Leafs nation received some sad news on Tuesday night, as you probably know by now, legendary Leafs goalie Johnny Bower passed away at the age of 93. Bower was a huge part of the Maple Leafs franchise and without a doubt hands down one of the most popular players to ever wear a Leafs jersey. TSN's Bardown posted seven very interesting facts from his memorable life that younger Leafs fans might have no idea about. Bower Served In The Army. He actually lied about his age when he was 15 years old so he could join the army. He would eventually be discharged because of his rheumatoid arthritis. Wasn't A Shoe In For The NHL. Bower didn't exactly have contract offers thrown at him left and right and worked very hard to earn a gig in the NHL. He played eight seasons in the AHL and only played his first NHL season with the Rangers during the 1953-54 season. He would bounce back and forth between the Rangers and the AHL before eventually landing his gig with the Leafs for the 1958-59 season. Shared A Vezina. While Bower has two Vezina trophies to his name, one of them is also shared with Terry Sawchuk. The duo became the first co-winners in NHL history both combining for a 2.47 goals against average. One Of The Oldest Players To Play For A Stanley Cup. Bower is the second oldest goalie to start in a Stanley Cup final game playing at the age of 42 years, 5 months and 17 days during the 1967 Stanley Cup finals. Bower's final Cup win and the Leafs' last Stanley Cup win. Oldest Starting Goalie Of All Time. Roberto Luongo is the league's current oldest starting goalie at the age of 38, but Bower was still remarkably playing at the age of 45 and played his final game in 1969. He Love The Leafs And It's Fans. Bower currently holds the record for most community appearances by a Leafs alumnus and was extremely loved by the fan base. That love affair sees him with a statue outside the ACC and a street named after him in Toronto's Weston Village. Bower Hands Down One Of The NHL's Greatest Players. Not only a Leafs legened but also an NHL legend, Bower was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame back in 1976, was named one of the NHL's top 100 players and had his jersey retired by the Leafs on October 15, 2016.
