1/
Howie Meeker gone at 97. Another body blow from a year that just won't let up.

After surviving grenade blast in WW2 that nearly killed him & forever hampered his skating, Howie had a great career as a player (4 Stanley Cups with Leafs) & another as a one-of-a-kind TV analyst.

2/
In between times, Howie spent many years as a player/coach/icon in my home town of St. John's, NL . He was a larger than life figure who coached all levels of hockey, inc. yours truly as an aspiring (read: "wannabe") young goalie at the entry level. An unforgettable character.

3/
Howie was an exact contemporary of my dad, who also served overseas in 1943-45. They had an arm's length relationship through Prince of Wales College where Dad was the high school principal while Howie coached the related hockey team, the Guards.
https://www.eliteprospects.com/staff/13726/howie-meeker

4/
4/4
During my last trip home in 2018, I made a point of visiting Prince of Wales (now Capital Hyundai) Arena, & was delighted to find the door unlocked so I could sneak in & reminisce. Nothing special, but in my youth one of the very few hockey rinks in town.
#RIPHowieMeeker