The Legend of Tom Simpson

Forward was one of the few 50-goal scorers in WHA history

[Mrbulldog]

We moved from Toronto to Oshawa in 1967.
The civic auditorium was across the street . The civic was my home as a child and Bob
Kelly who became one of the Brauds street bullies in Philly .
When Tom Simson was an Oshawa General with Bob Kelly 1969 -70.
I was 8 when Bob Kelly gave me a stick .
Sir I said I shoot right . Kelly said no problem and he gave me a Boom Boom stik . Tom Simson skated over saying hey kid give me back my stick.
Bob kelly said take off kid so I did .
The next day I was back watching the General 's practice and Simson said how's the stick?
I said it's great . Here I have a better one . But I shoot Right . Take it and give it to a friend . I did.
What i remember about Simson was the shot. When he played for the Toronto Torres they
would yell boom boom.
I lived and grew up as a kid inside that building . Back in the 90's my kids were taking
swimming lessons on the pool side of the civic. I watched the guys put the tiles in the pool .I swam there all my life.
Now as a dad my 2 oldest kids lerned how to swim where I did in the 60's and 70's.
One night I told mom I have to show them how to find pucks .
My daughter loved finding pucks my son no.
We found about 20 pucks that night . I asked her what she wanted to do with them ?
I want enough to sell so I can buy a dvd movie.
I called someone at work how runs a bar league .
He said 60 pucks $30. The next week she bought a movie.
I said daddy makes $22 an hr. You made $30 in 2 hrs. that's $ 15 an hr..
Like I said living in Oshawa and across from the ciic was great.
The Rolling stones played there .Any way Simson was a favorite of mine and a lot of other people .There is a great place to grow up .