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Tim Horton

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Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use Canadian English Template:Infobox ice hockey player Miles Gilbert "Tim" Horton (January 12, 1930 – February 21, 1974)<ref name=hdshhw>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=hwmdoth>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=exmhsd>Template:Cite news</ref> was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 24 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He spent the majority of his career playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, later playing with the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres. Horton was a 4-time Stanley Cup Champion in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967 with the Maple Leafs. In 2017, Horton was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history.<ref name="100 Greatest NHL Players">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He died at age 44 following a single-vehicle crash in which drugs and alcohol were involved.

A successful businessman, Horton co-founded the Tim Hortons restaurant chain.

Early lifeEdit

Horton was born in Cochrane, Ontario, at Lady Minto Hospital, to Aaron Oakley Horton, a Canadian National Railway mechanic, and Ethel May (née Irish). His father christened him Miles Gilbert after his two grandfathers, but he came to be known exclusively as Tim, the name his mother had wanted to give him.<ref name="Griggs"/> He had one brother, Jerry Horton.<ref name="Hunter2012">Template:Cite book</ref>

The family moved in 1935 to Duparquet, Quebec, returning to Ontario in 1938 to Cochrane; the family moved to Sudbury in 1945.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Playing careerEdit

Early careerEdit

Horton grew up playing ice hockey in Cochrane, and later in a mining community near Timmins. The Toronto Maple Leafs organization signed him in 1948; he moved to Toronto to play junior hockey and attended St. Michael's College School.Template:Citation needed

Toronto Maple LeafsEdit

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File:Tim Horton Chex hockey card.JPG
Image of Tim Horton from a Chex collectible card, c. 1960s

Two years later, he turned pro with the Toronto Maple Leafs' farm team, the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League. He spent most of the first three seasons with Pittsburgh, playing in his first NHL game on March 26, 1950. Horton appeared in the NHL again in the fall of 1952. He remained a Leaf until 1970, winning four Stanley Cups. Horton later played for the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. He was known for his extreme strength and calmness under pressure. As a hard-working and durable defenceman, he gained relatively few penalty minutes for an enforcer-type defenceman. He was also an effective puck carrier – in 1964–65 he played right wing for the Leafs. Horton appeared in seven National Hockey League All-Star Games. He was named an NHL first team All-Star three times: (1964, 1968, and 1969). He was selected to the NHL Second Team three times: (1954, 1963, 1967).

Between February 11, 1961, and February 4, 1968, Horton appeared in 486 consecutive regular season games; this remains the Leafs club record for consecutive games and was the NHL record for consecutive games by a defenceman until broken by Kārlis Skrastiņš on February 8, 2007.

Horton had a reputation for enveloping players fighting him in a crushing bear hug.

While playing, Horton was generally acknowledged as the strongest man in the game; injuries and age were little more than minor inconveniences. Chicago Black Hawks left wing Bobby Hull declared, "There were defencemen you had to fear because they were vicious and would slam you into the boards from behind, for one, Eddie Shore. But you respected Tim Horton because he didn't need that type of intimidation. He used his tremendous strength and talent to keep you in check."

In 1962, he scored three goals and 13 assists in 12 playoff games, setting a Leafs team record for playoff points by a defenceman. This record was tied in 1978 by Ian Turnbull (who played 13 games), but was not broken until 1994, when David Ellett registered 18 points (albeit in 18 games).

Post-Toronto yearsEdit

In March 1970, the Maple Leafs traded Horton to the New York Rangers for future considerations; he spent the last fifteen games of the season in New York and all of the following as well. At the beginning of the 1971–72 season, he was claimed by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the intra-league draft and, at age 41, signed a one-year contract for an estimated $100,000, the largest contract at the time for the five-year-old franchise.<ref name=pshtoyp>Template:Cite news</ref> With a broken ankle and a shoulder separation,<ref name=dmdthf>Template:Cite news</ref> Horton only played 44 games for the Penguins and managed just 11 points.

