How Barilko Impacted Canadian Hockey History

Bill Barilko played in a total of 252 games, scoring 26 goals, and assisting 36 times, but he is remembered for his aggressiveness in hockey leading to a total of 456 penalty minutes (Stewart, 2012). Although Barilko was not the best of his era, he was still a great defenseman, leading to the Leafs decision to retire his number (#5) in 1992 and hang it in the rafters of the Maple Leaf Gardens (2012). Barilko demonstrates the traditional underdog story of a young player being called up from the lowest of the farm teams to playing four and a half seasons with his childhood dream team and winning four Stanley Cups, scoring one of the most famous winning goals in hockey history (Peacock, 2001).