Bobby Baun

Bobby Baun
Baun on aChexcereal box, c. 1963
Born	(1936-09-09)September 9, 1936 Lanigan, Saskatchewan,Canada
Died	August 14, 2023(2023-08-14)(aged 86)
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	182 lb (83 kg; 13 st 0 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Right
Played for	Rochester Americans Toronto Maple Leafs Oakland Seals Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	1956–1973

Robert Neil Baun(September 9, 1936 – August 14, 2023)was a Canadian professionalice hockeydefencemanwho played in theNational Hockey Leaguefor 17 seasons from1956to1973.His nickname was "Boomer".

Playing career

Baun played junior hockey with theToronto Marlborosof theOntario Hockey Associationfrom 1952 to 1956, winning theMemorial Cupin1955and1956.After turning professional, Baun played most of the 1956–57 season with theRochester Americans,theToronto Maple Leafsaffiliate in theAmerican Hockey League.They would be the only minor league games Baun would ever play. He was called up to the Leafs during the season and played in Toronto for the next 11 seasons, winning theStanley Cupin 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967.

Baun was one of the hardest and cleanest hitters of his time. He was not considered an offensive threat as a defenceman, never scoring more than 20 points in a season in the NHL. His highest single-season goal total was eight in 1959–60.However, Baun is remembered for his performance in game six of the1963–64 NHL seasonStanley Cup finals against the Detroit Red Wings. On April 23, 1964, having fractured his ankle earlier in the game,he returned inovertimeand scored the game-winning goal to even the best-of-seven series at 3-3. The Leafs won the next game 4–0 to secure their third consecutive Stanley Cup championship.

Baun developed a reputation for understanding the business side of playing in the NHL in the years before there was a players' union. Eventually, other players sought Baun's advice about their contracts and salaries, which eroded his relationship with Leafs' general managerPunch Imlach.That relationship deteriorated even further when Baun was a holdout for the1965–66 season.Baun eventually got a raise, but Imlach never forgot it. A series of injuries further dimmed Imlach's enthusiasm for Baun.In1966–67,Baun suffered a broken toe.Imlach replaced him withLarry Hillmanand Baun saw little ice time after that. He was mostly an observer from the bench for the Leafs' 1967 Cup victory,and refused to participate in the celebrations.

Baun with the Maple Leafs in 1965

Before the next season, Baun was left unprotected in the1967 NHL Expansion Draft,and was selected by theOakland Seals.Baun was one of four members of theMemorial Cup-winning Marlboros teams from the mid-1950s to play for the Seals, but the team struggled badly on the ice, particularly on offence, finishing the year with the worst record in the league.Baun asked to be traded back to anOriginal Sixteam, and Oakland accommodated his request, dealing him to theDetroit Red Wingsin May 1968.Baun played in Detroit for two years but early into the1970–71 seasonhe found himself at odds with coachNed Harkness,and was placed on waivers.From there, he was claimed by theBuffalo Sabres,managed by Imlach, who immediately traded him to theSt. Louis Blues.Baun refused to report to St. Louisand nine days later was traded back to the Maple Leafs forBrit Selby.

The Leafs benefited from Baun's defensive play, helpingJacques Planteto record a 1.88 goals against average in 1970–71. Baun was just as effective the next season. In the fifth game of the1972–73 season,he suffered a neck injury after a hit fromMickey Redmondthat ended his NHL career at the age of 36. Baun played with a broken leg as well as having a skate cut his neck.Tim Hortonfound him outside the tour bus, and carried him to local hospital where he was found to be hemorrhaging. After many pints of blood, he was placed next to his wife who was giving birth to their third son.

Post-Playing Careers

Baun retired as a player and ran a cattle farm, but three years later, he was hired as head coach of theToronto Torosof theWorld Hockey Association.Mike Nykoluk,another member of the Marlboros in the mid-1950s, had been the team's first choice, but he turned the job down. Playing for the Toros were three of Baun's former Leaf teammates:Frank Mahovlich,Paul Henderson,andJim Dorey,as well as future NHL starsMark NapierandVaclav Nedomansky.But the Toros under Baun had a disastrous year, finishing the1975–76 seasonwith the worst record in the league. The Toros even finished 11 points behind theMinnesota Fighting Saints—a team that had folded with 21 games left to play in the season. Baun was replaced as coach after the season.

