they had no answer for Middleton."