Tim Horton

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Early photo of Tim Horton.
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Early photo of Tim Horton.

Miles Gilbert "Tim" Horton (January 12, 1930, in Cochrane, Ontario, Canada–February 21, 1974 in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada) was a Canadian professional hockey defenceman from Cochrane, Ontario. He played 24 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. He was also a businessman and the founder of Tim Hortons, Canada's largest coffee and doughnut store chain before dying in a car accident in St. Catharines, Ontario. Tim Horton was a Freemason[1].

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[edit] Playing career

Tim Horton grew up playing in the mining country near Sudbury, Ontario. The Toronto Maple Leaf organization signed him, and in 1947 he moved to Toronto to play junior hockey and attend high school at St. Michael's College School.

Two years later, he turned pro with the Leafs' farm team, the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League, and most of his first three seasons were spent with Pittsburgh. He played in his first NHL game on March 26, 1950. He remained a Leaf until 1970, winning four Stanley Cups. Horton later played for the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. Horton was known for his tremendous strength and calmness under pressure, and had relatively few penalty minutes for an enforcer-type defenseman. Horton was a hard-working and durable defenseman who was also an effective puck carrier – in 1964-65 he played right wing for the Leafs. He was named an NHL First Team All-Star three times (1964, 1968, and 1969). He was selected to the NHL Second Team three more times (1954, 1963, 1967). He appeared in seven National Hockey League All-Star Games.

Between February 11, 1961 and February 4, 1968, Horton appeared in 486 consecutive regular-season games; to this day, this remains the Leafs club record for consecutive games. The irony is that, on March 12, 1955, he suffered a broken leg and jaw after being checked by Bill Gadsby of the New York Rangers. The injuries were so severe that he missed much of the following season, and there was some doubt as to whether he would return.

Gadsby's really mean hit wasn't Horton's only major injury. He had a reputation for enveloping players who were fighting him in a crushing bear hug. Boston Bruins' winger Derek Sanderson once bit Horton during a fight; years later, Horton's widow, Lori, still wondered why. "Well," Sanderson replied, "I felt one rib go, and I felt another rib go, so I just had — to, well, get out of there!"[citation needed]

Injuries and age were little more than minor inconveniences to Horton, who was generally acknowledged as the strongest man in the game while he was playing. Declared Chicago Blackhawks winger Bobby Hull, perhaps the only NHL player more muscular than Horton, "There were defencemen you had to fear because they were vicious and would slam you into the boards from behind, for one, Eddie Shore. But you respected Tim Horton because he didn't need that type of intimidation. He used his tremendous strength and talent to keep you in check."[citation needed]

In 1962, he scored 3 goals and 13 assists in 12 playoff games, setting a Leafs team record for playoff points by a defenseman that was tied in 1978 by Ian Turnbull and was not broken until 1994, when Dave Ellett registered 18 points.

Horton wore the number 7 while playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was the same number worn by King Clancy during his career with the Leafs from 1931-32 to 1936-37. The team declared both Horton and Clancy honoured players at a ceremony on 21 November 1995, but did not retire the number 7 from team use. (See Leafs honours policy[2]).

Ironically, Clancy once lamented, "If he'd only get angry, no one would top him in this league." [citation needed] But Horton believed that he had taken too many penalties early in his career because of his "hot temper".

[edit] Doughnut industry

In 1964, Horton opened his first Tim Horton's Donut Shop in Hamilton, Ontario. He even added a few of his culinary creations to the initial menu. By 1965, Horton had partnered with investor Ron Joyce, who quickly took over operations and expanded the chain into a multi-million dollar franchise system.

Main article: Tim Hortons

[edit] Death

Early on the morning of 21 February 1974, while driving on the Queen Elizabeth Way from Toronto to Buffalo in his De Tomaso Pantera sports car, (a gift from Sabres' GM George "Punch" Imlach), Horton was involved in what is now an infamous accident. He was negotiating a curve on the QEW where it crosses over Twelve Mile Creek in St. Catharines, Ontario when he lost control, flipped, and was thrown from the vehicle. He was not wearing a seat belt. Horton was reported dead on arrival at the local hospital. A police officer pursuing Horton's vehicle said that he had been travelling at over 100 mph (160 km/h). There were also reports Horton had consumed a considerable amount of vodka, and was rumoured to have been taking analgesic pain killers due to a jaw injury suffered in practice the day before. An autopsy report released in 2005 showed Horton had a blood-alcohol level of twice the legal limit. The blood test also showed signs of amobarbital and residue from the Dexamyl pills that were found on Horton's body. The autopsy showed no indication he was taking painkillers as previously thought.

Horton's daughter later married the son of Ron Joyce and they currently run a Tim Hortons franchise in Ontario.

[edit] Career summary

Tim Horton began playing hockey at 5 in Duparquet, Quebec, when his family briefly moved there. The family returned to Cochrane in 1938 where he continued to play until he was 15. The family them moved to Sudbury where he played for the Copper Cliff Redmen of the NOHA (1946-47). In 1947, he enrolled with the St. Michael's College Majors on a scholarship. In September 1949, he began to play hockey professionally when Conn Smythe offered him a three year contract to play with the Pittsburgh Hornets, the Leaf's American League farm club. Tim began his rookie season with the Toronto Maple Leafs as #7 in 1952 and continued to play for the Leafs until March 3, 1970, when he was traded to the New York Rangers. Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard had taken Horton up on his jest about whether Horton would consider playing 1969-70 for Toronto for more money than his then-$45,000 CAN — "If somebody said they'd double my salary, I might consider such" [citation needed]. A little more than a year later, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In June 1972, he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres: Punch Imlach was now managing the Swords, and had talked Horton into joining them. Joyce had wanted Horton to focus on their doughnut business. "Maybe it's just a bad habit I've acquired," Horton chuckled. "I like to play hockey, hey — I have a long time ahead of me to sit behind a desk."[citation needed]

He didn't. Horton was a member of the Sabres until he died on February 21, 1974.

[edit] Awards and achievements

Autographed Tim Horton Card.
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Autographed Tim Horton Card.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/textfiles/famous.html
  2. ^ http://www.mapleleafs.com/history/honoured.html

[edit] External links

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