In the 1979-80 NHL season, Don Cherry made the jump from Boston to Colorado, taking over as head coach of the struggling Rockies. But when his new team met his old one, Cherry got a dose of “sour grapes” from one of his all-time favourites, Stan Jonathan.
On January 13, 1980, at Boston Garden, the Bruins hosted the Rockies for their third meeting of the season. Colorado got on the board first, with Lanny McDonald scoring at 5:31 of the opening period. But it didn’t take long for Boston’s grinders to respond.
Just 22 seconds later, John Wensink tied the game with help from Terry O’Reilly and Peter McNab. Then, Stan Jonathan took over. The rugged winger, known for his heart, grit, and fierce loyalty to Cherry during their Bruins days, scored twice before the first period was over, putting Boston ahead 3-1.
Jonathan completed his hat trick in the third period, netting his 12th of the season and sealing a 6-2 Bruins win. Despite racking up 208 penalty minutes that year, Jonathan managed to stay out of the box on this night, letting his stick do the talking instead.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a classic Bruins game without a few fights. Early in the second, Lanny McDonald and Terry O’Reilly dropped the gloves in a spirited battle that must have brought a nostalgic grin to Cherry’s face. Not long after, Al Secord and Rob Ramage tangled to keep the energy high.
About Stan Jonathan
Stan Jonathan played 411 regular season and 63 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1975-76 and 1982-83 with the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins. His time in Pittsburgh was limited ot 19 games at the end of his career. Originally, he was a fifth round pick by the Bruins at the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft out of the Peterborough Petes.
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