Punch Imlach

George "Punch" Imlach (March 15, 1918 – December 1, 1987) was a Canadian ice hockey coach and general manager best known for his association with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres.

Born in Toronto, Imlach attended Riverdale Collegiate Institute and played junior hockey in the OHA for the Toronto Young Rangers (1935–38) and senior hockey with the Toronto Goodyears (1938–40) and the Toronto Marlboros (1940–41).

He enlisted in the Canadian Army during World War II, where he coached for the first time, with an army team in Cornwall, Ontario.

He was invited to training camp by the Detroit Red Wings after being discharged, but felt he had put on too much weight and declined.

Imlach played for the Quebec Aces of the QSHL from 1945 to 1949 and spent 11 seasons with the team, becoming coach and then general manager, and then vice-president and part-owner of the franchise.

After the 1956–57 season, Imlach moved to professional hockey, hired by the Boston Bruins as general manager of their Springfield Indians farm team.

Before the season ended, Imlach had made himself head coach as well.

After the season, team owner Eddie Shore took back control of the team, leaving Imlach without a job, although he was still under contract to the Bruins.

In July 1958, at the age of 40, the Toronto Maple Leafs hired Imlach as one of the team's two assistant general managers, along with King Clancy.

However, the Leafs did not have a general manager, and Imlach instead reported to a seven-member committee headed by Stafford Smythe which oversaw the team's business operations.

In November, Imlach was named general manager—only the third full-time general manager in the team's 40-year history.

Only a week after his hiring, he fired coach Billy Reay.

Reay had been offered the manager job before Imlach was hired, but turned it down.

Initially, Imlach said he was replacing Reay with Bert Olmstead as player-coach, but almost immediately, he changed his mind and made himself head coach.

Imlach was known as a harsh taskmaster who frequently abused his players verbally and physically.

He had a preference for older players, many of whom were his strongest supporters as they felt Imlach was giving them their last chance at winning the Stanley Cup.

By contrast, many younger players, such as Frank Mahovlich, chafed at Imlach's autocratic coaching style.

Imlach took over a team that had finished last the previous season and was mired in last place again at the time he took over for Reay.

However, the team staged a strong run late in the season and finished a point ahead of the New York Rangers for fourth place, allowing them to squeeze into the playoffs.

They defeated the favoured Boston Bruins in the first round before losing to the league-leading Montreal Canadiens in five games in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Three years later, Imlach led the Leafs to their first Stanley Cup in 11 years.

Nevin played a major role in the Rangers' resurgence in the late 1960s, while Duff won four more Cups with the Canadiens.

The players acquired by the Leafs were both gone following the next season.

He coached three more Cup-winning teams, in 1963, 1964 and 1967.

In February 1964, he traded Dick Duff, Bob Nevin and three young prospects – Rod Seiling, Arnie Brown and Bill Collins – to the Rangers for Andy Bathgate and Don McKenney.

In the 1965 intra-league draft, Imlach left Gerry Cheevers, a young goaltending prospect, unprotected.

He was snapped up by the Boston Bruins and went on to have a Hall-of-Fame career there.

Following expansion of the NHL from six teams to 12 for the 1967–68 season, the Leafs struggled and Imlach responded by pulling off another big trade.

In February 1968, he sent Mahovlich, 20-year-old Garry Unger, Pete Stemkowski and the rights to Carl Brewer to the Detroit Red Wings for Paul Henderson, Norm Ullman and Floyd Smith.

Two months later, he sent 28-year-old Jim Pappin to the Chicago Black Hawks, where he would become one of that team's top scorers.

In December 1968, Imlach was asked by Stafford Smythe to give the coaching job to John McLellan, but Imlach refused and told Smythe to fire him or leave him alone.

During the season, Mike Walton walked out on the team, saying he wouldn't play for Imlach again.

He returned about a week later.

On April 6, 1969, minutes after an early and embarrassing playoff elimination at the hands of the Boston Bruins, Imlach was fired by the Leafs.

He still had a year remaining on his contract, which paid him about $35,000 a year.

In the dressing room after the announcement was made, veteran Leafs Johnny Bower and Tim Horton both said they would leave with Imlach (they both returned the following season, although neither would remain with the Leafs for long).

Imlach's assistant, Clancy, had previously said that he would walk away if Imlach was fired, but he was persuaded to stay with the team.

Jim Gregory was immediately announced as Imlach's replacement as general manager.

After being fired by the Leafs, it was expected that Imlach would join the NHL's new Vancouver franchise.

He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame (2004).