WHEN DAVE KEON BECAME MY HOCKEY HERO

Hard to believe my boyhood hockey hero, Dave Keon turns 80 today.

For a young player, there was no one better to emulate with his diligent pursuit of the puck on offence and defence, smooth skating, setting up teammates, leadership, and wicked backhand shot.

In the era when a Leaf game on Hockey Night in Canada was joined in progress, I wanted to know were the Leafs winning and did Keon score a goal.

When asked who my favourite Leaf is, I can name the game that made me a huge Keon fan. The circumstances are verbalized without hesitation.

Here is the story.

On April 9, 1964, the Toronto Maple Leafs were in Montreal for game 7 of the semi-finals against the Canadiens. The Leafs had forced a seventh and deciding showdown with a 3-0 victory at Maple Leaf Gardens two nights earlier.

The anticipation for this Leaf fan was unbearable. One moment, I was so high thinking of a Toronto win, then so low on the thought the Leafs might falter.

Come game night, it was a bit of a relief when the puck was dropped and all I had to do was watch. I was ready to cheer for my team and be behind them win or lose.

Looking back, I remember the game for one reason. I had found my first hockey hero and he was Leaf center, Dave Keon. In an amazing performance, Keon scored all the Leaf goals in a 3-1 win to put his club into the Stanley Cup final for the third consecutive year.

When I went to sleep that night, the decision had been made. To be a complete hockey player, I must emulate what Keon did against the Habs in game 7. I was two years away from playing organized ice hockey, but my Keon skills could be developed in the school yard, driveway, and on the street. Also, it was important to watch Keon and study how he played.

My memory of how Keon's goals were scored are vague with the passage of time, so I've delved into the newspaper archives to gather the details.

The following descriptions are from newspaper reports the following day...

GOAL #1, FIRST PERIOD, KEON FROM McKENNEY AND BAUN, 8:22

Bobby Baun had taken a pass from the corner from George Armstrong and directed a shot at [the] goal. The puck struck milling bodies in front of Hodge [Charlie, Montreal's goalie], and Don McKenney had one whack at it before Keon pounced on the loose puck and whacked it home.

GOAL #2, FIRST PERIOD, KEON FROM ARMSTRONG, 11:15

He made it 2-0 on a breakaway with the help of George Armstrong at 11:15 of that opening period while teammate Andy Bathgate was serving a penalty.

Keon's second goal came while Leafs were shorthanded. Bathgate was serving a penalty when Armstrong took the puck out of his own zone, slid a perfect pass up to Keon who outraced Jean-Guy Talbot and slapped a low shot into the corner past Hodge.

GOAL #3, THIRD PERIOD, KEON FROM ARMSTRONG AND KELLY, 19:49 

Red Kelly saved the day. He carried the puck out of his own zone, skated up right wing and let go a backhander that hit the near goalpost. Kelly pursued the puck behind the Montreal net, got it to George Armstrong and the Leafs' captain slid it out in front where Keon was unattended for an unobstructed shot at an unattended goal.

 In what Dick Beddoes called "A hockey night to remember," Keon told reporters, "I scored those goals for my dad." Keon added, "He's been pretty sick, I've been thinking about him a lot this series." As for his performance Keon said, "I was shooting the puck with more authority, instead of fooling with it." Showing his sense of humour, Keon stated, "And I guess you know shooting is important in this game."

Here are some other quotes from Keon.

 "All the goals were clean. On that first one, the puck may have hit Provost's [Claude] leg. I don't know. But I was right in the slot when the puck came to me from McKenney. I'm happy that I got three. They came in handy."

Toronto faced Detroit in the Cup final and once again went the distance. They shutout the Red Wings in game 7 by a 4 to 0 score.

But it will always be Keon's spectacular outing in game 7 at The Forum that I will remember.

"Don't miss this boy [Keon] or he'll haunt you later on," wrote Leafs' scout Vince Thompson in the 1950s to his boss Bob Davidson, who was Toronto's head scout.

Well, that boy is now 80-years-old with four Stanley Cup championships, an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and voted the greatest Toronto Maple Leaf player of all-time in 2016.

Since April 9, 1964, he has been my hockey hero.

Happy birthday, David!