The Maple Leafs announced that former team captain and five-time Stanley Cup winner Ted “Teeder… Kennedy will be one of three initial selections to be honored with statues at Legends Row, located in Maple Leaf Square.
Past #Leafs celebrated in Legends Row. 1st statue is Ted Kennedy. Duff-Shanahan-Mark Kennedy(son)-Morrison #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/APeQXjRtVF
— Jon Abbott (@HockeyAbbs) August 14, 2014The Port Colborne, ON native scored 231 goals and 329 assists in his 14-year NHL career with Toronto from 1943-1957, won championships in 1945,1947-49 and 1951, a Hart Trophy in 1955 and was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966.
The two other selections will be revealed during the Leafs Fan Fest to be held on September 5-7.
The monument to honor a number of Leafs greats is located just outside Gate 5 of the ACC and includes a 30-foot granite bench and bronze statues. The club plans on revealing another series of names between now and the club’s centennial celebration in 2017, to coincide with their efforts to bring the NHL Draft, All-Star Game and Winter Classic to Toronto.
*******
By some quirk of fate, Kennedy’s honored #9 is the subject of today’s “Who’s the best… series and while today’s ceremony would be an indicator that he would be the overwhelming favorite, there are others who deserve consideration.
Honorable Mentions
Terrence Richard “Dick… Duff – The Hall-of-Fame winger was given #9 by Conn Smythe after Kennedy’s retirement in 1957. Duff played the first half of his 18-year NHL career with the Leafs, winning the Stanley Cup in 1962 and 1963 before being traded to the New York Rangers as part of the Andy Bathgate deal in 1964. He was later traded to Montreal and won four more championships with the Habs from 1965 – 69.
Norm Ullman– The highly-skilled, speedy center scored over 1200 points in his 20-year NHL career and entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982. Ullman played 13 seasons in Detroit before being acquired by the Leafs in 1968 along with Paul Henderson in a seven-player deal for Frank Mahovlich and scored 20 or more goals five times with Toronto before bolting to the WHA in 1975 to play his final two seasons in Edmonton.
Finalists
Ted “Teeder… Kennedy(1943 – 1957)
Toronto Totals – GP - 696, G – 231, A – 329, Pts – 560, PIM - 432
Stanley Cup Championships – 5 (1945, 1947-49, 1951)
Hart Trophy – 1955
Hockey Hall of Fame – Inducted 1966
Charlie Conacher (1929 – 1938)
Toronto Totals – GP – 326, G – 200, A – 124, Pts – 324, PIM – 411
Stanley Cup Championships – 1 (1932)
First-Team NHL All-Star – 1934-36
Hockey Hall of Fame – Inducted 1961
Arguably the most prolific scorer in the NHL prior to World War II, Conacher played the first nine seasons of his 12-year NHL career in Toronto and was a member of the famous “Kid Line… with center Joe Primeau and winger Harvey “Busher… Jackson. Using his superior size and booming shot, Conacher scored 20 goals as a rookie in 1929-30 and led the league in goals five times over the next six seasons. He won a Stanley Cup with the Leafs in 1932, but his career was shortened by his physical style of play.
*******
The Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle reported Thursday that Team President Brendan Shanahan will name another addition to the club’s management staff next week. The Leafs dismissed Assistant GM’s Dave Poulin and Claude Loiselle in late July and named only 28-year-old former Soo Greyhounds GM Kyle Dubas as a replacement.
From some of the minor moves made over the last few weeks(including the signings of former Greyhounds Brett Findlay and Patrick Watling), it appears Dubas may be taking over Poulin’s former duties as GM of the AHL Toronto Marlies, while the name to be soon announced could be slated to replace Loiselle as the go-to guy for negotiating player contracts.
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.*******
For Those on Twitter: Follow @mikeinbuffalo
KINDLE USERS: Please sign up for Maple Leafs Buzz, which includes a free-of-charge 14-day trial and is just 99 cents per month afterwards. For more information click here.