Last week saw the closing of another of the famed "original six" arenas, The Maple Leaf Gardens. Among the many legendary events which took place on its ice, none stands out more than the goal scored on April 21, 1951 by a twenty-four year old defensemen named...

Bashin' Bill Barilko

In April 1951, Bill Barilko was a rising young star in his fourth season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, renowned for his "snake hips" body checks. He and his defensive partner Garth Boesch formed the "Maginot Line", dropping to their knees simultaneously to block dangerous offensive shots. The Leafs were looking for their third straight Stanley Cup, locked in a struggle against the Montreal Canadiens that saw each game of the final series go into overtime. Game 5 was the most dramatic. Montreal had the game almost won, when the Leafs yanked their goalie and Tod Sloan scored at at 19:28 of the third to tie the score. At 2:53 of the overtime, Bill Barilko took a pass from Howie Meeker, galloped in from the blue line, and drilled the series-winning goal past Gerry McNeil.

Tragically, just a few weeks later Barilko and a friend were reported missing aboard a small plane flying over the bush country of Northern Ontario. The Royal Canadian Air Force searched for weeks without success. Then, twelve years later, on June 7, 1963, the wreckage and their remains were discovered. An ironic catharsis occurred in the subsequent 1963-64 season, as Toronto once again would win a third consecutive Stanley Cup.