Howie Meeker's 5 Goal Game in 1947 Called Into Question

A new "old" scandal involving the Toronto Maple Leafs is re-emerging.

In 1947 the affable Howie Meeker set a rookie scoring record when he scored 5 goals in one game. That goal scoring outburst likely was enough to give Meeker the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year over some fellow in Detroit named Gordie Howe.

However Meeker's teammate Wally Stanowski is now speaking out, over 65 years later, saying that Meeker's famous night was a piece of fiction, and that the team awarded two goals by Stanowski to Meeker.

Joe O'Connor has the story in the National Post:

“The first goal, pretty much, was standard,” Stanowski says. “The puck went in and I came back to the bench and Hap Day, our coach, tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘We are going to give that goal over to Meeker.’”

The second allegedly fictitious Meeker goal started much like the first, with a shot from the point by the Dervish. The puck took a funny hop, and then a couple more and then it went in. Hap Day, the shooter claims, pulled the same routine afterward, tapping him on the shoulder and telling him the goal would henceforward belong to Meeker.

“They were lying,” Stanowski says. “They were building Meeker up for the rookie award. Eventually he won it, with the five goals there — he made it.”

Here's a full story, including a video of Stanowski telling the story. He ends the interview by saying "I never liked (Meeker) that much anyway.)

O'Connor catches up with Meeker at his home in Parksville, BC for his side of the story. Meeker admits the two goals in question were fluky in nature.

“Those were two horse-s— goals,” Meeker adds, explaining how one deflected off his stick while the second hit him in the “ass.” “The only reason I was standing in front of the net was because Wally’s shot couldn’t break a pane of glass. If he had any spit on his shot, he would have scored a million goals.”

It's always interesting in Toronto.

This isn't the first time Stanowski has spoken out rather crankily. In 2012 he made similar statements while claiming to hate the Toronto Maple Leafs and dislike today's NHL in general.