In spite of Horton's age, 42, and considerable nearsightedness, Punch Imlach of the Buffalo Sabres, who was also the former Leafs' general manager, acquired Horton in the intra-league draft and signed him in 1972.<ref name=sdhfpog>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=rtthend>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1973, his performance assisted the Sabres in their first playoff appearance. Horton later signed a contract extension in the off-season.<ref>Bailey, Budd (June 4, 2010). This day in Buffalo sports history: a toast Template:Webarchive. The Buffalo News. Retrieved 2010-06-04.</ref>

While playing for the Leafs, Horton wore the number 7, the same number worn by King Clancy from 1930 to 1937. The team declared both Horton and Clancy honoured players at a ceremony on November 21, 1995, but did not retire the number 7 from team use; despite this, it became an honoured jersey number,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> abiding by Leafs honours policy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2016, the Leafs changed their retirement policy and, on October 15, retired the number 7 in honour of both Horton and Clancy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Horton wore number 2 in Buffalo (as Rick Martin already had the number 7). Both numbers have since been retired.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career statisticsEdit

Regular season and playoffsEdit

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1946–47 Copper Cliff Jr. Redmen NOHA 9 0 0 0 14 5 0 1 1 0
1947–48 St. Michael's Majors OHA 32 6 7 13 137 — — — — —
1948–49 St. Michael's Majors OHA 32 9 18 27 95 — — — — —
1949–50 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 2
1949–50 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 60 5 18 23 83 — — — — —
1950–51 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 68 8 26 34 129 13 0 9 9 16
1951–52 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 4 0 0 0 8 — — — — —
1951–52 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 64 12 19 31 146 11 1 3 4 16
1952–53 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 2 14 16 85 — — — — —
1953–54 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 7 24 31 94 5 1 1 2 4
1954–55 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 67 5 9 14 84 — — — — —
1955–56 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 35 0 5 5 36 2 0 0 0 4
1956–57 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 66 6 19 25 72 — — — — —
1957–58 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 53 6 20 26 39 — — — — —
1958–59 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 5 21 26 76 12 0 3 3 16
1959–60 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 3 29 32 69 10 0 1 1 6
1960–61 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 57 6 15 21 75 5 0 0 0 0
1961–62 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 10 28 38 88 12 3 13 16 16
1962–63 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 6 19 25 69 10 1 3 4 10
1963–64 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 9 20 29 71 14 0 4 4 20
1964–65 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 12 16 28 95 6 0 2 2 13
1965–66 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 6 22 28 76 4 1 0 1 12
1966–67 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 8 17 25 70 12 3 5 8 25
1967–68 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 69 4 23 27 82 — — — — —
1968–69 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 74 11 29 40 107 4 0 0 0 7
1969–70 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 59 3 19 22 91 — — — — —
1969–70 New York Rangers NHL 15 1 5 6 16 6 1 1 2 28
1970–71 New York Rangers NHL 78 2 18 20 57 13 1 4 5 14
1971–72 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 44 2 9 11 40 4 0 1 1 2
1972–73 Buffalo Sabres NHL 69 1 16 17 56 6 0 1 1 4
1973–74 Buffalo Sabres NHL 55 0 6 6 53 — — — — —
NHL totals 1,446 115 403 518 1,611 126 11 39 50 183

Donut industriesEdit

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File:Statue Of Tim Horton.jpg
Statue of Horton outside the original Tim Hortons store in Hamilton

In 1964, Horton opened his first Tim Horton Donut Shop in Hamilton, Ontario on Ottawa Street.<ref name=CHATLAS>Template:Cite book</ref> He added a few of his culinary creations to the initial menu. By 1968, Tim Horton had become a multi-million dollar franchise system.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Horton's previous business ventures included both a hamburger restaurant and Studebaker auto dealership in Toronto.Template:Citation needed

Upon Horton's death in 1974, his business partner Ron Joyce bought out the Horton family's shares for $1 million and took over as sole owner of the existing chain, which had 40 stores at the time,<ref name=JOYCEBIO>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and later expanded to nearly 4,600 stores in Canada alone by 2013. Today, Tim Hortons is a flagship of Restaurant Brands International, a conglomerate that includes Burger King, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Firehouse Subs.

