Happy Birthday, Tim Horton

The hockey player, not the doughnut chain.

Tim would be 82 today. One of the strongest and toughest d-man of his day.

Love this interview with HNIC's Ward Cornell

http://www.timhortons.com/ca/en/about/bio_timhorton.html

First Tim's was in the Hammer, not far from Ivor Wynne Stadium

 

That's Tim, not Tom, Alex!

Late friend of mine's father was Horton's defence partner in junior. He said Horton was a beast, an incredibly strong man who couldn't really fight that well but would occasionally grab guys in a bear hug and throw them over the boards into the bench. That usually settled things.

I miss the paintings of Horton - in his Sabres uni - that used to hang in the coffee shops. First Tims I remember was in Etobicoke on the Queensway when I used to stop there on Saturdays for hot chocolate and a donut after an afternoon at Queensway Bowl.

I was eight when he wrecked his car on the QEW after a game against the Leafs. His death is one of the first I remember.

 

Re: Happy Birthday, Tom Horton

That one on the Queensway must be one of the first stores in the area. Still has that old Tim's feel to it. Go there from time to time.

As a defenseman, Tim was also one of the best at moving the puck out of his own zone and he had a howitzer for a slap shot.

He was a real old school hockey guy

 

Been years since I was in that area, had no idea that store was still there. For me it's tough to pinpoint the time when all of sudden Tims was everywhere, our local mall has three of them.

 

One of the most beloved Sabres of all time, despite his relatively short stay at the Aud. I loved the Leafs' tough defensemen, like Horton and Bobby Baun.

 

Picture of the first Tim's in Hamilton.



And here's the street sign



Ottawa St North is right in the heart of the steel mills.

There's a Tim's about every half kilometre in the Hammer.

 

Slightly off topic, but about 4-5 years ago Stephen Brunt did a great feature for Toronto Life about Horton's widow Lori, and how Ron Joyce bought her shares for like a million bucks (and may or may not have taken advantage of her narcotic-induced haze at the time). I also didn't know until then that Joyce's son married Horton's daughter not long ago.

I'll try to dig it up.

 

Donuts are great. Coffee sucks.

 

I read that Tim's now has stores on a lot of Army bases. Is that where you get it or did you try it it on a trip north?

 

With the Horton-Stanley and Brewer-Baun pairings, thre wasn't much room left for any other defencemen on those Maple Leaf teams.
Ward Cornell was great; there was great angst when Dave Hodge replaced him on HNIC

 

They don't have them anymore? That's so wrong.

Canadian maple ... Timbits ... mmm...

 

I read somewhere they took them out around the time they changed the name from Tim Horton's to Tim Hortons.