LARRY POPEIN: 1930-2020

Like many young hockey players in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Larry Popein looked up to Stan Obodiac, who was a local star playing juvenile hockey. As former New York Rangers' coach and general manager, Emile Francis, once said of Obodiac, "He was a very fine hockey player but he always enjoyed writing and he probably had the job he desired all his life." That job was working as the publicity director for Maple Leaf Gardens.

And Popein never forgot Obodiac. Prior to getting his dream job with the Leafs, Obodiac made a trip to Toronto in January 1959 to watch the Rangers and Leafs in action. Popein, a member of the visiting New York Rangers, made sure there was a ticket to the game waiting for Obodiac at the box office.

Popein died earlier this month at the age of 89.

Larry Popein made his National Hockey League debut in 1954 with the New York Rangers. Rangers' coach, Muzz Patrick, placed his rookie on a line with Andy Bathgate and Ron Murphy. "Popein is light but fast and can take a bodycheck if he has to. He's a good scorer ...," said Patrick of Popein.

In the Calder Trophy voting for the top NHL rookie, Popein finished fourth in the balloting behind Eddie Litzenberger of Chicago, Don McKenney of Boston, and Montreal goalie Jacques Plante.

Popein was a 5'10" left-shooting centre, who weighed only 165 pounds.

Emile Francis was an astute judge of assessing hockey talent and he provided the following description of Larry Popein the hockey player: "As a player his long suit was skating. He was a smart hockey player, a good penalty killer."

After seven seasons with the Rangers, Popein returned to the WHL Vancouver Canucks where he began his pro career in 1951. His time on Broadway ran from 1954-55 to 1960-61. His best season in New York was in 1959-60, when he scored 14 goals and 22 assists for 39 points in 66 games. In April 1960, Popein requested a trade away from New York. A series of player transactions left him disillusioned.

"[The] Rangers are going to have to spend more money than they have been if they want to build a playoff contender," Popein told the Canadian Press. He only played in four contests with the Rangers in 1960-61.

When the NHL expanded to 12 teams for the 1967-68 season, Popein joined the Oakland Seals for one last skate in the big-show. He produced 19 points in 47 games. He was called up to the Seals from the Canucks.

Popein was a Vancouver Canuck from 1960-61 to 1967-68.

Late in his career, Popein served as a minor league playing coach and eventually went behind the bench with the Omaha Knights (CHL), and Seattle Totems (WHL). By 1972, Popein back in the Rangers' fold, held the position of coach and general manager of New York's AHL farm team, the Providence Reds.

His shot at a coaching job in the National Hockey League materialized in June 1973. It came about when Emile Francis stepped down as the Rangers' coach, but retained his title of general manager.

"Larry is the perfect man for this job," said Francis at the press conference to introduce Popein as his replacement. "I have known him for 20 years and he knows our system perfectly, having come up through the ranks with the Rangers as both a player and a coach."

Talking about his coaching style, Popein said, "I guess if I had to sum up what kind of coach I'll be it would be hard, honest and fair."

Unfortunately for Popein, his stint as bench boss of the Rangers was a short one. The stats show he coached 41 games and posted a win-lost-tied record of 18-14-9.

An AP story ran down the various reasons for his dismissal:

Popein ran the team in a strict manner, demanding that his players shave off summer-grown moustaches and beards and asserted his authority early in the season when he benched Rod Gilbert for one game after the team's greatest goal scorer was late for a team meeting. There were rumblings of discontent in the team's dressing room over Popein's handling of the Gilbert affair and some players openly criticized the new coach.

Popein wasn't out of work for long. He became the Vancouver Canucks (NHL) player personnel director and was with Vancouver from 1974 to June 1985. In 1982, the Canucks went all the way to the Stanley Cup final, but were swept by the New York Islanders.

His final stop was with the Calgary Flames. They hired him in 1986 as a pro scout. A relatively new role in the NHL, Popein and former Toronto GM, Gerry McNamara, are given the credit for supplying the Flames' coaching staff with scouting reports that helped them win the Stanley Cup in 1989 against Montreal.

