Bobby Baun 50 Years Later

For Toronto Maple Leafs fans it may be hard to believe, but it has now been exactly 50 years since Bobby Baun scored perhaps the most famous goal in hockey history.

On April 23rd, 1964 Baun scored, as Paul Hunter of the Toronto Star phrases it, "an improbable shot after an implausible return that, 50 years later, still holds a revered place in Maple Leafs lore."

He adds: "An overtime goal in a Stanley Cup final is itself deserving of historic permanence. Add that it was scored on a broken leg and the storyline shifts into myth-making. Such was the magnitude of that dramatic night in an arena that no longer stands, for a team that no longer wins, that it dwarfs the other 1,059 times Baun pulled on an NHL sweater, and remains seared in the memory of Torontonians of a certain age."

Be sure to visit Mr. Hunter's in depth piece on the 50th anniversary of Baun's goal. It includes some brand new video interviews of the now 77 year old Baun.

Here's some further background on the story of Baun's goal -