1967 Maple Leafs receive 2024 Keith Magnuson ‘Man of the Year’ award

TORONTO -- The 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs are a team that is entrenched in the folklore of hockey in the city, a team that was never supposed to win the Stanley Cup, and now, almost 57 years later, still the last Maple Leafs team to have won.

On NHL All-Star Thursday, the team was honored as the recipient of the 2024 Keith Magnuson “Man of the Year” by the National Hockey League Alumni Association.

“It’s not always the best team that wins the Stanley Cup, it’s the team that plays the best in the Stanley Cup, and I think we were full value for the win,” Brian Conacher said.

Conacher was one of five members of the team on hand for the ceremony at Scotiabank Arena, along with Dave Keon, Bob Pulford, Pete Stemkowski and Mike Walton. The other two surviving members, Frank Mahovlich and Ron Ellis were unable to attend.

Led in by the Highland Creek Pipe Band, the crowd of thousands viewed a tribute video featuring highlights from the team’s Stanley Cup run in which they defeated the Chicago Blackhawks, who finished first during the regular season, 4-2 in the best-of-7 semifinal before beating the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 in the Stanley Cup Final.

“Looking at that film we saw, it brings back memories like it happened last night,” Keon said. “Seeing everybody enjoy that we had won, and knowing that we won the Cup, a lot of people said we didn’t deserve it but for one month, we were the best team in hockey.”

At one point that season, the Maple Leafs lost 10 games in a row. Keon said that he felt that the Blackhawks and Canadiens might have overlooked them because of it.

“By the time they realized they were in a dog fight, it was too late,” Keon said.

The Keith Magnuson “Man of the Year” award is given to former players who have applied the intangibles of perseverance, commitment and teamwork developed through the game into a successful post-career transition.

“One word instantly comes to mind when I think of the 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs: greatness,” Glenn Healy, President and Executive Director of the NHLAA, said. “Led by some of the greatest players ever to wear the blue and white, the ’67 Leafs hold a special place in the hearts of so many Toronto hockey fans as the last team to bring the Stanley Cup home to their beloved city. As the NHL takes over the city of Toronto for this year’s All Star festivities, the NHLAA is proud to present this award to one of the most significant teams in the city’s expansive hockey history.”

The Stanley Cup win in 1967 was the fourth in six seasons for the Maple Leafs. Ten players from the team, including captain George Armstrong, Johnny Bower, Terry Sawchuk, Tim Horton, Red Kelly, Marcel Pronovost, Allan Stanley, Pulford, Mahovlich and Keon each were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The year was the same in which Canada celebrated its centennial birthday. A festival known as Expo ’67 was held in Montreal that year celebrating Canada’s 100th birthday. The Canadiens had desperately wanted to parade the Cup through the festival, which Toronto coach Punch Imlach constantly used as a source of motivation for the Maple Leafs.

“I remember one thing that Punch (Imlach) would say is that, ‘Look, the Stanley Cup is not going to Montreal for Expo ’67’,” Stemkowski said. “There was no way he wanted it to go there, and it didn’t. We are fortunate, I think to this day, to beat a team that was probably better than us. We ended up winning with drive, determination... we finished third (in the regular season) but we ended up winning the Stanley Cup.”