He returned to farming - he'd been "hands-on" with 800 hectares near Pickering before coaching. “Don’t call me a gentleman farmer,” he told sportswriter Paul Hunter in 2004. “I had manure on my boots.”

Owner of three Tim Horton’s donut franchises (he lent Tim some start-up cash and claimed to have sold Horton on the drive-through concept), Baun’s store at Highway 2 and White’s Road in Pickering did the most business in 1987 of 400 outlets in the fast-food chain.

During and after his career, Baun also kept busy as a car salesman, hotel/restaurant owner, real estate agent, and insurance company manager.

Baun said he realized his talent for salesmanship back in his Cub Scout youth on the Prairies. When Apple Day came along, Baun had polished his for three days for the best presentation. He saved enough money by age 15 to buy a Cadillac.

"My other careers were a learning experience, sometimes profitable, sometimes not, but I would not trade any of that," Baun wrote in his autobiography. "But in honest reflection, what has affected my life the most was that goal I scored on April 23, 1964."

Baun and the NHL pension plan

In the 1980s, Baun organized an NHL alumni association and began an investigation into the NHL's pension plan. The plan had been touted to players as the best in professional sports, but after playing in 17 NHL seasons, Baun's pension was only $7,622 a year. Baun received little support from other players, and eventually gave up. Problems with the pension plan were later uncovered through an audit backed byCarl Brewer.

Awards and honors

On June 1, 2007, Baun was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Laws from theUniversity of Ontario Institute of Technologyfor his work on and off the ice. He resided in Ajax, Ontario.

In 2010, Baun was inducted into theOntario Sports Hall of Fame.

Personal life and death

Baun was the grandfather of former professional hockey playerKyle Baun,who played five games in the NHL.

Baun died on August 14, 2023, at the age of 86.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1952–53	Toronto Marlboros	OHA-Jr.		16	1	1	2	12		7	0	2	2	6
1953–54	Toronto Marlboros	OHA-Jr.		59	2	15	17	63		15	3	0	3	10
1954–55	Toronto Marlboros	OHA-Jr.		47	3	6	9	99		13	0	1	1	31
1954–55	Toronto Marlboros	M-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		11	0	2	2	32
1955–56	Toronto Marlboros	OHA-Jr.		48	5	14	19	93		11	3	2	5	38
1955–56	Toronto Marlboros	M-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		13	1	1	2	39
1956–57	Rochester Americans	AHL		46	2	13	15	117		—	—	—	—	—
1956–57	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		20	0	5	5	37		—	—	—	—	—
1957–58	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		67	1	9	10	91		—	—	—	—	—
1958–59	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		51	1	8	9	87		12	0	0	0	24
1959–60	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		61	8	9	17	59		10	1	0	1	17
1960–61	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		70	1	14	15	70		3	0	0	0	8
1961–62	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		65	4	11	15	94		12	0	3	3	19
1962–63	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		48	4	8	12	65		10	0	3	3	6
1963–64	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		52	4	14	18	113		14	2	3	5	42
1964–65	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		70	0	18	18	160		6	0	1	1	14
1965–66	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		44	0	6	6	68		4	0	1	1	8
1966–67	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		54	2	8	10	83		10	0	0	0	4
1967–68	Oakland Seals	NHL		67	3	10	13	81		—	—	—	—	—
1968–69	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		76	4	16	20	121		—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		71	1	18	19	110		4	0	0	0	0
1970–71	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		11	0	3	3	24		—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		58	1	17	18	123		6	0	1	1	19
1971–72	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		74	2	12	14	101		5	0	0	0	4
1972–73	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		5	1	1	2	4		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				964	37	187	224	1491		96	3	12	15	165

Coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season						Postseason
		G	W	L	T	Pts	Finish	Result
Toronto Toros	1975–76	55	15	35	5	(35)	5th in WHA Canadian	Missed playoffs
Total		55	15	35	5	(35)

References

• Fischler, Stan.Hockey Stars of 1969.
• Lader, Martin and Tim Moriarty.Face-off 1973–74.
• https://torontosun /sports/hockey/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/bobby-boomer-baun-maple-leaf-cup-overtime-hero-dead-at-86

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics fromNHL,orEliteprospects,orHockey-Reference,orThe Internet Hockey Database
• Legends of Hockey profile