Nitzy's Hockey Den

  I am currently reading the book, "Voices in Blue and White" by the fantastic author Kevin Shea. He chronicles the 'pride and passion for the Maple Leafs' in interviews with literally hundreds of players. Most are quick little stories, like this one about Bill Johansen ('Red' Johnson) talking about his one and only Maple Leaf appearance; " I was playing centre for the Marlie Seniors. One Saturday night, they called me up to the Leafs because Ted Kennedy had gotten hurt. (On November 26, 1949), I played between Bill Ezinicki and Harry Watson. I thought we did pretty well, but we got beat by Boston, 3-0. The team was getting dressed to make a train to Chicago when Mr. Smythe walked into the room, pointed at me and said to the others, "How can you let a young kid like this skate rings around you?"I figured this meant I would be going with them, that I had made the team, so I was really excited. Then coach Hap Day came over and told me I wouldn...

I picked this up recently, a program that I've been after for quite a while. It was issued at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1956 to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the grand building. The magazine is chock full of stories about the history of the Gardens and the Maple Leafs. Fantastic drawing of Maple Leaf kingpin Conn Smythe. The story of the longest overtime game in Maple Leafs history, a mark that still stands. Nice photo of Foster Hewitt's original broadcast gondola. The Queen!  

The Maple Leafs are simply eating up the North Division of this strange season of NHL hockey. They shut out the Edmonton Oilers in back to back games, this is the first time they have shut out the same opponent in consecutive regular season games since doing it to the Detroit Red Wings in November, 1954. On November 11, 1954 at the Olympia in Detroit the Leafs beat the Red Wings 1-0. Harry Lumley (on his 28th birthday) turned aside 45 Detroit shots and Sid Smith scored in the last minute of the second period. This was the first Toronto win in Detroit in 13 games, dating back to November 1952. Al Nickleson of the Globe and Mail described the frantic finish; "Leafs had plenty of trouble getting the puck out of their own end. They practically were skating on their knees, they were so tired from two games in as many nights. But they were dead game." November 13 saw the same 1-0 victory for Toronto again on a goal from Sid Smith, this time in the first minute of the final frame. T...