Johnny Bower, one of a kind

Terry Sawchuk and Johnny Bower

Johnny Bower was the finest Maple Leaf that ever graced this planet.

Bower was born into a Ukrainian Canadian family in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan to Johnny Kiszkan, a labourer and his wife, Betty. He had eight sisters. He taught himself how to play hockey, using a branch as a stick, and made himself goalie pads out of old mattresses. When he was 15, he lied about his age and enlisted in the Canadian Army during World War II, where he was stationed in England as a gunner with the 2nd Canadian Division from 1940 to 1943. His service ended when he was discharged due to rheumatoid arthritis in his hands.
After his discharge, Bower returned to Prince Albert in 1944 to play junior hockey there. In 1945, he turned professional and moved to the American Hockey League (AHL), where he spent 11 seasons playing mostly for the Cleveland Barons in the late 1940s and 1950s.
Kiszkan began to use his mother's maiden name, Bower, after his parents divorced in 1946.^] He legally changed his surname during his first year of professional hockey, because sports writers often had trouble spelling "Kiszkan".
In the AHL, he proved himself the star goaltender of the circuit, winning numerous awards and leading his teams to three Calder Cup championships.

Johnny Bower in goal.

 

Bower was picked up by the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 1953–54 season. They made him their starting goaltender over the previous season's rookie of the year Gump Worsley, but sent him back down to the minor leagues the following season when the Rangers went back to Worsley. Bower played in the minors four more years in Providence (Reds 1945–46, 1955–56 and 1956–57), Vancouver (Canucks 1954–55), Cleveland (Barons 1945–53 and 1957–58) and then again with the Rangers in 1954–55, before being claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1958 Inter-League Draft.

Despite being claimed by Toronto, Bower intended to stay with the Barons, as he was tired of moving all over the country. When the Leafs hired Punch Imlach, he visited Bower, and convinced him to give the NHL one more try, and became a strong supporter of Bower during his time with the Leafs, calling Bower "the most remarkable — and maybe the best — athlete in the world." The Leafs at this time were an up-and-coming team of young star players, and after Imlach traded for Red Kelly, the Leafs were ready for contention.
Bower won his first Vezina Trophy in 1961 for leading the Leafs to the lowest goals allowed in the 1960-61 season. The height of his NHL career came during the Maple Leafs' three consecutive Stanley Cup victories in the early 1960s: 1961–62, 1962–63, and 1963–64. Bower later said "When we won the Stanley Cup, my head went numb, my whole body went numb. That was my dream from Day One. You just can't explain the feelings inside you."
His career would be hampered by poor eyesight, but despite that he remained a top-tier goaltender. He was known for his hard-nosed, scrappy playing style and would win another Stanley Cup in 1967 in tandem with another Hall of Famer, Terry Sawchuk. Bower claimed, "I wasn't all that glad to see the two-goalie system come in. I wanted to play as many games as I could."^[ Bower and Sawchuk shared the Vezina Trophy when the Leafs allowed the fewest goals in the NHL in 1964–65. On April 22, 1967, in the second game of the Stanley Cup Finals, he shut out the Montreal Canadiens for his fifth (and final) career playoff shutout — four of them against the Canadiens. In the third game of the Stanley Cup Finals, on April 25, 1967, and in his last Stanley Cup Finals appearance, he became the second-oldest goalie to play in the Finals at the age of 42 years, 5 months, 17 days (Lester Patrick holds that record). The Leafs won in double overtime when Bob Pulford scored.

On April 6, 1969, at the age of 44 years, 4 months, and 29 days, Bower became the oldest goaltender to play in a Stanley Cup playoff game.^[ His last full season was 1968–69. He played his final game on December 10, 1969, a 6–3 loss to Montreal;^] mainly due to injuries, this was his only game of the 1969–70 season. At the time, he was the oldest full-time player ever to participate in an NHL game, and remains the second-oldest goaltender (45 years, 1 month, 2 days), behind only Maurice Roberts; he was surpassed as oldest full-time player both by Gordie Howe, Chris Chelios, and Jaromir Jagr^]
On March 19, 1970, Bower publicly announced his official retirement — four months after his 45th birthday.

