I was there at the Omni in Atlanta sitting directly across the ice from this event February 4, 1995 like it was right out of the movie "Slapshot". I was a guest of Bauer hockey when we were designing their new roller hockey line for the Atlanta Super Show Sporting Goods trade show. I coincidentally recorded the first night of ESPN2's NHL2Night and this was a highlight. I had this video up once before. A guy emailed me and told me his Dad was the one throwing the newspaper at Coach Jackson. [Watch the video in 480p].
The following is an article I found online that tells the whole story better than I can by a former player.
Sir Slapshot Was Asking for It! January 25, 2003
Article by Jim Kyte [Kyte made history by being the first deaf NHL player]
One of the more infamous incidents between a mascot and a coach involves Senators assistant coach Don Jackson. Many people have seen video of the incident but don't know the whole story leading up to the episode.
Jackson was the new head coach of the International Hockey Leagues Cincinnati Cyclones during the 1994-95 season. Heading to practice one morning in mid-September, a driver traveling in the opposite direction on the Cincinnati Expressway lost control of her car, hurtling the vehicle over the median head-on into Jackson's oncoming car.
The traumatic collision killed the other driver and left Jackson hospitalized with multiple injuries including two badly broken legs. A tough physical defenseman as a player, Jackson faced a daunting and long road to recovery. Fortunately Don Jackson is a hard man to keep down physically and mentally. Shortly after being discharged from the hospital he was back coaching his team - but from a wheelchair.
After some major renovations to the home players bench at Riverfront Coliseum, including the installation of a ramp, he was able to coach from behind the bench in his wheelchair. Unfortunately, with little or no access to the players bench on the road, he coached the team from the stands by communicating with his assistant coach, Richard Kromm, by radio headset.
Finally, after five months of intensive rehabilitation to regain the strength in his legs, Jackson decided to go behind the bench for his first road game of the season in a contest against the Atlanta Knights. [February 4, 1995]. Jackson's still-weak legs were shaking underneath the full weight of his body so he propped himself back against the Plexiglas to support himself.
The Knight's [10ft tall inflatable] mascot Sir Slapshot was amusing himself by pushing against the back of the Plexiglas behind the Cyclones bench. Jackson was annoyed by the mascot's actions but did his best his ignore him. Not satisfied with the results he was getting, Sir Slapshot decided to raise the bar. And did he ever.
Positioning himself high on the stairs directly behind the unsuspecting Jackson, Sir Slapshot took a running leap down the stairs and into the flimsy glass. The impact jolted Jackson forward on top of his players and almost over the boards onto the ice.
To put it mildly, Jackson snapped and I don't blame him. There's no doubt pushing oneself around in a wheelchair for five months improves your upper body strength. No sooner than Jackson regained his upright position was he pulling himself up and over the glass in a full counter attack on the mascot.
With Jackson clearly landing blows, some of the fans started to attack Jackson prompting his players to scale the glass to protect their coach. Jackson split the lip of Mike Centanni - the mascot operator who, thankfully, knowing the error of his ways chose not to sue.
The whole incident was instigated by a rogue mascot but it was caught on video, sending the footage around the world on CNN and ESPN unfairly earning Jackson a ten game suspension from the IHL.
I'm telling this story as it was recounted to me by Don Jackson when he was my head coach in Kansas City in 1996. All people see on the video is a raging coach attacking a mascot but the journey in which he had to follow leading up to that point is one of inner strength and commitment only to be spoiled by a someone who thought he was the "show" instead of the product on the ice.
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Cincinnati Cyclones Goal Hornby SirDestroyAllHumans18,204 views
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