Lance Hornby - Toronto and the Maple Leafs: A City and Its Team

Dennis Maruk From feared NHL sniper to ship captain and bellhop with hockeys greatest stache

Only 20 men in NHL history have scored 60 or more goals in a single season: Gretzky, Lemieux, and Hull all hit the magical mark. And so did an undersized, take-no-prisoners centre named Dennis Maruk. When Maruk found the back of the net 60 times in 198182, he was the toast of Washington he even dined with the president. A few short years later, he was out of the game. Maruk not only left the rink, his life did a complete 180. Instead of flying up the ice and in on goal, he was behind the wheel of a service ship in the Gulf of Mexico. Instead of setting up teammates, he was setting up furniture for Goldie Hawn. He was never sent down to the farm as a rookie, but after the game he was a farmhand for John Oates. And instead of fighting in the corners, Dennis Maruk found himself fighting for his life.

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During the Montreal Canadiens centennial year, the curatorial staff that I work with at the Hockey Hall of Fame created an inspiring exhibit that honoured the accomplishments of an elite franchise.

Now in 201617, the Hall has designed another exhibit that celebrates the one hundredth anniversary of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it is proving to be a huge success, not just because of what is included in the display sticks, pucks, jerseys, and iconic items like Punch Imlachs fedora but also because of where the Hall is located. Its right in the heart of downtown Toronto, where so many fans have memories of games at the Air Canada Centre, or Maple Leaf Gardens, or possibly Mutual Street Arena before that.

For 20 years, Maple Leaf Gardens was my second home as I played four years with the junior Marlies and over 1,000 games with the Leafs during a 16-year career. The story of the teams one hundred years brought back many memories.

When you become a Maple Leaf, you know you are joining history. The players from the late 50s and early 60s were my heroes, and when I turned pro in 1964, I wanted to be part of the tradition established by Apps, Kennedy, Conacher, and Watson. My teammates Baun, Keon, Pulford, and Bower were carrying on that tradition, and it was obvious that Id better fall in line.

My family had a hockey connection to the Leafs even before I was born: my father played for the Marlies. This, no doubt, was a major factor in my decision to join the same team years later. At the age of 17, with $200 in his pocket, Dad left Lindsay, Ontario, for a walk-on tryout with the Marlies A team. He impressed the manager, Harold Smiles Ballard, and when Gaye Stewart got called up to the Marlies senior team, my father made the roster. After a productive first year, Dad joined the air force and could only play the home games in his second season.

When the war was over, he left the air force to play pro hockey in Scotland and the U.S. At 93, he continues to speak highly of Harold and remembers him with respect to this day. I can thank my dad for the rapport Harold and I enjoyed, as he constantly asked about him and reminded me many times that the redhead was an NHL-calibre player.

After his hockey days were over due to injury, Dad re-joined the air force and ended up as a career pilot. He was flying the C-119 Boxcar out of Ottawa when I was playing my minor bantam year. After one of my games, a gentleman came up to me and asked if my parents were present; thankfully they were. He was Alex Davidson, the Leafs Ottawa scout and the brother of Bob Davidson, whod won a Cup with the Leafs in 1942. A few days later, coach and general manager Punch Imlach, along with King Clancy, flew to Ottawa and came to my home to discuss my hockey future.

Thats when it was agreed that I would come to Toronto the following year for a tryout with the Marlies B team. Just 15 years old, I was homesick and got off to a slow start at training camp. Thankfully, I wasnt sent home; I beat out a kid from Quebec for the final spot on the roster. Feeling more comfortable, I moved up to the A team for the next two seasons, coached by six-time Cup winner Turk Broda.

My skills were improving, but everything came together for me in 6364 when a young Jim Gregory came in as a first-year coach. The Leafs put a powerhouse A team together that featured Pete Stemkowski, Wayne Carleton, Mike Walton, Rod Seiling, Gary Smith, and Brit Selby. Under coach Gregory, we easily won the Memorial Cup and sent 14 players to the pro ranks.