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Toronto Maple Leafs great and Hall of Famer Johnny Bower dies at 93

Hall of Fame goalie Johnny Bower was a wo-time Vezina Trophy winner and four-time Stanley Cup champion with the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Nathan Denette / Associated Press)
Associated Press

TORONTO – Johnny Bower, a beloved former Maple Leafs goalie who helped Toronto win its last Stanley Cup in 1967, has died. He was 93.

Bower’s family said in a statement Tuesday the Hall of Famer died following a short battle with pneumonia.

Bower was a two-time Vezina Trophy winner who became known as the China Wall. His career took off after the Leafs claimed him in a 1958 intra-league draft. Bower played 475 regular-season games and won four Stanley Cups for the Leafs before playing his final game as a 45-year-old in 1969.

Bower won the Vezina Trophy in 1961 and shared it with teammate Terry Sawchuk in 1965. The Leafs hoisted the Cup in 1962, ’63, ’64 and ’67.