Gump Worsley Happy in Montreal

Apr. 19, 1965 - “Look at this suit,” Gump Worsley said today as he sat down to a sizable meal of roast beef, potato salad, and cole slaw. “It cost me $37 custom made. Boy, here they appreciate a hockey player. If you’re in the NHL in Montreal, you’re a hero. They give you special prices on everything.”This is just part of what being a member of the Montreal Canadiens means to the former New York Ranger goalie. Worsley had an “easy time” Saturday night as the Canadiens turned back the Chicago Black Hawks. He will be in the nets again tomorrow night at the Forum for the second game of the Stanley Cup finals.

The chubby, 5-7 Worsley, whose appearance on the ice usually brings a mixed reaction of snickers and compassionate applause, is playing in his first Stanley Cup final. He joined the Rangers in 1952, won the NHL’s rookie of the year award — and wound up in the minors the next season.

For the next 10 years, he divided his time between the Rangers’ farm teams and the parent club.

“Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “I liked New York. But when you walk down the street here, people know you. Boy, when you’re a Canadien, you’re something. Did I show you these Slater shoes I bought for $14? They cost 30 bucks to anyone else, you know.

“But inside, I’m still the same. When you play in the NHL, you’ve got pride. Inside, it doesn’t matter if you’re with the Rangers or the Canadiens. It’s just that the people look at you differently.”Worsley was on his third Buckingham cigarette when he said, “I’ve always had a weight problem. I weigh 177 pounds now, but it’s a military secret how much I used to weigh. I sit down at the T.V., I just can’t stop feeding my face. I watch those westerns and sports shows, and I get hungry.”

The 35-year-old Worsley obviously conserves his energy for game time. In this morning’s practice, the Canadiens skated furiously, repeatedly blasting the puck past Worsley.

Gump, however, was not rattled. He chewed his gum, and if a shot went past him, he just chewed a little faster.

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