My nickname is Gump and I don’t mean as in Forrest Gump. I mean I was nicknamed at age 10 in summer camp when I found a sport I was naturally good at – hockey.
After playing a number of games and doing an outstanding job playing hockey, a counsellor called me Gump. “Gump?”
Well, I asked him about it and he said, “yes, you’re just like Gump Worsley”.
Who the heck is Gump Worsley?
Some YouTube about the Gump.
One quick fact – Gump remained the last unmasked Goalie in the hockey except for his last 6 games.
He got the nickname because friends thought he looked like comic-strip character Andy Gump.
My father got tickets for the November 2, 1972 game between my home town Flyers and Minnesota (Gump’s team) at the Spectrum, the Philadelphia sports arena of the day. During the game I was torn between wanting the Flyers to win and the Gump to win. As it tuned out the game ended in a 2-2 tie. Almost the best of all worlds, and the best was about to come true.
My father had also arranged for me to meet Gump. After the game we went down the locker room and met him. He posed for a few pictures we me and my father. And, I was made a present of his stick he played with that night.
I still have that stick.
I haven’t continued my love affair with hockey but I’ll always remember the ’72 game with the legend, Gump Worsley.