Reminiscing on the Minnesota hockey legend with his favorite player, Mike Antonovich
Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 January 2016 16:11
By John Hamre
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
Glen Robert Sonmor was born on April 22, 1929 in Moose Jaw, Sask. He passed on Dec. 14, 2015, at the age of 86 in Brantford, Ont. In between, he lived a life that, as Ralph Waldo Emerson would say, left “the world a bit better” in so many ways. The sport of hockey, his friends and his family lost a dear and trusted person and teammate; we all can carry forward his energy, wisdom and strength gained as we live our lives forward.
Glen was the ultimate teammate to all of us in hockey and in life. Most certainly, Sonmor was a “unifier” of people within our sport. Players, coaches past and present, scouts, agents, media and broadcast members, everyone in and around the sport – all were better for knowing Glen Sonmor, or simply meeting or speaking with him. Anyone who new or met Glen, or talked hockey with him, felt his deep sincerity, enthusiasm and love for hockey and life.
Throughout a lifetime in hockey, Glen was a teammate to so many, as a player, coach, general manager, scout, member of the media and director of player development. Glen was a true hockey man. In life, through his own battles and victory over alcoholism, and through his leadership and support in helping others through their own battles waged with the support of Alcoholics Anonymous, he was a teammate and friend to so many, many more.
This week I spent time speaking with Mike Antonovich who is often cited as Glen Sonmor’s favorite player that he had coached. Over 50 years, Antonovich was a dear friend of Sonmor’s and a scouting colleague for many years following their playing and coaching days.
Antonovich the player was listed as a 5-8, 155-pound forward. He was the 113th overall pick by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1971 NHL Draft, and was also drafted by the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA. Antonovich played for the North Stars, Hartford Whalers and New Jersey Devils of the NHL, and the Fighting Saints, Edmonton Oilers and New England Whalers of the WHA. In 544 WHA games, Antonovich registered 204 goals and 208 assists for 412 points. In 87 career NHL games, Antonovich scored 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points. Antonovich played on the U.S. National Team at the World Championships in 1976, 1977 and 1982. Later, he was an assistant coach for the Minnesota Moose and Phoenix Roadrunners of the IHL. Most recently, he has been a full-time scout for the Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues and now the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“I met Glen when I was 14 years old,” Antonovich said. “I shook his hand at Greenway High School (Coleraine, Minn.). He was smiling, walking down the hall quickly. He never spoke about hockey, my size or style of play. I think every day when he woke up in the morning he was smiling because he knew he was going to help someone out that day, whether in hockey or through AA. He was the same person from the first day I met him. There are not a lot of people around like that.”
Sonmor was a skilled junior hockey player growing up in the NHL’s six-team era. In 1948-49, Sonmor played for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. His Wheat Kings lost to the Montreal Royals that season in the Memorial Cup championships – the highest junior hockey playoffs of all of Canada.
Following Canadian junior hockey, Sonmor progressed to the professional ranks, first competing for the Minneapolis Millers of the old United States Hockey League, and then the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League. In the AHL Sonmor recorded consecutive 20-goal seasons. He finally made it to the NHL, playing 30 games total in the 1953-54 and 1954-55 seasons, and recording two goals. While known as a physical player willing to fight and do whatever it took to play at the NHL level, Sonmor always possessed skills and a keen sense for the game. On Feb. 27, 1955, an eye injury as a result of a slap shot taken to his left eye ended his hockey playing career.
Sonmor then began his coaching career. His roots in coaching were at the college level. His start in coaching came at the University of Minnesota under John Mariucci, who called him to coach the freshman team and to complete his college degree. He then coached at Ohio State, and returned to Minnesota as the head coach from 1966-71. Sonmor’s Gopher teams won the WCHA regular season championship in 1969-70, the WCHA playoffs championship in 1970-71, and made it to the 1971 NCAA Tournament finals.
“He was a good hockey guy,” Antonovich said. “Guys don’t realize, when he got to Minnesota it wasn’t very good. He started a winning tradition there. Then Ken Yackel came in for a year, and then Herb Brooks came in. Glen was a big part of starting that. He had a lot of respect from those guys. He took an average group of players and made us better.”
On the coaches that followed Sonmor, Antonovich said, “He was always there to help those guys. He was proud of those guys and the U. He loved Lou Nanne, Herb Brooks, Brad Beutow. He wanted all to be successful. He was always helpful. He just did it – talking to parents, recruiting. He could really sell. I think he could sell swampland in Florida.”
Sonmor went on from the collegiate ranks to professional hockey. He became the head coach and general manager of the Minnesota Fighting Saints in 1972, and then the Birmingham Bulls (WHA) in 1977-78. He returned to Minnesota as the head coach of the Minnesota North Stars in three stints (1978-83, 1984-85 and 1986-87).
Herein lies the paradox of Glen Sonmor. While known for his tough hockey teams and players he coached, he had actually been a skilled hockey player himself and appreciated the skills of players he coached – and in particular the highly-skilled Antonovich. He wanted the NHL to enforce its rules fairly so that hockey could be played. Similarly in life he overcame the tumults of alcoholism to lead a life of dignity, while gracefully helping so many others to recover from alcoholism through AA. His life was devoted to helping people to live healthy and sober lives, and to help players advance in hockey through his work as an NHL scout.
