00:00I'll do it even more right now with our next guest, friend and teammate of Lyndon Byers, Ray Bork.
00:07Hey, Ray.
00:09Hey, man, how are you?
00:10I know it's a little sad day today, but I'm okay.
00:16I'm okay, but we lost one of a kind.
00:21Yeah.
00:22I think I agree with you.
00:25You know, it's a sad day, but celebrate the amazing things that LB was all about.
00:31And when I say one of a kind, I mean that.
00:34I haven't met too many people that was like LB, on and off the ice.
00:40Yeah.
00:41Well, you know, he was the same person.
00:44Wiggy brought this up earlier.
00:46The same person that you saw who was playing for the Bruins or was on the radio,
00:51he was the exact same person every day in life when you hung out with him.
00:57I mean, he was all in.
00:59He had no off switch, Ray.
01:01No off switch.
01:02No, no.
01:03He's one of these guys.
01:05It's like, be ready.
01:06Be ready for what comes back if you're going to ask him a question because he's going to be real.
01:11And that's what LB was all about.
01:13And so much fun to be around.
01:16He just loved people.
01:18He just wanted to be loved and make people feel special, and he certainly did that.
01:23You know, a great teammate, kept things really loose, you know, on the road, in the dressing room.
01:31And I really think that LB doesn't get enough credit for the player he was.
01:35You know, he's looked at as a guy that, you know, when you say a goon or an enforcer or something like that,
01:43LB was a lot more than just that.
01:46I mean, when LB showed up in Boston, he was a second-round pick.
01:49That was a really good draft for us in 82, and LB was part of that.
01:55And, you know, in juniors, LB was, you know, a guy that would score, set up plays, and, you know, if needed, would fight.
02:02And that's how he kind of came into the Bruins.
02:05And then, as you come in as a junior player, you've got to kind of feel your way in what, how can you stick, you know.
02:13And all of a sudden, LB was, you know, having a decent camp, went to the minors a little bit.
02:17But all of a sudden, like, you know, he dropped the Mets.
02:21And, man, it was like, wow, this guy is really, really tough.
02:26And he kind of found his way that way.
02:28But, you know, LB, you could play LB and not have to worry about, you know, him being on the ice for whatever amount of minutes he would play.
02:37And I just remember a big play that he made in the 87 against Montreal when we finally were able to beat Montreal and go on to our first finals.
02:46He was playing shorthanded with Rick Middleton, set Ricky up for an amazing, big, shorthanded goal that really helped us propel ourselves to get through Montreal.
02:58And I think, Ray, you can speak better to this than any of us, but this fan base has as much, or at least it did when it was a part of the game, which it really isn't, unfortunately, anymore.
03:11But has as much respect for somebody who drops the Mets, as you just said, as a goal scorer, you know, as a skill player.
03:23Well, the big, bad Bruins, and, you know, I mean, it's always, like, even, you know, even the Bruins now, you know, with some of the signings that they made and all that stuff, they want to find that grip again.
03:37You know, something that they kind of lost maybe a touch.
03:40And part of the Bruins always have to have that piece, that element to their team, because that's the history of the Bruins over, you know, decades and decades and over a century now that, you know, the Bruins are looked at as a team that's going to be tough to play against.
03:57And back, obviously, back in, you know, the 70s and 80s, you saw a lot more of it, you know, the rules have changed and all that stuff, but it's still an element of the game that is still in the game and the only sport that, you know, you're allowed to fight.
04:14And now it's, you know, the fights are a lot less, but still, when something happens out there and there's a reaction and the fights are not staged or nothing, it's a reaction of frustration or having your teammates back.
04:30And back then, you know, that happened a lot more often than it does now, but still, it's an element that LB brought in and the Bruins fan just, they just love.
04:42And, you know, we had a tough team, you know, you're talking LB, Jay, Cam, Gordie, you know, Swoop.
