BLOG: Scott Gomez Once Convinced Larry Robinson Not to Bench Him

If there’s one thing that Larry Robinson really didn’t enjoy as a head coach, it was having to bench players and sit them out of the lineup.

“I hate doing that kind of stuff. Maybe hates not the word,” Robinson told the Speak of the Devils Podcast, before hesitating. “No – I hate it in a way.”

The comment was prompted by a story Robinson was telling hosts Matt Loughlin and Amanda Stein. Robinson was recalling wanting to bench Scott Gomez in the 2001 Eastern Conference semi-final against Toronto. It was Game 2 of the series, after the Leafs had taken a 1-0 series lead.  

“I was sitting down with Scotty Gomez, because I was going to bench him because he was playing awful, I mean, he just wasn’t doing anything. I didn’t sleep all night,” he recalled.

And then, their conversation unfolded.

“How you doing?, I asked. He goes, ‘not so great’. Anyway, the gist of the conversation was ‘I don’t think I’m going to put you in tonight,’ to which Gomez had his own response. 

“‘Oh, don’t, don’t do that’, Robinson remembers Gomez saying. “And you know, Scotty is he talking about 900 miles a minute.

The 900-mile-a-minute speed eventually convinced Robinson to leave Gomez in the lineup.

“I knew that Scotty was a better player and he was showing. So anyway, I said, ‘Okay, you better be right. Because if you’re not, if you don’t play well, that’s it. You won’t get back in the lineup.'”

Gomez jumped onto the ice for Game 2, talking his way back into the lineup.

“I think he had a goal and two assists, and the rest is history.”

Gomez finished the game with the opening Devils goal and assists on Alexander Mogilny’s two goals.

The Devils won the game 6-5 in overtime, and eventually went on to win the series in seven games.

For more great stories from Larry Robinson, be sure to tune in to Monday’s episode of the Speak of the Devils Podcast!