Johnny Bower

The China Wall: four-time Stanley Cup champion and Hall of Fame goaltender.

John William Bower (né Kiszkan; November 8, 1924 – December 26, 2017), nicknamed "The China Wall", was a Ukrainian-Canadian ice hockey goaltender and inductee to the Hockey Hall of Fame, who won four Stanley Cups during his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 2017 he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history. His song "Honky (The Christmas) Goose" reached #29 on the CHUM Charts in December 1965.

Quick Facts

Born: 8 November 1924
Birthplace: Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died: 26 December 2017
Place of death: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Position: Goaltender
Catches: Left
Played for: New York Rangers; Toronto Maple Leafs
Hall of Fame: 1976

Lore & Background

Bower was born John William Kiszkan in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, to Johnny Kiszkan and Lizzie, née Jacobson. He taught himself 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, serving from 1940 to 1943 in England as a gunner with the 2nd Canadian Division, and was discharged due to rheumatoid arthritis in his hands.

He changed his surname to Bower during his first year of professional hockey; various stories exist about the reason. He played eleven seasons in the AHL, mostly for the Cleveland Barons, winning three Calder Cups. He debuted in the NHL with the New York Rangers at age 29, playing all 70 games in his first season. He was claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1958 Inter-League draft.

Bower won the Vezina Trophy in 1961 and shared it in 1965. He won Stanley Cups with the Leafs in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967. 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. He played his last game on December 10, 1969. He announced his retirement on March 19, 1970. He remains the AHL career leader in wins with 359.

Reader's Guide

Bower was known for his hard-nosed, scrappy playing style and was the first goaltender to employ the poke check. He worked for the Maple Leafs after retirement as a scout, goalie coach, and assistant coach from 1976 to 1978. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976 and the AHL Hall of Fame in 2006. He was married to Nancy and had a son, two daughters, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren, residing in Mississauga, Ontario. A park near his house was renamed in his honour. He died on December 26, 2017, from pneumonia.