How Owen Sound’s Jim Anglin’s salute to Jordan Binnington landed on Ron McLean’s Four Nations Face Off broadcast
Like many of you, I spent Thursday, February 20th tuned into the Four Nations Face Off broadcast. With a nation’s pride at stake, I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation, especially with the added interest of seeing Owen Sound Attack alumni Jordan Binnington take the net. Imagine my surprise when Ron McLean opened the show by holding up a letter he received from an Owen Sound resident John Anglin. He had penned a poem for Binnington back in 2019 when he won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues. He had mailed a copy of the poem to McLean. I immediately went to the local Bears Den page wondering who knew Jim. Owen Sound is a small city and Attack fans are a passionate and connected bunch. But I came up empty.
Because I love a good story and I’m a journalist at heart, I decided to go to the source. I reached out to Ron McLean who was happy to explain how Jim’s letter ended up on air.
McLean, who admittedly fell in love with Owen Sound during his visit here for Hockey Day in Canada, had packed three items for the broadcast. “I brought a few keepsakes with me,” explained McLean. “A Lake Placid Olympic hockey puck that my Referee Hero Innisfail Alberta’s Bernie Haley had dropped into play during the 1980 Miracle on Ice Tournament ( not actual game – but Bernie refereed 5 games including USA), a pen from the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre Winnipeg (my colleague on Hockey Night in Canada, Scott, His son Bruce succumbed to addiction, and Scott built an incredible facility for recovering men in Bruce’s honour) and Jim’s letter and poem. All of these items were about place and occasion, at once Canadiana, and maybe more importantly they were symbols of perspective.”
I was one step closer to finding Jim and the poem. And after an email and a phone interview, I can now share with you how a dedicated Attack fan penned a poem to a player he’d watched so many nights at the Bayshore years ago and how that poem ended up on the broadcast of one of the most viewed hockey games in recent memory.
Many times in the last season, I’ve been struck by how unique the relationship between this franchise, the players and the team is with this community and by how proud this city is of their current and past players. The day after the Four Nations win where Binnington shone, it was all you could hear at the local Tim Horton’s. “Did you know he once played here,” they said proudly.
Enjoy these words from Jim and then read his poem below. The final step: To get this poem in Jordan Binnington’s hands.
Can you tell us how you found out Ron McLean mentioned your letter on the Four Nations Face Off broadcast?
I had just come in and turned the TV on, and about three seconds later, there was Ron McLean holding up a note, saying he got a letter from Jim Anglin in Owen Sound. I just about went through the floor.
I bet! Let’s start off with you telling me about how that letter ended up in Ron McLean’s hands?
Well, in 2019, the St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup, and they got there because Jordan Binnington was their goalie. They were in the basement in January, but he took them right through to the Cup. It was an incredible year, and I was quite happy about that because I had watched Jordan play hockey here in Owen Sound. I had season tickets for the Attack games, so I watched him the entire time he was here in Owen Sound. He was a terrific goalie.
I talked to him one day out in the parking lot for just a few minutes, thanked him, and encouraged him. Then I went on my way. Very nice fellow. So after they won the Stanley Cup in St. Louis, a few days later, I had a pad and pen in front of me and words started coming to me. I started writing them down, and that’s where the poem came from. I filed it away. Then a few weeks ago, I was going through my files and said to myself, “Hey, there’s a hockey poem. Ron McLean—maybe he’d like to read it.” So I got it out, checked it over, changed a few things, and mailed it down to Ron. The funny thing is, I didn’t know anything about the tournament they had with the Four Nations Face Off. I didn’t know who was playing there, and then, watching the first game, there was Jordan skating across the ice. I thought, “Wait, boy, this is going to be good.” It was quite a coincidence, really.
That’s too funny. Ron said in his email to me that he brought three things to the tournament that meant a lot to him, things he thought were real examples of Canadiana in hockey. He brought a puck from the Miracle on Ice tournament, a pen from a important colleague at Hockey Night in Canada, and your letter.
Ron McLean brought my letter? Well, isn’t that something else.
Do you know if the poem has ever made its way to Jordan Binnington?
Not that I’m aware of. I gave one to my brother-in-law here in Owen Sound and Ron McLean. And now you. That’s everyone.
Tell me a little bit about what you remember about 2011 when the Attack won the OHL Championship with Jordan Binnington.
