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Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Fischler, known as "The Hockey Maven," shares his humor and insight with readers each Wednesday. This week delivers the story behind the story of a unique hockey photo featuring the 1948-49 Toronto Maple Leafs being "lectured" by captain Ted Kennedy from a rare, high vantage point. This posed photo, taken at Maple Leaf Gardens by famed Toronto photographer Nat Turofsky and part of the Hockey Hall of Fame's photo collection, is fascinating in many ways. Start with the fact it's rare to see a hockey player, in this case Toronto Maple Leafs captain Ted "Teeder" Kennedy, giving a pep talk from atop a goal net. Also unusual was the fact that Maple Leafs coach Clarence "Hap" Day was not in the picture, although Day guided them to championships in 1942, 1945, 1947 and 1948. The 1948-49 season was Kennedy's first as captain. He succeeded retiring center Syl Apps, who entered the Hall of Fame with the Class of 1961, after the Maple Leafs won their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship. Although Kennedy became captain when the picture was taken, Teeder's sweater sports an "A" as alternate captain and not the traditional "C." No less an oddity was the defending champions' performance that season chasing an unprecedented third straight title. Toronto finished 1948-49 in fourth place (22-25 with 13 ties), 18 points behind the League-leading Detroit Red Wings ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. "Anyone who underestimated us going into the playoffs," said right wing Howie Meeker, "didn't know how good we could be when the chips were down." Toronto defeated the Boston Bruins 4-1 in NHL Semifinals and then swept Detroit in the four-game Stanley Cup Final. "It was a very special time to be a fan of the Maple Leafs," said Kevin Shea, author of "The Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club: Official Centennial Publication," where the team photo originally appeared on page 95. Beginning with a two-game cup of coffee in 1942-43, Kennedy played 12 full seasons in the NHL, retiring after 1954-55, only to make a 30-game comeback in 1956-57. He played for five Stanley Cup-winning teams, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966 and named among the 100 Greatest NHL Players as part of the League's Centennial celebration in 2017. Teeder was a key component of the NHL's first dynasty: championships from 1947 to 1949 and a fourth in 1951, not to mention his first in 1945. "And if you were to ask Kennedy," Shea concluded, "his team should have won in 1950 too!"
