Bobby Baun dead at 86: Tributes pour in for Toronto Maple Leafs legend and four-time Stanley Cup winner

Four-time Stanley Cup winning hockey legend Bobby Baun has died at the age of 86, the NHL has confirmed.

Baun first joined the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1956, going on to win the sport’s top prize four times between 1961 and 1967.

He played 17 seasons in the league, playing 964 times in the regular season, racking up 224 points.

In 1964, he broke his ankle during Game 6 of the 1964 Stanley Cup Final in Detroit, before returning later that night to score the overtime winner. 

His death was announced by the NHL on Tuesday morning, with a statement which read: ‘We send our deepest condolences to Bob’s family, friends, former teammates, and Alumni family during this difficult time.’

No cause of death has yet been announced. 

After his hockey playing career came to an end, Baum ran several Tim Hortons franchises in Pickering, Ontario and became a farmer, as well as a hockey coach.  

Baun, whose nickname was ‘Boomer’, was known across the league for being one of the hardest – and cleanest – hitters of his generation.

He was also well-known for his work off the ice in helping players understand the business elements of the game.

In the years before there was a players’ union, he held meetings with his teammates over their contracts and salaries, something while ultimately ended his relationship with then-general manager Punch Imlach.

His off-ice exploits all-but-ended his time with the Maple Leafs in 1967, and he was mainly an observer for the Stanley Cup victory that year, refusing to participate in the celebrations such was his relationship with the front office.

After leaving the Leafs, he was selected by the Oakland Seals, and then later went on to play for the Detroit Red Wings.