Johnny Bower

A large photo of Hall of Fame goaltender Johnny Bower (born November 8, 1924) hangs from the ceiling of the hockey-themed R Bar.

Bower began his playing career in the minor leagues after serving in World War II. He spent 12 of his first 13 seasons in the minor leagues, playing the 1953-54 season with the New York Rangers. He would only play in a few more NHL games over the next three seasons with New York.

His big break came when he was acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1958. He finished his career with 11 seasons in Toronto, retiring at the age of 45 in 1970. Quite impressive considering he played his entire career with arthritis in his hands. Bower also played the majority of his career without a mask.

In his era, the six NHL teams only carried one goaltender roster spot, making it very hard to achieve a long NHL career. He beat the odds by appearing in 552 NHL games, winning the Vezina Trophy (goaltender of the year award) twice. He was on four Stanley Cup winning teams and three Calder Cup (AHL minor league) winning teams.