“Legend” is used far too frequently in sports but never has a word been more apt to describe Johnny Bower.

I never got to see Johnny Bower play as he retired in 1970 and it’s only through watching old clips, reading books, articles and testimony from those who saw him play have I fully appreciated what an incredible goaltender he was.

Bower was money in the American League after making his debut in 1945 for the Cleveland Barons.
His achievements include:

• Three Calder Cup Championships
• Three-time Les Cunningham Award winner (Regular season MVP)
• Three-time Harry “Hap” Holmes Award (given to the goaltender with the lowest goals-against average in the league)
• Most Goaltending victories (359)
• His 45 career shutouts and longest streak without allowing a goal (249:51) were both league records for over 50 years.
• AHL Hall of Famer (Inaugural class of 2006)
• His number (1) was retired by the Cleveland Monsters (for his career with the Cleveland Barons)

This from a man who had lied about his age (he was 15) to enlist in the Canadian Army during World War II, where he was stationed in England as a gunner with the 2nd Canadian Division from 1940 to 1943.
He was discharged due to rheumatoid arthritis in his hands and would suffer from poor eyesight during his career.

It makes it even more remarkable then that he was able to rise to greater heights in the NHL, despite having to wait till the age of 29 to make his debut and wasn’t a regular in the league until well into his 30’s.

Bower would play 11 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, leading the team to three consecutive Stanley Cups from 1962-64 and a fourth in 1967.

A two-time Vezina Trophy winner in 1960–61 (at the age of 36) and 1964–65, Bower would be selected to the NHL First All-Star Team in 1961 before eventually retiring four months after his 45th birthday.

It’s likely he may have continued on had injury not curtailed his career during the 169-70 in which he played just one game.
With Bower’s incredibly courageous playing style (without a mask) it’s a miracle he played to such an age and with great success. I’m sure the various montage’s of him stopping the puck with every part of his body and even his head at times, are engrained in every Leafs fans mind.

Bower was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976 and would live to see his number (1) alongside Turk Broda, retired by the Maple Leafs in 2016 in what was an emotional ceremony.

He went on to become a scout, goalie coach and even an assistant coach in the Toronto organisation but Bower officially retired from hockey in 1990.
He never truly retired from the Leafs though as he attended numerous charity and fan events, even upto a week or so before his death.

Nothing was ever too much trouble for #1.

Nicknamed “The China Wall,” Bower’s defense may have often been impregnable for opposition but when it came to Leafs fans, his heart was always open.

The man who basically made the poke-check move his own, is utterly adored by Leafs Nation for his vast accomplishments but even more so for the incredible person he was.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Johnny (a true regret on my part) but thanks to hearing so many first hand accounts, I know he was an absolute gentlemen.

A handshake. A signature. A posed photo. A chat.

Almost whatever was asked of him (politely of course) Bower was always willing to go above and beyond for fans he truly loved. Yes, really.
Whether that was at an organised event or a chance meeting down the street – Bower had time for you.

The dynamic between Leafs fans and Johnny Bower is no explained better than by the endearing love each had for the other.

Social media is currently filled with stories of Bower making amazing gestures that might have seemed small and undistinguished to him but meant the world to those who got to spend time with a man who appeared to wake up with a smile on his face.

He left a lasting impression on everyone he met and that above anything else makes his passing so sad. We should be grateful however,  for having had the great fortune of such a special man in our lives.

I confess to shedding more than a handful of tears this morning after the shock of his passing had worn off. That’s the genuine mark of a man I sadly never had the pleasure of meeting. He will forever be my favourite Maple Leaf who I never got to see in competitive action.

I’ve no doubt he’ll still be cheering on this latest crop of Leafs kids, who are trying to accomplish what he last achieved in 1967. That’s the kind of positivity that he spread for the duration of his life and I hope that lives on in some form.

Thank you for everything, Johnny. Even by those in the UK, you’ll be dearly missed.

My condolences to his wife Nancy and the Bower family.

Johnny Bower 1924-2017 A Maple Leaf Forever.