Lawrence (Larry) Thomas "Pope" Popein was born on August 11, 1930, in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. He passed away on February 7, 2020.

A HUGE NIGHT FOR DAVID AYRES

FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE LEGENDARY LESTER PATRICK

It's the kind of story that can only be manufactured in Hollywood.

 Last night, when both James Reimer and Petr Mrazek were forced out of action against the Toronto Maple Leafs due to injury, the call went out for the emergency back up goalie. And David Ayres was in the building to take the call.

In a huge leap, Ayres went from practice goalie for the Leafs and Toronto Marlies (AHL), to National Hockey League goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes. His last known experience between the pipes was a minor league gig with the Texas based Laredo Bucks.

Ayres made his NHL debut in the second period and after letting the first two Leaf shots get by him, he settled down and didn't allow another goal. Carolina downed the Leafs by a 6-3 score. He is pictured above making a save.

"I thought I'd never be nervous if this happened, but as you could tell, I couldn't stop a puck in the second," said Ayres in his post-game comments. "But I told the boys if I come in the third, I'll be ready to go."

Ayres not only earned the win, but was named the first star of the game.

At the age 42, Ayres is not the oldest emergency back up goalie to win a game. That honour goes to New York Rangers legend Lester Patrick. His huge night came in game two of the 1928 Stanley Cup final. With Patrick in goal, the Rangers defeated the Montreal Maroons 2-1 in overtime.

I wrote a story about the '28 final in 2014 and here is an excerpt dealing with Patrick's adventure in game two...

The other unique situation occurred in game two on April 7, 1928, when a scary incident left the Rangers without their star goalie. Once again, Lawrence of The Times explains what happened:

The dramatic element entered into the picture when Lorne Chabot, Ranger goalie, was badly hurt when Nelson Stewart, right wing of the Maroons, drove a a disk into the Ranger goalies left eye.

Chabot was unable to continue between the pipes, leaving the Rangers in a bind. To rectify their goaltending situation, they first sought permission to use Ottawa goalie Alex Connell, who was taking in the game. The Maroons refused to agree and New York was forced to look in-house.

Under the rules of the day, Chabot had ten-minutes to recover and if he was unable to proceed, New York had to put a substitute in net. The NHL defined substitute as someone under contract to the club.

The only in-game alternative for New York was their manager, Lester Patrick. Even by today's standards, Patrick, then 44 years-of-age, was considered too old for the task. With their back-to-the-wall and Patrick under contract, New York had no other choice but to use their manager.

In a recent communication with Leo Bourgault, he pointed out that his Dad (Leo Sr.), who played for the '28 Rangers, "offered to put the pads on when it happened, but Lester declined, he needed all his defencemen and the rest is a great story."

By all accounts, it is indeed a great story.

 "Patrick played a great game, stemming off numerous attacks by the strenuous Maroons, and was wildly applauded by the crowd," noted The Times as Patrick led his team to victory.

With Chabot out for the remaining games, Patrick moved to find a replacement.

When game three began, there was a new face in the crease for New York, Joe Miller. A native of Morrisburg, Ontario, Miller started the 1927-28 campaign with the New York Americans and participated in 28 contests (8-16-4), but was sent down to the Niagara Falls Cataracts (Can-Pro League).

Miller became property of the Boston Bruins when they claimed the Americans didn't make him available on waivers. He remained in Niagara Falls on the understanding he would serve as a "relief goalkeeper in the NHL" when called upon.

Although New York was shutout 2-0 in game three, Miller's reviews were positive. One scribe wrote,  "...had it not been for his sterling work, the locales would have won by a larger margin."

It all game down to one contest to determine hockey's champion for 1928 after Miller blanked the Maroons in game four by a score of 1-0.

PETE BABANDO: 1925-2020

On Wednesday morning former NHL forward Pete Babando passed away at the age of 94.

