The baseball world lost an icon Wednesday when New York Yankees legend Yogi Berra died at age 90.
But although the Hall of Fame catcher was best known for his work on the diamond, his life post-retirement included a great deal of time spent around hockey rinks.
Berra became an ardent New Jersey Devils supporter during the latter part of his life, and that fandom led to a friendship with a man who spent less than one season in New Jersey: current Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien.
“I would be one of the first guys to get to the rink to watch video, and he would be coming out of the shower at that point, and before going into his office he would stop by and have a chat with me,” Julien, who coached the Devils for 79 games during the 2006-07 season, said Wednesday, via ESPN.com. “We’d chat about different things. He was an interesting guy, a real nice guy. I got to know him a little bit, and that was pretty special because we all know what Yogi Berra meant to the game of baseball.
“… For my short experience in New Jersey, that’s one of the things I’m glad I got the opportunity to meet him and have some real interesting chats with him.”
Berra witnessed the golden years of Devils hockey, watching New Jersey win Stanley Cups in 1995, 2000 and 2003. He detailed his appreciation for the team in a 2003 opinion column for The New York Times, which definitely is worth a read for hockey and baseball fans alike.
Thumbnail photo via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images
