Shoebox Memories: Bill Plager

This is O-Pee-Chee hockey card #122 of the 1972-73 set. I was never much of a fan of this layout. I have always found it boring and bland.

Boring and bland are two words never associated with any of the Plager brothers.

Here's my favorite Bill Plager story.

Bill was of course one of three rough and tumble brothers to come out of the Kirkland Lake, Ontario region and into the NHL. Bob and Barclay probably attained bigger big league acclaim, but Bill was not to be messed with either.

No one knew that better than dear old Dad, who did some scouting for the New York Rangers. Gus Plager was nicknamed Squirrel because he raised three nuts. They loved to fight, and they would fight each other.

One night in junior hockey Bob (playing with Guelph) and Barclay (Peterborough) fought each other not once, but twice.

Rangers boss Emile Francis saw that game, and took it upon himself to call up Papa Plager to let him know what happened.

"Did either one of them go down?" was the father's concern.

"No," replied Francis.

"Good," said Plager. "I have another boy (Bill) at home who is tougher than either of them."

Here is the full story of the Plager brothers here.