1959-60 Parkhurst 32 Johnny Bower Hockey Card (Front)
1959-60 Parkhurst 32 Johnny Bower Hockey Card (Back)
1959-60 Parkhurst NHL Checklist
Card Notes
Runner-up to Jacques Plante for the Vezina Trophy.
Details
The 2.74 goals against average put up by Johnny Bower in 1958-59 was the second best in the league. The numbers put up by Jacques Plante left no doubt as to the Vezina Trophy winner. Plante appeared in 67 of Montreal’s 70 games, posting a 2.15 GAA with nine shutouts. Bower played in just 39 games for the Maple Leafs.
However, Johnny would get his Vezina Trophy. In fact, he would win two. Bower captured the prize in 1960-61 and 1964-65, both times with Toronto.
1958-59 was Bower’s first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After appearing in the full 70 games with the New York Rangers in 1953-54, he appeared in just five the following year and two in 1956-57. After playing exclusively in the AHL in 1957-58, Johnny’s career took off when he arrived in Toronto.
Johnny Bower played 552 regular season games in the National Hockey League between 1953-54 and 1969-70 with the Rangers and Maple Leafs. He had a career goals against average of 2.51 and recorded 37 shutouts. Bower was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976.