50 Forgotten Stories: Vachon Stories, Part 2

See "50 Forgotten Stories: Vachon Stories, Part 1" here!
26) After he was named 1974-75's The Hockey News Player of the Year, Rogie contacted typhoid fever during the summer. "I spent the entire month of August cooped up in my house. I have no idea how I got it. I lost 10 pounds." (Larson, Al. "Will Dionne solve Kings' power woes?" Independent Press-Telegram, September 16, 1975.)
27) This illness may have contributed to Vachon's slow preseason and career-worst two-game stretch, as he surrendered 16 goals to the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders to kick off the 1975-76 campaign. He bounced back just a couple weeks later though, starting a career-best six-game winning streak.

28) Off the ice, Rogie enjoyed TV quiz shows. "He likes to test his knowledge but also keep his mind alert." (Maher, Charles. "The French Chef." Los Angeles Times, April 5, 1977.)
To this day, he's still a fan, "Try to work on your brain a little bit. I still watch a lot of Jeopardy."
29) Speaking of, Vachon participated in local TV quiz show "Sports Challenge" in May 1976. He competed with teammates Marcel Dionne and Bob Nevin against New York Yankees legends Mickey Mantle, Don Larsen, and Tony Kubek.
Rogie recalls a narrow loss.
Warren Spahn, Eddie Matthews, Jim Plunkett, Joe Louis, Merlin Olsen, and Maury Wills, among others, were at the shoot.
"What are the hockey guys doing here?" joked Milwaukee Braves pitcher Lew Burdette, "What's hockey?" (Hall, John. "Around Town." Los Angeles Times, May 24, 1976.)
30) When Ken Dryden and Bernie Parent declined to represent Team Canada in the 1976 Canada Cup, Vachon leapfrogged Chico Resch and Gerry Cheevers to seize international glory. In seven games, he gave up just 11 goals and enjoyed two shutouts, leading Canada to the championship. "You couldn't possibly expect the goaltender to do a better job than he did," commented Head Coach Scotty Bowman. (Hafner, Dan. "From the Peak, Vachon Has Had a Big Comedown." Los Angeles Times, October 26, 1976.)
31) The compliments over Rogie's Team MVP turn came from all around. USSR Head Coach Viktor Tikhonov offered, "I think the netminder Vachon is superior to Ken Dryden, Tony Esposito and Gerry Cheevers." Heading into 1976-77, Vachon was considered by some to be the best goalie in the world. ("Soviet Coach Hails Orr, Goalie Vachon." Associated Press, September 17, 1976.)

32) "Monday night is my night. Monday Night Football. I'll tell my wife, Nicole, to get out of the house. I'll take care of the kids," shared Rogie. "I'm a good cook and I'll have a couple of guys on the team over - usually single guys - and cook dinner for them." (Maher, Charles. "The French Chef.")
The French-Canadian's specialties were beef bourguignon, chicken l'orange, and pâté chinois.
33) These days, Vachon doesn't cook as much, "My days of being a really good chef are pretty much over. But when the kids and grandkids come over, I like to cook."
However, he's proud of his culinary place in franchise history: "I was pretty decent. Doesn't mean I was the best on the Kings
"Every time I was playing hockey with friends as a boy in my Quebec City backyard, I was Rogie Vachon."
This Monday, Sawchuk, Vachon, and Roy will finally be in the Hockey Hall of Fame together. Congratulations, Rogie!
50 Forgotten Stories: Vachon Stories, Part 1
50 Forgotten Stories: The Case of the Missing Mask
50 Forgotten Stories: Spies, Systems & Victor Netchaev
50 Forgotten Stories: Before Gretzky, Season Openers Were Something Else
50 Forgotten Stories: Bill White & The Worst Kings Team Ever
50 Forgotten Stories: The Battle For Red Kelly + Who Is Yasushin Tanaka?
50 Forgotten Stories: It Was Almost The LA Blades
Sheng Peng is a freelance hockey writer based out of Los Angeles, California. He covers the LA Kings and Ontario Reign for Today's Slapshot. His work has also appeared on VICE Sports, The Hockey News, and SB Nation's Jewels from the Crown.