Maven's Memories: Recalling the All-Star Game in Uniondale

With another All-Star Weekend upon us, it's time to turn back the calendar a good 49 years and reflect on that glorious time when the National Hockey League All-Stars came to Long Island.
The date was February 8, 1983 when Nassau Veterans' Memorial Coliseum hosted the 35th All-Star Game. It was a time and a place to remember.

Decorated with flags on the outside and blanketed with bunting on the inside Nassau's eleven-year-old cathedral of hockey looked more like the site of a political convention.
"It was a proud moment for us," said general manager Bill Torrey. "We were honored that the NHL chose our home ice for the great event."
The timing was perfect. Bow Tie Bill's astonishing hockey team already had won three consecutive Stanley Cups and was gearing up for a fourth title.
A night prior to the contest a gala stage performance was held with the ice rink converted into a dazzling night club. My wife, Shirley, and I enjoyed performances by Canadian singer Anne Murray who delivered a medley of hits.

Below her were tables placed on an enormous blue carpet which concealed the ice surface. Now a cabaret, the Not-So-Old Barn hosted a host of luminaries including tuxedoed NHL President John Ziegler who schmoozed with us at the pre-show cocktail party.
"I hear they're going to have a terrific young comedian in the show," Ziegler mentioned. "His name is Billy Crystal."
At the time neither my wife nor I had even heard of Crystal but, as it happened, he delivered a show-stopper of laughs topped by a side-splitting Muhammed Ali routine including a perfect imitation of legendary sportscaster Howard Cosell.
"I worked with Howard at ABC," Shirley recalled, harking back to her days hosting a radio show called Young Side. "Billy is more Howard than Howard wasl"
It may have been cold outside on Hempstead Turnpike but there was plenty of warmth within. This was especially so when two old friends -- Torrey and Minnesota North Stars GM Lou Nanne -- shared laughs and memories.
Nanne topped off the reunion by presenting Bow Tie Bill with the Lester Patrick Award for service to hockey in the United States.
We all enjoyed the pre-game festivities, but my wife had the perfect squelch as we crossed the parking lot to our car. "I want to see the game!"
It was played the next night with Al Arbour coaching the Wales Conference team. That was rather appropriate since Radar already was a three-time Cup-winner.
The Campbell Conference bench boss also fit snugly in the saga. Roger Neilson was Vancouver's coach the previous spring when the Islanders -- not that easily, mind you --swept Roger's Canucks in four straight games.
"It should be an exciting game," smiled Al, shaking hands with his foe.

Not surprisingly a capacity crowd (15,230) filled the Coli and, quite naturally, rooted for the Wales sextet which was bolstered by future Hall of Famers Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy and Denis Potvin.
The crowd roared its approval when Quebec's Michel Goulet staked the Wales skaters to an early lead before Dave Babych tied it for the Campbell squad. A shot by Ray Bourque with 59 seconds left in the first period staked Wales to a 2-1 lead.
But the margin wasn't to last very long. After all, The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, headlined the Campbell group. Gretz allowed that he had not performed well in previous All-Star Games and vowed a change.
"I used to get all caught up in the festivities," Wayne allowed, "and it took all the energy out of me. But after the banquet here on the Island I hit the sack early."
This time The Great One had been blanked after two periods but with his group of Stars leading 3-2. But early in the third session Lady Luck smiled on Wayne. Although he flubbed a shot, the puck bounced off defenseman Ray Bourque's skate and into the net.
Meanwhile, Campbell goalie John Garrett was making magic in the Visitors goal in more ways than one. For one thing, he executed a bunch of big saves and for another, he was there quite by accident.
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Garrett was an emergency replacement for injured Richard Brodeur. Remarkably, Garrett had been traded from Quebec to Vancouver only days before the All-Star Game.
What's even more odd was the fact that John had appeared in only 2:21 as a Canuck in relief of Brodeur before being named to the Campbell All-Star Team.
Garrett: "The Vancouver guys were giving it to me pretty good. They told me, 'You play two minutes and twenty-one seconds for us and we put you in the All-Star Game.'"
Newsmen loved John's adventure since he had only played one full game for Vancouver before the All-Star break, managing a tie in New Jersey. Then he had to fly back to Quebec City.
He picked up his belongings and then had to dig out of a blizzard that blanketed his home. He arrived in Uniondale just hours before his first and only All-Star Game.
Garrett relieved Murray Bannerman at 10:04 of the second period and in the final 29 minutes and 56 seconds he stopped all but one of the 16 shots he faced.
That already made him the favorite to be named the All-Star MVP and receive a new Camaro Z-28. Meanwhile his teammates couldn't resist joining in the adventure with a few quips about the car-winning possibilities.
"You've already earned the glove compartment," joked All-Star teammate Lanny McDonald after Garrett made a series of scintillating saves. Then, after another big stop McDonald snapped, "Now you've got the spare tire."
Meanwhile the NHL's p.r. man Mike Griffin began collecting MVP votes from the media and was almost finished when Gretzky scored his second goal on Philadelphia's Pelle Lindbergh.
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"Anyone want to change his vote," yelled Griffin, and a couple did. But Gretzky changed everything by scoring a pair more, giving him four goals. That was enough to alter the voting. A four-goal hat trick won the car for Wayne.
By the way, that spate of goals enabled the Campbell stickhandlers to exit the ice with a 9-3 victory. In the winner's dressing room, The Great One was chided by one reporter who noted that his shots were not that amazing.
Wayne laughed and replied, "I learned a long time ago that the shots you don't take don't go in!"
Nobody forgot about the heroic Garrett who may have turned in the most memorable performance both on and off the ice.
Crowded by reporters in the Campbell dressing room, Garrett was asked what he thought of his experience of a lifetime in the home of the Islanders.
He paused for a moment and uttered three little words: "Awesome. Totally awesome!"