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Authors: Paul Henderson
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era. He literally danced on his skates with what appeared to be complete ease and effortlessness, and that drove us crazy, wondering how he could be so light on his skates.
Johnny Bower was both a great player and a great guy. There was nobody else like him. Johnny didn’t even make the NHL to stay until he was thirty-four – at least as far as we know, because he lied about his age so often nobody was certain just how old he was! – but, boy, did he ever make up for lost time. He was a tremendous goalie in big games and was an integral part of several Toronto Stanley Cup winners.
Johnny is the kind of guy who is always there to help other people, and he is dearly loved by everyone who knows him. He’s helped so many charitable causes over the years,and he seldom says no to anybody. Only recently has he slowed down even just a little, and he is always the consummate humble gentleman. But when he was playing goal – man, he couldn’t stand anybody getting the puck past him, even in practices!
The remarkable thing is that Johnny doesn’t have a clue just how great a goalie he was. He was and still is today so humble. You seldom meet a man who is more down to earth than Johnny Bower. Everybody loves Johnny, and with good reason. He is certainly finishing well, as I like to say.
We rebounded to finish fourth in the East Division in 1970–71, with eighty-two points. I played on a line with Norm Ullman and Ron Ellis and enjoyed my best season to date in the NHL , with thirty goals and thirty assists. Over the next two seasons, we comprised a solid line that could compete with any in the NHL . We were also very good defensively; our two-way game made us that much more effective.
That season also saw Darryl Sittler join our team after being drafted eighth overall in the 1970 draft, and it was easy to see how determined he was to become an NHL star – few players worked harder than he did. He developed into an incredible team leader during his career. We were both small-town boys and had a lot in common, and we enjoyed each other’s company, especially when we both bought homes in Mississauga. During the 1972 series against the Soviet Union, Darryl and his wife, Wendy, looked after our three daughters while Eleanor and I were in Moscow. Darryl, of course, went on to become one of the best players in NHL history and, in 1989, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
RON ELLIS ON PLAYING WITH HENDERSON AND ULLMAN
Those years with the Toronto Maple Leafs were tough in a lot of ways. We didn’t win a lot of games, and we missed the playoffs a lot. We didn’t have nearly as much success as we would have hoped. But they were still good years in a lot of ways too because I got to play with two great players, Paul Henderson and Normie Ullman. It was remarkable, really, when you think about it, because we played together for six years, I guess, and we all produced equally. Usually, there’s one guy on a line who is the big scorer, but we all had such similar totals. I think that’s because we complemented each other so well. Paul was the kind of player who took chances – he liked to stay deep and look for that turnover or scoring chance – while Norm Ullman was such a good forechecker, so tenacious, always forcing the play. As for me, well, my role was that those guys knew I always had their backs. I would look after the defensive side and do my part when needed. We were a real line and we worked well together. I think that’s why we enjoyed playing with each other and had so much success as a unit over the years. It really was a pleasure playing with them. Those years with Paul and Norm in Toronto were the most enjoyable years of my life
.
We were solid in goal as well. We picked up one of the all-time greats, Jacques Plante, in a trade with St. Louis, and later in 1970–71 we got Bernie Parent, as good a young goalie as there was in the league at that time, in a deal with Philadelphia. Bobby Baun, who had been
Johnny Bower was both a great player and a great guy. There was nobody else like him. Johnny didn’t even make the NHL to stay until he was thirty-four – at least as far as we know, because he lied about his age so often nobody was certain just how old he was! – but, boy, did he ever make up for lost time. He was a tremendous goalie in big games and was an integral part of several Toronto Stanley Cup winners.
Johnny is the kind of guy who is always there to help other people, and he is dearly loved by everyone who knows him. He’s helped so many charitable causes over the years,and he seldom says no to anybody. Only recently has he slowed down even just a little, and he is always the consummate humble gentleman. But when he was playing goal – man, he couldn’t stand anybody getting the puck past him, even in practices!
The remarkable thing is that Johnny doesn’t have a clue just how great a goalie he was. He was and still is today so humble. You seldom meet a man who is more down to earth than Johnny Bower. Everybody loves Johnny, and with good reason. He is certainly finishing well, as I like to say.
We rebounded to finish fourth in the East Division in 1970–71, with eighty-two points. I played on a line with Norm Ullman and Ron Ellis and enjoyed my best season to date in the NHL , with thirty goals and thirty assists. Over the next two seasons, we comprised a solid line that could compete with any in the NHL . We were also very good defensively; our two-way game made us that much more effective.
That season also saw Darryl Sittler join our team after being drafted eighth overall in the 1970 draft, and it was easy to see how determined he was to become an NHL star – few players worked harder than he did. He developed into an incredible team leader during his career. We were both small-town boys and had a lot in common, and we enjoyed each other’s company, especially when we both bought homes in Mississauga. During the 1972 series against the Soviet Union, Darryl and his wife, Wendy, looked after our three daughters while Eleanor and I were in Moscow. Darryl, of course, went on to become one of the best players in NHL history and, in 1989, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
RON ELLIS ON PLAYING WITH HENDERSON AND ULLMAN
Those years with the Toronto Maple Leafs were tough in a lot of ways. We didn’t win a lot of games, and we missed the playoffs a lot. We didn’t have nearly as much success as we would have hoped. But they were still good years in a lot of ways too because I got to play with two great players, Paul Henderson and Normie Ullman. It was remarkable, really, when you think about it, because we played together for six years, I guess, and we all produced equally. Usually, there’s one guy on a line who is the big scorer, but we all had such similar totals. I think that’s because we complemented each other so well. Paul was the kind of player who took chances – he liked to stay deep and look for that turnover or scoring chance – while Norm Ullman was such a good forechecker, so tenacious, always forcing the play. As for me, well, my role was that those guys knew I always had their backs. I would look after the defensive side and do my part when needed. We were a real line and we worked well together. I think that’s why we enjoyed playing with each other and had so much success as a unit over the years. It really was a pleasure playing with them. Those years with Paul and Norm in Toronto were the most enjoyable years of my life
.
We were solid in goal as well. We picked up one of the all-time greats, Jacques Plante, in a trade with St. Louis, and later in 1970–71 we got Bernie Parent, as good a young goalie as there was in the league at that time, in a deal with Philadelphia. Bobby Baun, who had been
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