In 1943, Babando and the Holman Pluggers won the Ontario Juvenile championship. The club was based in Timmins, Ontario, and besides Babando, the roster included Alex Barilko, Allan Stanley, Eric Prentice, and the Pluggers stick-boy was future Toronto Maple Leaf defenceman Bill Barilko. On April 3, 1943, the Pluggers defeated the St. Catharines Lions at Maple Leaf Gardens to earn the title. Babando was paired on the defence with Allan Stanley.

Babando played his junior hockey with the Galt Red Wings and began his pro career in 1945-46 with the EAHL Boston Olympics. The next season Babando hit the 19 goal mark with Hershey in the AHL and the Boston Bruins felt their prospect was ready for the NHL.

When he joined the Bruins for the 1947-48 season, it began a six year run for Babando in the National Hockey League. In his rookie term with Boston, Babando proved he was ready for the big-show. With 20 goals set as the benchmark for quality NHL scorers, Babando fired 23 home for the Bruins. In the voting for the Calder Trophy (top rookie), Babando, a left winger, finished second to Detroit's Jim McFadden. Babando followed that up with 19 goals in his sophomore campaign.

After success in his first two years with Boston, Babando seemed to have a bright future with the Bruins. But that all changed on August 16, 1949, when he was dealt to the Detroit Red Wings. The Bruins made the move when Detroit was willing to make defenceman Bill Quackenbush available. Quackenbush was named to the First All-Star Team in '48-'49 and was considered the best defenceman in the NHL.

Detroit general manager, Jack Adams, explained why he was willing to part with such a valuable asset. "We want the Stanley Cup," Adams told the Canadian Press. "We have defencemen. We don't have forwards. You can be sure I hate to lose Quackenbush. But I have watched Peters [Jimmy, also coming from Boston] and Babando since their junior hockey days and they are two players I always felt would be valuable assets to the Wings."

Babando had a subpar regular season with Detroit having only put up 12 points in 56 contests. In the playoffs, Babando saw limited action in eight of the Wings 14 games. He may have been in uniform, but was stuck on the bench as part of the fourth line or in the press box. But in game seven of the 1950 Stanley Cup final, Babando made Adams look like a prophet with his "we want the Stanley Cup" statement.

On April 23, 1950, it came down to a one game showdown between Detroit and the New York Rangers at the Olympia in Detroit. The Rangers took a 2-0 lead into the second period, but Babando scored early in the middle frame and got his club back into the game. At the end of regulation time Detroit and New York were knotted at three goals apiece.

When the first twenty-minutes of overtime failed to produce a winner, the Wings and Rangers retreated to their dressing rooms for rest. In a newspaper account, it was noted Pete Babando was the "fastest man on the ice amidst weary playoff veterans." His fresh legs from being seldom used prior to game seven, sent the home crowd out of their seats in the second overtime period.

The Stanley Cup-winning goal scored by Babando at the 8:31 mark was described by the CP as follows:

The winning goal game unexpectedly after a face-off near the Ranger net. Centre George Gee got control of the puck and passed to Babando, who backhanded a 15-footer that just slipped in the left side of the net as Rayner [the New York goalie] made futile  try to stop it.

Following the game, Jim Norris a member of the family that owned the Red Wings, told reporters, "Pete was worth that whole trade if for nothing more than that one shot tonight."

One headline stated, "Pinch-hitter Babando probably saved job by Cup-winning shot."

Despite his double overtime heroics, Babando once again found himself on the move. In another massive transaction put together by Jack Adams, Babando, Harry Lumley, Jack Stewart, Al Dewsbury, and Jim Morrison were shipped to Chicago for Jim Henry, Bob Goldham, Gaye Stewart, and Metro Prystai.

Babando played two seasons with the Hawks and split his final NHL season, 1952-53, between Chicago and New York. Once out of the NHL, Babando had a decent minor-league career with the AHL Buffalo Bisons and EHL Clinton Comets. Also, prior to going the Comets, Babando played senior hockey with the Whitby Dunlops. His final season in Clinton was in 1966-67.

Peter Joseph Babando was born on May 10, 1925, in Braeburn, PA. He passed away on February 19, 2020, in Timmins, Ontario.

