Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Shoots and Scores (6 page)

A goal, a Cup, a win, a loss—the story of one of the Toronto Maple Leafs most beloved players.

T
HE WIN

On April 21, 1951, the Toronto Maple Leafs were playing the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The game was just into overtime, tied at 2–2. The Leafs were leading the series 3-to-1—so now just one goal would give them the Cup. Less than three minutes into the extra period, Toronto legend Howie Meeker got control of the puck to the right of the Montreal goal, and flipped a blind, backhand across the ice in front of the net. Leafs' defenceman Bill Barilko, who had been hanging just behind the left-side blue line, lunged.

Barilko was just 24 years old, had been in the league for five years—and already had three Stanley Cup wins, all of them with the powerhouse Leafs. He was a fan favorite for his overall exuberance on and off the ice, and for his hitting power—hence his nickname, “Bashin' Bill”—but was not by any means known as a goal scorer. (He had just six goals all year, and no points at all in the Finals so far.)

Skating like a wildman, Barilko charged toward the puck…and fell down. Well, he
started
to fall down. But rather than let that stop him, he turned the fall into a dive, and, his body airborne about ten feet from the goal, slashed at the passing puck…and watched it sail over the right arm of Canadiens goalie Gerry McNeil. He had scored. The Leafs had won the Cup—again. Barilko became an overnight Canadian sports sensation, and his overtime, diving, Cup-winning goal is still called one of the greatest in NHL history. It was also, unfortunately, his very last.

THE LOSS

Four months after the momentous win, on August 24, 1951, Barilko and friend Henry Hudson took Hudson's single-engine plane on a fishing trip. The flight took them northeast from their hometown of Timmins, Ontario, over several hundred miles of densely covered bush to Quebec's James Bay. When the two men
failed to return three days later as planned, local pilots began making searches of the terrain northeast of Timmins. They found nothing. By the next day the story of the missing NHL star was national, front page news, and an official search had begun.

Investigators soon determined that Barilko and Hudson had left James Bay early on August 26. Later that day they stopped near the Quebec-Ontario border to refuel. The clerk who helped them told investigators that Hudson told him he had 120 pounds of fish in the plane, and needed to get it home before it spoiled. The clerk said the plane took off struggling to make altitude.

Royal Canadian Air Force planes searched an enormous swath of land in both Quebec and Ontario for the next 30 days, in what was then the largest search-and-rescue mission ever undertaken in Canada. No trace of Barilko, Hudson, or Hudson's plane was found, and the search was finally called off.

BACK TO HOCKEY

The loss of their Stanley Cup star had an understandably negative effect on the Maple Leafs—but nobody expected just how bad the team's fortunes would become. After four Stanley Cup wins in five years, the Leafs didn't make it to the Finals—for the next seven years. Three of those years they didn't even make the playoffs. Inevitable talk of a “curse” came up, with people saying the Leafs wouldn't win another Cup until Barilko was found. Strangely enough, there turned out to be some truth in that…in reverse.

On April 22, 1962, eleven years and one day after Barilko's historic goal, the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup.

Two months later, in June of 1962, a helicopter pilot spotted the wreckage of a plane in deep bush north of Timmins. A rescue team found the skeletal remains of two bodies still in the plane's seats. They were identified as Barilko and Hudson. The remains of the men were taken back to Timmins and buried. And the curse of Bashin' Bill Barilko was over.

• The Leafs won the Cup again in 1963. And in 1964, too.

• Barilko's number with the Leafs—5—was officially retired in 1992. He is one of only two Leafs who have ever received the honor.

One of the greatest rivalries in hockey has become Canada vs. the USA in international woman's competition. The most intense and defining showdown so far has been the 2002 Olympics.

A
t the turn of the 20th century, Canada could legitimately say it had the best women's hockey team in the world. It had won the Women's World Championship every year it was held: 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, and 1997. In 1999 and 2000, teams in the WWC tournament were divided into “A” and “B” sections; Canada was at the head of their respective divisions these two years as well. In the 1998 Winter Olympiad held in Nagano, Japan, Team Canada faced Team USA for the gold medal in the biggest game in women's ice hockey played to that date. Team USA's Karen Bye, Colleen Coyne, captain Cammi Granato, Lisa Brown-Miller and especially goalie Sarah Tueting overwhelmed Team Canada all game long. Final score: USA 3, Canada 1.

BEHOLD THE LUCKY LOONIE

Hell hath no fury like women scorned, and this loss to the Americans made the players for Team Canada bound and determined to win the gold medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics. The Americans would have home ice advantage, as the Olympics were held that year in Salt Lake City, Utah. This time the Canadians had a lucky talisman about which, until the end of the tournament, they never knew. The members of the ice-maintenance crew at the E-Center arena in Salt Lake City had secretly hidden a Canadian “loonie” (Canada's one dollar coin) below the center-ice faceoff circle for good luck, for both the men's and women's teams.

LES FEMMES

From the beginning of the 2002 Olympic tournament, it was clear that Team Canada head coach Danièle Sauvageau had the club thoroughly prepared. In the first two games, “Les Femmes” trounced Kazakhstan and Russia in 7–0 wins for Canada. The Canada-Russia rivalry in men's hockey does not extend to the
women's game, which is far more advanced in Canada. Team Canada out-shot Russia by an incredible 60–6. Building on their momentum, Canada next beat Sweden 11–0, then prevailed over the tough Finnish team 7–3. This game was actually closer than the final score indicated. At the end of two periods, Finland was winning by a score of 3–2 on incredible goaltending from Finland's Tuula Puputti. But Canada exploded in period three on goals by Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, Vicky Sunohara, Cassie Campbell, and Therese Brisson.

