Hockey Then & Now: A LOOK AT PHIL SAMIS

THE OLDEST LIVING FORMER MAPLE LEAF TURNS 93

When Howie Meeker passed away in November of this year, Philip Lawrence Samis, born in Edmonton, Alberta, on December 28, 1927, became the oldest living former Toronto Maple Leaf.

Samis played bantam and juvenile hockey in his hometown prior to heading east to join the St. Michaels College School hockey program, which was sponsored by the Toronto Maple Leafs. A local scout advised Conn Smythe of the prospect he discovered playing defence in the Edmonton minor hockey system.

The Toronto Telegram made note that Samis' arrival marked the second consecutive year an Edmontonian joined St. Mike's. The previous season, Johnny McCormack made the trip from Edmonton to Toronto.

At the young age of 16, a whole new experience opened up for Samis. He attended the Leafs' training camp in Owen Sound, Ontario, on October 10, 1944. There were no expectations he would earn a roster spot with the big-club, and as anticipated, Samis went to St. Mike's to further his studies and play hockey for the St. Mike's Buzzers.

The Buzzers were part of the prep-group (Junior B) that played in the Ontario Hockey Association.

On March 7, 1945, the Buzzers captured the prep-group championship, when they ousted Del La Salle College. "Phil Samis ... starred on the Irish rearguard," noted one report.

After getting past Del La Salle, the Buzzers won series against the Niagara Falls Cataracts and Oshawa Bees.

Next up for the Buzzers, was the OHA Junior B final, and a best-of-five battle with the Stratford Kroehlers. The Buzzers were led by their top line of Red Kelly, Ed Sandford and Ed Harrison. The Buzzers swept the final when they defeated Stratford at Maple Leaf Gardens on April 10. During the competition, one newspaper observed, "Phil Samis, a grim character to encounter, rushed dangerously, and checked well on defence."

The "grim character to encounter" quote was in reference to Samis' physical presence on the ice. In nine playoff games, he accumulated twenty-two penalty minutes, which was the most in this category. Samis' rugged stature enabled him to stand his ground and not back down from bigger and aggressive foe.

A subsequent article described him as being a "bulwark." (A solid wall-like structure raised for defence)

Father Flanagan, who coached the Buzzers, heaped praise on his player's. "They are a great bunch of kids. They gave everything in each game, fighting hard all the way."

Although the Buzzers had successfully completed their playoff run, Samis' run was to continue.

While the Buzzers were done, their Junior A counterpart, the St. Mike's Majors, still had another round of hockey to play. Under the tutelage of former Leaf icon, Joe Primeau, the Majors opened the Memorial Cup final against the Moose Jaw Canucks on April 14, in Toronto, at the Gardens. And Samis was with the team when they set out to win junior hockey's most prized trophy.

It was an opportunity for Samis to experience new aspects of the game. The most obvious, and perhaps, the most important, was being coached by Primeau. He may have not received an abundance of personal attention, but Samis was exposed to Primeau's dressing room lectures and instructions relayed behind the bench. Samis, who only played in two games, was in a win-win situation.

Also, his new teammates, showed tremendous potential and skills. Included in this group were future Leafs' Johnny McCormack, Gus Mortson, Jimmy Thomson and Les Costello.

On April 23, the Majors downed Moose Jaw by a score of 7-2, to capture the Memorial Cup in five games.

The following season, 1945-46, Samis became a member of the OHA Junior A Oshawa Generals. There was no definitive explanation given for the move, only the fact he was attending high school and playing hockey in Oshawa. Decades later, Samis told me it was a matter of being more comfortable with his surroundings in Oshawa.

Under head coach, Charlie Conacher, Joe Primeau's linemate on the famous Kid Line (along with Harvey Jackson), Samis, once again, benefited from playing for a former pro. In his new surroundings, Samis demonstrated he could make an impact on offence. In 27 contests, he scored 11 goals and 9 points for 20 points. He maintained his brute force and led the league with eighty-three penalty minutes.

Samis closed out his junior career in 1946-47, with the Oshawa Generals.

Come the autumn of 1947, Samis attended the Toronto Maple Leafs' hockey school, which took place in St. Catharines, Ontario. Conn Smythe started the school - which was designed to allow the hierarchy to evaluate prospects in the organization - a year earlier, and the only player to graduate to the main camp was Howie Meeker.

In the second term, Samis and Andy Barbe, were the only students to make the grade and an invite to the full training camp.

It didn't come as a surprise when Samis was relegated to the minors to begin his life as a professional hockey player. In this era, it was unusual for a rookie, especially a defenceman looking for work on a Stanley Cup winning team, to make the jump from junior to the NHL.

The Leafs sent Samis to their farm team in Pittsburgh, where he was coached by former Leaf Bob Davidson. Samis' progress with the Hornets was charted by The Hockey News in an article published on February 18, 1948. "Throughout the season he has played a rough aggressive game and no one is too big for him."

In his first pro campaign, Samis participated in 68 games, and recorded 14-points on 4 goals and 10 assists.

Once again, the statistic more indicative of his performance, was the 181 penalty minutes Samis amassed. This figure was tops in the American Hockey League.

When the Leafs opened the 1948 playoffs on March 24, 1948, Smythe and Hap Day (Leafs' coach), made certain Samis was on Toronto's playoff eligible list. An extra-body, in particular on the blueline, was an asset should injuries occur to the regular defenceman.

Samis saw action in games two and four of Toronto's semi-final series against the Boston Bruins. Then, when rearguard, Gus Mortson, broke his leg in game one of the Stanley Cup final, it wasn't a shock that Smythe and company turned to Samis to fill the void.