He played 11 full seasons in all with the Leafs. When asked, in light of his retirement, if he might reveal his true age, he replied "If you don't know by now, you never will". He subsequently revealed his birth date as November 8, 1924.
His regular season career statistics include: 552 games played, 250 wins, 195 losses, 90 ties, 37 shutouts and a 2.51 GAA. In addition, he remains the AHL career leader in wins.

Bower worked for the Maple Leafs after his retirement in various capacities, including as a scout and a goalie coach. He was assistant coach for the Leafs from 1976–78. He retired from the organization in 1990, but continued to make public appearances on behalf of the organization for the rest of his life.

Bower was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976, and the AHL Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class in 2006. In 1998, he was ranked number 87 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest NHL Players. Bower also became a member of the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame in 1994, and was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. Bower was married to wife Nancy with a son, two daughters, eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and previously resided in Mississauga, Ontario.

In January 2004, Bower was featured on a postage stamp. As part of the NHL All-Stars Collection, Bower was immortalized along with five other All-Stars.^] In 2005, the Royal Canadian Mint featured Bower on a non-circulating fifty-cent coin, as part of its four-coin Legends of the Toronto Maple Leafs coin set. In 2007, it was announced that Bower would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.
On October 7, 2010, he opened the first game of the regular season for the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre by walking out on an implied "bridge over water" with his goalie stick.

On May 24, 2014, Bower attended a street renaming ceremony in Weston in Toronto, where he once lived for many years. Patika Avenue was ceremonially renamed Johnny Bower Boulevard to honour Bower for the time during the 1960s when he lived at 16 Patika Avenue. Bower proudly stated "It’s a great day for me and my family...this is a better ovation than I used to get at Maple Leaf Gardens."
Bower was once again immortalized on September 6, 2014, when the Leafs unveiled him, alongside Darryl Sittler, as two of the first three inductees of Legends Row (Ted Kennedy was the first, announced some months earlier), with statues outside Air Canada Centre depicting twelve of the greatest players in Maple Leafs history.

On December 26, 2017, Bower died at the age of 93 from pneumonia

Auston Matthews ...future captain

Auston Matthews (born September 17, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Previously, Matthews played for the U.S. National U18 Team in the USHL. Widely considered the top prospect of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Matthews was drafted first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs. In his NHL debut Matthews became the first player in modern NHL history to score four goals in his NHL debut. He scored 40 goals in his first season, the second rookie since the 2004–05 lockout to reach the milestone and the fourth teenager in league history to do so. In the midst of his rookie season, Matthews was ranked the second best active American player in the NHL. He was awarded the 2017 Calder Memorial Trophy as the top NHL rookie.
Born in San Ramon, California, Matthews and his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona when Matthews was an infant. He learned to play hockey in Arizona, developing an interest after watching the local Phoenix Coyotes play


Matthews was born in the San Francisco Bay Area to Brian, from California, and Ema, originally from Hermosillo, Mexico. Matthews began attending Phoenix Coyotes games when he was two years old, and his favorite players were Shane Doan and Daniel Brière. Initially, Matthews didn't have much interest in the sport, but was captivated by the Zamboni machine that cleaned the ice during intermissions. Matthews first expressed a desire to play hockey shortly after his fifth birthday, and began playing with the Arizona Bobcats minor hockey program. When Matthews was younger, he played both hockey and baseball. According to his father, baseball was his best sport, with his incredible hand-eye coordination making him an excellent hitter. However, he hated the slow pace of the game, preferring the fast pace and constant action of hockey. When he first started playing hockey, his parents knew almost nothing of the sport.
Matthews lived with his mom and sister Alexandria while playing with the ZSC Lions in Switzerland, while his father remained in Arizona, though they talked over the phone daily. She typically cooked him breakfast and dinner, with lunch usually being a team affair occurring after a practice. Off the ice, Matthews is enrolled in some online courses with the University of Nebraska Omaha, and received homework help from his sister while in Switzerland. In late August, 2016, he moved to Toronto and began working out with teammates Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly.

