Red Fisher was the best hockey writer in the world.
For those of us in Montreal, It was a perfect fit. Red began covering the best hockey team in the world as the Canadiens became one of the most enduring dynasties in pro sports.
The first thing i did when I arrived home from school every afternoon as a kid was devour the sports section of The Montreal Star. What did Red say or think about the hockey game the night before, or the one that was about to be played, or occasionally, a column about something other than hockey. It was need-to-know. More so than anything else in my life at the time.
As crusty as his public persona could be, Red wrote with warmth and grace. Old School. Before i ever heard the term.
There was another Red in his world.
He was a Pulitzer Prize winning sportswriter for the New York Times named Red Smith. I only got it years later when I was able to read some of Red Smith’s old pieces in a collection of his columns I received as a gift.
I started working at CJAD radio in 1982. Very early on I got to sit in for Sports Director Bob Dunn as a guest host with Red on his regular Monday evening shows.
A few years later, following Bob’s departure for Vancouver and the return of Ted Blackman to the station as Sports Director, I was hosting a Saturday night Pre-Game show from the CJAD booth at the Forum – The Saturday Hot Stove. Although we had a rotating panel of guests, Red was a fixture. He’d walk into the booth about five minute before air time, with a healthy pour of Chivas on ice in a plastic cup, and was ready to roll. Steve Shutt, who worked colour on the Habs broadcasts at the time was also a regular panelist. Some of our regular guests included Danny Gallivan, Dick Irvin, Red Storey and Dickie Moore.
As high up as we were in our perch, I felt even higher. Like I was in hockey heaven.
Red was always very supportive and incredibly helpful.
One time in the late 80s or early 90s I attended a Bruins practice at the Forum to get some audio clips prior to the game the next night. But I also wanted to talk to Harry Sinden about making the short walk along St. Catherine Street West to the CJAD building on Fort St later in the afternoon so he could join me in studio on the show that I hosted at 6:15. I asked if he could be there by 6.
The Bruins GM agreed to do it. We promo’d his appearance all afternoon. But when he hadn’t arrived by 6:10 i started to get concerned. But sure enough, at 6:14 he hit the buzzer in reception. I ran down the hallway, welcomed him and took him right into the studio where we talked hockey, memorable Bruins-Habs match-ups, Team Canada 1972 and so much more for about 45 minutes.
The next day at the morning skate Red told me he greatly enjoyed the conversation. I thanked him and mentioned that I had been worried that Sinden might not have shown up.
“You can thank me that he did, ” said Red as he walked away, heading towards the Canadiens dressing room. “I heard you promote it all afternoon but when I spoke to Harry he said he had no plans and wanted to go for dinner. So I straightened him out.”
I often wondered why Red hadn’t written a book about his life. Then, in 1994 he did.
Thankfully, Mitch Garber and I were into the second year of hosting a Cable TV show that everybody in the Montreal sports community seemed to watch (or guested on).
Red passed away a year ago this week.
We were able to play some of the audio of the following show the day he died. But it’s taken a little longer to get this posted.
Thanks to Dave Trentadue and Kesh Dheer for working so hard on it.
Hope you enjoy it. There will be a lot more to follow.
