The following is one of our many posts written as if it were 1964, as the
events unfolded.

It';s a slow hockey news day this 27th of September, 1964, so we thought we';d
 inform you of a little intrigue that took place at the NHL';s Intra-league
draft during the annual June shin-dig in Montreal. Some astute manoeuvring by
Toronto Maple Leafs'; General Manager George (Punch) Imlach resulted in Toronto
 acquiring not one, but two veterans destined to be members of the Hockey Hall
of Fame when their playing days are over - Terry Sawchuk and Dickie Moore. And
what isn';t well-known, it might have been three, if NHL prexy Clarence
Campbell hadn';t intervened.Is Gump Worsley on the Move?

In the days leading up to the draft, which took place on the third day of the
meetings, there was the usual speculation making the rounds about which players
 might be left unprotected by various teams and who might make a claim.  The
Montreal Canadiens were unhappy with goalie Gump Worsley's work in his first
season with them and let it be known they would be amenable to trading the
little fellow for any kind of warm body. They tried to peddle him to Detroit
for Larry Jeffrey, but the Wings wouldn';t bite on that bait, so they turned
their attention to Toronto.  Imlach, knowing that Worsley would be available
for a mere $20,000 if unprotected, wasn';t about to give up a live asset for
him.Gump WorsleyLeafs Wanted a Backup for Johnny BowerDon Simmons - days as a
Leaf are numbered.

The Leafs were looking at Worsley as a viable alternative if anything happened
to Johnny Bower, who was coming off an outstanding season and playoff.  
Imlach wasn';t losing faith in Johnny, who is nearing his 40th
birthday according to popular belief.  He was just hedging his bets,  fully
 aware that goaltenders getting long in the tooth benefit greatly from a
lighter workload.  Worsley would presumably be the perfect man to provide just
 such a relief valve.  Punch was not convinced that the incumbent backup,
lefty Don Simmons, was going to be able to provide Stanley Cup-winning
netminding on a prolonged basis.

As draft day approached, the Leafs indicated  they would protect Bower and
young Gerry Cheevers as their two goaltenders, leaving Simmons available.
Cheevers was a star at Rochester in the American Hockey League last season and
although inconsistent, most scouts feel he has the stuff to be a pretty fair
regular in the NHL when he matures.  Imlach figured that the Rangers would
take Simmons and the money he would receive for him could be spent on claiming
Worsely.  The Gumper would make a fine backup for Bower until young Cheevers
was ready for prime time. Punch had already budgeted $20,000 for taking Dickie
Moore from Montreal.Punch Imlach - The Plan Unfolds...

When the draft finally did begin, it went off pretty much as most  pundits
had forecast.  The New York Rangers opened festivities by claiming forward Jim
 Mikol from the Boston Bruins. Bruins'; GM Murray Patrick, brother of the
Rangers GM Muzz Patrick, was livid with Muzz, claiming he had promised the
Bruins that he would pass on Mikol if left unprotected.  The Bruins had just
acquired Mikol in the minor league draft the previous day. Most people felt
that this slice of sibling rivalry would end up being the subject about which
the day';s headlines would be written.Dickie Moore with the Maple Leafs.

At Toronto';s slot, Imlach did the expected and called the name of Dickie
Moore, selecting him from the Montreal list.  To make room for Moore on
Toronto';s protected list, the Leafs dropped forward Gerry (Tex) Ehman.

This is where it started to get interesting as Imlach began pulling
 strings. Punch, you see, had calculated that the hard-working Ehman would
 subsequently be claimed by the Rangers.  Imlach would then use the $20,000
he netted from Ehman to purchase Worsely in the next round.  Taking Worsely
would necessitate dropping young goaltender Cheevers, but Punch  had that
angle covered as well.  He knew Detroit wanted to get younger and he also knew
 of the Wings'; interest in fine young Boston goalie George Gardner.  He
reasoned that if Cheevers weren';t available, the Wings would have grab
Gardner if they wanted another young netminder.  So, once the Wings did that,
he would be free to drop Cheevers, whom it was thought would not be a target
of any other club.  Detroit, however, didn';t grab Gardner in first round,
opting instead for defenseman Gary Bergman of Montreal.Gerry Ehman. Big Tex was
 just part of the plan...or was he?

