DETROIT - Bobby Baun's story began when he collapsed without contact after a faceoff in the third period of game 6 of the 1964 Stanley Cup finals. It's never a good sign when an athlete goes down with an injury that had no visible cause; it generally means something pretty serious has happened. That appeared to be the case this time, as well, when Baun was carried off the ice on a stretcher, favoring his leg.
So the Toronto Maple Leafs, in a must-win game on the road, were without their best defender, a man who was one of the hardest hitters in the league. They wouldn't miss his offense, as he only scored four goals that season and 37 for his career, but they'd miss his defense.
Just over a minute into overtime, after getting control of the puck after a face off, the Red Wings tried to clear the zone when a Maple Leaf player intercepted the clearing attempt at the blue line and shot it in one motion. The puck went in, and the Maple Leafs had a 4-3 victory. Looking to see who had scored the goal, both teams were surprised to see Baun jumping up and down. Even the announcers didn't realize he was back on the ice. But he had returned and forced a game 7.
The Maple Leafs won game 7 to win their fourth Stanley Cup in five years. After the game, x-rays showed that Baun had broken his ankle in game 6, making his return to the ice that much more remarkable.
Baun had a 17-year career in the NHL, continuing his strong defensive play throughout his career. After his career, he was remembered for beginning a fight for a higher pension for NHL players, a fight that eventually led to the arrest and conviction of Players Association rep Alan Eagleson for racketeering, fraud, and embezzlement. But he's largely remembered for one of his three career playoff goals, the one he scored on a broken ankle.
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