Former NHL player and coach Dan Maloney is being mourned by those in his hometown who are proud to have met him.
The Barrie native died on Tuesday.
He was 68.
Maloney grew up in the Barrie Minor Hockey Association system, played for the Toronto Marlboros Junior ‘B’ club and was selected 14th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1970 NHL draft.
But he is perhaps best remembered in this region as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1978 until 1982.
Following his playing days, Maloney moved into coaching, beginning as an assistant with the Leafs during the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons.
He was then hired as Toronto's head coach in the 1984-85 and 1985-86 campaigns, finishing with a dismal record of 45-100-15.
Notably, however, Maloney was the Leafs' coach during Wendel Clark's rookie season after the future franchise legend was drafted first overall.
Maloney ended up resigning due to contract disagreements with infamous Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard.
Maloney's best season as a coach came in 1986-87 with the Winnipeg Jets, whose lineup featured the likes of 100-point man Dale Hawerchuk (who's now head coach of the OHL's Barrie Colts) and Randy Carlyle, where he accumulated a 40-32-8 mark.
After eliminating the Calgary Flames in the first round that season, the Jets were swept by the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers, who'd go on to win the Stanley Cup.
Maloney was inducted into the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.
Sports hall of fame chairperson Dan Forgrave said Maloney is a prime example of why it's important to have a place to honour local athletes who have accomplished great things in the sporting world.
“This is one of those days where you realize the importance of a local hall of fame,” Forgrave said. “We have to be able to recognize the athletes we have here in town and the youth coming up have to be able to also recognize that talent that came before them and going for in the sport you love is possible when you’re from Barrie.
"It is a great thing for kids and families to go into the hall and see things like the picture we have up or the memorabilia in the trophy case," he added. "It is very important to preserve the history of your community.”
Forgrave has watched hockey since the enforcers were revered by fans and says Maloney, a former NHL tough guy, was definitely a beast on the ice, racking up 1,524 penalty minutes in 777 NHL regular-season and playoff games.
But had a wonderful heart off of it.
“Danny was a really tough guy, but was also a very nice guy,” said Forgrave. “If you ever walked up to him and shook his hand, your hand just disappeared as he had mitts like you wouldn’t believe. Just huge hands.
"He really cared about the people around him. I know Darryl Sittler even as long ago as a couple of weeks ago was indicating when they got back together after their careers were over, they’re both from around the area, he mentioned how much he and Maloney got along and that he really enjoyed that," Forgrave added.
Maloney was able to mix toughness with skill on the ice, as evidenced in his days with the OHA's London Knights during the 1969-70 season, a team that also included Sittler in addition to future Leafs Pat Boutette and Rick Kehoe, as well as future NHLers Jim Schoenfeld and goalie Dan Bouchard.
That season, Maloney scored 31 goals and added 35 assists for 66 points in 54 games, which was second on the team behind only Sittler. Add on top of that 232 penalty minutes, which was the most on the team.
Herman Koeslag lived close to Maloney in Oro-Medonte Township for about six years and says that while he himself was not a big hockey fan, he didn’t need to be when chatting with his former neighbour.
“Dan was a great and humble guy," Koeslag said. “I never really watched hockey and always found it interesting when folks would come up to him at the store and just want to hear old stories.
"He always had time for people and that was just how he was," Koeslag added. "A very soft-spoken gentleman and it was always nice to talk to him about anything that came up.”
Maloney’s cause of death has not been released.
