Rick Vaive was a sniper and a top prospect. Going into his draft in 1979, he was coming off a 76 goal season. He also spent 199 minutes in the penalty box that year. His season was good enough to get him drafted 5th overall by the Vancouver Canucks. It was also a sign of things to come in the NHL.
Rick Vaive loved scoring goals and was wired to compete. His competitive nature and hatred of losing often got him in the penalty box, but it also earned him the Maple Leaf captaincy at 22 years of age.
He was the new face of the franchise and it was his team lead. Rick thrived under the spotlight and produced 3 consecutive 50 goal seasons in the 80’s and to this day is still the only player in Maple Leaf history to score 50 goals in a season. The personal success was bittersweet. Unfortunately, the team did not have the success the fans or Rick wanted during this time.
The chaos surrounding a Harold Ballard team, the lack of team success and some personal struggles, meant Vaive’s career was not without controversy. He had the captaincy taken away from him after missing a morning skate and was later traded to the Blackhawks.
We get into some of his career, but I left most of that for those who will read his book. Rick released his autobiography, “Catch 22”, earlier this year, where he chronicles his career and the ups and downs in it.
In this conversation we talk about coaching, parenting, mindset, competitiveness and character… and a lot of other things. I think you will see a side Rick Vaive you haven’t seen before, enjoy.