Three events perhaps most notably defined Sonmor’s time with the North Stars. Sonmor led the North Stars to Stanley Cup finals in 1981, eventually losing out to the New York Islanders in five games. Sonmor coached the “brawl game” between the North Stars and the Boston Bruins. After acknowledging alcoholism, Sonmor with the help of then-North Stars General Manager Lou Nanne entered treatment, when he became sober in 1983. Sonmor’s final NHL Coaching record stands at 174-161-82, and sobriety gained.
On Feb. 26, 1981, the North Stars played the Boston Bruins in the fabled Boston Garden. Going into that game, the North Stars were 0-27-7 in their previous 34 games in Boston. While the Bruins beat the North Stars that evening 5-1, 406 combined penalty minutes were doled out to both teams on 84 penalties. The first fighting penalties were called off of the opening faceoff, seven seconds into the game. There were 18 fights or brawls throughout the game, and some rules had to be suspended so that there were enough players still in the game to continue. At times there were only six players on a bench.
Said Sonmor following the game (New York Times, Star Tribune): “You can’t go out there and take it all the time. The league says they’ll stop these cheap shots, but they never do it. The Bruins brag about it. They found out tonight we wouldn’t take it.”
Perhaps Sonmor’s postgame comments were most revealing to his commitment to his team, and to his love for the game of hockey. Remember, he was a skilled and talented hockey player of his own right; he was standing up to the perceived injustice in how the rules of the game were being called at the time. Perhaps, this quote was most revealing of Sonmor’s lifelong values, of dedication to his team, or to his players, or to a friend going through the battle and recovery of a lifetime in AA.
I asked Antonovich about how Sonmor coached players of different skill sets on a team.
“Glen appreciated every type of player with his teams. He always respected the way everyone played. He knew how to get the skill guys on the ice, and the tough guys and the fighters on the ice. As a coach he was simple on the chalkboard, because he never used it. He knew people and he knew the game. We were like a family, brothers. The guys I played with, we still get together and talk and laugh.”
Later in the spring of 1981, the North Stars faced the Bruins in the first round of the NHL playoffs. Boston held the No. 8 seed and would host No. 9 seed Minnesota to begin the best-of-five-game series. The North Stars dispatched of the Bruins in a three-game sweep. Then, they went on to knock out the Buffalo Sabres in five games and the Calgary Flames in six games, before losing out to the Islanders 4 games to 1 in the Stanley Cup Finals.
“Louie (Nanne) was very helpful for Glen, Antonovich said. “Louie helped him, and never asked for anything in return. Glen really appreciated that.”
Anyone who has felt the impact of the grips of alcoholism upon a family member or friend knows the devastating pains the disease can wield. Sonmor conquered alcoholism, with help from Nanne initially to get to treatment, and lived sober for 33 years. Sonmor then gave much of himself to help others beat the disease through his involvement with AA.
“With his AA friends, he was going to help each one get healthy and lead a sober life,” Antonovich said. “I’m sure to his last days in Ontario he was trying to help someone lead a healthy and sober life.”
Sonmor went on to serve as the director of player development with the IHL’s Minnesota Moose from 1994-96. He was a recipient of NHL’s Lester Patrick Award in 2006, recognizing “outstanding service to hockey in the United States.” Sonmor also served as a radio broadcast analyst for University of Minnesota hockey broadcasts until 2011 at the age of 81.
I asked Antonovich about Sonmor as the consummate teammate.
“Glen wanted everyone to do well. He was proud of all the guys who played for him. The guys that played for Glen all respected him, because he was honest and sincere. He was a special guy. I’ve got good memories of him. He was honest and the guys that played for him respected him. He was straight up. I was lucky to know him for as long as I did. Over all the years, I’ve never heard a bad word spoken about Glen from all the guys that played for him. Not one.
“Here is a story that describes Glen. I was playing in Hartford, putting up good points, and they sent me to down to Springfield. It was the first time I’d been sent to the minors. I called Glen. After I had been ranting and raving for five minutes straight, Glen said, ‘Anton, I’ve got one question. What are you going to do?’ I don’t think I said another word. That’s the kind of stuff with Glen that was special.”
Sonmor knew Antonovich had no options. Or Sonmor knew that Antonovich had numerous options – but only one right option, that being to report to Springfield and keep playing. Sonmor knew how to listen, how to say the right thing at the right time and how to help others.
“Glen treated everyone the same,” Antonovich said. “Whether it was Herb Brooks or Lou Nanne, or players or the trainers, he respected everyone and treated everyone the same. That’s why I went to school at the University of Minnesota, because Glen Sonmor was there. I just turned 64, so I’ve known him for 50 years. I’m going to miss the guy. The last time I said goodbye to him was special.”
This time of year the focus of our hockey teams’ efforts truly become all about the team. Not just in words, there is now an added sense of urgency in team play, for the excitement of season-ending playoffs can be sensed in the air. Standings and possible playoff match-ups are being thought about among teams at every level. Teams with well-oiled team play advance deep into the playoffs and make championship runs, while teams filled with individual play generally bow out earlier than they wanted. Certainly, this is a time of year to appreciate the legacy and impact that Glen Sonmor left on how to be a good teammate, within so many walks of life, on the rink and off, and on so many teams in hockey and in life.
During a 22-year coaching career, John Hamre has coached PeeWee, Bantam, high school, NCAA Division I, Junior A and minor professional hockey. He is currently the Director of Hockey Operations for the University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team. Hamre was the video coach for the 1994 USA Men’s Olympic Team, coached within the USA Hockey NTDP, and at many USA Hockey festivals. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.
