Walter "Turk" Broda was an
ice hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltenderIn ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
, playing his entire career for the
Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the
National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). Broda was born in
Brandon, ManitobaBrandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
to a
UkrainianUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
family; joining the Maple Leafs in 1936.
Personal
He is commonly referred to as Polish, but Publicity Director Stan Obodiac of the Maple Leafs, who knew Broda, has stated that Broda was in fact of Ukrainian origin.
Broda acquired the nickname of "Turk" during his school days in Brandon. His history teacher apparently told his class that an English king was called "Turkey Egg" because of his many freckles, and Broda immediately received the same name because of his numerous freckles. "Turkey Egg" soon became "Turk", and the name followed him.
Early career
Broda started his playing career with the Brandon Athletics and the Brandon Native Sons. After playing a few years with them he played for the
Winnipeg MonarchsThe Winnipeg Monarchs were a junior ice hockey team that played in the Western Canada Hockey League from 1967 to 1977 under three names. The team played as the Winnipeg Jets from 1967 to 1973; the Winnipeg Clubs from 1973 to 1976, and the Winnipeg Monarchs from 1976 to 1977. The Monarchs franchise...
, Detroit Farm Crest and the
Toronto St. Michael's MajorsThe Toronto St. Michael's Majors, was a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The hockey program was founded and operated by St. Michael's College School in 1906, and adopted the name "Majors" in 1934, and was commonly referred to as St. Mike's...
. In
1932-33The 1933 Memorial Cup final was the 15th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Newmarket Redmen of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed against the Abbott Cup champions Regina Pats of the South...
, he won the
Memorial CupThe Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
. In
1933-34-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Debuts:...
, the
Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
invited Turk Broda to their training camp. But with,
Normie SmithNorman "Normie" Smith was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for Montreal Maroons and Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League.-Rookie career:...
and
John Ross RoachJohn Ross Roach was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League. Roach was known for his acrobatic style of goaltending. He was a First Team All-Star during the 1932–33 NHL season. He won a Stanley Cup in 1922...
already in Detroit, there was no way Broda could start in the NHL. Instead, he would start his professional career with the
Detroit OlympicsThe Detroit Olympics were a minor league hockey team located in Detroit, Michigan that was a member of the Canadian Professional Hockey League 1927-29 and the International-American Hockey League 1929-36. The team played all of their home games at the Detroit Olympia...
.
NHL career
In
1935-36-NHL awards:Eddie Shore won his second consecutive Hart trophy. Frank Boucher's run of seven Lady Byng trophy awards came to an end as Doc Romnes won the award...
, he was acquired by the
Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for 8000$. Broda was starting to emerge as one of the league's top goaltenders. In
1940-41 NHL season-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
, he led the league in wins with 28 in 48 games. In
1941-42-References & notes:...
, he won his first
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
with the Leafs. The Leafs won the Cup when they were down 3 games to none against the
Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. The Maple Leafs made one of the greatest comeback in NHL history and took the Cup by winning the next 4 games.
In 1942-43, Broda joined the army for 2 and a half years during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In
1945-46-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
, Turk Broda returned to the Maple Leafs roster and was instrumental in the team's Stanley Cup victories in
1946-47The 1947 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens. The Maple Leafs would win the series four games to two. This was the first all-Canadian finals in 12 years.-Paths to the final:...
,
1947-48The 1948 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven series between the Detroit Red Wings and the defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs would win the series in four-straight games to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.-Paths to the final:...
,
1949-50The 1949 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven series between the Detroit Red Wings and the defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs, the second straight between Detroit and Toronto...
and in
1951-52The 1951 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. The Maple Leafs would win the series 4–1. It was the Toronto franchise's ninth Stanley Cup win and the last in a series of six wins starting in 1942...
. Turk Broda would retire in
1951-52-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
, at 38 years of age.
"Battle of the Bulge"
The "Battle of the Bulge" was a battle between head coach
Conn SmytheConstantine Falkland Cary Smythe MC was a Canadian businessman, soldier and sportsman in ice hockey and horse racing. He is best known as the principal owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from 1927 to 1961 and as the builder of Maple Leaf Gardens...
and Turk Broda about Broda losing weight. This argument brought a lot of attention from the media in
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Smythe ordered Broda to lose weight and brought
Al RollinsElwin Ira Rollins was a professional Canadian ice hockey goaltender who played for the Chicago Black Hawks, New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.-Playing career:...
and
Gilles MayerGilles "Gil" Mayer was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. Mayer stood 5'6" tall, and weighed 128lbs.-American Hockey League:...
from the minor leagues just to pressure Broda into losing weight. If Broda could not lose weight, then he would be removed from his goalkeeping duties. In the end, Broda lost enough weight to keep his job.
Legacy
After retiring, Broda became the head coach of the
Toronto MarlborosThe Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey League from 1904 to 1989...
. He led the Marlboros to back to back
Memorial CupThe Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
championships in
1955The 1955 Memorial Cup final was the 37th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed against the Abbott Cup champions Regina Pats of the...
, and in
1956The 1956 Memorial Cup final was the 38th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed against the Abbott Cup champions Regina Pats of the...
.