Meanwhile, Team USA was pulverizing
their
opposition. They beat Germany 10–0, China 12–1, Finland 5–0, and Sweden 4–0 to set up an Olympic gold medal rematch, between America and Canada.

GOLD MEDAL GAMERS

From the opening faceoff, it was obvious that Team Canada had to face another obstacle in the game—whistle-happy referee Stacey Livingston. In the first period, four penalties were called against Canada and two against the U.S.; by the time the game was over, Team Canada had 13 penalties and Team USA had six. Killing off penalties for much of the first, Canada still managed to get out ahead on an early goal by Caroline Ouellette. Early in the second, Katie King tipped in a shot to even the score, 1–1. Wickenheiser pushed Canada ahead again before Hefford knocked in her own rebound on a breakaway to make the score 3–1. Team USA pressured hard in the third—with Karen Bye bringing them within one on a hard slapshot from the point—but Canada's defence held out for a final score of Canada 3, USA 2.

O CANADA

Many fans at the E-Center were Canadians and proudly cheered as the country's national anthem was played during the gold medal ceremony. Wickenheiser was named most valuable player of the tournament. Mario Lemieux, Theo Fleury, and other Canadian men's players were in the stands for the game; three days later, it was Canada's female players in the E-Center, cheering the men on to their own gold-medal victory over the U.S., 5–2. Yes, the secret loonie
did
bring luck. It is now in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

The NHL's trophy collection, covering a wide selection of categories, is the most impressive in professional sport.

E
ach June, the NHL hands out an array of beautiful trophies to its best. No other professional sports league has as impressive a group of silverware as hockey's big league. In addition, several team trophies, headed by the Stanley Cup, are awarded on the ice at conclusions of games in which they are earned. The donors of the original trophies range from Canada's Governors General to fabled hockey executives and players, and many individual laurels carry a cash prize. Most individual awards are selected by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

THE TEAM HONORS

The Stanley Cup:
The oldest trophy contested by North American professional athletes was donated in 1893 by Frederick Arthur, Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada. The trophy, purchased for ten guineas ($50 then) was to be presented to the amateur champions of Canada. Since the National Hockey Association, forerunner of the NHL, took control of the trophy in 1910, it has indicated supremacy in professional hockey. Only NHL teams have competed for it since the 1926–27 season.

Presidents' Trophy:
Awarded annually to the club with the best overall record during the regular season, the trophy was presented to the NHL by the Board of Governors for the 1985–86 season. The first team to win it? The Edmonton Oilers.

Prince of Wales Trophy:
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales presented the trophy in 1924 and it is now awarded to the playoff champion in the NHL's Eastern Conference.

Clarence S. Campbell Bowl:
NHL teams placed the award in competition in 1968 to honor Campbell, president of the league from 1946 to 1977, and it now goes to the playoff champions in the Western Conference.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Hart Memorial Trophy:
Awarded to “the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,” the trophy was donated to the NHL in 1923 by Dr. Dave A. Hart in honor of his father Cecil Hart, manager-coach of the Montreal Canadiens. The original trophy was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1960.

Conn Smythe Trophy:
The trophy to “the most valuable player in the playoffs” was presented to the NHL by Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. in 1964 in memory of the late Conn Smythe, the founder of the Toronto Maple Leafs, builder of the Gardens, manager, coach, and owner-governor of the team at various times.

Art Ross Trophy:
The trophy to the player who leads the NHL in scoring points during the regular schedule was donated in 1947 by Ross, the GM of the Boston Bruins from 1924 to 1954.

Calder Memorial Trophy:
The award to the player “selected as most proficient in his first year of competition” honors Frank Calder, NHL president from 1917 to 1943. From 1936 until his death in 1943, Calder purchased a trophy for the top rookie, then the NHL presented a permanent Calder Trophy.

James Norris Memorial Trophy:
To the defenceman “who demonstrates the greatest all-round ability in the position,” the Norris Trophy was donated by the Norris family in 1953 in memory of the late James Norris, former owner-president of the Detroit Red Wings.

Vezina Trophy:
The general managers of the 30 NHL teams select the winner of the award as “the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at his position.” The owners of the Montreal Canadiens in 1926, Leo Dandurand, Louis Letourneau, and Joe Cattarinich, donated the trophy in honor of Georges Vezina, who had appeared in 325 consecutive games for the Canadiens from 1917 to 1925.

He collapsed during a game in November, 1925 and died of tuberculosis a few months later. Until 1981–82, the Vezina went to the goalkeeper(s) on the team allowing the fewest number of goals during the season.

William M. Jennings Trophy:
In the 1981–82 season, the NHL Board of Governors donated the trophy in honor of the late William Jennings, longtime president of the New York Rangers and an important booster of hockey in the U.S. It is awarded “to the goalkeeper(s) having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it.”

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy:
Originally donated by Lady Byng, the wife of Canada's Governor General in 1924, the award is “to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.” When Frank Boucher of the Rangers won the Byng in seven of eight seasons, he was given the original trophy and Lady Byng donated another in 1936.

Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy:
Given to the league by the Montreal Canadiens in 1999, the award goes to the NHL's goal-scoring leader during the schedule, honoring the great star of the Canadiens, the late Rocket Richard.

Frank J. Selke Trophy:
Awarded “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game,” the Selke Trophy was presented by the NHL Board of Governors in 1977 in honor of Frank J. Selke, the great GM who built powerhouse franchises and winning teams in Toronto and Montreal.

Jack Adams Award:
The NHL Broadcasters Association presented this award—and annually votes on the winner—made to “the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success.” It honors the late Jack Adams, GM of the Detroit Red Wings from 1927 to 1962, and coach from 1927 to 1947.