GETTING THE CALL-UP

Tonight marks the 77th anniversary of Bob Goldham's first game in the National Hockey League. After graduating from the OHA Junior A Toronto Marlboros, Goldham attended the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp, but was loaned to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League to start the 1941-42 season.

When Frank Selke and Hap Day went on a scouting mission to find help for the Leafs defence, they summoned Goldham to help out.

In addition to the excitement of learning he was headed to the NHL, here are Bob Goldham's memories from that special night in his hockey career.

"The other memory is stepping on the Boston Garden ice and looking at the other end and seeing Brimsek, the Kraut Line and the other Bruins. It was a tremendous game to play in for your first NHL game. Great goaltending by Brimsek and Broda resulted in a 0-0 game. I was teamed with a man who really helped me the most about defensive play, Bucko MacDonald. Needless to say, even for a cocky  rookie like myself, it was a dream come true."

Bob Goldham and his teammates went on to capture the Stanley Cup in April 1942.

STEALING THE 1949 ALL-STAR GAME

As the NHL All-Star Game takes place tonight in San Jose, hockey fans wonder if one player will steal the show. In 2016, an unlikely player, John Scott, emerged as the MVP of the All-Star Game.

Back on October 10, 1949, Bob Goldham stole the show as he dressed for the NHL Stars when they faced the Stanley Cup champion Toronto Maple Leafs at Maple Leaf Gardens.

At the time, Goldham was a member of the Chicago Black Hawks and anchored their defence. The Hawks failed to make the playoffs the previous year and expectations for the 1949-50 season didn't look any brighter. Although Chicago's play reflected that of a last-place club, Goldham's solid performances didn't go unnoticed. When it came to filling out his All-Star roster, Detroit coach, Tommy Ivan, had full confidence in Goldham when he added him to the line-up on September 29, 1949.

Bob Goldham is seated in the front row second from right.

And Goldham didn't disappoint his coach when play got underway on Thanksgiving night. Toronto defenceman, Bill Barilko, opened the scoring, but then, Goldham took over the show.

Bob Hesketh reported on the former Leafs defender in The Telegram. "Goldham, who some experts had on his last legs (due to several wrist injuries), was the best player on the ice. He went well defensively, scored the Stars' opening goal on a setup from Laprade (New York Rangers) with the Leaf Stars shorthanded and the Leaf defence out for a sandwich."

In "Bob Goldham Outside the Goal Crease," I wrote of Goldham helping the All-Star Team take the lead over Toronto:

"Deadlocked at one goal apiece in the middle frame, Goldham and Paul Ronty clicked for what turned out to be the game-winner. The Boston forward took a perfect pass from Goldham, who got the puck past Toronto'a Jimmy Thomson and Ronty completed the play when he beat (Turk) Broda."

 Looking back to that night, Goldham observed, "I had a great game, scored the tying goal and setup the winner by Paul Ronty. I finally felt I was back to normal with a sound arm and lots of confidence."

IKTHEMAL & SUN LAMP TREATMENT

The above photo was posted on social media by the Hockey Hall of Fame. The caption read: "A look inside the dressing room at Maple Leaf Gardens January 14, 1947 - 72 years ago today! Assistant Trainer Bill Smith watches over Viv Lynn and Howie Meeker as they receive sun lamp and radio-therapy for their injuries."

In my Bob Goldham book, I wrote about Howie Meeker's views on the physical care Leaf players received during that era. First, here's the context that led me to pursue this aspect with Meeker.

On November 1, 1946, Goldham and his teammates made a visit to Montreal to play the Canadiens at The Forum. In the third period of a physical battle with the Habs, Goldham suffered a knee injury that resulted in him leaving the game. A newspaper story noted: "They lost Bob Goldham early when he and Reardon (Ken) tangled, both went down, and in the fall Goldham's knee doubled back and a ligament went."

Curious to know how an injury of this nature was treated, I asked Meeker. Here is his reply:

"Tim Daly had a tube of Ikthemal and no matter what the injury was he put it on. Harry Watson one day got whacked and he couldn't get in the upper berth (on the train). He had Ikthemal (cream) on the front of his chest, over his shoulder, and on the back of him. It was like tar and it smelled like tar. They had a machine there (in the dressing room) with two hip pads on the thing and it was like a toaster. No one took it seriously."

My how times have changed relating to sports medicine and treatments used to mend an athlete. Meeker's final comment certainly provides the players perspective on the treatments they received during that time.

