Mahovlich, Conacher favourites to join the row
Historical committee will announce next selections sometime in 2017
Who should be next to get the bronze-statue treatment on Legends Row outside the Air Canada Centre? Frank Mahovlich, Red Kelly, Charlie Conacher, Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark?
Leaf historian Paul Patskou said that Kelly’s name doesn’t often come up in these kinds of discussions, but he was undeniably a “great superstar.” He added that Gilmour and Clark are slam dunks despite falling short on championships.
“They were special players,” Patskou said.
The 15-member Leafs historical committee makes such determinations after meeting regularly and will make their next selections in 2017.
Patskou thinks there are two nobrainer inductees: Mahovlich and Conacher.
“Mahovlich is the biggest name. That’s an obvious one,” Patskou said. “As far as the superstars go, Charlie Conacher would be the other guy.”
Author and hockey historian Eric Zweig suggests Conacher has to be No. 1 on the next ballot.
“He was the Leafs’ biggest star in the era when they became a national institution,” Zweig said. “When it comes right down to it, he’s one of the only Leafs in team history that you can argue that, during his prime, he may have been the best player in the NHL.”
The group has grown to 10 following the inductions of Dave Keon, Turk Broda and Tim Horton on the weekend. They join Syl Apps, Ted Kennedy, Johnny Bower, George Armstrong, Borje Salming, Darryl Sittler and Mats Sundin.
Shannon Hosford, vice-president of marketing and communications for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, said the organization decided on this monument years ago to celebrate the franchise’s 100th anniversary next year.
“We’ve looked at the past players and all their great statistics,” Hosford said, “and we’ve tried to mix in some players, like the Mats Sundins of the world so that we’re bringing a little flavour for current fans too.”
There is no cap on the number of inductees.
“We want this to be . . . something that the present players will aspire to in their career,” Hosford said.
There are some who, for various reasons, might not get in: Lanny McDonald, Bobby Baun, Paul Henderson and Mike Palmateer, whose biggest achievement might be that he set an NHL record for assists by a goaltender in one season with eight.
“You can’t compete with Bower and Broda,” Patskou said.
If non-players are considered, Zweig would cast a vote for builders such as Conn Smythe and Punch Imlach. He believes Hap Day might be the most important personality in Leafs history, although “borderline” as a player. “His front-office experience makes him hard to ignore.”
Zweig believes a “cool choice” would be legendary radio broadcaster Foster Hewitt.
“It’s radio that really made the Leafs the national institution in the 1930s,” Zweig said. “Radio made them crazy popular and Foster was the guy that did that.”
How about a wild-card entry? Should we clear the track for Eddie Shack?
“He was a better player than people give him credit for,” Patskou said with a laugh.
Reached at home for reaction, The Entertainer was amused but unconvinced.
“Why the hell would they want me for? I’m too old now. I’m 79 years old. Can you imagine my nose being in bronze? Jeeeez.”