Serendipity can be a wonderful thing.   Perhaps there were unseen forces at
work, or maybe Punch just got lucky.  Whatever it was, the Rangers threw a bit
 of a monkey wrench into the Leafs'; GM';s plans by not drafting Ehman as the
second round opened.  Imlach hadn';t considered this possibility and was
briefly at a loss as to what course to follow next.  Toronto President
Stafford Smythe simply advised Punch "Wait and see what happens this
round."Round 2 1964 Intra-League DraftGerry Cheevers - still a Leaf!

The second round progressed with Detroit making yet another skater selection,
this time taking forward Murray Hall from Chicago.  With one round to go,
Imlach realized that if he took Worsely in round two, he would have to drop
Cheevers and Detroit would probably grab him in round 3.  Things started to
come together in Punch';s mind.  He decided if he didn';t take the Gumper, he
could keep Cheevers, and the Wings would have to go for their young
goaltender in round three, just before Toronto';s last pick.  Imlach knew
that if they took a young goalie, the only one available that was a worthwhile
pick was Boston';s Gardner.  If the Wings were to take Gardner, Punch
knew they would have to drop a goalie, and he knew it wasn';t going to be
Roger Crozier.Round 3 - Terry Sawchuk on the Move

Round three unfolded exactly as the Leaf mentor had envisioned.  The Red Wings
 GM Sid Abel, perhaps feeling confident that since Toronto hadn';t gone after
Worsley they were no longer interested in a veteran puckstopper, decided to
take a calculated risk. He took Gardner from Boston and dropped Sawchuk from
his protected list.  Abel barely had the words out of his mouth before a
gleeful Imlach announced that Toronto was selecting the former all-star and
Stanley Cup winner.  Punch was free to drop Cheevers, since neither Chicago
nor Montreal, picking after the Leafs, had room for the St. Catharines native.
 Terry Sawchuk was now a Toronto Maple Leaf.Johnny Bower (right) and fellow
Leaf Terry Sawchuk.

Reaction around the room was swift and mainly unprintable.  The only
management type to go on record was Chicago';s coach Billy Reay.

"If they wanted to go with Crozier, why didn';t they try and trade Sawchuk?
They would have to have got something better than $20,000."Sid Abel with his
two star forwards, Gord Howe and Alex Delvecchio

Abel, for his part, crowed about having two great young goaltenders.  He
denied reports that he already had a deal in place to obtain Worsely from
Montreal.  He dismissed that report by saying that he could have had Worsely
for the draft price if he had wanted him.   Sam Pollock, Montreal';s GM said
that the Wings were going to go with young goaltenders to start the season,
they would likely calling for a veteran goaltender around November. He would
be more than happy to send Worsley to Detroit for Larry Jeffrey at that
time.Boom Boom Geoffrion?

And after all those shenanigans had taken place, Imlach had yet another gem he
 revealed post-draft.  He had originally planned on drafting recently retired
Bernie (Boom Boom) Geoffrion from Montreal, along with Moore. Punch had a
long-time affinity for the Boomer and had often vowed he would eventually pry
him out of Montreal.  Clarence Campbell got wind of the plan, apparently let
slip by a Leaf official after a few cocktails on the eve of the draft.
 Campbell informed Leaf management that there were no provisions that would
allow a team to draft a player who had filed voluntary retirement papers, so
that if Toronto were to select Geoffrion, the pick, and the draft fee, would
likely be wasted.  It is thought that  Samuel Pollock was the little birdie
that whispered Imlach';s plan into Campbell';s ear.

So as they say, two outa three ain';t bad.  No matter how the 64-65 season
unfolds for Toronto, it';s obvious that from the start, they will be solid in
goal, thanks to Machiavellian machinations of one George Imlach.

The post Terry Sawchuk - How the Maple Leafs Snagged the Hall of Fame Goalie
appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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