   

LOOKING TO THE PAST

We are all well aware of the Toronto Maple Leafs current problems defending in their own zone. The inability to contain checks and restrict scoring chances is an ongoing obstacle for this team. Many point to the Leafs elimination game in the 2018 playoffs against Boston as the beginning of the downward slide on defence. In particular, the very visible mistakes made by defenceman Jake Gardiner. He ended the game minus-5 and the brunt of responsibility for the Leafs exchanging their hockey sticks for golf clubs fell on Gardiner.

Fast forward to a new start and great expectations for 2018-19, the Leafs came out flying with Morgan Rielly taking control of the defence. Now a veteran on the blueline, Reilly also has made a huge contribution on offence. In December, he spoke of the Leafs approach when it came to Toronto's philosophy on defending their own territory. "We have to keep our priorities in check. That's our team mentality - defence first. We come back, play strong, break it out and then we go try and hold onto to it offensively."

Looking back in Leafs history, this wasn't the first time the club adapted this mentality. I discovered this while researching my book on Bob Goldham.

The 1945-46 version of the Leafs were experiencing a terrible time containing incoming attacks. Bobby Hewitson of The Toronto Telegram wrote, "Attacking forwards are coming in in a carefree manner knowing they'll get nothing serious thrown at them - except possibly by Goldham."

By early December, Conn Smythe had seen enough of his struggling defence. In a press conference held in his office at Maple Leaf Gardens on December 6, he explained the Leafs new "mentality."

"We have decided that from here in we are going to invade the enemy territory and keep on invading," began Smythe using military terms to express his thoughts. "Our opinion is that our team is not strong - at least not at the moment - in a defensive way ... our policy then must be to keep our opposition away from our weak spots, put the opposition on the defensive and perhaps find holes in their set-up."

Sound familiar?

Unfortunately for Leaf fans, lackadaisical play has once again infiltrated the Leafs defence. In a recent game against Colorado, Jake Gardiner had the spotlight focused on him for not effectively hunting down and vigorously containing Avalanche forward Carl Soderberg.

After analysing the debacle against Colorado, Mike Babcock's inclination is to follow in the same direction as Conn Smythe. Both men realize that defence is a concept that involves all six players on the ice. Certainly, individual mishaps can be identified and ownership taken for such lapses. But overall breakdowns on defence can be attributed to defensemen and forwards.

"We didn't feel our work ethic was up to the level to be proud of last game as a group. What makes that happen and makes the group go, you don't know. But if it's just changing some lines around, then we will do that," Babcock told reporters after the Leafs resumed practice after the Colorado contest.

Reading between the lines, the Leaf coach is hoping the right combinations can keep the puck deep and limit the time the opposition has possession at the other end of the ice. Thus giving some relief to the likes of Jake Gardiner and company.

Seems like little has changed.

SID AND A NEW GENERATION

Hard to believe one year has passed since the unveiling at the Sid Smith Artificial Ice Rink at Christie Pits. Yesterday, Blaine Smith and I were at the rink to participate in a video shoot. It was nice to see the signage in-place and community members enjoying a game of shinny on the ice.

And as Sid Smith told Jack Batten back in 1975, "I played pretty near every sport you can think of done there. In the winter it was pick-up hockey. Strictly shinny, you know, but that's a hell of a way to learn."

I couldn't help but think, as we watched a new generation, if there was another Sid Smith developing his/her skills.

TODD DENAULT'S READ LIST

Happy to be part of Todd Denault's read list of current hockey books. His article appears in Greg Oliver's "Two Minutes for Reading so Good" on the Society for International Hockey Research website.

Todd is the author of four books - Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey (2009), The Greatest Game: The Montreal Canadiens, the Red Army, and the Night That Saved Hockey (2010), A Season in Time: Super Mario, Killer, St. Patrick, the Great One, and the Unforgettable 1992-93 NHL Season (2012) 50 in 39: Wayne Gretzky and the Story of Hockey's Greatest Record (2016, with Mike Trophy).

MARNER, 7-SECONDS, MARNER

In a rare afternoon contest at the Scotiabank Arena, Toronto Maple Leaf forward, Mitch Marner, tied a club record for the fastest goal (7-seconds) to start a game. He equalled the mark set by Charlie Conacher on February 6, 1932. Back in '32, Conacher added a second goal as Lorne Chabot earned the shutout in Toronto's 6-0 victory over Boston at Maple Leaf Gardens.

A newspaper account noted:

"Charlie Conacher sounded the death knell for the Bruins seven seconds after the opening bell when on a pass by Jackson he shot the puck with bullet like precision from beyond the blue line and scored a bull's eye."

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

PEACE, HEALTH AND HAPPINESS IN 2019!

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