Nitzy's Hockey Den

Here's another great old image from the archives of Vintage Sports Images here in North Van. This one is a great action shot of the Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. In net for the Leafs is obviously Johnny Bower, but who are the rest of the guys? At first glance, the #19 Leaf appears to be Kent Douglas and checking the photo records it sure seems so. Also, Toronto wore this specific uniform with the bordered Leaf logo from 1963/64 through 1966/67. Douglas was the only player to wear #19 in that period. As for the Bruins #19, the only ones to wear it over this time frame were Doug Mohns, Reggie Fleming and John McKenzie. Pie McKenzie was a right-shooter and the guy in the photo is not Doug Mohns. It has to be Reggie Fleming in 1965/66 as he was traded to the Rangers on January 10, 1966 for...McKenzie. Doug Mohns Reg Fleming So, if it's 65/66 we can now easily visually identify the Bruin in the back as Tommy Williams using various photo databases. Williams was a...

Firewagon hockey. That's the only thing to call it. 15 goals for and 7 against in the first two games of the 2017/18 season for the Toronto Maple Leafs makes for fun hockey-watching. It is the most goals the Leafs have ever scored in the first two games of the season. Exactly 100 years ago, when the franchise was known as the Arenas, they potted 20 goals in the first two games and somehow lost one of them.  In fact, the Leafs are the first team in 27 years to score at least seven goals in each of their first two games of the season. In 1990/91 the Penguins opened the year with back-to-back 7-4 victories. In those two games the line of Kevin Stevens,  John Cullen and  Mark Recchi 9, 9 and 6 points respectively.  The Maple Leafs of 2017 have nine different players with at least three points and only Kadri and Matthews with four. Slightly more balanced scoring that the 90/91 Pens. The previous record for the Leafs was 13 goals in the first two games of 197...

I sure loves me some old hockey photos! Here's another from  Vintage Sports Images , a great pic of Gordie Howe and the Red Wings playing the Maple Leafs. Let's start with the goaltender. A look at the Society for International Hockey Research visual database from the late 1940's through the 50's (to hook up with the fact Howe is playing) and we can conclude it is Ed Chadwick. The Leafs goalie progression went from Turk Broda to Harry Lumley to Ed Chadwick (below) who played every game in 1956/57 and 57/58. This is definitely not Broda or Lumley in the photo. Johnny Bower then took the helm of the Leaf net afterward. Ed Chadwick So it is either 56/57 or 57/58, now to the other players. Leafs #3 is Jim Morrison who wore that number for a four year span. #17 for the Leafs in both of these seasons was Dick Duff, seen checking Howe.  The Red Wing battling Morrison in front of Chadwick is #16, a young Norm Ullman who wore that number his first three seasons before...

 Follow Chris Mizzoni   @NitzysHockeyDen 30 years ago today, may as well rewatch it to celebrate.  # game3 # 87CanadaCup 8:10 PM - Sep 17, 2017   17 17 Replies     46 46 Retweets     110 110 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy  Follow Chris Mizzoni   @NitzysHockeyDen Well that was quick... 26 seconds in. I recall that 16 year-old me did not enjoy that start. 8:16 PM - Sep 17, 2017   1 1 Reply     Retweets     likes Twitter Ads info and privacy This past Sunday was the 30th anniversary of Game 3 of the 1987 Canada Cup so I decided to rewatch the game in it's entirety. Five years ago, TSN re-broadcast all three final games and they now reside at the bottom of my PVR list with the trusty "lock" beside them so as not to be deleted, ever. I aso figured, what the hell, may as well live twe...