Posts
November 7: On this day in 1914, Jack Forsey was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Forsey played 19 games in the NHL, all with the Leafs and all during the 1942-43 season. He scored 7 goals and added 9 assists for a solid but short NHL career.
November 7: On this day in 1945, Leaf goaltender Aldege "Baz" Bastien played his last game with the Leafs, a 4-3 loss to the Boston Bruins. Bastien played a total of 5 complete games in nets as a Leaf, all at the beginning of the 1945-46 season, but never won a game. He completed his NHL career in just 12 days with a 0-4-1 record. NHL teams went with one main man in that era and Bastien was never able to displace the great Turk Broda. His career ended at the first day of training camp in 1949 when he was struck in the eye with a shot to his maskless face. In 1983 Bastien was General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins and was killed in a car accident after driving home from an event sponsored by the team. His blood-alcohol level was more than twice the Pennsylvania State limit.
November 7: On this day in 1960, the Leafs acquired a key component to their Stanley Cup dynasty of the early 1960's. The Leafs sent Pat Hannigan and Johnny Wilson to the Rangers in exchange for Eddie "The Entertainer" Shack. Shack won four Stanley Cups as a Leaf and scored the Cup-winning goal in 1963. He returned to Toronto for a second stint and ended his NHL career as a Leaf in the mid-70's.
November 7: On this day in 1988, the Leafs conducted what many fans consider to be one of the worst trades in all of Maple Leaf history. The Leafs sent their former first round draft choice and fan favourite, Russ Courtnall to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the very troubled John Kordic. Courtnall went on to score over 200 more goals in the NHL. Kordic died in the summer of 1992 at the age of 27.
November 7: On this day in 2009, Phil Kessel picked up his first goal as a Maple Leaf in a 5-1 rout over the Detroit Red Wings. It was a dribbler, a shot from Jason Blake that went between Chris Osgood's legs and made it's way slowly — too slowly — to the red line late in the first period.
Photo courtesy RICK MADONIK/TORONTO STAR
