Marty McSorley was well known for his hockey sticks. Sometimes they were illegal and other times he was using them to bash Donald Brashear’s skull in. Every once in a while, the defenseman would utilize his stick to make a play.
All things considered, McSorley does catch a bad rap for what people do remember about him. Sure, he served as Wayne Gretzky’s bodyguard for several years. But he was also a solid player in his own right who could do a little bit of everything.
And that is just one of the many things you may not remember about Marty McSorley. Let’s go beyond the nefarious sticks and explore some of the underappreciated aspects of the blue liner’s career.
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Things you may not remember about Marty McSorley
Two-position player
Ahead of the 1990-91 campaign, the Los Angeles Kings moved McSorley from the blue line to the wing – a move very few veteran players make at the NHL level. However, it wasn’t something he was totally unfamiliar with having entered the league as a winger.
That season with the Kings proved to be one of McSorley’s best offensively and helped him shed the reputation of being nothing more than a protector for Wayne Gretzky. The versality would come in handy for Los Angeles in the following season as he could slot in where the team needed him.
His stick was setup
Marty McSorely’s illegal stick blade prevented the Kings from taking a 2-0 lead in the 1993 Stanley Cup finals and forever changed the course of hockey history. But how did the Montreal Canadiens know the blade curve was outside the letter of the law? Well, it was an inside job.
“It’s now been well-documented that Luc Robitaille, a member of the Kings at the time, was contacted a year later by a Montreal policeman who said his conscience was bothering him over the incident. Apparently, the cop was told to leave his post for a few minutes between periods while the Habs examined the Kings sticks so they’d know who was using an illegal one.”
Failed UK ventures
McSorley really wanted to get involved with hockey in the United Kingdom but was seemingly shut down at every turn. His brother, Chris McSorley, was coaching across the pond and hoped his brother to join him in some form. First, he tried to sign for a British team while serving his NHL suspension in 2001, but the International Ice Hockey Federation wouldn’t allow it. He then tried to buy the Cardiff Devils but nothing ever came of that either.
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Going Hollywood
Playing in Los Angeles had its perks. McSorley managed to turn his notoriety on the ice into a few gigs in some 1990s films, including Con Air. Despite only getting fleeting screen time, the defenseman makes the most of his role as co-pilot, even being shot by Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom. Watch the movie and you will definitely see him.
Real life Voldemort
In one of the oddest comparisons you’ll ever read, former Los Angeles Times sportswriter Chris Foster once claimed Marty McSorley was a real life Voldemort. He gave a number of interesting examples, but the best was visual. Simply look into their eyes. It’s hard to argue with that.
