Turk Broda is the second best goalie in the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In the last article in this series, I talked about the third greatest goaltender in Toronto Maple Leafs history, Felix Potvin. Today we will look at #2.
#2 Turk Broda
Broda was initially signed by the Detroit Red Wings. After his inability to secure a roster spot, he was traded to the Leafs for $8,000 in 1936 ($140,733.24 in 2017). He made his debut with the Leafs during the 1936-37 season.
He started off his career with a record of 22-19-4 in 45 games. With a GAA of 2.30, Broda was able to lead the Leafs into the playoffs where they would lose in the first round to the New York Rangers.
Trophies/Awards
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Broda won the Vezina trophy twice, once in 1940-41 and once in 1947-48. He also won the Stanley Cup five times, in 1942, 1951 and three years in a row from 1947-1949. He was also nominated for two Hart trophies as the league MVP, which he lost both times, but his performance was still extraordinary.
Best Season
Broda’s best season came during the 1940-41 season. With a record of 28-14-6 in 48 games played, he led the Leafs to second place in the NHL. Also, his GAA of 2.00 and 28 wins led all goalies and thus, he won the Vezina Trophy. Lastly, his five shutouts were second in the NHL. During the post-season, Broda had a record of 3-4 with a GAA of 2.05. The Leafs would lose in seven games during the semi-finals against the Boston Bruins. While the Leafs did not win the Cup, Broda had an amazing season and that shows through his stats and the Vezina he won.
What Made Broda so Special?
What made Broda so special was his calmness in the net. While he was one of the bigger goalies in his era, he would be diving across the net to save a goal. Also, if he let in a goal, he would be very angry with himself and would typically not allow another during the game. Broda was a wall in the playoffs, he would be a lot tougher to score against. That is one of the main reasons for the Leafs five Stanley Cup championships during Broda’s tenure with the team.
Overview
Broda had a final record of 302-224-101 in 629 games with the Leafs over 14 seasons with the team. He leads the Leafs all-time in games played, wins and shutouts. Over his tenure with the Leafs, Broda helped the team make the finals nine times, winning it five times.
He retired in 1952 at the age of 38 and would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame 15 years later in 1967. Sadly five years later he would die of a heart attack at the age of 58.
In 2016, the Leafs added Broda into Legends Row alongside Dave Keon and Tim Horton. The Leafs also retired Broda’s number (1), never to be worn again by another Leafs player. Broda was named to the 100 Greatest NHL Players of All Time in 2017, marking his name once more in NHL history.
Join me later to find out who is ranked first.
*stats from quanthockey.com & hockey-reference.com