I doff my mask...

Johnny Bower's new book just came out. I read an excerpt from it as I sat in my LazyBoy, icing my newly scoped knee, and was blown away by this guy. I'm 48 and it's everything I can do to stay fit enough to play a couple of games of pickup with the local duffers each week. This guy wasn't much younger than me and playing in the show...with no mask. Not to mention protection that was basically cardboard. I've been hit in the facemask many times with pucks and it stings pretty good when you get tagged with a hard one, even through the fibreglass and foam. I cannot imagine what kind of cojones it must've taken for this guy to step, barefaced, into those pipes each night. I met Johnny Bower a few years ago when we were shooting the television series Power Play. My biggest impression of that meeting was the size of the man's hands. His fingers were literally like sausages. Guess that comes from catching slapshots wearing not much more than a baseball glove. A tip of the mask to you Mr. Bower. You're one of a kind.

Comments

[Bruce Froude]

Neil
Johnny was great and I love the brown pads!
Are yours brown?
If you ever get tired of playing on ice, I know a Wednesday night ball hockey crew that could use and abuse you. Check out your local newsstand to see a great Hockey News magazine about the history of the mask. It is AWESOME!

[Jason Chamberlain]

Johnny Bower is a true class act.

I loved Power Play! Wish it had been on longer.