The Essence of Paul Patskou
Unpretentious ~ Purposeful ~ Giving
Altruistic ~ Committed ~ Protector
Paul is in front of two monitors in his den.
I’ve only known Paul Patskou for less than three months. My great friend, Dan Bodanis, introduced us to each other, and Dan said we would connect immediately. Was Dan ever on the money?
In the three months, I met Paul three times. Two of the three times, he was busy assisting in running the NHL alum luncheon. We also had a two-hour meeting at his home, where I gave him my four essence questions to answer.
In the book “The Celestine Prophecy,” James Redfield divided people into two categories – “Givers” (People who will leave you richer for being with them) and “Takers” (Ones that drain you physically and mentally). I found Paul, a gentle soul who lived as one of the most generous “Givers I have ever met. One who gave of himself so much and for so long that he has become an icon and a fountain of information. His specialty? The History of the National Hockey League (NHL) and Canadian Football League.
Paul at Home
As an example of his generosity, Paul would make videos from old archival footage and outright gift them to the players—with no expectation of return. He turned down payment offers. His gifts are treasures for the recipients; over the years, he has given three hundred of them away.
I will take some shortcuts with this text as our interview was a video, and I will post one part in its original format, and the rest will be my interpretation of his answers. Let's set the stage before I ask him the questions and relay his answers. I need to describe his collections. If it is Hockey-related, he has it, whether it was a bobblehead of Don Cherry and Blue or Mario Lemieux. His archives have been modernized, and he has a significant collection of video footage. Hockey magazines, hockey sticks, cards and calendars cover the walls. Every cabinet is packed with this and that collection. His basement reminds me of what a museum storage facility would be like. Everything is available, and Paul knows precisely where it is. I counted three laptop computers in his living room and office.
At the Alumni Luncheon
Looking back at your life, you come across many forks on the road. Which one made a significant impact on the rest of your life?
My father died when I was seven years old. One of my fondest memories of Dad was watching Saturday night hockey. He would let me stay up late to watch the game. At that time, the games were televised at 9:00. As I got older, I wanted to recapture that feeling and decided to find the film of some of those games. It was a real challenge, but I persevered. They were not at the NHL or CBC. However, I found a cache in the National Archives in Ottawa.
That started me collecting them, and soon, I had many of them. One thing led to another as I aggregated more and more. I came up with making player-specific films, now videos and MP4s. Once I did that, I would gift them to the players who loved them and share them with their families. We became friends. This morphed into several other opportunities to become involved—with the NHL, Hockey Hall of Fame, and others contacting me for input.
What challenges have you overcome?
I’m private and don’t want to share some genuinely personal challenges. Suffice it to say, I’ve had and met head-on those challenges. (Author paraphrasing - It isn’t what happens to you that matters, it’s how one reacts that’s important)
What hint would you have to share for the benefit of others?
Live a life of purpose, passion, and meaning! By giving unconditionally, you get back a heck of a lot more.
I am genuinely looking forward to more meetings with this true giver—already, he has made a remarkable difference to me. I got to meet my favourite hockey player of all time, none other than the “Big M” Frank Mahovlich.