Bill Barilko

William " Bill" Barilko ( born March 25, 1927 in Timmins, Ontario; † August 26, 1951 near Cochrane, Ontario ) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who was active for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League.

Career

Bill Barilko began his career in the Pacific Coast Hockey League at the Hollywood Wolves and played for them until February 1947. At that time he was engaged by the Toronto Maple Leafs as a substitute.

1947 to 1949 he was able to win with the Maple Leafs the Stanley Cup three times in a row. In the season 1950/51 they reached the finals again. After four games, it was 3-1 for Toronto and in the fifth game went into overtime. After two minutes and 53 seconds met Barilko, who had shot as a defender only four playoff goals in his career, the victory of the Maple Leafs and thus also to the Stanley Cup win.

Four months later, on August 26, 1951, flew Barilko and a friend with a small plane from Fairchild in the north of Quebec to fish there. On the return flight, the aircraft disappeared, and even after an extensive search could not be found. On 7 June 1962, a pilot discovered the wreck about 100 kilometers north of Cochrane.

The Maple Leafs have won the Stanley Cup this year, for the first time since the disappearance of Barilko. The Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip addressed in their published 1992 song Fifty Mission Cap with the tragedy of Barilko and the fact that the Maple Leafs, while he was lost, could not win the Stanley Cup.

The Toronto Maple Leafs locked his number 5 is next to the number 6 of Ace Bailey, the only one that is not assigned because only numbers of players are blocked by the Maple Leafs, who have made ​​an outstanding contribution to the team and during her time as a player in Toronto died or had to end her career due to injury.

NHL stats

Awards and achievements

• Stanley Cup: 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1951