The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It's been more than a quarter-century since an angry opponent struck Dennis Polonich in the face with a hockey stick, but the pain from the infamous attack still lingers. The 51-year-old former Flin Flon Bomber, who went on to play in the NHL, recently recalled the vicious incident that occurred while he was with the Detroit Red Wings. "I still have a breathing impairment because my nose was crushed like an eggshell," he told The Globe and Mail. "My septum is deviated now. It's not straight. There's facial disfigurement." Now a player agent in Calgary, Polonich said he still gets headaches "but you can't tell whether it's from the incident or previous concussions." Though Polonich suited up for nearly 400 NHL games over eight seasons, he is remembered largely for a single match-up that took place on October 25, 1978. That's when Colorado Rockies right-winger Wilf Paiement sent shockwaves through the hockey world by clubbing Polonich in the face. "If it had been a little higher, he could have been killed," Ted Lindsay, the general manager of Detroit at the time, once said. Polonich's career arguably never recovered. He retired as player in 1987 following four consecutive years in the minors. A few years after the incident, he was awarded US$850,000 in damages after suing Paiement. Polonich spent two seasons with the Bombers in the early 1970s, scoring 35 goals and 69 assists for 104 points in 133 games. More telling of his style of play were the 422 minutes he spent in the penalty box. The native of Foam Lake, Sask., was drafted in the eighth round by Detroit in 1973. He spent parts of eight seasons with the Red Wings, including one as captain, accumulating 59 goals, 82 assists, 141 points and 1,242 penalty minutes in 390 games.
