In fact, Bucyk recalls with mischief, he hit Horvath so hard that his teammate needed to change some of his equipment.
Shoulder surgeries were the result of freak collisions with Maurice “Rocket” Richard and Pierre Pilote, legends with the Montreal Canadiens and Black Hawks.
“All the Rocket did was take me into the boards very politely and my shoulder got stuck on the top of the boards,” Bucyk recalled. “I went down and my shoulder stayed up. Same thing happened when Pilote did the other one.”
Seventy years later, Bucyk remembers his first goal with his focus sharply on this year’s Bruins, hoping his team builds momentum and will be a factor come the playoffs.
“I never imagined I’d be part of the Bruins family for going on 70 years. The Jacobs family, especially Charlie, have been so good to me,” he said, speaking of owner Jeremy Jacobs and his son, Charlie, the team’s chief executive officer. “I don’t know how to explain it. I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done. And Cam (Neely, the Bruins’ president) for keeping me on.
“I’ve been wonderfully treated for all of these years by the Bruins ownership and its management and the fans,” he said, already looking forward to the Bruins’ return from the road and a five-game homestand that begins Dec. 16 against the Utah Mammoth.
“I’ll be there,” Bucyk said brightly. “I’ve never stopped working. Why stop now?”
Top photo: Boston Bruins legend Johnny Bucyk speaks with reporters before his team’s Centennial Game at TD Garden on Dec. 1, 2024.