Don Cherry explains the valuable lesson he learned from Bobby Baun

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Sam Hutch
August 20, 2023 (1:08 PM)

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The legendary Bobby Baun passed away a few days ago and with that, as always comes an outpouring of support, tributes and memories celebrating the person and hockey player he was as the hockey world mourns his passing.

One of those tributes comes from a legend in his own right, Don Cherry. Cherry took to Twitter to add to the tributes, but he also shared a valuable lesson Baun taught him during his rookie season in the AHL and it's one that still stands today; take a look.

Sad to hear of the passing of Bobby Baun. In my rookie year in Hershey I was minding my own business watching a fight and Bobby came up behind me and put me in a choke hold. He taught me a big lesson that game. Always know who's on the ice. Godspeed Bobby.

The lesson: always be mindful of who is on the ice with you, because you never know what can happen.

While this lesson was way more valuable when Cherry played, especially in the AHL, it still rings true today. The moment you don't think something will happen, the moment you let your guard down is the moment the opposition will take advantage. Wether that be in a fight, with a dirty hit, or a lapse in coverage.

At some point every hockey player learns that lesson, either the easy way or the hard way.