Barilko: Without a Trace

A poor boy from Northern Ontario who labored at skating, Barilko miraculously found himself playing defense on the hockey team of his dreams — the Toronto Maple Leafs. Through five National Hockey League seasons, Barilko emerged as the toast of Toronto, winning four Stanley Cup championships. On April 21, 1951, playing their rivals, the loathed Montreal Canadiens, Bill Barilko scored the overtime goal, winning the Toronto Maple Leafs their seventh Stanley Cup. It was the last game he ever played. Four months later, preparing to return to Toronto for training camp, Barilko planned one final fishing trip to a favored spot on the east side of James Bay. Neither Barilko nor his friend, pilot Dr. Henry Hudson, were heard from again, prompting the most massive aerial search in Canadian history. Eleven years later, the remains of both men were discovered in the remnants of their small aircraft, a few miles outside of Cochrane, Ontario. It wasn’t until Barilko’s body was found in 1962 that the Leafs again hoisted the Stanley Cup.