Interviews/Dale Beerman

Dale Beerman. March 2001.

What do you remember about actually playing the games? You were saying "Once you put the skates on..." What exactly did you say?

Well, I was just saying that the guys I played with were pretty nice guys, but once you put the skates and pads on you put your game face on. That was the way it was. And you've got to remember that, for the local kids, our parents are there, our aunts and uncles, cousins. We knew most of the fans in the stands, and that place was packed. There was no Northern (college) hockey, no high school hockey. During the winter there was Iron Ranger Hockey.

What players, including opponents, stand out in your mind?

The players I most enjoyed playing with were Aussie O'Neil. What a player he was. Kind of the Gretzy of that era...had all the moves and could put the biscuit in the basket. My boy hood idol was Jim Jacobson. He could he block shots and had a great slap shot. It was a real treat as a kid from Marquette to watch the Marquette Sentinels, too. They were a great hockey team of that era. Playing against players like Paul Johnson (Waterloo) Bruce Ruitta (Green Bay) Fuzzy Frenette (Green Bay) Paul Coppo (Green Bay) Craig Patrick (Rochester), now GM of Pittsburgh of the N.H.L... I could go on and on. You can't forget Ronnie Johnson, Floyd Sommers, Mike L'Huillier, Bob Caster, Mike Greenleaf, and all the local kids that kept it all going for all those years.

Is there a particular win or loss that you remember?

I think it was 1968 or 69. We played the National team. I think we ended up beating them 2-1 or something.

In front of a capacity crowd?

Oh yeah.

Is there a humorous story that you can tell about those times?

I can remember taking road trips on that old bus. They'd give us $30 for meal money. Of course we'd all sit in the back and play poker. We weren't even out of town and I didn't have my meal money anymore. So that tells you I wasn't a very good card player! You know, I'd have to dig into my own funds so I could eat for a few days.

Anything to say about the plane rides?

Flying over the lake was always a scary deal. But since I was one of the bigger guys I always got to ride in one of the twin engine planes. We always figured that if one engine went down we had another one to get us across.

Any other stories that come to mind?

Well, whenever we'd go to the Soo we'd always go early. Bob Caster's Mom, who was Italian, would always put on a big spaghetti dinner....homemade meatballs. We'd stop there, eat, then go over to Sault, Ontario and play.

What is the story as to how you got on the team?

Well it was one of those deals: You got out of Junior Hockey, you go to try out, you know Oakie liked to keep the local kids, and I made it.

Skated on the ice and a few days later your name was on the list?

Yeah [laughing]. My name was on the list. I'll tell you, talking about making the team brings back memories of Oakie. He was a classic, you know. I can remember...Oakie was in the Army...he'd always wear those green Army shirts...and every time someone would be in there to watch us practice he'd work us so hard just to prove to those people...We used to put guys on our backs and skate from one end of the ice to the other. But he was fair. Oakie was fair, and he's a great guy. He used to make me mad though, back then.

Probably every player at one time or another what with being the coach.

But he taught you life skills, too. I coach high school fastpitch softball, and I can do things, then think back...that darn Oakie taught me that.

Can you say anything about the fans in the Palestra at that time?

The fans...they were great. I mean we used to laugh when Green Bay would come to town. It would be a full house, and they'd sit there, right at the edge of the boards. They'd just heckle the Bobcats. I don't know if they realized it, but they probably provoked half the fights on the rink just by getting the other players mad!

Interviewer: [laughter]

I mean it was hilarious. You know back then if you didn't know how to fight I guess you didn't know how to play hockey. They'd be sitting there...their hot chocolate and their Schnapps...some brandy. But it was cold in there.

The old heaters only raised it to 45 degrees.

Well when you were skating around you were a lot warmer than the people sitting there.

Yeah.

The benches were...like...the fans needed to be at your back, because the benches were built right into the stands. You'd be sitting there and the guy (fan) right behind you could whisper right in your ear. And the penalty box was kind of the same way. You'd always have a cop sitting between you. Some of those policemen took kind of a beating because you'd still be mad at the guy. You'd be reaching over the cop trying to beat on the opposing player in the penalty box.

Did any officer ever volunteer to be the penalty box monitor?

