Auctioneer Wayne Rutledge, A Chip Off The Old Block

THE GOALTENDING, GLAZIER, MUSKOKA AUCTIONEER - AND WHAT A GOOD JOB HE DID

AUCTION GROUPIES LOVED HIS REGIONAL SALES - AND SOMETIMES AUTOGRAPHED HIS NHL PLAYER CARDS

     ON PAGE 220 OF THE HOCKEY BIOGRAPHY, ENTITLED "SAWCHUK - THE TROUBLES AND TRIUMPHS OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST GOALIE," WRITTEN BY DAVID DUPUIS, AND PUBLISHED BY STODDART, OF CANADA, IN 1998, THERE IS A REFERENCE TO THE MAN I KNEW AS AN AUCTIONEER. OF COURSE, WHEN HE WASN'T AUCTIONEERING, HE MIGHT BE FOUND FIXING BROKEN WINDOWS; AS HE WAS AFTER ALL, A GLAZIER BY TRADE. HE WAS THE SON OF FORMER AUCTIONEER LES RUTLEDGE, OF GRAVENHURST.

     "GOALTENDER WAYNE RUTLEDGE, ALSO PICKED UP IN THE EXPANSION DRAFT, REMEMBERS MEETING TERRY (SAWCHUK), ONE OF HIS IDOLS, AT THE GUELPH CAMP," NOTES DAVID DUPUIS. HE QUOTES RUTLEDGE AS SAYING, "HE SURE GAVE YOU THE COLD SHOULDER. HE WAS ESTABLISHED, NOT TRYING ALL THAT HARD AT CAMP, AND WE WERE ALL HUSTLING LIKE THE DICKENS. IF HE WAS AT A BAR, SAY, AFTER PRACTICE, AND ONE OF US OTHER GOALIES GAME IN, HE WOULD GET UP AND LEAVE, GO DRINK SOMEPLACE ELSE." HE ALSO STATED, "WE PRACTICED ON AN ICE PAD IN BURBANK, NORTH OF L.A. AND ALSO IN LONG BEACH. WE WERE TWENTY GUYS IN FIVE CARS, AND NOBODY KNEW WHERE THE HELL WE WERE GOING. THE DRESSING ROOMS WERE LIKE LARGE WASHROOMS WITH NO SEATS. BETWEEN PRACTICES, THE TRAINERS HAD TO DRY OUR EQUIPMENT ON THIS PATIO IN THE SUN. WE OFTEN WENT OUT TO PRACTISE IN STILL WET EQUIPMENT. IT WAS ALL POORLY UNORGANIZED."

     AFTER TERRY SAWCHUK INJURED HIS ELBOW JUST BEFORE THE FIRST GAME, OF THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE SEASON, THIS OPENED THE DOOR FOR THE NEWLY DRAFTED GOALTENDER. AS DAVID DUPUIS REPORTED IN HIS BOOK, RUTLEDGE REFLECTED ON THIS OCCASION, "JACK (KENT COOKE) HOSTED A MEDIA PARTY AT HIS BEL AIR MANSION THE NIGHT AFTER THAT LAST PRACTISE. ALL THE LAKERS (BASKETBALL PLAYERS) AND THE MEDIA WERE THERE. TERRY SHOWED UP WITH HIS ARM IN A SLING. HE KNEW THAT REGAN HADN'T SIGNED ME YET AND HE TOLD ME, 'YOU GOT 'EM NOW, KID. THEY HAVE TO SIGN YOU NOW. YOU'LL BE STARTING THE HOME OPENER.' JACK'S JAW DROPPED FOUR FEET WHEN HE SAW TERRY WITH HIS ARM IN A SLING." ACCORDING TO THE AUTHOR, "RUTLEDGE WON THE KING'S FIRST GAME EVER, BY A SCORE OF 4-2 OVER PHILADELPHIA. THEY BEAT THE MINNESOTA NORTH STARS AT HOME, THEN TIED BOTH OAKLAND AND ST. LOUIS ON THE ROAD. "AFTER OUR FIRST FOUR GAMES WHEN I HELD MY OWN , I THINK TERRY RELAXED SUBSTANTIALLY. I THINK UNTIL THEN HE FELT THE WEIGHT OF THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION ON HIS SHOULDERS, WITH THE MEDIA HYPE ABOUT HIM AND ALL."

