FAN590

Doug Farraway, THE FAN 590's Sports Director, remembers the man they called 'Teeder:"

The 1948 Toronto Maple Leafs were one of the most dominant teams ever put together.

Down the middle where you always need strength, the Leafs featured the great Syl Apps, the former Black Hawk Max Bentley whom Conn Smythe paid a King’s ransom for and a guy they called “Teeder”.

Ted Kennedy was born on December 12th 1925 in Humberstone Ontario, just outside of Port Colborne where he passed away this morning in the early morning hours.

Ted Kennedy was discovered by Gaye Stewart at the age of 16 and invited to the Montreal Canadiens training camp. Good thing he became home sick and didn’t like the way the Canadiens treated him because this future captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs would go on to play on five Stanley Cup champions spending his entire career of 14 seasons in Toronto. Indeed one of the more famous hockey pictures around shows Teeder accepting congratulations on the 1951 Stanley Cup victory from then Princess Elizabeth at Maple Leaf Gardens.

How good was Ted Kennedy? He wasn’t the greatest scorer. He wasn’t the best skater. But he was by all accounts the most passionate and determined player on the ice game in and game out.  He carved out such a niche in Toronto that in the “Hockey News compilation, the 1 Hundred Greatest Hockey Players he was ranked 57th.

He was named Captain of the Leafs at age 24 when Apps decided his career was done.  Ten years ago when the Fan presented our Memories of Maple Leaf Gardens in a six hour special “Teeder” was a featured interview. I spent a lovely lunch in his Port Colborne home, his wife having supplied us with a platter of sandwiches, and lemonade. I’ll never forget it. He was of a different era, a gentleman who was humble, quite willing to talk about others he admired, but very reluctant to talk about himself. We would run into each other a couple of times after that interview and what I remember and appreciated the most was the fact that he remembered my name. Not because of any notoriety I may have but because he took the time to pay attention and make note.

Ted Kennedy was 83 and confined to a nursing home in his beloved Port Colborne, passing away in the early hours of this morning from congestive heart failure. He is survived by his wife Doreen such a gracious lady and son Mark.

Funeral arrangements will be forthcoming if they are made public.

Doug Farraway

THE FAN 590