[Laughing] I don't know. I wouldn't have!

But can you imagine? What was Marquette's population back then?...Whatever it was, you had 3000 of them at the game. Plus all the police were there watching too. And when Calumet was in the League; there rink was similar to the old Palestra. Lockers downstairs. Our old locker had this whirlpool bath. It was an old milk churn that they converted into a whirlpool. That was in the home team dressing room.

Any younger memories of hockey?

I played Junior Hockey on a Saturday morning. I lived over on Park Street. I had to pack up the old army duffle bag, put it over the shoulder, head over to the Palestra. Through snow. 6:30 in the morning. I'd stop by the old St. Luke's hospital because they had a heater vent blowing, warm up, and then walk the rest of the way. You'd walk in the door and smell the Pine-Sol.

Yeah [Laughing].

Out on the rink it was probably 5 above.

Any thoughts on how hockey was different back then as compared to now?

Well, hockey was probably more rough and tumble back then. Now it's more wide open. The rinks are bigger. The fans are a little more educated...but they're educated in that brand of hockey of course. Back then they were educated in a rougher style of hockey. Back then all you had was a helmet.

Some guy, a pro hockey player, was on ESPN saying that back then...and Jerry Sullivan said this too...when people could fight and settle their own differences it was better than not letting them fight because you could police your own game. Do you see that?

Yeah. Back then pretty much everybody could fight. You didn't just have one goon.

Any thoughts on U.P. hockey in particular?

Well, back in your neck of the woods...hockey is a big thing. Out here where I live they have an outdoor rink. I used to go out and play...about 15 miles away.

Like going to Ishpeming or something?

Yeah. But who wants to play outdoors? I played outdoors all my life. But my boy took an interest in it, so I took him up there. We'd sweep the rink, he'd fall down, get up, and sweep some more.

That's what it's all about, hey?

Yeah. But if he would have grown up there he probably would have played hockey.

Can you say anything about the road trips to different cities?

Well what do you do on a bus when you're riding all over the country? Practical jokes. A lot of practical jokes.

True, true.

Like I said, Thunder Bay was a long hall. You had to go all the way around the lake.

Towards the end of the Iron Ranger years it changed. After the years when Ostwald, Sullivan, and Lunney got out. Bobby Cox was a year before me...those guys...they were some great hockey players...I mean they were good. I can remember winning the League in January. That's how good we were...Jerry Sullivan, Matt Oreskovich, Steve Sopher, and a lot of other guys...

Any teams stand out in your mind?

That old Rochester team was interesting.

They had alot of ex-University of Minnesota players didn't they?

Yes, and they had Herbie Brooks and Henry Bouchette...Johannsen. They had a lot of good hockey players and All-Americans...and I mean...we'd go in there and kick their butts...you know...So people should realize that we were a pretty good hockey team.

That must have been a shock for those people in Minnesota, who really know their hockey, to have a team from the Upper Peninsula come and beat their team.

Oh yeah.

But it was Oakie, Bob Hoppe, and those people who really kept the Iron Rangers going and successful.

Literally thousands of people from the area think of that team as very special. Why do you think that is so?

We were the only show in town. We'd go to Calumet and it would be packed there too. Green Bay would be the same thing. I actually played in Green Bay for awhile. The second year I was there the Coach was Gordy Yeoman. And I played with Ernie Dupont. He was the toughest guy I ever saw. That was one tough guy...scary. But you'd get him off the ice and he was a pretty nice guy.

Was there any involvement with the team by kids?

Oh I think any kid who ever went to an Iron Ranger game shared in the experience. That was the coolest thing, as a kid, on a Thursday night...if you could go to an Iron Ranger game with your mom and dad. The Palestra had, at one end, what looked like an ice-fishing shack. My Dad used to sit in there and run the light for when a goal was scored. I remember standing next to that hut watching games...that was a special time. I knew what I was going to do by watching those games: I was going to play Iron Ranger hockey.

Any thoughts on The Palestra itself?

Well it was quite an old building. You can imagine: You walk in the front door, and they had that little ticket area. Then you walk through the other doors, and through the screen you look out over the rink...off to the right they had the concession stand. I mean this was your classic hockey arena.