A NEW HOME FOR THE LEAFS

History was made on February 20, 1999, when the Toronto Maple Leafs took to the ice to play their first regular season game at the Air Canada Centre. It was a new era for the club that previously called Arena Gardens on Mutual Street and Maple Leaf Gardens home.

Prior to the official opening at the ACC, an open house was held for the public to get a preview of the building. The event was held on February 14, with 40,000 people passing through to look at the new surroundings.

During the festivities, Leafs' president, Ken Dryden, was busy greeting fans as they strolled by to continue their walkabout. I was fortunate enough to spend time with Dryden that day and we chatted about the last 24 hours, as his club turned out the lights at Maple Leaf Gardens in their final contest at the hockey palace Conn Smythe built.

Sensing that our conversation was about to end, I noticed a picture hanging on the wall. It was a photo of Leaf netminder Walter "Turk" Broda.

With my camera at the ready, I asked Dryden if he wouldn't mind posing for a snap beside the famous photo of Broda sitting in his crease snacking on a plate of pancakes.

Broda made his NHL debut with the Leafs in their season opener at home on November 5, 1936. The rookie goalie faced 29 Detroit Red Wing shots and held his own until the final period, when the  Wings got three pucks past him.

It wouldn't take the future Hall of Fame goalie long to earn his first NHL victory between the pipes. On November 14, the Chicago Black Hawks came to town and Broda turned in a spectacular performance as the Leafs downed Chicago by a 6-2 score.

The Globe and Mail reported:

"Turk" was brilliant in the fullest sense of the word, Time and again he rose to sensational heights to thwart the sniping Hawks. On a few occasions he turned aside three and four successive shots from the Chicago sticks, once when he had lost possession of his own guarding blade. 

Turk Broda is the only Leaf goalie to capture 5 Stanley Cups. He played in 629 regular season games and posted a 302-224-101 record. In the playoffs, Broda earned the reputation as a money-goalie. In 101 contests, he went 58-42-1 with a 1.97 average.

EVERYONE LOVES A PARADE

On this date in 1999, the Toronto Maple Leafs held a parade, but it wasn't to celebrate a Stanley Cup championship. After calling Maple Leafs Gardens home since 1931, the team was on the move to their new digs at the Air Canada Centre. And there was no better way to celebrate the occasion than holding a parade.

As Casey Vanden Heuvel of the Leafs front office noted, "It's a symbolic transition from one building to another in a very public way so fans can experience it."

The above photo comes courtesy of Blaine Smith and it features from left to right: Mats Sundin, George Armstrong and Blaine's Dad, Sid Smith. All three wore the captains 'C' for the Blue & White.

It may have not been a Stanley Cup parade, but Leafs' president, Ken Dryden, was optimistic looking to the future. "Let's just hope at some point there is another real nice parade in Toronto."

BRIAN GLENNIE: 1946-2020

When former NHL defenceman Brian Glennie passed away on February 7, talk turned to memories of his time on the ice, especially with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Glennie played his junior A hockey with the Toronto Marlboros and was captain when the Marlboros captured the Memorial Cup in 1967. Prior to joining the Leafs in 1969, he was a member of the Canadian National Team, Rochester Americans (AHL), and the Tulsa Oilers (CHL).

Like many defencemen from Glennie's era, he wasn't expected to be a scoring machine. His first NHL goal came against the Los Angeles Kings on November 19, 1969, at Maple Leaf Gardens. Late in the third period, Glennie used his glove to corral a high pass from Leaf forward Mike Walton. His shot beat Gerry Desjardins in the LA goal. Glennie's tally was the equalizer in a 4-4 draw.

Over his ten year NHL career, nine with Toronto and one with Los Angeles, Glennie scored 13 more goals to go with 100 assists. The stat that best defines his style is the 621 minutes Glennie spent in the penalty box.

From the outset, Brian Glennie knew the role he would play if he wished to remain in the National Hockey League. And that was a physical defenceman who could use his strength to battle the opposition.

