Punch Imlach facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Punch Imlach
Hockey Hall of Fame, (Coach) 1984
Punch Imlach with the Maple Leafs (c. 1964)
Born	(1918-03-15)March 15, 1918 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died	December 1, 1987(1987-12-01) (aged 69) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	161 lb (73 kg; 11 st 7 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Right
Played for	Toronto Young Rangers Toronto Goodyears Toronto Marlboros Quebec Aces
Playing career	1941–1949

George "Punch" Imlach (born March 15, 1918 – died December 1, 1987) was a famous Canadian ice hockey coach and general manager. He is best known for his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres. Punch Imlach is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is also in the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame since 2004.

Early Hockey Days

Punch Imlach was born in Toronto, Canada. He played junior hockey for the Toronto Young Rangers. Later, he played senior hockey for the Toronto Goodyears and the Toronto Marlboros.

During World War II, he joined the Canadian Army. This is where he first became a coach for an army team. After the war, he played for the Quebec Aces for several years. He became their coach and then their general manager. He even became a part-owner of the team.

In 1957, Imlach moved to professional hockey. He was hired by the Boston Bruins to manage their farm team, the Springfield Indians. He soon became the head coach of that team too.

Leading the Maple Leafs to Victory

In July 1958, the Toronto Maple Leafs hired Punch Imlach. He became one of their assistant general managers. Just a few months later, he was named the team's general manager. Soon after, he also became the head coach.

Imlach was known for being a very strict coach. He often pushed his players hard. He liked to work with older players. Many of these players felt he gave them a last chance to win the Stanley Cup. However, some younger players found his style difficult.

When Imlach took over, the Maple Leafs were not doing well. They had finished last the season before. But under his leadership, the team quickly improved. They made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first year. Three years later, in 1962, he led the Leafs to their first Stanley Cup win in 11 years! He coached the team to three more Stanley Cup victories in 1963, 1964, and 1967.

Imlach made some big trades during his time with the Leafs. In 1964, he traded Dick Duff and Bob Nevin to the Rangers. He got Andy Bathgate and Don McKenney in return. Later, in 1968, he traded star player Frank Mahovlich to the Detroit Red Wings. He received Paul Henderson, Norm Ullman, and Floyd Smith. Some of these trades were not very popular with fans.

In April 1969, after the Leafs lost in the playoffs, Punch Imlach was fired. He had been with the team for many successful years.

Building the Buffalo Sabres

After leaving the Maple Leafs, Punch Imlach became the first coach and general manager for a new NHL team, the Buffalo Sabres, in 1970.

In the Sabres' very first draft, Imlach made a famous choice. The first pick was decided by a spin of a roulette wheel. Imlach chose numbers 11-20. The wheel landed on 11, his favorite number! He then picked Gilbert Perreault, a young star player. Perreault played 17 years for the Sabres. He still holds many of the team's scoring records.

In 1972, Imlach had a heart attack. He stepped down as the Sabres' coach for a while.

In the 1974 draft, Imlach did something funny. He was tired of how long the draft was taking. So, he jokingly picked an imaginary Japanese player named Taro Tsujimoto. The league didn't realize Tsujimoto wasn't real for weeks! Today, the league officially calls that pick an "invalid claim."

The Sabres made it to the Stanley Cup finals in 1975, just their fifth year. However, Imlach often had disagreements with some of his players. In December 1978, Imlach was fired by the Sabres. Even so, he was one of the first people to be put into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame.

Coaching Record