There are many reasons why I feel that Freddy "The Fog" Shero deserves to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame.Simply based on statistics and not even taking into account his innovations in practice, training and using assistant coaches, I fail to see why the late great Freddy "The Fog" Shero is not in the NHL HOF.
First of his coaching record is astounding! His coaching record with the Flyers and Rangers 714 games 386 wins 212 losses 116 ties for a .622 winning %. In his NHL coaching career he only missed the playoffs in his first season and he made it to the finals 4 times winning it twice. He also won the Jack Adams trophy once! In 1969-70 he coached the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL to a Championship and the very next year coached the Omaha Knights of the CHL to a Championship.
So everywhere he ever coached he had success. He also had a very interesting life aside from hockey. Here is a brief history of his life prior to coachin the Flyers.
The son of immigrants who fled Russia to escape religious persecution, Shero was born on October 23, 1925, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He attended the University of Manitoba for two years and served in the Canadian navy where he made a name for himself in the field of athletics not as a hockey player but as a boxer. Shero was the lightweight and middleweight champion but rejected a $10,000 offer to turn professional, opting to play hockey instead.
A marginal player at best, the defenseman played three seasons for the New York Rangers from 1947-1950. Those three years were sandwiched between a playing career that began in 1942 for the St. James Monarchs and ended in 1958 for the Shawinigan Cataracts. In 1957, Shero began his professional coaching career with Shawinigan. By 1971, he had held additional minor league coaching tenures for St. Paul, Omaha, and Buffalo, winning six first place titles during those years.
His innovations and coaching tactics are what make him a clear cut Hall of Famer in my estimation.Practices under Shero could make an outsider shake his head in disbelief. To improve stick handling, tennis balls would replace hockey pucks. To increase leg strength, skaters would push a goalie seated in a folded chair around the ice. Forwards would practice breakaways while being slashed from behind. "Nobody ever lets you score an easy goal in a game," Shero said. "Why practice that way."
He was also the source of some interesting quotes. His most famous being "Win together today and we walk together forever." Three hours later, the Flyers won the first of two consecutive Stanley Cups. One of the reason the "Broadstreet Bullies" were souch a tough checking team stems from this philosophy "Take the shortest route to the puck carrier, and arrive in ill humor." He stressed the importance of commitment by saying, "When you have bacon and eggs for breakfast, the chicken makes a contribution, but the pig makes a commitment." Even with all his success, this brilliant hockey mind never took himself too seriously. "Coaches are a dime a dozen," Shero said. "I found out a long time ago that only one thing wins for you--the players."
I see absolutely no reason whatsoever that Fred Shero isn't in the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately if he ever gets enshrined in The Hall he won't be able to see it as he passed away in 1990 of cancer. Having said that I know that his induction would meen a lot to the city of Philadelphia, the Flyers faithful and his familly. Hopefully the HOF commitee wises up and votes him in ASAP. This is a huge injustice in my mind and hopefully it is rectified sooner rather than later.
I owe much of this article to the Philidelphia Flyers website as well as my own heart because Fred Shero happens to be my Great Uncle.
First of his coaching record is astounding! His coaching record with the Flyers and Rangers 714 games 386 wins 212 losses 116 ties for a .622 winning %. In his NHL coaching career he only missed the playoffs in his first season and he made it to the finals 4 times winning it twice. He also won the Jack Adams trophy once! In 1969-70 he coached the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL to a Championship and the very next year coached the Omaha Knights of the CHL to a Championship.
So everywhere he ever coached he had success. He also had a very interesting life aside from hockey. Here is a brief history of his life prior to coachin the Flyers.
The son of immigrants who fled Russia to escape religious persecution, Shero was born on October 23, 1925, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He attended the University of Manitoba for two years and served in the Canadian navy where he made a name for himself in the field of athletics not as a hockey player but as a boxer. Shero was the lightweight and middleweight champion but rejected a $10,000 offer to turn professional, opting to play hockey instead.
A marginal player at best, the defenseman played three seasons for the New York Rangers from 1947-1950. Those three years were sandwiched between a playing career that began in 1942 for the St. James Monarchs and ended in 1958 for the Shawinigan Cataracts. In 1957, Shero began his professional coaching career with Shawinigan. By 1971, he had held additional minor league coaching tenures for St. Paul, Omaha, and Buffalo, winning six first place titles during those years.
His innovations and coaching tactics are what make him a clear cut Hall of Famer in my estimation.Practices under Shero could make an outsider shake his head in disbelief. To improve stick handling, tennis balls would replace hockey pucks. To increase leg strength, skaters would push a goalie seated in a folded chair around the ice. Forwards would practice breakaways while being slashed from behind. "Nobody ever lets you score an easy goal in a game," Shero said. "Why practice that way."
He was also the source of some interesting quotes. His most famous being "Win together today and we walk together forever." Three hours later, the Flyers won the first of two consecutive Stanley Cups. One of the reason the "Broadstreet Bullies" were souch a tough checking team stems from this philosophy "Take the shortest route to the puck carrier, and arrive in ill humor." He stressed the importance of commitment by saying, "When you have bacon and eggs for breakfast, the chicken makes a contribution, but the pig makes a commitment." Even with all his success, this brilliant hockey mind never took himself too seriously. "Coaches are a dime a dozen," Shero said. "I found out a long time ago that only one thing wins for you--the players."
I see absolutely no reason whatsoever that Fred Shero isn't in the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately if he ever gets enshrined in The Hall he won't be able to see it as he passed away in 1990 of cancer. Having said that I know that his induction would meen a lot to the city of Philadelphia, the Flyers faithful and his familly. Hopefully the HOF commitee wises up and votes him in ASAP. This is a huge injustice in my mind and hopefully it is rectified sooner rather than later.
I owe much of this article to the Philidelphia Flyers website as well as my own heart because Fred Shero happens to be my Great Uncle.
2 comments:
You know you got my vote budday!
I mentioned before that I do not think it is the stats and/or accomplishments that are preventing Shero from getting into the HOF. Shero's omission is due to an apprehension of the NHL to recognize/glorify the type of hockey that the Flyers employed in the '70s. My vote, he gets in!
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