     WE WERE AT AN ESTATE AUCTION, HERE IN GRAVENHURST, BACK IN THE LATE 1990'S, AND WAYNE WAS EXHAUSTED BY THE END OF THE LARGE SALE. HE ADMITTED IT HAD REALLY BEEN A TOUGH AUDIENCE THAT DAY. I WAITED FOR A QUIET MOMENT, AFTER WAYNE HAD ENJOYED A POP AND A FEW MOMENTS TO TALK WITH FAMILY, HELPING OUT AT THE SALE. WHEN IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS IN A RECEPTIVE MOOD, SUZANNE TOOK OUT TWO OF HIS HOCKEY CARDS FROM HER PURSE, AND GAVE ONE TO EACH OF OUR YOUNG SONS, ANDREW AND ROBERT. THEY SHYLY APPROACHED THE STETSON WEARING AUCTIONEER, AND WHEN HE SAW THEIR OUTSTRETCHED ARMS, WITH HIS HOCKEY CARD, WELL SIR, IT WAS A MILLION DOLLAR SMILE ON THAT PUCK BEATEN FACE. "CAN WE HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH MR. RUTLEDGE," ASKED ANDREW, WHO BROUGHT HIS OWN PEN FOR THE OCCASION. HE WAS SPEECHLESS AT THAT MOMENT, AND ADMITTED, "DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN, SINCE SOMEONE ASKED ME TO SIGN ONE OF THESE CARDS? OF COURSE I'LL SIGN THEM FOR YOU. I'M SURPRISED ANYONE AROUND HERE REMEMBERS ME AS A GOALTENDER."

     WAYNE WENT ON TO PLAY IN THE W.H.A. WITH THE HOUSTON AEROS, AND HIS TEAMMATES INCLUDED HOCKEY LEGEND GORDIE HOWE, AND HIS SONS MARK AND MARTY. WITH THE AEROS HE WON SEVERAL AVCO CUPS, FOR THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP.

     ONE OF MY FONDEST MEMORIES OF WAYNE RUTLEDGE, WAS WHEN I MET UP WITH HIM AT A SPECIAL FUNDRAISING DINNER, FOR THE BRACEBRIDGE CAPITAL FUND, HOSTED BY FORMER DETROIT RED WING GOALTENDER, ROGER CROZIER, A HOMETOWN LAD, WHO HAD PLAYED OPPOSITE WAYNE IN JUNIOR HOCKEY FOR MANY YEARS. IT WAS NEAT TO SEE THESE TWO VETERAN NETMINDERS SHAKING HANDS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I WORKED WITH ROGER AS A PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR WITH HIS NEWLY FORMED CROZIER FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN, AND I NEVER MISSED A WAYNE RUTLEDGE AUCTION.

WAYNE'S AUCTIONS, LIKE HIS FATHERS, WERE ALWAYS A LOT OF FUN…..FULL OF MUSKOKA CHARACTER

     AFTER AN INDOOR AUCTION, ONE SUMMER NIGHT AT THE BRACEBRIDGE AGRICULTURAL HALL, I SPENT A HALF HOUR WITH WAYNE, TALKING ABOUT HIS FATHER LES, WHO I WROTE ABOUT IN YESTERDAY'S BLOG (YOU CAN ARCHIVE IT, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT). WAYNE HAD A LOT OF HIS FATHER'S MANNERISMS, AND BLUNTNESS, WHEN IT WAS CALLED FOR. HE MIGHT HAVE COME DOWN OFF HIS AUCTION LADDER, WHICH HE SOMETIMES USED, IF THE SITUATION WARRANTED. HE WASN'T THE MOST PATIENT AUCTIONEER, AND HE MADE NO CLAIM AT BEING ANTIQUE SAVVY EITHER. HE LEFT THAT TO THE DEALERS WHO FILLED-OUT THE CROWD. HIS AUCTIONS WERE SMOOTH AND ALWAYS INTERESTING. HE HAD WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOR, LIKE HIS FATHER, BUT IT WAS DRY AND WELL TIMED. HE COULD MAKE YOU LAUGH BUT STILL HAVE A STRAIGHT FACE. YOU MIGHT THINK HE WAS ANGRY ABOUT SOMETHING, BUT HE HAD A FAMILIAR TWINKLE IN HIS EYE, THAT LET YOU KNOW HE WAS JUST TEASING-YOU. LES USED TO HAVE THE SAME TWINKLE, NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE DARK STARE, HE COULD DIRECT AT A BIDDER WHO WAS GIVING HIM A HARD TIME. WAYNE WAS SO GOOD AT THIS JOB, THAT HE HAD QUITE A FOLLOWING, THAT TURNED OUT FOR EVERY SALE. BUT HERE'S THE THING. LOTS CAME BUT MANY OF THE REGULARS DIDN'T BID. THEY WOULD CONSUME MANY HOT DOGS AND SAUSAGES BEING COOKED UP, BESIDE THE CLERK'S TABLE, AND DRINK POP AND COFFEE BY THE GALLON, BUT TO THEM IT WAS A SOCIAL EVENT…..A CULTURAL EXPERIENCE. WHILE WE WERE THERE FOR BUSINESS REASONS, IT WAS STILL IMPOSSIBLE TO MISS THE AMBIENCE OF AN OLD FASHIONED COUNTRY AUCTION SALE.

