Legends & Lore
Reds vs Reds: When the Soviets Invaded the Civic Center
Maybe the Reds were simply doing their part to advance U.S.-U.S.S.R. relations in 1970s. Or maybe the touring Soviet Union hockey team needed to prove they were better than their record. In either case, the [...]
The Red’s iconic DC-3 and the Lady Stowaway in (Plane) Site
One evening I was browsing through TV channels, looking for something interesting rather than watching prime time network offerings. I luckily landed on the Smithsonian Channel, whose historic presentation that night was “Planes that Changed [...]
Main Event: Rocky vs Chuck? A Match that Shouldn’t and Didn’t Happen
In his 13 seasons in pro hockey, Chuck Scherza of the R.I. Reds earned a reputation as a scorer, fierce checker who could dig the puck out of the corners, and a tough customer who [...]
Zellio Toppazzini: You’d Think They’d Get His Collector Card Right!
As the R.I. Reds “Player of the Century”, Zellio Toppazzini had little difficulty getting his name on the list of top scorers among professional hockey greats. He had 786 points in 785 American Hockey League [...]
The Long and Lasting Legend of 17-Year-Old Norm Desaulniers
It’s every sports-minded young person’s dream to hit the home run that wins the game…nail the shot that beats the buzzer…score that sudden death goal. The ultimate thrill, however, as improbable as it might be, [...]
Johnny Bower’s Long & Winding Journey to the Hockey Hall of Fame
Johnny Bower took some unusual turns during his trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame, including a detour that brought a championship to Rhode Island and a pair of vintage pads to a young goaltender [...]
Christmases to Remember
For those who regularly attended games at the old Auditorium, it was a different era than today. There were few quality shows on black and white TV and the National Football League had limited support [...]
The RI Reds (un)Official Theme Song
The Beer Barrel Polka was the Theme Song of the Rhode Island Reds, played at every home game when the Reds hit the ice for each period of play. The tradition began sometime around World [...]
The Clown Prince of Hockey
Jean Baptiste Pusie, born in Montreal in 1910, was one of the most colorful players of his time, on the ice or off. The 6’, 200 lb defenseman turned pro in the IHL in 1929-30 [...]