Johnny Bower

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Born November 8, 1925 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height: 5’9”  Weight: 170 bs

A “Class of 1971” inductee, Johnny Bower is the only player to win the American Hockey League MVP award for three consecutive seasons, from 1955 to 1957.

He is the AHL?s all-time leader in wins (359) and shutouts (45). John also recorded the league?s best goals-against average three times. Throughout his time with the Reds in 1945 and then from 1955-1957, Bower compiled a 75-34-10 record and a 2.61 GAA in 119 games. He led the Reds? to their great Calder Cup win in the 1955-56 season.

A national icon in Canada and hero in Toronto, he was nicknamed ?The China Wall?, famous for his fearless play. Playing maskless his entire career, he lost practically every tooth over his career. His most dangerous move was his patented technique of diving, head-first to poke check of the puck off the stick of oncoming skaters. Winner of 4 Stanley Cups during his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was enshrined in the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976, Johnny was also named one of the ?100 Greatest Players in NHL History? on January 1, 2017.

He is one of only a handful to have his number honored by the Leafs. Over his NHL career between 1953-1970, he compiled a 250-195-90 record, which included 37 shutouts with a 2.51 GAA in 552 NHL games. He was inducted into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame in 2006.

PLAYING STATISTICS

 

REGULAR SEASONN

Season

Team

Lge

GP

Min

GA

EN

SO

GAA

W

L

T

PCT

1945-46

Providence Reds

AHL

0   0 0 0 0.00      
1945-46

Cleveland Barons

AHL 0   164 0 4 3.00
1946-47

Cleveland Barons

AHL 40                  
1947-48 Cleveland Barons AHL 31   83 1 0 2.68        
1948-49 Cleveland Barons AHL 37   127 0 3 3.43        
1949-50 Cleveland Barons AHL 61   201 0 5 3.30        
1950-51 Cleveland Barons AHL 70                  
1951-52 Cleveland Barons AHL 68   165 1 3 2.43        
1952-53 Cleveland Barons AHL 61   155 2 6 2.54        
1953-54 New York Rangers NHL 70 4200 182 0 5 2.60 31 10    
1954-55 Vancourver Canucks WHL 63   171 0 7 2.71        
1954-55 New York Rangers NHL 5 300 13 0 0 2.60 2 1   0.917
1955-56 Providence Reds AHL 61   174 2 3 2.85        
1956-57 New York Rangers NHL 2 120 6 1 0 3.00 2 0   0.872
1856-57 Providence Reds AHL 57   138 1 4 2.42      
1957-58 Cleveland Barons AHL 64   140 0 8 2.19      
1958-59 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 39 2340 107 0 3 2.74 17 7   0.913
1959-60 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 66 3960 178 2 5 2.68 24 8   0.919
1960-61 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 58 3480 145 0 2 2.50 15 10   0.923
1961-62 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 59 3540 151 1 2 2.56 18 10   0.917
1962-63 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 42 2520 109 1 1 2.60 15 7   0.914
1963-64 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 51 3009 106 1 5 2.11 16 13   0.033
1964-65 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 34 2040 81 0 3 2.38 13 8   0.924
1965-66 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 35 1998 75 1 3 2.25 10 5   0.930
1966-67 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 27 1431 63 2 2 2.64 9 3   0.918
1967-68 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 43 2239 84 4 4 2.25 18 7  
1968-69 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 20 779 37 0 2 2.75 4 3  
1969-70 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 1 60 5 1 0 5.00 1 6  

COACHING STATISTICS

Season

Team

Lge

Type

GP

W

L

T

OTL

Pct

Result

1976-77

Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL

Assistant

             

1977-78

Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL

Assistant

             

Johnny Bower
Goalie

R. I. Reds Heritage Society
PO Box 504 Lincoln, RI 02895
Telephone: 401-230-5905
email: RIREDS15@gmail.com