NHL Player Biographies-Tim Horton

Tim Horton

Nickname(s)

Height:

5-10

Weight:

180

Shoots:

Position:

HHOF:

1977

Born:

Jan 12, 1930

Birthplace:

Cochrane, Ontario

Of all things, Tim Horton is best known for his 1,700 plus location donut chain that he began late in career. He often joked that the reason he started the chain was because he spent too much of his pay cheque on crullers. Twenty five years after his death, the local Tim Horton Donut shop is the meeting place of hundreds of thousands of people every day. I personally remember one day meeting Bobby Baun at his own Tim Horton's just outside of Toronto. I had recounted to my 8 year old son many times, that a guy named Bob Baun once scored a Stanley Cup winning goal with a broken foot. Well when I took my son in to meet Bob, Michael's eyes lit up big as saucers. Bobby took him in the back room and about 5 minutes later Mike came out with signed pictures, and boxes of donuts. Believe me, it was as big a thrill for me as it was my son.

Tim's hockey career began, as did most Leaf players at the time, with the St. Michael's Majors of the Ontario Hockey Association. Horton played for St. Mike's for 2 years before he was called up to the Leafs for one game in the 1949-50 season. He was sent to the Pittsburgh Hornets for the next two seasons, saw action for 4 games with the Leafs in 1951-52 and was finally called up for good in the 1952-53 season.

As a defenseman, Tim was never known for his scoring ability, but try and get by him and you would often find yourself on the receiving end of a crushing body check. Horton was paired up with Allan Stanley, and between them and the pairing of Carl Brewer and Bob Baun, they made up one of, if not the most solid defense team in the NHL. The Leafs won 3 consecutive Stanley Cups with that core defense grouping. Horton remained with the Leafs for nearly 18 seasons before his production and salary made him expendable.

On May 18, 1970 he was traded to the New York Rangers for future considerations, where he spent just over one season. Pittsburgh acquired him on June 8, 1971 in the Inter-League Draft where Tim played for one season. Horton was then claimed by Buffalo on June 5, 1972 in the Interleague Draft.

In the middle of his 22nd full NHL season and his 25th year as a pro, Tim was on his way home to Buffalo on the Queen Elizabeth Way after a game in Toronto. Perhaps speed, fatigue or a combination of two were the reason(s) for Tim's car going out of control near St. Catherines Ontario. Whatever the reason, hockey lost a gentle giant that night. Tough man John Ferguson said of Horton, "Horton's the hardest body-checker I've ever come up against. He's as strong as an ox and hits with terrific force." Horton made the AHL All Star Team in 1952, the NHL Second All Star Team in 1954, 1963 and 1967, and the NHL First All Star Team in 1964, 1968 and 1969. He also played in the NHL All Star Game in 1954, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1968 and 1969.