Meeker, feeble Maple Leafs participant, ‘Hockey Evening in Canada’ analyst, dies
Howie Meeker, a four-time Stanley Cup champion with the Toronto Maple Leafs who became as soon as acknowledged by later generations of followers as an analyst on “Hockey Evening in Canada,” died Sunday. He became as soon as 97.
“Howie Meeker associated countless followers to hockey alongside with his wisdom and infectious converse,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman talked about. “The Nationwide Hockey League celebrates his life and mourns his passing.”
The ahead from Kitchener, Ontario, became as soon as the remaining living member of Toronto’s Cup-a success groups from 1947-49 and 1951. He performed in the NHL All-Superstar Sport in 1947, 1948 and 1949.
Meeker, a World Warfare II worn who became as soon as injured by a grenade, joined the Maple Leafs in 1946-47 and became as soon as voted winner of the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the 12 months after scoring 45 formulation (27 dreams, 18 assists) in 55 games. 5 of his dreams got here in one sport in opposition to the Chicago Murky Hawks at Maple Leaf Gardens on Jan. 8, 1947, atmosphere a single-sport NHL describe for newbies. He scored three dreams and 6 formulation in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games, helping the Maple Leafs procure their first of three consecutive championships — the first group in NHL history to provide so.
Receiving the Calder Trophy as the NHL rookie of the 12 months from W.A.H. MacBrien, vice president of Maple Leaf Gardens on Oct. 13, 1947, correct sooner than the first NHL All-Superstar Sport at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario.
Although Meeker beneath no circumstances got here shut to producing offensively esteem he did as a rookie, he became as soon as a precious member of Toronto’s championship groups in 1948, 1949 (even when he missed the playoffs with a broken collarbone) and 1951. He retired from the NHL after the 1953-54 season with 185 formulation (83 dreams, 102 assists) in 346 habitual-season games and 15 formulation (six dreams, nine assists) in 42 playoff games, even when he continued to play with senior groups in Canada till the slack 1960s.
Meeker coached the Maple Leafs in 1956-57, as soon as they accomplished 21-34 with 15 ties and didn’t qualify for the playoffs.
Starting up in the 1970s, a peculiar generation of hockey followers got here to clutch Meeker through his work on TV, most severely on “Hockey Evening in Canada.” He became as soon as one among the first analysts to expend a telestrator, and his catchphrase, “Stop it honest here,” grew to turn out to be a trademark. He became as soon as the Hockey Hall of Popularity’s Foster Hewitt Memorial Award winner in 1998 for excellence in hockey broadcasting and became as soon as named a Member of the Deliver of Canada in 2010.
Meeker wrote the influential “Howie Meeker’s Hockey Fundamentals,” hosted a series of instructional movies and ran camps in Canada and the United States.
Meeker became as soon as involved with Particular Olympics for nearly about 50 years, launching Particular Olympics Canada after being invited to participate by feeble NHL referee Harry “Red” Foster. He additionally lent his name and enhance to the Howie Meeker Charity Golf Traditional, hosting the fundraising occasion to income the Particular Olympics till 2018.
Images courtesy of Hockey Hall of Popularity Images archives