     Wayne was approachable as an auctioneer. I recall being at a sale in Huntsville, across from Riverside Public School, and having to ask his assistance, to move up several musical instruments, in the auction schedule. It wasn't an lame excuse to alter the order of the sale. We were supposed to be back in Gravenhurst by mid afternoon, but the sale was really dragging on. Once again, when he took a short coffee break, I asked him if it would be possible to move up the Regal Banjo, and two old guitars, within the coming half hour, so we could bid and leave. I don't like leaving bids for staff to relay, because on those occasions I've done this, the bids have never even been unfolded from the auctioneer's clipboard. This never happened with Wayne Rutledge, but I didn't want to take the chance. The bottom line is, we won the Regal Banjo, and Andrew was ecstatic. I thanked Wayne for his kind consideration of our request. What I never was able to tell him, God rest his soul, is that this was the first instrument Andrew acquired for his fledgling business, that later that day, would be officially launched. We would find out by mid-afternoon, that Andrew was eligible to attend a government young entrepreneur's course, starting in September. This is where he put his business plan together, and early the next year, he had his official paperwork complete. It would be close to ten years ago, that Andrew Currie's Music and Collectibles opened for business. He and his brother, Robert, who has his own business, operate a vintage music shop in the former Muskoka Theatre building, on Muskoka Road, here in Gravenhurst (opposite the Opera House). We have attached a small antique wing to the back of their businesses to fill out the wonderful old building. So it comes back to a terrific vintage banjo and a kindly auctioneer, former professional hockey netminder, and glazier (we can't forget that), and how sorry we are indeed, we can't share this reality with him today. The boys still proudly show his autographed hockey cards in their respective rooms, here at Birch Hollow.

     Wayne was a hard worker and didn't let exhaustion dictate when the day was done. When the work was complete……then that marked the end of the day. Not a moment sooner. All us auction groupies watched his work ethic in full bloom, for so many years. So we did notice him starting to slow down, in the months leading up to his fatal diagnosis. It was devastating for family. It was devastating for his customers. Auctions in Muskoka would never be the same. Tomorrow I'd like to explain why we loved Wayne as an auctioneer. What did we get out of his sales, we couldn't get from any other auctioneer? And it was never just about stuff that we purchased. His sales were much more diverse than that, and so full of community and professional interaction. At times, even Wayne would get mad, and complain that the sales were turning into weekend socials…..picnics, instead of auctions. Well, it was a little of both. Suzanne, who used to hate standing around auctions for hours on a summer Saturday, very seldom ever complained, at a Rutledge event, because he made the sales interesting beyond what you folks may appreciate of typical country auctions. Maybe it was his hockey past, and the way he paid attention to the audience…..as he did when the hometown hockey fans cheered when he made an amazing save on an opposition breakaway. Maybe the audience had enjoyed a previous attachment to his father Les……who also had a solid following sale to sale. We'll explore that tomorrow, if you have the time to visit again. As a footnote however, I just want to make mention here, that seeing as this is my own biographical attempt, to recollect my years in the business, the mention in this regard, of Wayne Rutledge, is important because he was a huge influence in my buying and selling of antiques for those years. I helped him with his business, by bidding actively, and he helped me improve my attitude in business. If he could be calm, so could I. After all, we were both former goaltenders. I just never made the N.H.L. See you again for the completion of this little tribute to a former mentor-auctioneer-goaltender. See you.