He took his role seriously and the summer before his first training camp with Toronto, Glennie participated in a fitness regiment with Lloyd Percival. The goal of working with the fitness guru was to increase Glennie's conditioning and make him ready to earn a roster spot with the Leafs.

"Any defenceman needs agility, and I know I'm lacking in that," said Glennie of a weakness in his game. "And the more strength you have in your upper body, the more chance you have of handling somebody like Beliveau in front of the net."

Reviewing numerous game reports of Leaf games, Glennie's rough and tumble style shines through. In a November 1972 contest against the Buffalo Sabres it was noted that Buffalo "opened the game as though derisive of the ability of the Leafs' defence to stop them." That changed when "Glennie quickly brought them up short with some hard hits."

Glennie's weapon of choice was the hip check.

The following account is from November 1976: "While the Leaf forwards were providing firepower, defenceman Brian Glennie was scattering Minnesota North Stars around the Toronto end, including one jarring hip check that knocked left winger Pierre Jarry out of the Stars' lineup for several weeks with torn ligaments in his left knee."

Speaking to a reporter, Glennie explained what he brought to the table. "I can do certain things well. My greatest plus is that I hit well. That makes other players keep their heads up looking for me, and that's why I'm on the Toronto Maple Leafs."

After watching Glennie drop Dave Fortier and Denis Potvin of the New York Islanders, veteran hockey writer Jim Vipond wrote, "Glennie hits like Jim Corrigall." At the time, Corrigall was a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts.

Throughout his career, Glennie was hampered by various injuries, including several shoulder inflictions that required him to go under the knife. This resulted in him wearing a neck brace. Also, he missed action for a prolonged time due to a broken jaw.

"I'm a hitter. That's my style, and when you hit people, things are more likely to happen," said Glennie when talking about his injuries.

Due to his hit and destroy missions against the opposition, Glennie often found himself with a target sign on his back. That was never more evident than when the Leafs and Detroit Red Wings went to battle on November 5, 1975, at the Gardens.

All hell broke loose after Glennie "knocked Wings' centre Bryan Hextall to the ice with a thumping, but clean bodycheck," Don Ramsay wrote in The Globe and Mail. Unhappy with the treatment of his teammate, Detroit tough guy and enforcer Dan Maloney, sought revenge against Glennie. Maloney tackled Glennie from behind and inflicted a number of punches before bringing Glennie to a landing on the ice. Glennie was transported to hospital with a suspected concussion.

 There were more fireworks when Ontario Attorney General Roy McMurtry charged Maloney with assault. A charge that resulted in Maloney's acquittal.

In 1972, Glennie was added to the Team Canada roster for The Summit Series, but he didn't see any action in the eight game showdown. His addition made sense taking into account Glennie's experience playing on the big ice surface with the Canadian National Team, and his ability to hit. But when Canada lost game one in '72 against the USSR, it became obvious that finesse needed to be employed to stay competitive. That left Glennie on the sidelines, but he was in the line-up for exhibitions games in Stockholm and Prague.

Off the ice, Glennie's sense of humour was often evident. On his lack of converting scoring chances in the offensive zone, he told a member of the media, "Why don't you write about the big 747 Jumbo floating in on goal." When Team Canada returned home, they were saluted at Toronto's City Hall. Eager for some home cooking, Glennie asked, "Has anybody got a cheeseburger?" And on the topic of Glennie and food, and his strength, his Swanson Hungry Man commercial with Lanny McDonald was a huge success. In the ad, Glennie rips off the fridge door when McDonald declares, "When Brian gets hungry, he goes wild." Once he devours the product, Glennie becomes a "pussycat."

Brian Alexander "Blunt" Glennie was born on August 29, 1946, in Toronto, Ontario. "Hockey was his life,"noted the published death notice. "Blunt enjoyed being the life of the party and playing many practical jokes at the expense of his buddies. In his later years, he struggled with many health issues and moved to Ottawa to be closer to his grandchildren."

CHRISTIE BLATCHFORD: 1951-2020

Very sad news today as it was announced that Canadian award-winning newspaper columnist Christie Blatchford has passed away.

