Posts
March 24: On this day in 1956, prior to the third game of their semi-final series in Toronto, Ted Lindsay and Gordie Howe of the Red Wings received death threats from a deranged Toronto fan through a Toronto newspaper. Lindsay responded by going out and scoring both the game-tying goal and the game winner in overtime. After the game, Lindsay skated around the ice at Maple Leaf Gardens, holding his hockey stick like a rifle, pretending to shoot Leaf fans.
March 24: On this day in 1982, 22 year old Rick Vaive became the first ever Leaf to score 50 goals in one season, 37 years after Maurice "Rocket" Richard first accomplished the feat in 1945 with the Canadiens. Vaive's 50th came in the team's 75th game of the season. It was the 59th time in NHL history that a player scored 50 or more goals in one season. Vaive's 50th was scored on Mike Liut of the St. Louis Blues at 14:57 of the first period and helped the Leafs cash in a 4-3 victory. Vaive went on to score 54 goals in all that season, a team record as of 2009.
March 24: On this day in 1983, Leafs rookie Peter Ihnacak scored his 63rd point of the 1982-83 season to set a new team record for points in a rookie season. The mark had been held by Gus Bodnar, set in 1944. Ihnacak went on to score a total of 66 points and establish the team record that still exists to this day. He played several more seasons with the Leafs, but his totals never came close to his debut NHL season. The NHL record for points in a rookie season is 132 set by Teemu Selanne in 1992-93.
