On January 11, 2021, Dr. Phil Samis, the oldest living former Toronto Maple Leaf, passed away at the age of 94. He died at the John M. Parrott Centre located in Napanee, Ontario. Samis was born on December 28, 27 in Edmonton, Alberta.
At the 16, Samis travelled east to attend school and play junior hockey at St. Michael's College School in Toronto. At the high school, he captured a Memorial Cup championship in 1945. He closed out his time in the Ontario Hockey Association in 1947 with the Oshawa Generals.
In the fall of 1947, Samis signed his first pro contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was assigned to their farm team, the Pittsburgh Hornets, of the American Hockey League (AHL). Though not a large man, his stout, but solid frame, enabled him to be a physical force on the Hornets defence.
Samis got his break in the NHL when the Leafs' post-season got underway in 1948. As a result, he became a Stanley Cup winner when the Leafs swept the Detroit Red Wings in the Cup final. Samis is pictured above holding a photo of the 1948 Stanley Cup team.
The Maple Leafs of that era were well equipped on the blueline and although the team was satisfied with his performance in the playoffs, Samis was unable to gain a spot on the Leafs' roster.
Dispatched back to the AHL, Samis remained with the Hornets until he was traded to the Cleveland Barons on April 6, 1950. On April 22, 1951, Samis and his Cleveland teammates, defeated the Hornets and were crowned champions of the AHL.
In 1953, Samis closed out his hockey career with the Montreal Royals of the Quebec Senior Hockey League. He left the game to concentrate on his studies to become a dentist. Samis had a thriving practice in Montreal for more than 40 years.
I wrote a detailed piece on Phil Samis on his birthday in 2020. Here is a link to the story...
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