Generations of Maple Leafs goalies collide at Centennial Classic

Maple Leafs past and present met Saturday when four legendary Toronto goaltenders – Johnny Bower, Mike Palmateer, Felix Potvin, and Curtis Joseph – hooked up with current Leafs’ netminders Frederik Andersen and Antoine Bibeau for a nostalgic photo spanning several generations of hockey.

Though he didn’t participate in the Alumni game, Johnny Bower was honoured Sunday before the Leafs’ outdoor Centennial Classic game against the Detroit Red Wings in Toronto. During a pregame ceremony, he was one of the initial 33 players named in the NHL’s top 100 players of all time, the rest of which will be announced later this month at the All-Star Game. Bower played like a madman without a mask for 12 seasons with Toronto, winning four Stanley cups while recently being named as the seventh greatest player in Maple Leafs’ history.

Potvin, meanwhile, spent most his first seven NHL seasons in Toronto, backstopping the Leafs to back-to-back Western Conference finals in 1993 and 1994. His flashy style and even flashier gear quickly made him a fan favourite with the club, while ‘The Cat’ is ranked No. 45 on the Maple Leafs’ top 100 list.

Joseph spent four seasons as the Maple Leafs’ starter during the team’s successful run in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. He was named the 35th best Maple Leaf of all time despite starting only 249 games with the club. He also did this once:

No. 58 on the Maple Leafs’ all-time list, Mike Palmateer was one of the bright spots on some pretty bad teams in the 70’s. He spent the first four seasons of his NHL career in Toronto, while returning to the Leafs to play out the final two years of his career.