HAPPY FESTIVS - 45 Years ago Today - Bruins in the stands at MSG

[TP70BruinsCup]

December 23, 1979

I could watch this all day long! Hard to believe it’s been 45 years!

I think my favorite comment is Johnny Peirson at the 2:30 mark of the video ‘….the Bruins are are at an added disadvantage with those skates….’ . He says it like they are trying to kill a penalty!!!!

Click to read more...

 

[Therick67]

I was 12 watching with my dad.

 

[TP70BruinsCup]

I was 12 watching with my dad.

Cool!

 

[Number8]

Remember vividly watching live. Amazing TV.

What I wouldn't have given to have the rewind/pause options that you young 'uns have today!!!!

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Other than Marchand, I can't imagine anyone on this B's team doing this...lol.

Quite the coincidences Bruins had a Billerica guy on that team and 45 years later have
another. That was Bobby Miller's second off ice incident in 4 years as he and several
members of the 1976 US Olympic Team were involved in a barroom incident at end of the '76 Olympics.

I remember watching this game with one of my buds, who was back home visiting family. We were having a couple of frosty's (well more than a couple) and were whopping it up at games end.

Had a bit of a hangover at work the next day, but being XMAS Eve boss let us go about one and managed to get a 2 hour nap in and make the family Xmas Eve party no problem.

That was a hell of a way to cap off the 1970's against an O6 opponent with several Big Bad Bruins still on the team...lol.

 

[Raleighfern]

i was a senior in high school and watching the game with my buddy alex down in his basement. i couldn't believe what we were seeing. amazing

 

[JoeIsAStud]

Other than Marchand, I can't imagine anyone on this B's team doing this...lol.

Quite the coincidences Bruins had a Billerica guy on that team and 45 years later have
another. That was Bobby Miller's second off ice incident in 4 years as he and several
members of the 1976 US Olympic Team were involved in a barroom incident at end of the '76 Olympics.

I remember watching this game with one of my buds, who was back home visiting family. We were having a couple of frosty's (well more than a couple) and were whopping it up at games end.

Had a bit of a hangover at work the next day, but being XMAS Eve boss let us go about one and managed to get a 2 hour nap in and make the family Xmas Eve party no problem.

That was a hell of a way to cap off the 1970's against an O6 opponent with several Big Bad Bruins still on the team...lol.

Are there 25 players in the league today who would do that? Probably not,

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Are there 25 players in the league today who would do that? Probably not,

Yeah, with the minimum contract at 750k you don't want to open yourself up for getting sued for going into the stands after a fan...lol.

I will venture that guys like Rempe, Johnston, Reaves, Lomberg WiFi etc would be candidates...lol.

 

[TP70BruinsCup]

Imagine this happening do as some have said:

1. This board would shut down - literally- like it was trade deadline day

2. Twitter/social media would also implode

3. All the media darlings would say it’s a black eye for the league, what about the example for kids, start a foundation for silly Ranger fans that gotten beaten up…..and all that baloney

4. Bruins would be fined to the hilt and lawsuits galore.

5. The Bruins would all be sent to some sort of ‘fan sensitivity training/appreciation’ then have to say how sorry they were forever

6. The fan who had his shoe taken and then beaten up with it by Milbury would sell the shoe on eBay for $10k…..autographed by Milbury, O’Reilly & McNabb

 

[RoccoF14]

Are there 25 players in the league today who would do that? Probably not,

Yeah, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.....

 

[quietbruinfan]

I watched it. It was an exciting back and forth win, where Cheevers stopped Espo on a breakaway in the last seconds to preserve a win.
As for the brawl, it always struck me that normally peaceable McNab went kind of nuts and one of the others, Taz maybe, was trying to be a peacemaker. I was going on 13; so what did i know?

Ps I watched a short Youtube replay, which is why I remember the details. The Brawl I remembered on its own.

