Posts
November 15: On this day in 1918, Bobby Copp was born in Port Elgin, New Brunswick. Copp was a defenseman who played 38 games for the Leafs in 1942-43. He must have made a favourable impression. Seven years later while practising dentistry in Ottawa, Dr. Copp got called back to the injury riddled Leafs to play two weekend games on October 21 and 22, 1950. The Leafs won both games. Copp retired for good, returning to his career as a dentist. Bobby Copp passed away on December 12, 2006.
November 15: On this day in 1944, the Leafs gave up 3 goals in a sequence of just 27 seconds in the 2nd period of an 8-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. As of 2007, the NHL record for the fastest three goals scored by one team is 20 seconds, set by the Boston Bruins in 1971.
November 15: On this day in 1967, J.P. Parise played his first and only game as a Maple Leaf. He had one assist as the Leafs downed the Boston Bruins 4-2. Toronto gave up on him too early as he was traded to the Minnesota North Stars where he begame an all-star over the next several years. Parise is most remembered for the pivotal role he played for Team Canada in the 1972 Canada-Russia Summit Series, striking fear in the incompetent officials. In his NHL career, Parise registered 238 goals and 356 assists. He also added a healthy 58 playoff points in 86 playoff games. His son is NHL left-winger Zach Parise.
November 15: On this day in 1975, Leaf draft choice, 145th overall in 1995, and defenseman Yannick Tremblay was born in Point-aux-Trembles, Quebec. Tremblay played in 78 games for the Leafs between 1997 and 1999 and chipped in 15 points. He was one of only 3 players in team history to wear jersey number 38. He was lost to the Atlanta Thrashers in the 1999 Expansion Draft. Through 2007 Tremblay has played in 390 career NHL games, but not ever a single playoff game.
November 15: On this day in 1983, the Leafs signed free agent Dave Hutchison to a second stint in a Leaf uniform and his final season in the NHL. He had also been a Leaf defenseman and enforcer for a season and a half between 1978 and 1980. During the 1978-79 campaign, Hutchison was an excellent plus-36 despite accumulating 235 minutes in penalties. He was traded to Chicago in January, 1980 in a poor Leaf trade for Pat Ribble. In all, Hutchison played 157 games for the Leafs and registered 29 points.
November 15: On this day in 1986, Brad Smith of the Leafs fought his way into 2nd place on the all-time NHL list for most penalty minutes in one game. He collected 1 minor, 3 majors, 2 10-minute misconducts and 2 game misconducts for a total of 57 minutes in Toronto's 6-0 shutout over Detroit. The Leafs and Red Wings combined for a Leaf team record 300 minutes in penalties, the Leafs with 154 and the Wings with 146. Smith played two seasons in Toronto registering a total of 256 minutes in penalties in 89 games. The NHL record for most penalty minutes in one game is 67, held by Randy Holt of the 1978-79 Flyers.
