1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history. 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:12,000 This is Don Drysdale. A professional athlete has to face many tough moments during his playing career, 3 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:18,000 but the very hardest may be the day he takes the field as a young replacement for a beloved old pro. 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:23,000 Today, I'll tell you about one such young man and how he met the challenge. 5 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:27,000 This program is brought to you as a public service of the station on behalf of today's Army. 6 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:32,000 In the Army, you can learn basic useful skills that will last you a lifetime. 7 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:36,000 See your local Army recruiter soon. And now, today's story. 8 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,000 It's about a young farmhand named Frankie Brimsek. 9 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:45,000 He was a promising young hockey goalie when he was brought into the National Hockey League in 1938 for the season opener. 10 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:51,000 The regular goalie, Tiny Thompson, had been injured and the Boston Bruins needed someone to fill in. 11 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:56,000 Frankie had never been in an NHL game before, and he was petrified. 12 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:02,000 And when he hit the ice, Frankie helped beat Toronto in the opener and then stayed with the Bruins for one more game. 13 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:07,000 By then, the regular goalie was ready for action and Brimsek was sent to Providence. 14 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:14,000 Thompson, the Bruin goalie for eight years, had won the Vizena Trophy as the league's outstanding player four times, 15 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:19,000 including the preceding season. He was good, he was strong, and he was popular. 16 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,000 Bostonians loved him. 17 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:28,000 So you can imagine how furious they were when he was sold to Detroit for $15,000 after only playing in five games. 18 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,000 Frankie Brimsek was recalled to replace the popular player. 19 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:38,000 Newspaper and fan reaction was horrible. The Boston manager, Art Ross, was hanged in effigy. 20 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:44,000 But Ross had a very good reason for selling off his popular star and bringing in the unknown. 21 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:49,000 I'll tell you what that reason was in just a moment. First, here's a good reason to thank Army. 22 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:57,000 During World War II, many Europeans were surprised to see combat-hardened American troops taking time out to play a game of baseball. 23 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:05,000 Well, it's much the same today. American soldiers from Texas to Thailand still take time out for their jobs to participate in athletics. 24 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:11,000 Today's Army knows you have to be fit mentally and physically to meet the challenges of a modern world. 25 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:17,000 Train hard, play hard, see your Army representative, and join the people who've joined the Army. 26 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:26,000 Now back to our story. It's the true tale of a young, unknown hockey player who was called on to replace one of the most popular goalies of all time. 27 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:32,000 The young man was Frankie Brimsek. The old pro was Tiny Thompson, who had been sold to the Detroit Red Wings. 28 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:37,000 When the press heard about the sale, they mobbed the offices of the Boston Bruins. 29 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:43,000 Everyone wanted to interview the manager, Art Ross. Art locked himself in the office and called Brimsek in. 30 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:48,000 He figured he'd give a press conference and introduced his new protege to the press. 31 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:53,000 Well, Frankie didn't help much. He got on a train to Providence and rode to Boston. 32 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:58,000 And when he arrived there, he passed a movie theater showing the latest Gene Autry movie. 33 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:04,000 So instead of heading for the hockey arena, he went to see the show while Art Ross and the reporters waited. 34 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:09,000 When he finally arrived two and a half hours late, he helped even less. 35 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:16,000 Frankie was very nervous unless he had a hockey stick in his hand. So most of his answers were the one syllable kind. 36 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:23,000 As you might guess, the press blasted him the next day. If he didn't deliver, well, he'd be run out of town. 37 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:27,000 What nobody knew was that Art Ross, the manager, had tested Frankie on the ice. 38 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:33,000 Ross had fired 25 shots directly at him from 10 feet away. Not one shot scored. 39 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:41,000 Later, Ross had tested the old goalie the same way. Six shots scored. And that was why the change had been made. 40 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:45,000 When he skated on the ice for his first game at home, the stands grew silent. 41 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:51,000 Instead of applause or cheers, no one in the arena made a sound when Brimsek was introduced. 42 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,000 With an introduction like that, well, most people would have folded. 43 00:03:54,000 --> 00:04:00,000 Instead, Bridget Frankie, as he was known, shut out his opponents for three games in a row. 44 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:07,000 He set an NHL record of 232 minutes of continuous goal-tending without being scored on. 45 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:13,000 That year, he won their Vizina Cup, and the Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in 10 seasons. 46 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:20,000 His public relations never needed help again. But then, they never do, if you're good. 47 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:25,000 This is Don Drysdale, and if you think you're good, join the people who've joined the Army. 48 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:30,000 Until next time, so long everyone.