Toronto's Upstarts

For the past three years, first place in the National Hockey League has belonged as though by divine right to the Montreal Canadiens, one of the great teams in the history of the sport. But this season, to the astonishment of everyone but them selves, the terrors of the league are the creaking veterans and callow kids who play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Last week the Maple Leafs tightened their hold on first place by defeating the Canadiens, 3-1, their second humiliation of the old champions in a week. Cried Toronto's Coach Punch Imlach: "The Canadiens will never catch us now."

The Greybeards. The Maple Leafs are the special creation of Imlach, whose nerves are starting to bend under the strain of success. "I'm stewing all the time,"he says. "I've got pains in my stomach right now." Imlach's technique of piecing together a team is enough to make any coach a worry wart. Leader of the Maple Leafs is Red Kelly, 33, who was ready to call it quits last season after a twelve-year career as one of the game's top defensemen with the Detroit Red Wings. Imlach not only talked Kelly out of retirement but persuaded him to switch to the strange position of center. Left Wing Frank ("The Big M") Mahovlich, 23, is the best goal scorer and one of the worst team men in hockey. Though the N.H.L. regularly turns men grey at 30, the defense is built around puck-scarred Goalie Johnny Bower, who jauntily claims to be just 36--although friends say he's pushing 40.

Whatever his age, Bower obviously improves with the years. He spent twelve seasons shuttling around the minors, flopped with the Rangers six years ago in his only other real shot at the big time. With the Maple Leafs, Bower is a jack-in-the-box who always seems to be pop ping, to his feet after making one save just in time to make another.

Pair of Aces. But as Bower and every other Maple Leaf knows, the real money maker for the team is Frank Mahovlich, one of hockey's most controversial play ers. A solid 6 ft. 1 in., 200 lbs., Mahovlich has big muscles--and a mouth to match.

For three years, he was Toronto's spoiled brat, a marvelously smooth skater of tremendous promise and little accomplishment. Like a sulking schoolboy, Mahovlich seemed to do nothing else but shoot and feud with rivals. Other coaches might have tried to force Mahovlich to conform--and ruined him forever. But Imlach left Mahovlich alone, gave the job of handling him to self-effacing Red Kelly.

Playing in the same line, Kelly gradually learned how to keep Mahovlich's head cool and his stick hot. "I've developed a sense of knowing where Frank is without seeing him," says Kelly. By last week the team of Kelly and Mahovlich was the most formidable in hockey. Not only was Kelly leading the league in assists, but Mahovlich was leading in goals with 47, and had a good chance to break the N.H.L. season record of 50 goals set by Montreal's Maurice ("The Rocket") Richard in 1944-45.* Says Imlach: "Mahovlich reminds me of a freight train bearing down on a car blocking the tracks. He just knocks it out of the way."

Mahovlich still makes little effort to help out his team on defense, and he still has a talent for shooting off his mouth after a game. Red Kelly may be one of his defenders-and his roommate on the road-but Mahovlich once blustered to the press: "I don't think Kelly has anything to do with my getting goals." Kelly merely chuckled. "Frank's a young guy just letting off steam," said the leader of the Maple Leafs. "The important thing is that he just goes on putting that puck in that cage." As long as he does, the Maple Leafs have a solid chance to pull off a remarkable upset in hockey.

* Richard scored his goals in a shorter season than today's (50 games v. 70), but against far weaker opposition.

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