Ted "Teeder" Kennedy died of heart failure recently at 83 in a Port Colborne nursing home. Teeder was part of five Stanley Cup victories and was the Leafs' team captain from 1948 to '57. He was the last Leaf to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player.
 
Born December 12, 1925 in Port Colborne, Ontario, Kennedy attracted the attention of the Montreal Canadiens when he was 16. The Habs moved him to Montreal in 1942 to play for the Royals junior team. Not enjoying the situation in Montreal, Kennedy finished the season with the Port Colborne senior team, coached by the NHL's leading career goal-scorer at the time, Nels (Old Poison) Stewart. Stewart told Kennedy that Leafs coach Hap Day was a master at developing young players, soon after the Leafs traded for Kennedy's rights.
 
Only 17 at the start of the '43-'44 season, Kennedy produced 26 goals and 49 points in 49 games. He led the Leafs to the Stanley Cup in '45 with seven goals in 13 playoff games. The Leafs' top stars (Syl Apps, Turk Broda, Nick and Don Metz, Garth Boesch) returned from the war to join an impressive group of youngsters led by Kennedy, Gus Bodnar, Gus Mortson, Jim Thomson, Bill Barilko, Bill Ezinicki, Howie Meeker and Vic Lynn.
 
Kennedy was enshrined into the Hall Of Fame in 1966 and he and Apps were the first Leafs to have "honoured numbers." Their 9 and 10 were raised to the Gardens roof in 1993 and now adorn the Air Canada Centre.
 
Kennedy is survived by his wife, Doreen, son Mark, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
 
It was an honour for us to have known such a fine gentleman.

 

We believe that the 9th Edition of Ultimate Memorabilia might be our best yet. There are three slabbed cards in each pack. One Ultimate Autograph Card, One Ultimate Authentic Game-Used Memorabilia Card and One Ultimate Base Card.
 
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are 3,000 words about UM-9.



Available November 2009!