Broda was inducted into the
Hockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
In
1967-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points-Leading goaltenders:Note: GP = Games played; Min - Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts-Debuts:The following is a list...
and was inducted into the
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and MuseumThe Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, dedicated to the history of sport in Manitoba and honouring the best in sport. The organization began in 1980 and in 1993, a museum was opened in The Forks...
in 1983 as a "Honoured" member. In 1998, he was ranked number 60 on
The Hockey NewsThe Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. With 13 shutouts and a
GAAGoals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
of 1.98 in the playoffs, he helped the Leafs win 5 Stanley Cups and establish a dynasty.
Awards and achievements
- Turnbull Cup MJHL Championship (1933)
- Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
Championship (1933)
- Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
Championship (1936)
- Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
(1941 and 1948)
- NHL First All-Star Team Goalie (1941 and 1948)
- Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Championship (1942, 1947The 1947 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens. The Maple Leafs would win the series four games to two. This was the first all-Canadian finals in 12 years.-Paths to the final:...
, 1948The 1948 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven series between the Detroit Red Wings and the defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs would win the series in four-straight games to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.-Paths to the final:...
, 1949The 1949 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven series between the Detroit Red Wings and the defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs, the second straight between Detroit and Toronto...
, and 1951The 1951 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. The Maple Leafs would win the series 4–1. It was the Toronto franchise's ninth Stanley Cup win and the last in a series of six wins starting in 1942...
)
- NHL Second All-Star Team Goalie (1942
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
)
- In 1998, he was ranked number 60 on The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1960.
- “Honoured Member” of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...
- Inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, dedicated to the history of sport in Manitoba and honouring the best in sport. The organization began in 1980 and in 1993, a museum was opened in The Forks...
in 1983
Career statistics
|
|
| Season In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
|
Team |
League |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
MIN |
GA |
SO |
GAA Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
|
| 1935-36 |
Detroit OlympicsThe Detroit Olympics were a minor league hockey team located in Detroit, Michigan that was a member of the Canadian Professional Hockey League 1927-29 and the International-American Hockey League 1929-36. The team played all of their home games at the Detroit Olympia...
|
AHL |
47 |
26 |
18 |
3 |
2890 |
101 |
6 |
2.10 |
| 1936–37 |
Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
|
NHL |
45 |
22 |
19 |
4 |
2770 |
106 |
3 |
2.30 |
| 1937–38 -European tour:After the Stanley Cup final finished, the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens played a nine-game exhibition series in Europe, becoming the first NHL teams to play outside North America. Six games were played in England, three in France...
|
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
48 |
24 |
15 |
9 |
2980 |
127 |
6 |
2.56 |
| 1938–39 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
48 |
19 |
20 |
9 |
2990 |
107 |
8 |
2.15 |
| 1939–40 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
47 |
25 |
17 |
5 |
2900 |
108 |
4 |
2.23 |
| 1940–41 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
48 |
28 |
14 |
6 |
2970 |
99 |
5 |
2.00 |
| 1941–42 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
48 |
27 |
18 |
3 |
2960 |
136 |
6 |
2.76 |
| 1942–43 -NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
|
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
50 |
22 |
19 |
9 |
3000 |
159 |
1 |
3.18 |
| 1945–46 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
15 |
6 |
6 |
3 |
900 |
53 |
0 |
3.53 |
| 1946–47 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
60 |
31 |
19 |
10 |
3600 |
172 |
4 |
2.87 |
| 1947–48 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
60 |
32 |
15 |
13 |
3600 |
143 |
5 |
2.38 |
| 1948–49 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
60 |
22 |
25 |
13 |
3600 |
161 |
5 |
2.68 |
| 1949–50 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
68 |
30 |
25 |
12 |
4040 |
167 |
9 |
2.48 |
| 1950–51 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
31 |
14 |
11 |
5 |
1827 |
68 |
6 |
2.23 |
| 1951–52 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
30 |
3 |
0 |
6.00 |
| NHL totals |
629 |
302 |
224 |
101 |
38,167 |
1,609 |
62 |
2.53 |
Playoffs
|
|
| Season In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
|
Team |
League |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
MIN |
GA |
SO |
GAA Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
|
| 1935-36 |
Detroit Olympics |
AHL |
6 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
365 |
8 |
1 |
1.32 |
| 1936-37 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
133 |
5 |
0 |
2.26 |
| 1937-38 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
7 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
452 |
13 |
1 |
1.73 |
| 1938-39 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
10 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
617 |
20 |
0 |
1.94 |
| 1939-40 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
10 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
657 |
19 |
1 |
1.74 |
| 1940-41 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
7 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
438 |
15 |
0 |
2.05 |
| 1941-42 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
13 |
8 |
5 |
0 |
780 |
31 |
1 |
2.38 |
| 1942-43 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
6 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
439 |
20 |
0 |
2.73 |
| 1946-47 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
11 |
8 |
3 |
0 |
680 |
27 |
1 |
2.31 |
| 1947-48 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
9 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
557 |
20 |
1 |
2.15 |
| 1948-49 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
9 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
574 |
15 |
1 |
1.57 |
| 1949-50 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
7 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
450 |
10 |
3 |
1.33 |
| 1950-51 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
8 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
492 |
9 |
2 |
1.10 |
| 1951-52 |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
120 |
7 |
0 |
3.50 |
| NHL totals |
101 |
60 |
39 |
0 |
6389 |
211 |
13 |
1.98 |
External links