 

[McGarnagle]

Imagine this happening do as some have said:

1. This board would shut down - literally- like it was trade deadline day

2. Twitter/social media would also implode

3. All the media darlings would say it’s a black eye for the league, what about the example for kids, start a foundation for silly Ranger fans that gotten beaten up…..and all that baloney

4. Bruins would be fined to the hilt and lawsuits galore.

5. The Bruins would all be sent to some sort of ‘fan sensitivity training/appreciation’ then have to say how sorry they were forever

6. The fan who had his shoe taken and then beaten up with it by Milbury would sell the shoe on eBay for $10k…..autographed by Milbury, O’Reilly & McNabb

It's interesting that the Bruins MSG brawl seems to be fondly remembered by fans and is a testament to how the players were tough standup guys, whereas Ron Artest in Detroit in 2004 had a diametrically opposite response from the public.

 

[jgatie]

It's interesting that the Bruins MSG brawl seems to be fondly remembered by fans and is a testament to how the players were tough standup guys, whereas Ron Artest in Detroit in 2004 had a diametrically opposite response from the public.

They are separated by 25 years. Sports audiences of the 70's are a far cry from those of the 00's. Not to mention the litigiousness of society when it comes to going after anyone perceived to have large sums of money.

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

It's interesting that the Bruins MSG brawl seems to be fondly remembered by fans and is a testament to how the players were tough standup guys, whereas Ron Artest in Detroit in 2004 had a diametrically opposite response from the public.

IMO there are a few reasons for that. One is changing times, another is that fighting happeed a lot more in hockey... the other I'm not touching but I feel is super relevant.

 

[McGarnagle]

They are separated by 25 years. Sports audiences of the 70's are a far cry from those of the 00's. Not to mention the litigiousness of society when it comes to going after anyone perceived to have large sums of money.

IMO there are a few reasons for that. One is changing times, another is that fighting happeed a lot more in hockey... the other I'm not touching but I feel is super relevant.

Yeah, there's definitely another certain factor behind the response, but we'll leave that be.

 

[Fenway]

45 years ago the Bruins celebrated Festivus at Madison Square Garden.

​

 

[DKH]

Other than Marchand, I can't imagine anyone on this B's team doing this...lol.

Quite the coincidences Bruins had a Billerica guy on that team and 45 years later have
another. That was Bobby Miller's second off ice incident in 4 years as he and several
members of the 1976 US Olympic Team were involved in a barroom incident at end of the '76 Olympics.

I remember watching this game with one of my buds, who was back home visiting family. We were having a couple of frosty's (well more than a couple) and were whopping it up at games end.

Had a bit of a hangover at work the next day, but being XMAS Eve boss let us go about one and managed to get a 2 hour nap in and make the family Xmas Eve party no problem.

That was a hell of a way to cap off the 1970's against an O6 opponent with several Big Bad Bruins still on the team...lol.

Kastelic who’s grandfather was borderline HOF had he not jumped to WHA and dad was tough - would have been a perfect Cherry Lunch Pail game player

He’d have been in it

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Keep yelling up the stairs, from the basement TV room, at my Pops Bedford house, for my Uncles and Cousins, to come watch what's going on. Jaws were dropped once they laid eyes on the tiny 13" Hitachi.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

I am guessing that if this happened today, they would never show it. At least not live. There would be plenty of amateur video available, but stations won’t even show fans running onto the field (fully clothed) anymore.

Though the “Malice at the Palace” game was shown as far as I remember. 20 years ago. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe we’d get a few seconds before someone in charge demanded the feed cut away.

 

[jgatie]

I am guessing that if this happened today, they would never show it. At least not live. There would be plenty of amateur video available, but stations won’t even show fans running onto the field (fully clothed) anymore.

Though the “Malice at the Palace” game was shown as far as I remember. 20 years ago. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe we’d get a few seconds before someone in charge demanded the feed cut away.

It couldn't happen today. Shortly after the Bruins went in the stands, the NHL made a rule that the glass had to be high enough that the players couldn't get over it.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

It couldn't happen today. Shortly after the Bruins went in the stands, the NHL made a rule that the glass had to be high enough that the players couldn't get over it.

Well yes that’s of course true as well.

 

[PB37]

It's interesting that the Bruins MSG brawl seems to be fondly remembered by fans and is a testament to how the players were tough standup guys, whereas Ron Artest in Detroit in 2004 had a diametrically opposite response from the public.

I wasn't alive in 79 but I remember the 04 brawl and how crazy that was. Some of those fans got knocked out in morbidly hilarious fashion.

 

[sarge88]

I was 12 watching with my dad.

9 with my grandfather and his 1/2 pack of Newports and a couple of Schlitz’.