Bill Barilko
| Bill Barilko | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 25, 1927 Timmins, ON, CAN |
| Died | c. August 26, 1951 (aged 24) Cochrane, ON, CAN |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) |
| Position | Defence |
| Shot | Right |
| Played for | Hollywood Wolves (PCHL) Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Playing career | 1945–1951 |
William "Bashin' Bill" Barilko (March 25, 1927 – c. August 26, 1951) was a Canadian ice hockey player who played his entire National Hockey League career for the Toronto Maple Leafs.[1][2]
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[edit] Personal life
Barilko was of Ukrainian descent and had a brother, Alex, and sister, Anne.[3]
[edit] Professional career
In February 1947, Bill Barilko was called up to the Toronto Maple Leafs from the PCHL's Hollywood Wolves and played for Leafs until his death.[4] He was assigned sweater #21 when he debuted for the Leafs. He changed to #19 for the 1948-49 and 1949-50 seasons. The #5 (which was retired by the Leafs) was only worn by Barilko for one season, 1950-51. During that span of five seasons, Barilko and the Toronto Maple Leafs were Stanley Cup champions on four occasions 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951.[5] The last goal he ever scored (in overtime against the Montreal Canadiens' Gerry McNeil in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final, on April 21, 1951) won the Leafs the Cup.[2]
[edit] Disappearance and death
Four months later, on August 26, 1951, Barilko joined his dentist Henry Hudson on a flight aboard Hudson's Fairchild 24 floatplane to Seal River, Quebec, for a weekend fishing trip.[6] On the return trip, the single-engine plane disappeared and its passengers remained missing.[6] Eleven years later, on June 6, 1962, helicopter pilot Ron Boyd discovered the wreckage of the plane[7] about 100 kilometres (62 mi) north of Cochrane, Ontario,[8][9] about 35 miles off course. The cause of the crash was deemed to have been a combination of pilot inexperience, poor weather and overloaded cargo.[10] Notably, the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup that year, after not winning it at all during the eleven years that he was missing.[8][8][10][11] The Tragically Hip's song "Fifty Mission Cap", from their 1992 album Fully Completely, features Barilko's story and the lack of another Leafs championship with the lyrics "Bill Barilko disappeared, that summer, he was on a fishing trip. The last goal he ever scored, won the Leafs the cup. They didn't win another, 'till 1962, the year he was discovered."[6][9]
[edit] Honours
Barilko played in the 1947, 1948 and 1949 NHL All-Star Game, scoring a goal in the 1949 game.
Barilko won 4 Stanley Cups with the Maple Leafs in 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1951.
Barilko's #5 is one of only two numbers retired by the Maple Leafs (Ace Bailey's #6 is the other).[2][6][8]
Barilko's story was published in the 1988 book Overtime, Overdue: The Bill Barilko Story, by John Melady, and the 2004 book Barilko — Without A Trace, by Kevin Shea.
The story of Barilko's 1951 Stanley Cup heroics and his mysterious disappearance were the inspiration for The Tragically Hip song "Fifty Mission Cap". The song appeared on the Canadian band's third full-length album Fully Completely, and is often credited with reintroducing Barilko's story to a younger generation.
[edit] See also
- List of fatalities from aviation accidents
- List of ice hockey nicknames
- List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career
- List of NHL players: B
- List of NHL retired numbers
- List of people who have mysteriously disappeared
- List of sports people who have died during their career
- List of Stanley Cup Final overtime series winners
- List of Toronto Maple Leafs award winners
- List of Toronto Maple Leafs players
- List of Ukrainian Canadians
- Sports-related curses
[edit] References
- ^ "What are some Canadian stories that have not been told or potentially could be told?". Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko. http://www.shevchenkofoundation.com/news_02.html. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ a b c "Toronto Maple Leafs Team Alumni Bios: Bill Barilko". Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=tea_alu_bbariko. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ Hornby, Lance (April 20, 2011). "The legend of Bill Barilko". The Toronto Sun. http://www.torontosun.com/2011/04/20/the-legend-of-bill-barilko. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
- ^ "Maple Leafs History: 1940s". Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=12737. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ "Maple Leafs History: 1950s". Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=12738. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ a b c d "Leafs pay tribute to Barilko". CBC. 2001-05-01. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2001/05/01/barilko010501.html. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ Victims of Aviation Accidents or Incidents in Canada: Cal Jones, Billy Joe Booth, Jonathan Mann, Brice Herbert Goldsborough, Bill Barilko, ISBN 978-1155408309
- ^ a b c d Fitzpatrick, Todd (1999-06-07). "Bashin' Bill". The Sporting News. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_23_223/ai_54868463. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ a b "Millennium Moment: Fifty Mission Cap". University of Western Ontario Gazette. 1999-05-28. http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/1999/May/28/Sports3.htm. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ a b "Bashing Bill Barilko is Missing". CBC. p. "Did you know". http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-41-175-988-10/on_this_day/sports/bill_barilko. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ^ "Maple Leafs History: 1960s". Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=12739. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
[edit] External links
- 1927 births
- 1951 deaths
- Accidental deaths in Ontario
- Canadian ice hockey defencemen
- Canadian people of Ukrainian descent
- Ice hockey people from Ontario
- National Hockey League players with retired numbers
- Pacific Coast Hockey League players
- People from Timmins
- Stanley Cup champions
- Toronto Maple Leafs players
- Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Canada
