Canisius Hockey sophomore left-winger Alton McDermott knows what it's like to be in the spotlight. He's dealt with it his entire life.
It would be noticeable if he went out to eat with his family and they were not interrupted by a fan seeking a picture or an autograph. Before entering hockey rinks in the Greater Toronto Area, they would prepare for the crowds of people swarming them once word got out how they were in the presence of a living legend.
Dealing with this level of fame was second nature to McDermott until the start of fifth grade.
"I just moved to a new school and my teacher was a huge hockey guy," McDermott said. "On the first day, I remember walking into the classroom and seeing the picture above the whiteboard. I pointed to my teacher and said, 'That's my grampy in that picture.' The teacher's jaw hit the floor," McDermott said.
(Photo courtesy of Frank Lennon, Toronto Star via Getty Images)
That picture in Mr. Kroshank's class has been considered, "the most famous goal in Canadian history" and the "sports moment of the century" by the Canadian Press.
Alton's grandfather, the man featured in the forefront of the timeless image, is Paul Henderson, a former professional hockey player. Even though he retired after a lengthy pro career in 1981, the two-time NHL All-Star is most notably known for his performance with Team Canada during the 1972 Summit Series.
Nearly a decade before the United States miraculously upset the mighty Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics, commonly referred to as 'The Miracle on Ice," there was another hockey series played for cultural supremacy.
In the midst of the Cold War, the Summit Series was eight games played between the USSR and Canada to prove who was the superior hockey nation. Henderson was a veteran with over 600 games of NHL experience who narrowly earned a spot on Team Canada after scoring a career-best 38 goals with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1971-72.
"We had 12 Hall of Famers on our roster and even though I was a good hockey player, I knew it was going to be a longshot for me to make the team," Henderson said. "Me and my Maple Leaf teammate Ronny [Ellis] worked our butts off so we could play Game Two in Toronto. We proved everyone wrong with Bobby Clarke as the only line to play all eight games together."
What many hockey aficionados predicted would be utter domination for the Canadians, resulted in the Soviets taking a commanding 3-1-1 series lead with the USSR earning home-ice advantage in Moscow for the remaining three games.
Over the next five days against the Soviets, Henderson's life would never be the same again. Henderson would orchestrate one of the most clutch performances in the history of professional sports, netting the game-winning goals in the final three contests to complete the comeback for Team Canada. His prolific goal in Game 8 on September 28, 1972 with 34 seconds remaining to give Canada the 6-5 lead occurred because Henderson called teammate Peter Mahovlich off the ice to let him go in because "he had a feeling" he could score.
"I matched up well against the Russians due to my snapshot and speed, but I was blessed to have great teammates who were so talented in getting me the puck," Henderson said. Still to this day, it boggles my mind how I scored five goals over those final four games. If you told me before the series that I would've been the hero… I would've said you were absolutely crazy."
Henderson found the newfound fame to be too much as it was consuming his life in a negative way. He felt like something was missing during a time when he was considered to be Canadian royalty. In the months following the series, Henderson filled this void by opening his heart to God following a local minister knocking on his door and offering a helping hand after recognizing his discontentment during a television interview.
His newfound faith was passed down to their youngest daughter Jill, who instilled spiritual principles in Alton at a young age. At the core of McDermott's relationship with his grandfather is a commitment to God, the importance of family, and a passion for hockey.
(Photo courtesy of the McDermott Family)
"Alton is just such an impressive young man who's always been mature past his years," Henderson said. "The best part about being his grandfather is passing down knowledge and wisdom because he loves to learn."
McDermott, the reigning Canisius Hockey Rookie of the Year, lives 20 minutes away from Henderson in Ontario, but remains in constant contact even when at Canisius. "I facetime my grandparents about three of four times a week," McDermott said, "and I don't think we've ever been closer than we have over the last seven months."
Since March, McDermott has assisted Canadian author Sean Mitton to chronicle the 50th Anniversary of the Summit Series. The main objective of the book is to reach a younger audience who wasn't alive to witness the events and commemorate the cultural impact that the Summit Series had on Canada's national identity.
Over countless Zoom calls with Henderson's teammates, McDermott has learned dozens of new stories about his grandfather that have allowed him to have a deeper appreciation for the series.
"Recently we uncovered behind-the-scenes videotapes documenting the whole experience," McDermott said. "It's one thing to hear the stories, but to actually see grampy in the 70s fashion at the Red Square in Moscow was pretty wild."
Henderson has proclaimed himself as his grandson's "biggest fan," along with his wife, Elanor. Throughout the years, the Henderson's would continuously show up an hour prior to puck drop.
Whenever Alton joined a new team he had to explain, "why Paul Henderson was sitting in the bleachers."
The duo shares a favorite hockey memory that occurred during McDermott's "Pink the Rink" night in 2018 with his junior team, the Oakville Blades. To honor his grandfather for his ongoing battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, McDermott decided to wear "Henderson" on the back of the custom jersey along with his legendary No. 19.
(Photo courtesy of Andy Corneau/OJHL Images)
Alton proved that he also had the clutch gene like his "grampy," scoring on his first shift of the game. "My wife and I were crying tears of joy in the stands, Henderson said. "We were just so proud and to see him with the Henderson name on his back… it meant the world to me."
Henderson admitted that his grandson's wrist shot resembled his, but McDermott's shot was much faster on the radar gun in comparison. "I'm extremely thankful to have such a supportive grandfather regardless if it's about hockey or just life in general. I think that's why I've never felt pressure being his grandson," McDermott said.
You can find Henderson making the trip across the border to LECOM Harborcenter for the upcoming 2022-23 Canisius hockey season to cheer on his grandson. Maybe you'll have the chance to meet a living hockey legend.
For complete coverage of the Canisius hockey team, please follow the Griffs on social media at @GriffsHockey on Twitter and Instagram.