Oh, yes, that was an incredible year. Everybody played to their full potential. I noticed then, and still do whenever I see him play, that Jordan tended to talk to his defensemen. It appeared to me that he was telling them, “I’d like you to play in this little area,” or “You stay in that area over there,” and he’d take care of the rest. When they cooperated with him, they did well and were winning. That stood out to me. Other teams took advantage of Jordan. They ran the goalie a lot, and while that happens in junior hockey, I noticed in the NHL that nobody was responding for him. He’d get frustrated and eventually, he’d snap and fight or something. I always felt bad for Jordan because nobody was standing up for him. It should be, “You touch our goalie, and we touch you.”
Right. Do you still go to Attack games today?
I haven’t been able to get out to too many lately. I’ve been pretty sick for a few years, and I haven’t had a lot of money to spend on games. But I’m hoping to go next year again. I had season tickets for at least 15 years.
Do you watch on TV or listen to them on the radio?
Oh, we watch them all the time on Channel 53 and listen to the radio when they’re on the road. We follow the Attack closely.
How would you explain why a team like Owen Sound is different in a small city like this?
They fit in well. Take Toronto, for example. It’s hard for a player to come in and play for the Maple Leafs because of the media. The media puts them through the wringer. But in a small area like this, the media is more friendly, and players can have a normal lifestyle outside of hockey. Owen Sound also has an excellent education program and support for the players, which makes it a very attractive team to play for.
As a fan, do you think you have a better opportunity to understand who the players are in a small centre like this?
Oh, yes. You get closer to the players. They have events where fans can interact with them, like barbecues, post-game skates, and other gatherings. You develop a personal connection with them. It’s a homey place.
Thanks for sharing your story and for sharing the poem Jim.
Thanks for calling me. This has been my only interaction with the NHL. Except back in 1967 when I went to Ottawa and Montreal for the Expo. On my way back, I was hitchhiking from Ottawa to my hometown, Madoc, Ontario. A car pulled up, and the driver hollered at me, “Don’t know who you are or where you’re going, but get in anyway.” I got in, and after chatting for a while, I asked his name. He said, “Francis Clancy.” I said, “That wouldn’t be Francis King Clancy, would it?” He said, “You got that right, buddy.” So I rode to Madoc with King Clancy. It was a most interesting journey. I could have gone on to Peterborough, where I was heading for college, and met the whole Leafs team. It was the last time they won the Stanley Cup.
That’s amazing!
It was crazy. Life is unusual many times.
© 2019 Jim Anglin
Play Off Time
Expectations for the year were high.
The draft was a dandy and went their way.
Some trades and a couple of free agents signed.
Now the teams were ready to hunt it down,
the wonderful, elusive prize, the Stanley Cup.
As usual the season had some ups and downs.
Teams put together some pretty good games.
Sometimes injuries set them back.
Some struggled and almost gave up.
That’s when some of the players
who had hardly been noticed,
stepped up to play the game.
Once again the crowds began to cheer,
and even the reporters began to smile.
Everyone felt this was their year.
So as the year winds down
they see their teams climb near the top.
Maybe, just maybe, they could win the cup.
Their fears and anxieties were gone,
only one thing on their minds,
maybe there would be a celebration after all.
So each team whispered a prayer,
“Bring it home boys, bring it home.”
Winter was gone, spring had come.
Regular season over, and teams paired up.
Fans hearts began to pound,
as the playoffs got under way.
Everyone knew for sure who would win.
They had it all figured out,
and the papers were absolutely certain,
who would wear the champions crown,
when the day was done.
The first round came and went.
The fans gasped in astonishment.
Even the writers found it hard to tell their stories.
To everyone’s surprise,
those hockey teams put their own stamp on things.
Last year’s champion went down in seven.
One team had unexpectedly made the playoffs,
but failed to conquer their nemesis.
They too left the rink behind,
and found something else to do.
Now there was a team no one seem to notice,
sitting at the bottom of the ladder in January,
made it through that stunning first round,
and proudly took their place,
among the teams prepared to go ahead.
Believe it or not my friend,
there wouldn’t be a team,
to finish where we thought.
Even in the semi-final rounds
fans still had to wait and see,
wait until it was over and the cup was won.
Let us always remind ourselves,
in the spirit of good will,
it’s the game that really counts.
So here’s to hockey – What a game!
Jim Anglin
Owen Sound Ontario