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Johnny Bower gets a great gift from a fan

Johnny Bower

Nice story here, via QMI Agency. Thanks to the generosity of an Ontario man, goaltending legend Johnny Bower got his pads back – pads he hadn’t seen in over 40 years.

Bower, now 87 years old, was part of Toronto’s last Stanley Cup-winning team in 1967. Back then, Leafs owner (and legendary cheapskate) Harold Ballard didn’t allow his players to keep their equipment.

Long story short, Bower’s pads ended up being given to Roger Spivey, now 61. Spivey used them for years, then thought it would be nice to give them back when Bower was signing autographs at a mall in Whitby, Ont.

“A lot of friends have told me I was crazy to give them away instead of getting his signature on them and selling them, but I wanted him to have them,” Spivey said.

Clearly the gesture meant a lot to the Hall of Famer.

“I was in tears,” Bower said.

Bower’s wife told Spivey she hadn’t seen her husband that happy in years.