In 1976, no one picked the Toronto Maple Leafs to beat the back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning Philadelphia Flyers in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Leafs coach Red Kelly knew that, to best the 'Broad Street Bullies,' he'd need more than superior strategy. He'd need an ace in the hole: a twelve foot pyramid in the middle of his locker room. Whether he truly believed in the power of pyramids of not, he was willing to do anything. And in the mysticism-friendly 1970s, the power of pyramids almost inspired his troops to greatness.
In 1976, no one picked the Toronto Maple Leafs to beat the back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning Philadelphia Flyers in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Leafs coach Red Kelly knew that, to best the 'Broad Street Bullies,' he'd need more than superior strategy. He'd need an ace in the hole: a twelve foot pyramid in the middle of his locker room. Whether he truly believed in the power of pyramids of not, he was willing to do anything. And in the mysticism-friendly 1970s, the power of pyramids almost inspired his troops to greatness.
The world of this week's story seems a million miles away from today's NHL.
The brand of hockey the Broad Street Buddies introduced to the league soon went the way of the Dodo. The league changed its rule book, introducing penalties for instigation and limiting the potential for bench-clearing. Then, the Scotty Bowman-coached Montreal Canadiens ascended to dominance, ending Philadelphia's supremacy. With the likes of Guy Lafleur, Ken Dryden, Yvan Cournoyer and Larry Robinson, the 70s Canadiens embodied hockey purists' idea of 'the best of the game.' Even Leafs fan had to tip their hats to the Habs' four straight Cup wins.
Kate Smith's talismanic potency came to a gradual end around the same time the Flyers' supremacy ended. She couldn't help Philly beat Montreal, and her record fell of considerably after that. In 1987, the team erected a statue of Smith outside The Spectrum. The statue was transported to what is now the Wells Fargo Center when the team moved. But in 2019, controversy around racist sentiment in Smith's 1931 recordings led to the end of her use in sports matches in Philadelphia and elsewhere. The statue was torn down and permanently removed. No one in Philly talks about Kate much anymore.
As for Red, after he was fired by Harold Ballard in 1977, he never coached in the NHL again. Instead, he went into business, working as a director on the board of Computer Aircraft Maintenance Programs (CAMP), a company owned by his wife Andra's family. CAMP is where Red would work alongside his daughter, Casey. It's where she got a front row seat to her father's leadership style. And where their relationship transcended that of father-daughter.
Nowadays, few talk much about Red's time behind the bench. He is remembered more for his exploits as a player - and rightly so. That is where he truly achieved greatness. But for those Leafs fan who followed the team in the 1970s, the mere mention of 'Pyramid Power' still evokes the hopes and hilarious hi-jinks of the era.
CREDITS: Leafs Forever is hosted by Scott Willats & written by Paul Matthews. This episode was produced by Katie Jensen & Vocal Fry Studios. Production & research assistance from Ellen Payne Smith, Jay Cockburn, Erin Brandenburg, and Erika Dreher. Special thanks to Casey Kelly, Darryl Sittler, Derrik Bobb, Stephen Cole, and Kevin Shea for speaking with us. And special thanks to Mike Ferriman, Mike Zemaitis and Nick Konarowski for helping us out with the archives. Subscribe to Leafs Forever on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.