#6 Irvine 'ACE' Bailey

Whilst not as tragic as the Bill Barilko story, the tale of 'ACE' Bailey changed the face of Hockey history.

It happened on December 12th 1933 in a game between the Leafs and the Boston Bruins at the Boston Gardens.  'Ace' was Toronto's star player and leading scorer at the time, when during the game Leaf Defenseman 'King' Clancy bodychecked Bruins player Eddie Shore. Shore angered by being hit hard, lashed out at the nearest player in Blue and White. That  player was Bailey who was hit by a blindside bodycheck by Shore. His head hit the ice and he tragically suffered a serious brain injury. A serious brawl followed the incident and Leaf player Red Horner sought vengeance with Shore and knocked him out cold with one punch.

Bailey thankfully survived the injury, but sadly his playing career was over. In honour of their fallen player, the Leafs organised the first ever all star game, with the Leafs taking on the NHL All-Stars and beating them 6-2. This game marked the start of the annual All-Star tradition which is still being played today.

Prior to the game there was a ceremonial face-off at centre ice to mark the occasion, during which Ace and Shore settled their differences.  Bailey will also be remembered as a member of the first leaf team to win the Stanley cup in 1932.