A twist to the Spinner Spencer story

Another NHL season is about to begin. A few rookies will get to play in their very first NHL games, and perhaps one or two might be lucky enough to debut on Hockey Night In Canada.

In this day and age of satellite TV, its not quite the same as it used to be. Back in the 70s HNIC was the only way for proud parents to watch their sons play in the NHL, short of attending the game in person of course.

That wasn't a possibility for Roy Spencer of Fort St. James, BC. His son Brian Spencer, universally remembered as Spinner, was debuting in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 12th, 1970. It was a Saturday night, and the Spencers would be able to witness their son's greatest moment.

Or so they though. The CBC affiliate in Prince George, which covered Fort St. James as well, was picking up the Vancouver Canucks vs the California Golden Seals instead. The irate Roy Spencer decided to take matters into his own hands.

Armed with a gun, Spencer drove 2 hours to PG and burst into the CBC station. He held up the station and threatened to kill employees unless the station went off air. All this was happening was his unsuspecting son was being interviewed by HNIC host Ward Cornell between periods about his arrival in the NHL.

Police soon arrived, and and Spencer Sr., reportedly sober as could be, opened fire, wounding two police officers though not seriously. The police returned fire, hitting Spencer three times, twice in the chest and once in the head. He would be pronounced dead on arrival at the Prince George hospital.

The whole incident shook the communities of Prince George and Fort St. James for some time. That night, the police officers went home and hugged their children tightly as they escaped another night alive.

One of those police officers was Arnold Nylund, father of a 7 year old future NHL star named Gary Nylund.

That night was the night Gary Nylund realized how big hockey was in this country.

"That's when I first realized there was something to this hockey thing," Nylund told Gary Mason in the book Oldtimers. "The impact one player could have on a whole country. I was really tied into the mystery of the NHL after that. The grip it has on this country. The strange power it has over people."

Gary Nylund is the newest profile addition here at Greatest Hockey Legends.com. He has an interesting story of promise and regret. I hope you enjoy it.