Writing was in Christie's blood as her grandfather was noted sports writer Andy Lytle. At the Toronto Daily Star, Lytle covered the Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL from 1934 to the late 1940s. When he joined the Star in February 1934, sports editor Lou Marsh told his readers that, "Andy would get in their hair and stick there."

The same applied to his talented granddaughter.

CLICK PHOTO FOR AN ENHANCED READ

BOB "BOOMER" BAUN

Many remember defenceman Bobby Baun for his overtime goal in game 6 of the 1964 Stanley Cup final against the Detroit Red Wings. Earlier in the game, Baun suffered an injury that he described in his autobiography as a "broken small bone on the outside of my leg, just above the ankle."

After receiving medical attention, Baun returned to the Olympia ice to score the biggest goal of his National Hockey League career.

But for many who played against Baun, it was his crushing hip checks and physical play that they remember. Teamed with partner Carl Brewer on the Leafs' blueline, Baun wrote how the two worked together:

We defencemen relied on our wingers to watch their checks. And if I missed the man I was trying to hit, I expected my defence partner to provide some backup. Carl and I had it worked out pretty well: one of us would stay a little in front of the other. I played on the right side, so if the puck carrier was coming down Carl's wing, I'd be about six feet to his right, and a little bit behind him. If the puck carrier was on my wing, Carl would move a bit to the left, and back me up. If the puck was coming down the middle, I moved forward and took him out, either straight up and down, or sometimes with my hip, like a cross-body block in football. With any luck, that would send the puck carrier airborne.

Here are some newspaper photos from the 1970-71 season that show Baun lowering the boom as only he could.

BARILKO & SMITH TO THE RESCUE

On February 6, 1947, the Toronto Maple Leafs looked to their farm system to plug several holes in their line-up. As a result, the call went out to defenceman Bill Barilko and forward Sid Smith.

Below is the text and photos from a previous story I wrote on their first two games as a Leaf...

The two new recruits made their NHL debut against Montreal on February 6, 1947, in the Forum. Game one for the two rookies saw Barilko taking aim at "Rocket" Richard and Smith getting acquainted with his new linemates - Ted Kennedy and Howie Meeker.

With no game scheduled on Friday, Sid Smith looked forward to his first home game in Maple Leaf Gardens on Saturday February 8,1947. The visitors were Boston. In the third period, with an assist from Howie Meeker, Sid Smith would score his first National Hockey League goal. A newspaper account details the play:

..out of one of these attacks, Meeker snaffles the puck, lays Sid Smith a pass. Smith hasn't seen much of the puck in his two games in the big time. He recognized it right away though and handled it as if he was born with a rubber plant in his mouth. He had a blond, burly and willing Fernand Flamon to out shuffle, and he did. Then from the wrong side backhanded a shot into the far corner.

Toronto defeated the Boston Bruins 5-2 with both Sid Smith and Bill Barilko netting their initial NHL goals.

TIM HORTONS: THE AUTOGRAPH

Late last year, Tim Hortons began a new ad campaign that featured Wayne Gretzky. The storyline revolved around a young Gretzky in 1968 being taken to a coffee shop to meet Toronto Maple Leaf defenceman Tim Horton, who was signing autographs. This was during the early stages of Horton rolling out his now popular chain of coffee shops.

Fast-forward to current day, and Gretzky is seen in the commercial with his father, Walter, and they are rummaging through a box containing memorabilia. They come across the napkin which was signed by Horton.

I made an immediate connection with the commercial, as I have my own version of the ad.

When my dad took me to Leaf games at the Gardens in the 1960s, we always made our way to the dressing room so I could collect autographs. In a moment I will never forget, Tim Horton signed a piece of paper to me.

He was so physically strong on the ice and when he got an opponent in his clutches, they seemed to disappear. I recall that I hesitantly stuck out my hand to shake his hand, and for a second, I thought Horton would crush it in the process.

Decades later, like Wayne Gretzky, I still have the Tim Horton autograph, and although the paper may have faded, the memory hasn't faded.