Johnny Bower

Lore & Background

Johnny Bower was born John William Kiszkan into a Ukrainian-Canadian family in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He taught himself to play hockey using a branch as a stick and made goalie pads from old mattresses. Around age 10, his parents separated, which created a stigma. At 15, he lied about his age and enlisted in the Canadian Army during World War II, serving as a gunner in England from 1940 to 1943 before being discharged due to rheumatoid arthritis. He turned professional in the American Hockey League in 1945, spending eleven seasons mostly with the Cleveland Barons. His surname was legally changed during his first professional year; various stories exist about the reason, including to avoid post-war discrimination against eastern Europeans or because sportswriters often misspelled 'Kiszkan'.

Reader's Guide

Bower made his NHL debut with the New York Rangers in 1953–54 at age 29, playing all 70 games and recording 29 wins. He was claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1958 Inter-League draft and became a key part of their three consecutive Stanley Cup victories from 1962 to 1964. He won the Vezina Trophy in 1960–61 and shared it with Terry Sawchuk in 1964–65. Bower was known for his hard-nosed, scrappy playing style and was the first goaltender to employ the poke check. He played his last game on December 10, 1969, and remains the second-oldest goaltender in NHL history at 45 years, 1 month, 2 days. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976 and to the AHL Hall of Fame in 2006. After retirement, he worked for the Maple Leafs as a scout and goalie coach, and later as assistant coach from 1976 to 1978.

Did You Know?

• Bower's song 'Honky (The Christmas) Goose' reached #29 on the CHUM Charts in December 1965.
• He remains the AHL career leader in wins with 359.
• On April 6, 1969, at age 44 years, 4 months, 29 days, he became the oldest goaltender to play in a Stanley Cup playoff game.

Early Life & The Name That Stuck

John William Kiszkan came into the world on November 8, 1924, in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, into a Ukrainian-Canadian household. His father, Dmytro Kiszkan, had worked as a homesteader before becoming a labourer, and his mother Lizzie, née Jacobson, raised a large brood of eight children. Young John learned the game of hockey entirely on his own, fashioning a stick from a tree branch and padding his legs with scraps of old mattresses. Around age ten, his parents' separation cast a shadow over the family in their small community. At fifteen, he lied about his age and joined the Canadian Army, serving as a gunner with the 2nd Canadian Division in England between 1940 and 1943. Rheumatoid arthritis in his hands ended his military service. After returning home in 1944, he played junior hockey before turning pro in the AHL in 1945. During his first professional year, he legally changed his surname to Bower — a decision whose true origin he never fully clarified, with explanations ranging from his mother's maiden name to avoiding post-war prejudice against eastern Europeans, or simply because sports writers kept misspelling 'Kiszkan.'

Four Cups and a Numb Head

Bower's NHL story began late. At 29, he debuted with the New York Rangers in 1953–54, playing all 70 games and collecting 29 wins. But the following season, Gump Worsley reclaimed the starting role, and Bower drifted through the minors for four more years. His breakthrough came when the Toronto Maple Leafs claimed him in the 1958 Inter-League draft. Bower initially resisted, weary of constant relocation, but newly hired coach Punch Imlach personally visited him, calling him 'the most remarkable — and maybe the best — athlete in the world.' That persuasion proved transformative. Bower captured his first Vezina Trophy in 1961, then anchored the Leafs through three straight Stanley Cup triumphs from 1962 to 1964. He later described the feeling: 'When we won the Stanley Cup, my head went numb, my whole body went numb. That was my dream from Day One.' Despite poor eyesight and a scrappy, hard-nosed style, he added a fourth Cup in 1967 alongside fellow Hall of Famer Terry Sawchuk, sharing the Vezina with him in 1964–65.

The Oldest Wall in Hockey

Bower's longevity was as remarkable as his talent. On April 6, 1969, at 44 years, 4 months, and 29 days, he became the oldest goaltender ever to appear in a Stanley Cup playoff game, breaking a record previously held by Lester Patrick. His final NHL game came on December 10, 1969, a 6–3 loss to Montreal, and was his only appearance that season due to injuries. At the time, he stood as the oldest full-time player in an NHL game — a distinction later surpassed by Gordie Howe, Chris Chelios, and Jaromír Jágr. He remains the second-oldest goaltender in NHL history at 45 years, 1 month, and 2 days, behind only Maurice Roberts. He announced his retirement publicly on March 19, 1970, four months past his 45th birthday, after eleven full seasons with Toronto. When pressed about his true age, he quipped, 'If you don't know by now, you never will.' Even Imlach once doubted his stated birth date, noting that if it were accurate, Bower would have been overseas with the First Division at age 13 in 1939. Bower eventually confirmed November 8, 1924. He also holds the AHL career record for wins with 359.

A Life After the Net

Beyond the ice, Bower remained woven into the Maple Leafs organization for decades, serving as a scout, goalie coach, and assistant coach from 1976 to 1978 before his formal retirement in 1990. Yet he continued making public appearances on the team's behalf for the rest of his life. His legacy is etched across numerous honours: Hockey Hall of Fame induction in 1976, the AHL Hall of Fame's inaugural class in 2006, the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame in 1994, and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2017, he was named among the 100 Greatest NHL Players. A 2004 postage stamp and a 2005 Royal Canadian Mint fifty-cent coin further cemented his place in Canadian culture. He settled in Mississauga, Ontario, with his wife Nancy, a son, two daughters, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. When a nearby city park was renamed in his honour, he took to cleaning litter and feeding the birds there. He also found unexpected fame in music, with 'Honky (The Christmas) Goose' reaching number 29 on the CHUM Charts in December 1965. He passed away on December 26, 2017.

Gallery