In an edition of THN dated 50 years ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs' three-goalie system under coach 'Red' Kelly turned out better for the team than some originally thought. Would it work nowadays in Toronto?
Welcome back to The Hockey News Archive – the place where we comb through the 76 years of THN magazines and breathe new life into them. Don’t forget, you can explore the entire archive yourself when you subscribe to the magazine. And today, we’re looking at the Toronto Maple Leafs’ use of multiple goalies in an edition of the magazine dated 50 years ago to this day – a system current Leafs fans and management might fantasize about, given the struggles this season of veteran netminder Ilya Samsonov.
In this article – titled, “Three-Goaler System Working For Leafs” and first published in our Nov. 9, 1973 edition (Vol. 27 Issue 6) – writer Dan Proudfoot chronicled the Toronto Maple Leafs’ system of working with three goaltenders: Ed Johnston, Doug Favell and Dunc Wilson.
Favell played more games than the other two, appearing in 32 games, while Johnston played 26 games, and Wilson played 24. Favell posted the best record of the three, going 14-7-9 and putting up a .909 save percentage; Johnston was next best, going 12-9-4 with a .894 SP, and Wilson had a 9-11-3 mark with a .897 SP.
When the story was published, Leafs coach ‘Red’ Kelly said he felt good about the three-goalie rotation.
“I don’t see why it shouldn’t work,” Kelly said of using three goalies. “Baseball teams have four pitchers in the starting rotation, what’s wrong with three goalies in hockey?”
Having three goalies could’ve been a recipe for discontent, but as it always goes in the NHL, so long as teams are winning, any system will be welcomed.
“Having three goaltenders on a team usually causes problems,” Wilson said in the story. “Here, though, it can work because all three of us are friends and we’re happy if the team’s winning. As long as I know ahead of time when I’m playing. I’m happy, and Red has been letting us know a day ahead.”
The Leafs wound up as first-round playoff fodder that season, getting swept by the Boston Bruins, but when Proudfoot filed this story, there was optimism the goalie system would work out. A trinity of goalies would be a non-starter today, not just because of the salary cap but because of the potential for frustration from the three goalies. That potential for unrest also was around a half-century ago, but as Favell said at the time, “how can you complain when you’re winning?”
You can’t complain. That’s the answer. That said, 50 years after the story was published, Leafs fans have a good deal to complain about with their goaltending. While they do have Martin Jones as another option in net if today's Leafs wanted to rotate three goalies, the salary cap says otherwise.
Three-Goaler System Working For Leafs
Vol. 27, Issue 6, Nov. 9, 1973
By Dan Proudfoot
TORONTO — Among the people wondering how long Maple Leaf coach Leonard ‘Red’ Kelly’s revolutionary three-goaltender rotation system would survive were, of all people, the three goaltenders involved. “I don’t see why it shouldn’t work,” Kelly replied to the question he kept hearing.
“Baseball teams have four pitchers in the starting rotation, what’s wrong with three goalies in hockey?”
When the Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 at the Forum Oct. 17, and goalie Ed Johnston was the outstanding player of the game, coach Kelly was quick to crack, “See how well that three-man system works?”
Johnston, whose family lives in Montreal, always plays well there against the Canadiens. Coincidentally, it also was his turn in the rotation when the Leafs visited Montreal. After the win he talked about how much he wanted to give good goaltending to the young team, “This team is good now but it will be much better by Christmas,” he said. “If goaltending can be a plus now, so we get a good start, then I’ll tell you right now we’ll be in the playoffs and as high as second.”
About the three-goalie system, though, Johnston had little to say. “As long as we’re winning, that’s the main thing.”
The fact the Leafs won four of their first six games kept the system looking good. The rotation was, Johnston, Favell, Wilson, then repeat. And the Leafs kept getting good goaltending.
“Having three goaltenders on a team usually causes problems,” said Wilson, who like Johnston and Favell has been on three-man staffs before and found reason to complain about layoffs.
“Here, though, it can work because all three of us are friends and we’re happy if the team’s winning. As long as I know ahead of time when I’m playing, I’m happy, and Red has been letting us know a day ahead.”
Wilson, at 25 the youngest of the three, has impressed from the first of training camp. When Sabres beat Leafs 4-3 in Buffalo, he kept the score close as his mates realized in the third period. His average, 3.5 after two starts, was identical to Johnston’s, while Favell kept his average down to 2.00. The team figure was 3.00, not good by Vezina Trophy standards but fine for a team with a young defense.
By playing all three goalies regularly, Kelly was able to keep each relatively fresh. And, of course, nobody could complain about not getting a chance. But most observers were waiting for one goalie to have a bad night, to see whether Kelly would stick with his system.
Goalies, after all, don’t require as much rest as pitchers. So goes conventional hockey thinking, at any rate, and it’s true most goalies like to play 50 or more games. Kelly was talking about 26 apiece.
Favell didn’t feel good about the system, but, as he said, “how can you complain when you’re winning?”
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