Career in Cards: Johnny Bower

Hockey lost another legend on Tuesday when Johnny Bower passed away at age 93. Bower was one of the greatest goalies during the NHL’s Original Six Era. He was also one of the greatest minor league netminders, too. Bower spent 12 years in the NHL and another 12 in the AHL, and didn’t retire until he was 45. Thus, he had accomplished careers in the best and second-best hockey leagues. 

Here we take a look back at the career of the “China Wall,” illustrated with his hockey cards. from the 1950s and 1960s. 

1945-46 to 1952-53 – Minor-League Great

1951-52 Cleveland Barons Photo Cards – a team-issued “pre-RC” of Bower. 

Bower spent eight seasons with the Cleveland Barons. He led the Barons to three Calder Cup Championships in 1948, 1951 and 1953. He also was named the AHL’s top goaltender in 1952. 

1953-54 – The 29-Year Old Rookie

1954-55 Parkhurst #65 – Johnny Bower’s rookie card

The New York Rangers made Bower their goalie for the 1953-54 season. He played in every minute of all 70 games for the Rangers that season. Bower’s rookie card (pictured above) appeared next season in the 1954-55 Parkhurst set. 

1954-55 to 1957-58 – Back in the Minors

1994 Parkhurst Missing Link #103. This set was made in 1994 but designed to look like a card from 1956-57. During the ’56-67 season, Bower played in two NHL games. 

The next four seasons, Bower only saw spot duty with the Rangers, spending most of his time in the minors. He was named the Western League’s best goalie for the 1954-55 season. Bower spent the next three seasons in the AHL, and was named the AHL’s best goalie in 1957 and 1958. He also won the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s best player in 1956, 1957 and 1958. Surely, a player this good couldn’t remain in the American League for much longer.

1958-59 – The Start of a Hall of Fame Career

1958-59 Parkhurst #46

Bower got a second shot in the NHL when the Toronto Maple Leafs claimed him from the Cleveland Barons in the 1958 Inter-League Draft. He played in 39 games, re-establishing himself as an NHL regular. 

1959-60 – Number One Again

1959-60 Parkhurst #32

In Bower’s second full season with the Leafs, he played in 66 of 70 games, posted a 2.68 goals-against average and recorded a career-high five shutouts. Six years after his debut with the Rangers, Bower was back to being a number one goalie on an NHL team. 

1960-61 – The NHL’s Best Goalie

1960-61 Parkhurst #3

Bower won the Vezina Trophy as the goalie who allowed the fewest goals in the NHL, with a GAA of 2.50. He was also named a First-Team All-Star. 

1961-62 – Stanley Cup Winner

1961-62 Parkhurst #3. Yes, this card does use the same photo as his card from the previous year.

Bower continued as the Leafs’ number one goalie was a big part of the team’s Stanley Cup Championship in 1962. 

1962-63 – Stanley Cup Repeat

1962-63 Parkhurst #16. Haven’t we seen this picture somewhere else?

Bower and the Leafs finished first in the NHL during the regular season, and won the Stanley Cup again in 1963. He played in all 10 playoff games for Toronto, posting a 1.60 GAA. Had the NHL awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP back then, Bower arguably could have won that award, too. 

1963-64 – Stanley Cup Three-Peat

Bower and the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup for a third season in a row in 1963-64. He tied his career-best with five shutouts during the regular season. 

1964-65 – The NHL’s Best Goalie, Again

The Maple Leafs brought in Terry Sawchuk in  1964-65, who split games with Bower that season. The two combined for the best goals-allowed average in the NHL, and were co-winners of the Vezina Trophy. During the season, Bower turned 40. 

1965-66 – Still the Top Leaf Backstop

1965-66 Coca-Cola

Bower started the majority of the games for the Leafs, posted a 2.25 GAA and recorded three shutouts. 

1966-67 – A Fourth Sip from Stanley

1966-67 Topps #12

Although Sawchuk played more games than Bower during the regular season and in the playoffs, the Bower-Sawchuk tandem led the Leafs to a Stanley Cup Championship in 1967; this was Bower’s fourth Stanley Cup. 

1967-68 – Going Strong at 43

Bower played 42 regular-season games, recorded four shutouts and finished second in the league with a 2.25 GAA. 

1968-69 – His Last Season

In Bower’s last full season in the NHL, he recorded two shutouts and settled into a role as the Leafs’ backup goalie. 

1969-70 – One Last Game

Bower played in one game, then retired midway through the 1969-70 season at the age of 45. He accrued 250 regular season wins, 35 playoff wins, 37 regular season shutouts and five playoff shutouts. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976 and the American Hockey League Hall of Fame in 2006. ■

Special thanks to Hockey Media, who provided many of the images for this article. 

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk

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Author: Sal Barry

Sal Barry is the editor and webmaster of Puck Junk. He is a freelance hockey writer, college professor and terrible hockey player. Follow him on Twitter @puckjunk

5 thoughts on “Career in Cards: Johnny Bower”

  1. Thanks so much for this. I had the chance to meet Johnny a few times — a really fine guy who took the time and trouble to talk to all his fans, and was always happy to sign.

  2. GREETINGS …

    YOU MIGHT HAVE SECOND SIGHT AS THE TWO CARDS YOU HAVE USED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS WELL PUT TOGETHER PIECE ARE THE TWO WHICH WERE PARTICULAR FAVOURITES OF JOHNNY BOWER …

    UNFORTUNATELY, HE DID NOT APPEAR ON THAT MANY CARDS DURING HIS ACTIVE PLAYING YEARS BUT HAS ALSO BEEN DEPICTED ON SOME LATER CARDS SO IS FAIRLY WELL REPRESENTED …

    THE PHOTO SHOOT OF THE TWO CARDS USED FROM 1958-1959 THROUGH 1962-1963 WERE TAKEN THE SAME DAY SO EXPLAINS WHY THEY USED THAT ONE PHOTO FOR 4 DIFFERENT CARDS BEING RATHER UNFORTUNATE AS THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN OTHER CHANCES FOR NEWER PHOTOS DURING THAT TIME …

    JOHNNY WAS A TRULY FINE INDIVIDUAL, ONE OF THE REAL HEROES OF OUR YOUTH, WHO LIVED A LONG, HAPPY AND ENJOYABLE LIFE BUT STILL ONE WHO MANY OF US WISHED LASTED LONGER.

  3. Bower was such a huge part of the hockey community in the Toronto area. Many like me never saw him play, but they were witness to his great character and being a leading ambassador for the sport. I don’t think any loss from those 60s Leafs teams will hurt as much to the fans. The Leafs are hosting a Celebration of Life for him at the Air Canada Centre this week, which is well deserved to say the least.

    As embarrassing as it is to admit as a Leafs fan, I only have one Bower card from his playing days. It’s the other card of his from 1963-64 Parkhurst (#65, the full body shot). I always loved the look of that set, and the fact that it pre-dates the existence of the Canadian flag adds to the charm. The Leafs pose in front of the Ontario flag, but for some reason the Habs get an ugly striped background as opposed to the Quebec flag.

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