Like a young hockey fan, I will never forget the day in January 1974 when the Penguins made tough boys Steve Durbano And Bob “Battleship” Kelly from St. Louis. At the time of the trade, the pens got away in the preliminary place. Even worse, they were a sad timid team-de 98 pound weaknesses of the NHL.
It was like Wyatt Earp And Bat Masterton Had suddenly driven in the city. Kelly had built up a reputation as one of the most frightening hockey hockey. His victims include the notorious bad man of the flyers, Dave “The Hammer” Schultz.
However, I was absolutely enchanted by Durbano (shown above in a blues uniform), a more than lifelong character directly from the film Shot. The fighting 6’1 ”210 pound defender had caught my attention during the 1973 preseason when he hit the daylight from our former police officer, Bryan “Bugsy” Watson.
Written by a local sportswriter as a ‘hard fist of a defender’, his hunger for Chaos had already reached legendary proportions. While in 1971-72 he skated for the Rangers’ Top Farm Club in Omaha, he established a then-professional hockey record with an astronomical 402 penalty minutes.
“Durbano does not check the condition of the ice for a competition,” a former teammate mused. “He checks the condition of the chair in the penalty box.”
It was not long before Durby settled with his new team. In his first match as a penguin he scored a goal Dave Dunn. A few nights later he recorded it Bob GassoffA Tousle-Haar defender with a frightening reputation, during a large, posttrade resentment competition with the blues.
According to an account in the Beaver County TimesDurby schooled his former protégé.
“I don’t think Gassoff has landed too many punches,” Steve told a reporter after the game. “But I know I certainly did it.”
With all due respect for Kelly, Durbano immediately became my favorite player. He was the knight in a shiny armor, albeit a black knight, who had driven his charger in the city to restore the honor of the team.
The hits kept coming. I vividly remember an incident in the night of April 2, 1974, when the Penguins played the islanders on Long Island. Garry HowattA filthy little wing player who is known as the ‘Toy Tiger’, rode for us, where he was confronted by Durbano. They collided and Howatt flew into anger.
The lines quickly separated the potential fighters and guided “Durby” to a safe harbor behind the cage. Durbano took a step back and quietly rolled up his sleeves. It seemed that cooler heads would prevail. Suddenly the Swashbuckling defender walked around the net and launched with Howatt with fists waving.
A TV rehearsing revealed why Howatt had become so furious: Durbano had played him in the Lies.
Durby was not only tough as nails, but he showed real promise. With a heavy shot and underestimated skills, he enjoyed an excellent half season with the pens. In just 33 games he registered 18 points and a plus-17, not to mention 138 penalty minutes.
Veteran hockey writer Stan Fischler believed that the former first round Pick of the Rangers had the potential to be an all-star as long as he could control his patience.
I had the opportunity to meet Durbano personally in the summer of 1974, when he was part of a group of players who visited South Hills Village in the suburb of Pittsburgh to help ticket sale to drum. I was full of awe. There was my hero, no more than five feet distance. I was too shy to speak. But while other fans gathered around the table, one couple got a few: “What do you think of (Flyers Tough Guy) Dave Schultz?”
“Not much,” Durbano replied, dark eyes flash. For an influenceable 17-year-old fan this was intoxicating things.
I couldn’t wait for the start of the season. However, Steve’s career took a sudden and irreparable turn in the night of October 19, 1974.
“We played Philadelphia and I tried to avoid a hip control Moose DupontHe explained to writer Mike Hanley. “I explained my hand when I hit the ice and locked my elbow.”
A bone from Durbano’s arm was driven by the impact by his hand.
“The pain was incredible,” he said. “When I took off my glove, I almost became sick. The doctor left a player on my arm while he pulled my hand in place.”
Despite countless operations, Durbano never returned to his left hand.
“The timing was terrible,” he said. “I felt that my game was just coming together. I couldn’t lift weights with that hand. My arm started to be shocked. My fighting days were over, my shot had disappeared and my career started to go downhill.”
The volcanic defender was reduced to the role of a side show artist and was treated to Kansas City on January 9, 1976, two short years after his arrival. Although his fighting ability was affected, his notorious mood remained intact.
That did his reputation on his wild man too. As a member of the Canadiens, Durby’s good friend and former junior teammate Steve Shutt Drawn Rookie Brian Engblom Apart from one night and gave some advice.
“There is a man named Durbano who is there tonight,” he warned. “I don’t know what his number is. Don’t hit him. Don’t cut him. Don’t talk. Don’t talk to him. Don’t go close to him.”
Perhaps a suitable grave for a career (and life) that gradually went out of the rails inexorably. Unfortunately ending in Steve’s premature death in 2002, just shy of his 51star birthday.
I prefer to remember those few short months in 1974 when his future – and that of the penguins – seemed just as boundless as the summer sky.
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