The comparisons between Mortson and Samis were expressed by Toronto Daily Star hockey writer Red Burnett. "Like Mortson, he is a quiet, unassuming chappie off the ice. Put a pair of skates on him and he becomes a belligerent warrior who neither asks nor gives a quarter."

Burnett provided insight on life away from the rink for the 20 year old bachelor. "Samis spends his leisure moments reading a good book or listening to a fine collection of records."

In game two of the final, against Detroit, Samis obtained his only National Hockey League point, when he assisted on a first period goal by Max Bentley. The Leafs didn't lose a game in the final and Phil Samis became a Stanley Cup champion when Toronto defeated Detroit 7-2 at the Olympia on April 14.

If Samis had any hope his playoff performance translated into becoming a fixture on the Leafs, he would be sadly disappointed. In 1948-49, his hockey home remained in Pittsburgh. In his second season with the Hornets, Samis continued to employ a rough and tumble approach. But a telephone call for him to come to Toronto for the playoffs never materialized.

At this stage of his hockey life, Samis showed he could be just as tough to deal with off the ice.

In one of our many conversations, Samis told me how he confronted Conn Smythe over a clause in his 1949-50 contract. The issue at hand was a line that he forfeit any compensation when it came to television rights. The owners were fully aware the selling of games to local stations and national networks eventually would become a cash bonanza. Samis recognized this fact and refused to sign his contract.

After several sessions at training camp, Smythe summoned Samis to attend a meeting. He was fully aware why Smythe wanted to talk, and he prepared to dig-in-his-heels when it came to a confrontation.

And that's exactly what Samis did. He stood his ground and requested the Leafs add $500 to his salary in exchange for him putting pen-to-paper. Smythe countered that the explanation for the increase not be related to the TV rights, but for Samis to further his education. Samis shot this down, concerned that if he was dealt away, his new employer wouldn't honour the bump in his wages.

The matter came to a head after an arbitration hearing with NHL President Clarence Campbell resulted in Samis being suspended. Campbell's involvement was a major concern for Samis. He knew the league's head-honcho was likely to side with the one that signed his pay check. Also, there were the ramifications of butting-heads with his boss. No one, especially his player's, crossed Smythe and didn't suffer the consequences.

He left the club, but later returned when Smythe agreed to trade him if he didn't make the Leafs.

Samis started the year in Pittsburgh, and his chance to prove he belonged in the NHL, came on November 20, 1948. The night before, Bill Barilko was injured in a game against the Detroit Red Wings at the Gardens, and the Leafs called up Samis for the away contest in Detroit. "Although he did not play as well as hoped against Detroit, Samis was by no means the worst Toronto defenceman," not quite a ringing endorsement from a witness to the game.

Phil Samis made his final appearance in a Leaf uniform on November 23, at Boston Garden.

Following the tilt in Boston, Samis was returned to the Pittsburgh Hornets, where he finished the season.

On April 6, 1950, Samis was shipped to Cleveland of the American Hockey League as part of a transaction to finalize a trade that sent goalie Al Rollins to Toronto on November 29, 1949.

What burned Samis about this development was the fact Smythe didn't live up to their original agreement. It was his understanding that Smythe accepted to send him to another NHL team, not to an AHL team. On top of this, Samis never received one-penny of the $500.

The highlight of Samis' two seasons with the Cleveland Barons came on April 22, 1951. In game seven of the Calder Cup final, he scored the opening goal early in the first period. On the play, Samis found open ice up the middle and took a long pass, his shot beat Pittsburgh goalie Gil Mayer. With Cleveland netminder Johnny Bower keeping the Hornets at-bay, Samis and his teammates won the deciding game 3-1, and were crowned AHL champs.

He made an important adjustment to his game with the Barons. While he continued his robust manner, Samis, under coach Bun Cook, played a smarter game when it came to penalties. "I'm doing it according to the rule book these days and you know referees are pretty good guys when you live by the rules."

Beyond hockey, Samis looked to the time when his gear was packed away for good. In Pittsburgh, he continued his education by taking summer courses at Duquesne University; in Cleveland, Samis enrolled as a pre-dental student at Western Reserve University. Upon his return to Canada, he settled in Montreal, and successfully graduated with a degree in dentistry from McGill University.

He established a thriving practice in Montreal and along the way became an inventor. He created "Dentify," a small database chip that could be placed into a tooth. Although it was overshadowed by advances in DNA research, the invention was used in pets.

His farewell became official on September 23, 1952, when the Cleveland Barons announced that Samis was leaving the club to pursue his schooling and play hockey in Montreal.

On week later, Samis signed with the Montreal Royals of the Quebec Senior Hockey League. Dickie Moore's brother, Jimmy, signed with the Royals on the same day as Samis. Dickie Moore became a regular member with the Montreal Canadiens in 1954-55 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974.

Samis' dedication to becoming a dentist, overtook any ambition he had to returning to the National Hockey League. When he left Cleveland, Jim Hendy, the Barons' general manager, revealed that Samis was highly regarded by the Boston Bruins, and there was no doubt, if Samis desired, he could've become a permanent member of the Bruins' defensive core.

Of interest, Samis dressed for one game with the Montreal Canadiens on October 11, 1952, at the Forum in Montreal. Hendy stated this was necessary due to waiver rules. The Habs defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-1, as Billy Reay secured Montreal's victory with a third period goal.

Also, on December 20, 1952, Samis returned to Cleveland to play one game with the Barons against his former team, the Pittsburgh Hornets. His services were required due to the Barons missing two injured defenders.

After one season with the Royals in '52-'53 - 56 GP, 4 G, 11 A, 15 PTS - they informed the press in September 1953, that due to his heavy workload at McGill, Samis couldn't participate in the full schedule of games.

*EDITED DEC. 30, 2020. 9:24PM