Turk Broda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Turk Broda |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1967 | |||
Broda with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1948
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| Born | May 15, 1914 Brandon, Manitoba, Canada |
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| Died | October 17, 1972 (aged 58) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
| Playing career | 1935–1943 1946–1951 |
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Walter Edward "Turk" Broda (born May 15, 1914 – died October 17, 1972) was a famous Canadian ice hockey player and coach. He was a goaltender, which is the player who defends the team's goal. Broda played his whole career for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League (NHL).
He played from 1935 to 1951. He took a break from 1943 to 1946 to serve in the Second World War. Broda was the first goaltender in NHL history to win 300 games. After he stopped playing, he became a coach for younger hockey teams. In 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' of all time.
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About Turk Broda
Broda was born in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. His family was from Ukraine. Many people thought he was Polish by mistake. But a director from the Maple Leafs confirmed he was Ukrainian.
Broda got his nickname "Turkey Egg" when he was in school. He had many freckles, which looked like turkey eggs. Soon, "Turkey Egg" became "Turk," and the name stayed with him.
Playing Hockey
Starting Out
Broda began his hockey journey with local teams in Brandon. He then played for the Winnipeg Monarchs. He also played for Detroit Farm Crest and the Toronto St. Michael's Majors. In 1933, he won the Memorial Cup, a big junior hockey championship.
In 1933, the Detroit Red Wings invited Broda to their training camp. But they already had two good goalies. So, Broda started his professional career with the Detroit Olympics.
Playing in the NHL
In 1935, the Toronto Maple Leafs bought Broda for $7500. He quickly became one of the best goalies in the league. In the 1940–41 season, he led the NHL with 28 wins.
In 1942, Broda won his first Stanley Cup with the Maple Leafs. They made an amazing comeback in the finals. They were losing three games to none against the Detroit Red Wings. But they won the next four games to win the championship.
From 1943 to 1946, Broda served in the army during World War II. When he returned in 1946, he helped the Maple Leafs win more Stanley Cups. They won in 1947, 1948, 1949, and 1951. Turk Broda stopped playing hockey in 1952 when he was 38 years old.
"Battle of the Bulge"
One famous story about Broda is called the "Battle of the Bulge." This was a disagreement between him and the Maple Leafs owner, Conn Smythe. Smythe wanted Broda to lose weight. The media in Toronto paid a lot of attention to this.
Smythe told Broda he had to lose 10 pounds in one week. He even brought in other goalies to pressure Broda. If Broda did not lose the weight, he would lose his job. In the end, Broda managed to lose enough weight. Years later, Broda admitted that the scales were secretly adjusted to help him.
Turk Broda's Legacy
After retiring from playing, Broda became a coach. He coached the Ottawa Senators and later the Toronto Marlboros. He led the Marlboros to win two Memorial Cup championships in a row, in 1955 and 1956.
Broda was added to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967. He was also honored by the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1983. In 1998, The Hockey News ranked him as the 60th greatest hockey player ever.
He helped the Maple Leafs win 5 Stanley Cups. He had 13 shutouts in the playoffs. A shutout means the goalie did not let the other team score any goals. He also had a very low GAA of 1.98 in the playoffs. This means he let in very few goals per game. Broda passed away in 1972 from a heart attack. He was 58 years old.
Awards and Achievements
- Turnbull Cup MJHL Championship (1933)
- Memorial Cup Championship (1933)
- Calder Cup Championship (1936)
- Vezina Trophy (1941 and 1948) - This award goes to the best goaltender.
- NHL First All-Star Team Goalie (1941 and 1948)
- Stanley Cup Championship (1942, 1947, 1948, 1949, and 1951)
- NHL Second All-Star Team Goalie (1942)
- Ranked number 60 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players (1998)
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1967.
- Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
- Inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1983
- His #1 jersey was retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs. This means no other player on the team will ever wear that number again.
- Named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history (2017).
See also
- List of NHL goaltenders with 300 wins
- List of NHL players who spent their entire career with one franchise
