Q: You were drafted by Toronto in the first round, third player drafted. That had to be a dream come true?
Nylund: Not completely because I was a Boston Bruin fan because of Bobby Orr. However, I was lucky to be with Toronto but also to play with Chicago and the New York Islanders. They were all great organizations.
Q: What about playing in the old Chicago Stadium?
When I was with the Hawks we used to say that when you were on the blue-line for the National Anthem with the organ playing and the crowd roaring, if you didn’t have goose bumps then you weren’t alive. Chicago was special.
Q: You were in Maple Leaf Gardens for the Official Closing. How was that?
It was very misty, very emotional and you got a pat on the back at dinner—very therapeutic. It was a form of closure for me.
Q: When you were with the Islanders, what was your reaction to the legendary Coach Arbour?
He redefined my role as a defenseman. Coach Arbour reminded me I was not a goal scorer but you can clear the net and make that great initial pass—in other words I was a defensive defenseman.
Q: Islander goalie Billy Smith was a character. What was your relationship with him?
Billy Smith was a strange character. He would be in the dressing room fully dressed at three in the afternoon, for an 8:00 pm game, reading a cheap novel. Billy played for money, the love of money, not the love of the game and he let it be known.
Q: Who was the most talented player you ever played with?
I have to name three. Firstly, Toronto’s Borje Salming for his pure athleticism. He was from a special gene pool. Secondly, Chicago’s Dennis Savard was almost unstoppable, especially his turning ability and quickness. In that area, he was probably better than Gretzky. Thirdly, New York Islander’s Bryan Trottier for his grit, determination and never-say-die attitude. I recall the Islanders at the end of the 1989–90 season calling him in to the office, telling him as a player he was finished, so we want you to be a scout. Bryan told them to forget it, signed with Pittsburgh and he won two more Stanley Cups.
Q: Knee injuries probably hampered your career?
There is little doubt about that. In my rookie season in the sixth exhibition game, I was hit by Wilf Paiment and tore my anterior cruciate ligament. I wanted to get back in the line-up and the Leafs wanted me back. As a result, I was back in three months. It is worth noting Bure took a year and half to recover from the same injury. When I returned to the Leaf lineup I ripped it again and required major surgery. Dr. Hastings, the Maple Leaf surgeon—one of the best, told me a good brace, surgery and good luck, will get you another five years. I stretched it to 11 years but it wasn’t without difficulties.
Q: Are you concerned about the future of Hockey in Canada?
I’m very concerned when players like Yashin feel that in a free country they don’t have to fulfill their contractual agreements; when the Vancouver Canucks ask their Alumni to sign autographs, because their present day players haven’t time. Then I watch Bobby Orr stop and sign hundreds of autographs at a recent Charity Golf Tournament. In appreciation, the fans gave him a standing ovation. He then had to face a battery of TV cameras. I doubt if today’s players would be that fan conscious.