Joyce's son, Ron Joyce Jr., is married to Horton's eldest daughter, Jeri-Lynn Horton-Joyce; until 2023, the couple owned a Tim Hortons franchise in Cobourg, Ontario.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="G&M-2023-06-01">Template:Cite news</ref>

Death and aftermathEdit

Horton died after losing control of his De Tomaso Pantera sports car on the Queen Elizabeth Way in St. Catharines, Ontario, in the early morning of February 21, 1974.<ref name=hdshhw/><ref name="autopsy">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He had played a game in Toronto the previous evening against his former team, the Maple Leafs, and was driving alone back to Buffalo, Template:Convert south. The Sabres had lost the game, and despite sitting out the third period and playing with a jaw and ankle injury, Horton was selected one of the game's three stars.<ref name=hwmdoth/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Horton's Pantera had been given to him by Sabres' general manager Imlach as an enticement to return to the team for one more season.<ref name="Iorfida">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On his drive to Buffalo, Horton stopped at his office in Oakville, and was met there by Ron Joyce.<ref name="Iorfida"/><ref name="Griggs">Template:Cite book</ref> While there, Horton phoned his brother Gerry, who recognized that Tim had been drinking and tried to persuade him not to continue driving. Joyce also offered to have Horton stay with him. Horton chose to continue his drive to Buffalo.<ref name="Griggs"/>

After 4:00 a.m. EST (9:00 UTC), a woman reported to the Ontario Provincial Police in Burlington that she had observed a car travelling at high speed on the Queen Elizabeth Way. A warning was broadcast over police radio. Thirty minutes later, Officer Mike Gula observed a speeding vehicle travelling Niagara-bound on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Vineland. Gula activated his siren and attempted to pursue Horton's vehicle, but lost sight of it.<ref name="Griggs"/><ref name="Popplewell">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Horton passed a curve in the road at Ontario Street and was approaching the Lake Street exit in St. Catharines when he lost control and drove into the centre grass median, where his tire caught a recessed sewer which caused the car to flip several times before it came to a stop on its roof in the Toronto-bound lanes. Not wearing a seatbelt, Horton was found Template:Convert from the car.<ref name=hdshhw/> He was pronounced dead at St. Catharines General Hospital.<ref name="autopsy"/><ref name="Popplewell"/>

File:Graves of Tim Horton and Lori Horton in York Cemetery in Toronto.jpg
Graves of Tim and Lori Horton in York Cemetery, Toronto

Subsequent to Horton's death, there was no official public inquiry, and his autopsy was not made public. Police would not state whether Horton was intoxicated.<ref name="McGregor">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2005, Horton's autopsy was made public (with witness statements redacted), and revealed that Horton's blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit, and that a half-filled vodka bottle was amongst the crash debris. Horton was also in possession of the drugs Dexedrine, a stimulant, and Dexamyl, a stimulant-sedative; traces of amobarbital, an ingredient in Dexamyl, were found in his blood. The autopsy report found no painkillers in Horton's body, and also concluded that his car had been in good working order. There was nothing to suggest Horton was evading police, or that police were near enough to initiate a criminal pursuit.<ref name="autopsy"/><ref name="McGregor"/> Horton was interred at York Cemetery, Toronto.<ref>Whatever Happened To -?</ref>

Following Horton's death, Ron Joyce offered Horton's widow Lori $1 million for her shares in the chain, which included 40 stores. She accepted his offer and Joyce became sole owner. Years later, Lori became dissatisfied with Joyce's offer, and filed a lawsuit against him. In 1993, Lori lost the lawsuit; an appeal was declined in 1995. She died in 2000 at age 68.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personal lifeEdit

Married in 1952, Horton was survived by his wife, the former Lori Michalek of Pittsburgh, and four daughters.<ref name="hwmdoth" /><ref name="exmhsd" /><ref name="hkiacupi">Template:Cite news</ref> Horton was a Freemason, belonging to Kroy Lodge No. 676 in Thornhill, Ontario.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Awards and achievementsEdit

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  • 2016 – number 7 jersey retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • In January 2017, Horton was part of the first group of players to be named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players in history" by the league.<ref name="100 Greatest NHL Players"/>

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

Template:Tim Hortons Template:Authority control

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