To celebrate theMaple Leafs’centennial this season, the Toronto Star has compiled some of our favourite stories from our archives on the beloved franchise in the book 100 Years in Blue and White: A Century of Hockey in Toronto. Here’s an excerpt from legendary columnist Milt Dunnell on Hall of Fame coach Punch Imlach on the night of the Leafs’ last Stanley Cup win, first published on May 3, 1967.

Punch Imlach, the Peerless Leader of the Leafs, is said to have ice water for blood and a paving stone for a heart. In other words, Punch supposedly is as warm and kindly and considerate — according to the charts — as a Moscow cop’s handcuffs.

That being the case, he was out of character last night. With all the marbles in the ring, Punch revealed himself as a sentimental creampuff. Before the game, he made a speech in which he said some of his warriors would be playing their last game as members of the club.

“Some of you have been with me for nine years,” he went on. It would be nice to say there wasn’t a dry eye in the room but it wouldn’t be quite right. Several of the serfs fingered their whip scars and waited suspiciously for what would come next.

“It has been said that I stuck with the old men so long we couldn’t possibly win the Stanley Cup. For some of you it’s a farewell. Go out there and put that puck down their (Canadiens’) throats.”

Imlach then pointed at a somewhat startled Johnny Bower, the elder statesman of shinny, and told him he was to dress in full regalia and sit on the bench.

Johnny, who confesses to being 42 — but never under oath — would have squatted on the time clock in a bikini if Imlach had asked and especially if it would improve his chances of collecting the winners’ end of the loot.

But Bower had spent the last five days ducking doctors who sought to punch needles through his leathery hide as treatment for a muscle which popped during the pre-game warm-up last Thursday night. There was no chance he could go in goal if Terry Sawchuk got hurt.

“You won’t be asked to play, but be there,” Imlach roared. Al Smith, a third goalie who is too young (21) to be considered seriously by the Leafs for about 15 years yet, was dressed and stashed away in the television room.

Thereupon, one of the elders — a member of the probable departing patriarchs — skated out and robbed the Habs of everything but their underwear. Canadiens are not discouraged easily. Otherwise, Terry Sawchuk would have broken their hearts before the game was 15 minutes old. He did almost as many impossible things as he did in Chicago the day Leafs ambushed the Black Hawks — and as he did in Montreal last Saturday afternoon.

This was a Sawchuk who couldn’t stop a porcupine with a pike pole last Thursday night.

Frustrated fans had applauded derisively when he cleared a loose puck from the side of the cage. It was the kind of encouragement Dick Stuart, the Old Stonefingers of baseball, used to receive when he picked up a gum wrapper that was blowing across the infield.

“I got mad,” Sawchuk admitted last night. “I got mad at myself.”

That was when Montreal Canadiens commenced their slide into oblivion, although they didn’t realize it at the time. They thought they were lucky in getting rid of Bower, who had allowed only two goals out of 94 shots which the Habs fired at him in two games.

After last night’s crushing defeat, the Habs were saying: “First Bower — then Sawchuk. But we might have expected it. They’re both old pros. And look at Gump (Worsley) in our net. He hadn’t played a full game since March 12. Yet he was great.”

Thus, the Stanley Cup carnival just ended may become known as the mardi gras of the condemned. Some of the outstanding performers were men who will be marked for exile to the six new expansion clubs — strictly on the basis of age.

Who was better than Sawchuk — just for openers? He put Leafs into the final round by killing off Chicago. Then he bailed out the good guys, with two key wins after Bower got hurt. He’s 37.

Bower is 40-plus. Red Kelly, Allan Stanley, Marcel Pronovost and George Armstrong all are getting extremely long in the tooth. Kelly definitely played his final game as a Leaf. It was his best since the playoffs began.

“There will be something within a day or two,” the old redhead promised last night when he was asked about his future plans. It has been practically an accepted thing that Kelly would be named coach at Los Angeles, although no official approach has been made to the Leafs.

Sawchuk denies a story that he would ask to be returned to Detroit. Stanley has no retirement thoughts and no coaching plans. He would like to be back. Sawchuk probably feels the same way. Armstrong, too.

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Imlach, though, left them all wondering with his Old Boys’ reunion stunt. They probably are wishing he hadn’t gone soft and sentimental. Why couldn’t he have been his snarly, chilly, impatient, normal self?

THUMBNAIL TALES: When George Armstrong took that pass from Bob Pulford for a goal into the empty Habs net at 19:13 of the third period, he had one thing in mind. “I took careful aim so I wouldn’t hit Jacques Laperriere,” the Chief said. “I didn’t drive the puck, because I wanted to be sure I would hit the net.” . . . Conn Smythe, making his first appearance in the Leaf dressing room in a long time, chortled: “The Smythe name is on the Stanley Cup 11 times now. Who else can say that?” . . . While champagne was flowing in the Leaf dressing room, Larry Hillman consumed a beer. His explanation: “I’m thirsty.” . . . Dick Duff’s goal was a masterpiece. He beat Tim Horton for a shot at Sawchuk, who said: “He deked me, too. I was out of position.”