The greatest Canadian sports story you may never have heard of

Two part story on the importance of Lloyd Percival, the saviour of Canadian Hockey. Part two is particularly awesome as it details Pervical's influence on Canada winning the 1972 Summit Series. If you've got a couple of hours to spare and have any interest in hockey or Canadiana, it's a great listen.

From CBC:

Lloyd Percival helped revolutionize hockey, and was one of the most successful and innovative coaches in the history of Canadian sport. Yet today he's largely forgotten.

He trained champions in track and field, rowing, figure skating, skiing, boxing and golf. And he played a key role in what may be Canada's greatest sporting triumph  — the 1972 Summit Series, in which Canada's best professional hockey players triumphed over the Soviets in the last 30 seconds of the last game.

Paul Henderson's iconic goal clinched the 1972 Summit Series against the U.S.S.R. He scored three game-winning goals in the last three games. Henderson didn't think he'd make the team, so he trained with Lloyd Percival to improve his stamina.

His thinking and methods were decades ahead of their time.  And much of what he called for is now standard practice, but at the time was overlooked, ignored or rejected.

Peter Brown's two-part series follows the remarkable and sometimes tragic career of Lloyd Percival.

Part one tells the story of Percival's sports philosophy: that athletics can transcend social and cultural boundaries. It also illustrates the evolution of his innovative methods, his impressive coaching successes, and the disputes that held him back.

Part two explores his prescient approach to hockey dating back to the 1940s. It reveals how Percival was marginalized by Canada's hockey elites — only to have his thinking adopted and adapted by other countries, especially the U.S.S.R — and how he didn't live to see the rethinking of the Canadian game he'd given so much of his life to.

Part one: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-23/clip/15889839

Part two: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-23/clip/15890108

Chills, chills I tells ya.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMf2fAXPS1Q

My dad fresh off the boat working in Whistler, watched Henderson Score the winner in the Boot Pub. I'm sure many stubbies were crushed that day.

Posted by: bux-bux

My dad fresh off the boat working in Whistler, watched Henderson Score the winner in the Boot Pub. I'm sure many stubbies were crushed that day.

Wasn’t that at the Shoestring Inn? I maybe wrong, it’s been a while, ok a long while,

Posted by: FLATCH

Posted by: bux-bux

My dad fresh off the boat working in Whistler, watched Henderson Score the winner in the Boot Pub. I'm sure many stubbies were crushed that day.

Wasn’t that at the Shoestring Inn? I maybe wrong, it’s been a while, ok a long while,

Yup. Boot was in the basement. Was the last Bar in Whistler that had the old ski town character. Closed in 2006 for redevelopment.

Posted by: bux-bux

Posted by: FLATCH

Posted by: bux-bux

My dad fresh off the boat working in Whistler, watched Henderson Score the winner in the Boot Pub. I'm sure many stubbies were crushed that day.

Wasn’t that at the Shoestring Inn? I maybe wrong, it’s been a while, ok a long while,

Yup. Boot was in the basement. Was the last Bar in Whistler that had the old ski town character. Closed in 2006 for redevelopment.

Had an employer put a few of us up there once. What a dump. Started drinking with a few of the strippers and ended up taking them back to our room. If you could call it a room. I woke in the morning naked, hungover and wearing a pair of panties like a mask.  Don’t ask because I still don’t have a clue.

Posted by: FLATCH

Had an employer put a few of us up there once. What a dump. Started drinking with a few of the strippers and ended up taking them back to our room. If you could call it a room. I woke in the morning naked, hungover and wearing a pair of panties like a mask.  Don’t ask because I still don’t have a clue.

This was in the early 70's?

Dad, is that you?!?

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: FLATCH

Had an employer put a few of us up there once. What a dump. Started drinking with a few of the strippers and ended up taking them back to our room. If you could call it a room. I woke in the morning naked, hungover and wearing a pair of panties like a mask.  Don’t ask because I still don’t have a clue.

This was in the early 70's?

Dad, is that you?!?

Late eighties, and not unless you’re Luke Skywalker.

Sorry for the hi-jack, back on topic. Another interesting one, at least I always thought, was the story of Bill Barilko. If it weren’t for the Hip I would have never known this little piece of Canadiana.