Leaf great Tim Horton's banner raised in hometown
COCHRANE - Tim Horton is home again.
The legendary Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman’s No. 7 banner was raised to the rafters of the arena that bears his name in his hometown of Cochrane on Thursday.
With a cheering crowd well exceeding the Tim Horton Event Centre’s 500-seat capacity, the massive banner which used to hang at the Air Canada Centre barely reached a few feet from the ground even when fully raised to the ceiling.
The larger-than-life tribute was a fitting one for a man who is among the greatest defencemen to ever wear the Maple Leafs sweater — and he could make pretty good coffee too.
Peter Politis, the Mayor of Cochrane, said that to understand Horton’s story is to understand Northern Ontario.
“We’re pioneers,” said Politis. “The people have come here with very little, have braved the hardest winters, hard conditions, they’re blue-collar, hard-working, humble people. When you hear these folks talk about Tim Horton and about what he meant to them and what his characteristics were: strength, skill, brawn, determination, but always humble, always genuine. That’s who we are as Northern Ontarians, that’s what makes us the proudest.”
Among those on hand to celebrate were three of Horton’s daughters, Traci, Kelly and Jeri. In fact, Thursday’s ceremony coincided with Kelly’s 60th birthday.
Others joining in the ceremony were former Maple Leafs goalies Mike Palmateer and Paul Harrison, as well as longtime Maple Leafs defenceman Bob McGill.
With the event serving as part of the opening of the Cochrane Crunch’s Jr. ‘A’ Polar Bear Cup showcase tournament, it was only fitting that Leafs mascot Carlton the Bear was in town for the event. He did not, however, feel brave enough to face Ganuk and Henry, the actual polar bears currently living in the nearby Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat.
Horton’s banner raising is the first and only announced date of a tour that will see 18 Maple Leafs banners recognizing honoured or retired numbers return to the hometowns of the players that grace them.
The current set of banners was first put up when the ACC opened on Feb. 20, 1999, and will be replaced with a new set when the 2016-17 season begins.
Horton won four Stanley Cups with the Maple Leafs, leading the team in playoff scoring with 16 points in 12 games during his first championship run in 1962. He’d help the Leafs win the ultimate prize again in 1963, 1964 and 1967.
Horton was known for being able to do a bit of everything, from carrying the puck up ice to stopping opponents dead in their tracks on the defensive end. Most of all, he was known for his remarkable physical strength and toughness.
“He was the strongest men that ever played in the NHL, bar none,” Hall of Fame referee Red Storey once said.
“Thank God he was a nice guy.”
Those attributes, combined with his thick, black-rimmed glasses gave Horton a Clark Kent-like persona off the ice. The theme for “Superman” played through the speakers as Thursday’s crowd was presented with a video tribute of Horton’s life and career.
Timmins native and Maple Leafs teammate Frank Mahovlich once commented: “I never knew of a player so steady. No polish, no flash; just hard work.”
The banners of Mahovlich (No. 27) and fellow Leafs legend, Bill Barilko (No. 5), will each return to Timmins at an upcoming and unspecified date.
Despite countless severe injuries over the years that included dislocated shoulders, a broken leg and a shattered jaw, Horton was known for his astounding tolerance for pain.
That toughness helped him set a Maple Leafs record for consecutive games played with 486 — a record he still holds.
“I find it’s truly outstanding that that record is still standing today,” said McGill. “I had the privilege to play 317 games for the Maple Leafs, and to think he had 486 consecutive games just blows me away.
“To look at the way he played, it’s a true testament as to why he’s going to be enshrined here tonight.”
Only four players — Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Chris Chelios and Mark Messier — have played in more NHL seasons than Horton’s 24. All in all, he totalled 1,445 games played and 518 career points.
Horton was also known for his hard work away from the rink. He opened his first Tim Hortons restaurant in Hamilton in 1964. Today, there are more than 5,000 of the coffee and doughnut chain worldwide.
“Tim, I think, is a perfect role model for our children to demonstrate to them not only how you can be successful, but how to carry yourself to be successful,” said Politis.
Horton’s life was tragically cut short on Feb. 21, 1974 when he died after losing control of his speeding De Tomaso Pantera sports car on a road in St. Catharines. Horton was in the midst of completing his second season with the Buffalo Sabres when he passed away at the age of 44.
The Sabres have retired the No. 2 sweater Horton wore as a member of the club.
One of Horton’s daughters, Jeri, said she knew her father’s nature would cause him to be “embarrassed” by all the fanfare on Thursday.
“He was a very humble man and he would just love you all for remembering him,” said Jeri. “After 41 years, being a Cochrane boy, growing up here, I know he loved you (Cochrane residents). His family and our family are still here and we still love them and see them. I think he would just be amazed to see this tonight. Thank you very much to everybody.”
Of the 18 numbers recognized by the Maple Leafs, only two are officially retired: Barilko’s No. 5 and Ace Bailey’s No. 6.
This year marks just the third time the banners have left the Air Canada Centre since 1999.
Horton's banner raised in hometown
Tim Horton was the founder of the now billion-dollar franchise better known as Tim Horton's, which has thousands of coffee/donut outlets through Canada and parts of the US. I still remember going to one of his first shops then known as Tim Horton's Donuts while vacationing in North Bay when i was a child. He played for the Buffalo Sabres at the time and was a favorite player of mine. He died tragically in the early 70's.
