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Q: If you had to pick the one coach you most respected from a sport outside hockey, who would it be?

A: Don Shula, with the Miami Dolphins. The fact they had that undefeated season (in 1972), which nobody can ever beat — they can tie it, and that’s it. I got to meet him a couple of times. Other than hockey, Don Shula, certainly.

Q: You coached Gordie Howe at the 1980 NHL all-star game in Detroit. You were the one who made the selection, allowing him to play in the city where he rose to greatness. What memories do you have of that game, and that night?

A: He was playing for Hartford at the time, and each team needed at least one representative. The coach on the all-star team could pick the extra players. We named Gordie from Hartford, and I think there was one player on the team who had scored more goals. But this seemed like a natural. I remember the ovation Gordie got during the pre-game introductions. I can’t even tell you how long it was; it just kept going. And then in the third period, Gordie got an assist on the final goal. It was the culmination of a super night.

Q: It’s been a year since Howe passed away. Your thoughts on his hockey legacy?

A: I’m not being outspoken; I appreciate a lot of great players, but I’ve always said that if you were going to make a mold of a hockey player and you wanted to encompass everything about a player — size, strength, ability, everything — he’s my No. 1.

Q: Every so often, old bands come off the Stanley Cup so new bands can go on. Gordie Howe’s name will soon be removed off the Cup altogether, and at some point in the still far-distant future, Scotty Bowman’s name will also no longer be on the Cup. Does this sit well with you?