Garry Unger lived the simple life.
And the forward made no bones about it.
So when Unger broke the then-record for consecutive games played by Andy Hebenton (630) when he played in his 631st game, a record that reached 914 games until its end on Dec. 21, 1979, Unger didn't bask in its glory.
But what ensued when he broke the record by his teammates meant more to him than any record that would stand for years to come.
From THN’s Archive, find out how teammates recognized "Iron Man" and why their gift to him meant more than the record itself from Apr. 9, 1976/Vol. 29, Issue 26.
(And always remember, you can get full access to our 76-year archive when you subscribe to the magazine.)
ACCLAIM FROM ST. LOUIS TEAMMATES “GREATEST HONOR A GUY CAN RECEIVE”
Vol. 29, Issue 26, April 9, 1976
By Donald Berns
ST. LOUIS—Of all the honors heaped upon Garry Unger when he broke Andy Hebenton’s consecutive-game record the one he cherishes the most is a gift from his St. Louis teammates.
“That,” said Unger, “is the greatest honor a guy can receive—recognition by his teammates.”
And the gift itself is highly appropriate and much appreciated by the hockey player who spends his free time in raising and riding horses on his farm outside St. Louis. Unger received a beautiful western style saddle and said it would fit nicely on a horse named Dynamite.
“It’s a Billy Cook saddle out of Texas and it’s top of the line,” said Unger. “It’s exactly what I wanted.”
Unger’s teammate, who chipped in $900 to buy the saddle, were delighted they had picked the perfect gift and were very pleased they had the opportunity to show some affection for one of the team’s most tireless workers.
Floyd Thomson, who lived with Unger when they were both single and remains his closest friend on the team, had the idea to buy the saddle and discussed it with the Blues’ captain Red Berenson. Farm boys Chuck Lefley and Bob Gassoff and city-slicker Derek Sanderson formed the three man committee which selected the saddle and picked it up from Cletis Hulling of Smithton, Ill., the largest quarter horse dealer in the world.
“I picked out one that cost $1,200 and had a lot of silver on it,” said Sanderson, “but Floyd told me it would be too showy for Unger. What Lefley and Gassoff decided on is a real cowboy workingman’s saddle.
And the bit will stop an elephant.”
The saddle was wheeled on the ice at the St. Louis Arena when Unger was honored in a 15-minute pregame with Kansas City after Unger broke the record with his 631st straight game in Toronto. Unger also received two $500 checks from St. Louis fan clubs for charities. The money from the Biueliners went to the March of Dimes, for which Unger is 1976 chairman in St. Louis, and the money from the Goaltenders went to St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Unger’s wife. Bev, who was on the ice with her husband and their one-year-old daughter. Kim, was presented with a big bouquet of flowers. Unger was touched by the reading of a congratulatory telegram from Florida from Sidney Salomon Jr., chairman of the Blues, and Sid Saloman III, president of the club. The younger Salomon is recuperating from surgery for the removal of a tumor from his chest.
Also during the ceremony Arena employees unveiled a 6 foot high abstract sculpture depicting a hockey player and made of one half inch rods to commemorate Unger’s position as the all time Iron Man of the National Hockey League. The sculpture, designed by artist Robert Lee Walker and given by Valley Industries in St. Louis, will be placed on a 7-foot pedestal in front of the Arena.
“I could hardly play hockey after all that,” said Unger. “The Kansas City players were congratulating me, and then I was supposed to go out on the ice and hit them.”
But Unger played quite well, scored a goal and assisted on another as the Blues won. 5-3. And, of course, he extended his own NHL record to 632 consecutive games. He’ll be in the unusual position of setting a new league record every time he steps on the ice for a game.
“I plan to keep going.” he said. “I think this record may be one that will last long after I’m gone. I want to make sure it does by extending the string as far as I can.”
Hebenton sent Unger a telegram of congratulations and wished him luck on extending the string.
“I think he showed a lot of class by sending the telegram,” Unger said. “It was very nice for him to do it.”
“The record was under played by me before I reached it because that’s the way I do things, and I didn’t want to take away from doing my job,” Unger said. “But it ended up to be a bigger thrill than I thought it would be.”
Unger said the closest he came to breaking his streak of consecutive games was earlier this season when a cartilage was torn from his rib cage at about the time of the All Star game.
“My job is to play hockey,” he said. “When I’ve been hurt. I’ve played. That’s what I put my mind to do, and that’s what I’ve done.”
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