Barilko Story Re-told in New Book. Movie to Follow.

The most famous goal in Leaf history was scored five years before hockey author Kevin Shea was even born. So what precipitated the idea for Shea, Manager of Special Projects and Publishing at the Hockey Hall of Fame, to author a book about Bill Barilko, whose #5 jersey hangs from the rafters at Air Canada Centre?

"It was one of those timing things where I was looking for a book to write and I realized working at the Hockey Hall of Fame that there was a photo that was requested, by far, more than any other photo - more than photos of Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, or Bobby Orr flying through the air. It was the famous shot that Nat Turofsky took in 1951 when Barilko's goal won the Stanley Cup for the Leafs." recalls Shea.

This realization, prompted by colleague Tyler Wolosewich, was the catalyst behind the eventual publication of Shea's fourth book "Barilko - Without a Trace" which was officially launched by Fenn Publishing at a gathering held Monday afternoon at the Hall of Fame's Esso Theatre.

Anne Barilko-Klisanich, Bill's sister, is a volunteer at the Hockey Hall of Fame

Few Maple Leafs fans need an introduction to Barilko's name as his place in Toronto hockey history is indelibly entrenched. On April 21, 1951 his overtime goal at Maple Leaf Gardens in the fifth game of the Stanley Cup Final clinched the Stanley Cup for the home team. It was the Leafs' fourth championship in five years. Sadly, Barilko would lose his life in a plane crash just four months later as he boarded a Fairchild 24 piloted by his friend Dr. Henry Hudson. The plane vanished in the Northern Ontario brush and no trace of Barilko, Hudson, or the Fairchild would be discovered for eleven years.

In spite of the tragic circumstances that claimed the life of a 24-year old defenceman in the prime of his hockey career, Monday's book launch was a joyous celebration of Barilko's life. The lone survivor of Barilko's immediate family - his sister Anne Klisanich - spoke with fondness: "It's a very exciting day, and I know Bill and my parents - my mom and dad - would be very proud. It's been a wonderful ride, just talking about Bill ever since he started in the NHL." Klisanich volunteers weekly at the Hall of Fame's Resource Centre and gratefully acknowledged fans and supporters who have become enthused with the legend created by her brother's famous goal. "I'm very flattered, I'm very proud of Bill."

The eerie tale of Barilko's disappearance comes full circle only when it is noted that the Maple Leafs did not win another Stanley Cup until 1962, the same year that the remains of the hockey hero and his companion Hudson were discovered by bush pilot Gary Fields. Both Barilko and Hudson were found still strapped in their seats when Fields came upon the Fairchild wreckage approximately 100 kilometres north of Cochrane, Ontario.

Shea offered his thoughts when asked to explain how the memory of Barilko - a player who scored just 26 career NHL goals in five seasons - can be preserved over the course of more than a half-century.

"There's so many elements to it. Here's a kid could barely skate, up in Timmins, wore glasses and played goal. All of a sudden he works really hard. He turns out to be such a player there that he gets recommended to go up and fill in as an injury replacement. He plays for the Leafs, it's supposed to be for a handful of games, ends up playing for five years. During that time, it's just the timing, the Leafs win four Stanley Cup championships. Also, scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal and then getting lost that summer on the fishing trip in the plane crash has made it such an incredible story...an almost unbelievable story. So that starts it. The fact that the Tragically Hip, arguably Canada's biggest band, records a song about this player makes it almost like it brought it back to life and reinvented the story for a whole new generation of people too".

Anne Barilko-Klisanich and Without A Trace author Kevin Shea

Klisanich concurs that the song "Fifty Mission Cap" from the Tragically Hip's 1992 release Fully Completely has introduced her brother's legacy to a new generation. "In the 60's people were talking about Frank Mahovlich, Bobby Orr and Bill Barilko was out of the picture. But it was Maple Leaf Gardens - Steve Stavro who retired his number. And I think that was the beginning of Bill's popularity again. And then the song by the Tragically Hip got the young people interested. So now we have a cross-section, the older people and the younger people."

Monday's ceremonies were bolstered by the announcement that Barilko's story will be made into a forthcoming movie. Klisanich beamed, overjoyed at the possibilities, yet unsure as to who would be cast in the starring role: "Isn't that wonderful news? (As to who would play Bill) I don't know, I think (director) George Mendeluk has said he's got someone lined up that looks like Bill and acts like Bill. So we don't know, we'll have to discuss that." Timmins mayor Vic Power proudly proclaimed his city to be an ideal place to shoot the film (an obvious dig at the producers of the soon-to-be-released Shania Twain biopic who chose Sudbury, and not Twain's native Timmins as the filming location). Veteran hockey analyst Harry Neale quipped earlier in the season that he offered to star in the movie as long as he didn't have to play the Leaf blueliner. "I wanted Jennifer Lopez to be my wife".

"Without a Trace" chronicles the definitive story of Barilko from his childhood in Timmins to his days playing for the Hollywood Wolves of the Pacific Coast Hockey League prior to suiting up for five seasons with the Leafs. It includes the tale of how Jim Crawford, the last person to see Barilko and Hudson alive, tried to persuade the two men to delay the flight in which they would eventually perish. Shea spoke enthusiastically about the passages in his newest publication that extend further than the legendary marker scored at 2:53 of overtime in the final game of 1951: "It's a hockey story, it's a human interest story, it's a mystery, it's a music story, it's got all of those elements together."

Meanwhile Air Canada Centre organist Jimmy Holmstrom, naturally misses hockey like everyone else, but plans to add "Fifty Mission Cap" to his repertoire of songs to be played during Leaf games. "Absolutely - anything by the Tragically Hip, after this book I'll certainly do that one!"

Klisanich has kept her compilation of cherished scrapbooks over the decades that have passed since those fateful days in 1951. The grandmother of three is never at a loss for words when asked about her famous brother. "I'm happy to share my story."

"Barilko - Without A Trace" is available through Fenn publishing.