04:50We had, you know, we had a handful of guys that was ready to take care of any kind of business that was going to happen that way.
04:57And when I broke in, you know, I had Terry O'Reilly, John Wentz, Hick, Al Seacord, Stan Jonathan.
05:03It was, you know, it's always been an element that's been there.
05:06That's been a lot that the fans just love and I always enjoy to kind of watch.
05:14Well, that's what allowed you to play as a skilled player, really, right?
05:16Because they would do the fighting for you.
05:19Yeah, well, I'm still 20-0.
05:21I still say I'm 20-0, but I didn't have to fight the guys that LB did.
05:28But, no, he is an amazing guy.
05:32And, you know what, like, I just remember after his career and then, you know, he teams up with you.
05:38And, you know, he had an amazing following when he played.
05:42But, you know, what happened once he joined you on radio and just the cult of people that just loved him
05:50and some of the things that he would put himself out there for is just a character that he will be missed.
05:58You know, we don't know LB had, you know, had his issues and he had to deal with a lot of stuff there health-wise.
06:05But just a guy that was such a big heart and was ready to help anybody anytime.
06:11And then, you know, he was a big, I mean, being a Bruin and then having Don Cherry as a former coach that he never played for,
06:21but always really liked.
06:23And then LB, you know, kind of picks up on Grapes' attire and the outfits that he would wear sometimes
06:31and the clothes and just, it was just an amazing character that will be missed.
06:38Right. You know, there's always the guys that wear the A and the C on their jerseys,
06:43but there's those guys that are like the heartbeat of the team that might not have that C or A on the jersey,
06:52but their leadership just hits in other ways.
06:55It seemed like LB was that type of guy.
07:00He certainly was.
07:01You know, your captain or assistant or whatever that, it's just not one or two guys that is part of the leadership group.
07:13And, you know, and LB was certainly one that was always, you could go to him or, you know,
07:21he was just a guy that kept, kind of a glue guy that kept things together, you know.
07:27And what I said earlier that, you know, he kept things loose all the time and making it fun.
07:32You've got to have those guys because, you know, God knows the game could be stressful at times when, you know,
07:39maybe things aren't going as well as you'd like as a team or whatever.
07:42And those guys are key all the time.
07:44So he was certainly one of those.
07:47Well, we've talked about it a lot this morning, but he would also do anything for anybody.
07:52And when it came to charities in this region, he would show up.
07:58All he had to do was ask and he would show up and he would go to anything and support anybody.
08:03And so we want to do the same thing for his wife, Annie, and for his son, Will.
08:10And so we launched a fundraiser this morning.
08:13And the Bruins Foundation is matching your donations up to $25,000 for Annie and for Will.
08:21And, Ray, I know you want to make a donation as well this morning.
08:27Yeah, the Borg Family Foundation would love to support Annie and Will and LB's family.
08:34And we're going to make a donation of $10,000 on behalf of the Borg Family Foundation.
08:40I encourage everybody, if you're a big LB fan and Will's got a little ways to go, he's a young boy,
08:47and we'd love to support them.
08:49Yeah, that's great.
08:51And I think that when it comes to what he did for others, it's our opportunity to do it for his family.
08:58And for, as you said, Will has a ways to go and college eventually and all that stuff.
09:06So, Ray, I really appreciate you taking the time to check in this morning
09:09and to share some of your thoughts on LB, on Lyndon Byers.
09:15I appreciate it.
09:15Oh, thanks.
09:16Thanks, Tom.
09:17And I know you guys were tight, and it's a great – really appreciate you coming out
09:23and kind of honoring and remembering LB.
09:27I know you guys were tight.
09:28It's a special friendship, just like an amazing teammate.
09:32So, good work.
09:34All right.
09:35Ray Bork, thank you.
09:36All right.
09:37That is Ray Bork.
09:37You could go to thegreghillfoundation.org and go to beneficiaries and make a donation