Junior

Matthews was drafted 57th overall by the Everett Silvertips in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft but opted to play for the United States National Team Development Program, who play in the junior United States Hockey League (USHL). That season he played for the U.S. National U17 Team (USDP) where he gained national attention from NHL scouts, even being featured on the NHL website with emphasis put on his unique southwestern background. In his second season with the U.S. National U18 Team (USDP), Matthews finished first in league scoring with 116 points (55 goals, 61 assists), breaking the National Team Development Program record of 102, set by Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane in 2005–06 and besting Buffalo Sabres' Jack Eichel by 29 points. On May 21, 2015, Matthews won the USA Hockey Bob Johnson Award for excellence in international competition.
Matthews trained with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program team during the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons. Matthews was named the 2015 Most Valuable Player at the World U18 Championships in addition to being named to the IIHF All-Star Team, and named the IIHF Best Forward after finishing as the tournament's top scorer.

Switzerland

Matthews with the ZSC Lions

Rather than continue in US amateur hockey, or play in Canadian junior leagues, Matthews chose to play professionally for his last season before he was eligible for the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, having missed the 2015 NHL Entry Draft cutoff date of birth by two days. On August 7, 2015, Matthews signed a one-year contract to play in the Swiss National League A for the ZSC Lions.Matthews was approached by Lions head coach Marc Crawford, who was awed by his skating and puck possession while scouting the U18 Championships. Crawford quickly called Matthews' agent, Pat Brisson, to discuss the proposal of signing the player to his team. Matthews and his family quickly bought in once the tournament had ended, and they spent the next few months applying for various paperwork^. After missing the first four games of the 2015–16 regular season, he made his NLA debut on September 18, 2015, and scored his first goal that same day against Benjamin Conz of HC Fribourg-Gottéron on home ice at the Hallenstadion. He would spend most of the season on a line with Robert Nilsson, finding chemistry with the veteran forward.
On February 3, 2016, he tallied two assists in a 4–1 win over the Lausanne HC in the 2015–16 Swiss Cup final. Matthews finished the 2015–16 regular season as the second top scorer on the Lions and tenth in the NLA. His 1.28 points-per-game average was second in the league, behind only Pierre-Marc Bouchard. Moreover, he also won the NLA Rising Star Award, and was second to Bouchard in voting for Most Valuable Player. Matthews' stint in the NLA ended earlier than expected when the top seeded Lions got swept in the first round of the 2016 playoffs by the SC Bern, the eventual league champions.

