Toronto Maple Leafs Memorabilia-Howie Meeker Program Cover

In the early days, long before cell phones and social media, hockey fans would arrive at their arena anxious to buy the latest game program giving them the latest info they needed to follow their favorite team. The advent of digital design and sophisticated photography has dramatically transformed the look and feel of the classic game-night program that captured the attention of fans. As early as the 1920’s, portraits and caricatures captured the scope of what fans would find at the rink. This early Maple Leaf Gardens program cover features Howie Meeker. He became best known to Canadians as an excitable and enthusiastic television colour commentator for Hockey Night in Canada, breaking down strategy in between periods of games with early use of the telestrator.

In the NHL, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as best rookie, is one of the few professional players to score five goals in a game, and won four Stanley Cups, all with the Toronto Maple Leafs.