Toronto Maple Leafs

In late June, Matthews was selected first overall in the 2016 draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, becoming the first American to be picked with the top selection since Patrick Kane in 2007. He had been widely expected to go first overall for over a year leading up to the event, consistently topping prospect charts and major scouting reporters. Media speculation suggested that Matthews and the team had engaged in a minor contract dispute over the issue of performance bonuses; Matthews was asking the team for a contract similar to that of Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel, which were both valued at $3.775 million annually (with all bonuses factored in). Although Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello has been very open over his disapproval of including bonuses in player contracts in the past, he was very clear in stating that performance bonuses were never an issue while discussing Auston's contract. It is widely expected that first overall selections, as well as any other highly touted early draft picks, receive the maximum entry-level compensation under the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement. Lamoriello had previously been involved in a contract dispute while in New Jersey with 4th overall pick Adam Larsson over the issue of bonuses. Larsson came out of negotiations without any performance bonuses attached to his entry-level deal. On July 21, the two parties finalized a deal, with Matthews inking a three-year entry-level contract, which included the maximum allocation of performance bonuses. Lamoriello would go on to state that the contract was agreed upon within 10 minutes of sitting down with Matthews' agent Pat Brisson, and that the deal was done "the Toronto way." Brisson would later confirm that the two parties did not have any issues ironing out the deal. The contract was identical in value to those McDavid and Eichel had secured a year earlier.^] Two weeks later, Matthews was given the NLA Youngster of the Year award, which is reserved for the league's top rookie. It would be his fifth award from his stint in Switzerland.
Matthews made his NHL debut in the Maple Leafs' first game of the season on October 12, 2016, against the Ottawa Senators. He scored four goals in the game, all against Craig Anderson. This was the first time in modern NHL history a player scored four goals in his debut; previously Joe Malone and Harry Hyland scored five goals each in their NHL debuts on December 19, 1917 (the first game in the history of the NHL). Four others had scored three goals since then, though none had surpassed a hat trick since Matthews. Matthews' jersey would go on sale following his debut, where it quickly became the highest selling sweater in the league.Two months later in the NHL Centennial Classic, Matthews scored the game-winning goal in overtime, securing a 5–4 victory for the Maple Leafs. On March 28, 2017, Matthews scored his 35th goal of the season, beating Wendel Clark's previous record for most goals in a season (34) by a Leafs' rookie April 3 saw Matthews score his 39th goal and 67th point, breaking the franchise record for most points in a season as well as the record for most goals by an American born rookie. A few days later he notched his 40th goal of the season, becoming the second rookie since the 2004–05 lockout to reach the milestone and only the fourth teenager in league history to do so. He would finish the year with 40 goals, good enough for second most in the league. Matthews' play assisted the Maple Leafs in making the playoffs for the first time in a full season since 2004, where the team took on the top seeded Washington Capitals in the first round. After going pointless in the first two games of the series, Matthews scored in each of the last four games as the team was eliminated in six contests by the Capitals. His four consecutive games with a goal marked the first time since 1986 where a teenager scored in four straight playoff games, with Maple Leafs alumnus Wendel Clark being the only other player in league history to accomplish the feat. In recognition for his historic accomplishments throughout the year, Matthews was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy, as the league's top rookie, with 164 of 167 first-place votes.

International play

Matthews helped lead the American national hockey team to gold at the U18s in 2014. He did so again in 2015, leading the tournament in scoring and being named MVP, as well as earning the top forward slot on the Media All-Star team. He was also named to the roster for the 2015, but was forced to pull out of the tournament due to a back injury.

Matthews with North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

At the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championships held in Helsinki, Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk each scored eleven points to lead the American team in scoring. After losing in the semifinals, the American team beat Sweden to claim the bronze medal. His seven goals was one shy of Jeremy Roenick's Team America record of eight, which was set in 1989.In recognition of his play, he was named to the tournament All-Star Team. Later that year, Matthews played with the US national men's team for the 2016 IIHF World Championship tournament, where he led the team in scoring. A few months later, Matthews was announced as a member of Team North America for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Matthews began the pre-tournament games playing left wing on the third line, playing alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nathan MacKinnon. After impressing, he began the tournament on the top line with Connor McDavid. The two back-to-back first overall picks found chemistry but were unable to help North America to a medal finish. Matthews finished the tournament with three points in three games played. He was advised by the Maple Leafs to skip the 2017 IIHF World Championship and instead rest.

Personal life

Matthews comes from a family of athletes, with his father having played college baseball and with an uncle, Wes Matthews, who played in the NFL. The family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona when Auston was two months old. His father is the chief technology officer of a manufacturing company based in New Jersey, spending most of his time telecommuting from Arizona. He has two sisters, Alexandria, who is three years older, and Breyana, who is five years younger. Thanks to his mother's heritage, Matthews can speak some Spanish.
His favorite athlete growing up was Kobe Bryant, while his favorite sports movie is The Mighty Ducks. Matthews, a big fan of players Jonathan Toews and Anže Kopitar due to their all around offensive and defensive game, has had his playing style compared to them.