Hockey legend Howie Meeker dies at 97

It’s a sad day in the hockey world as hockey legend Howie Meeker died Sunday at the age of 97.

Former broadcasting partner Bernie Pascall confirmed the news on Twitter Sunday.

The Kitchener, Ont. native was the last living member of the 147-48 cup winning Toronto Maple Leafs team — a championship he won in his second season in the league.

The year prior, Meeker joined the Leafs at the age of 23 and won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie scoring 27 goals and 45 points in 55 games. He played with the club until 1954 when he stepped away from the game.

Upon his retirement, Meeker had scored 83 goals and 185 points in 346 games winning three Stanley Cup titles.

Meeker was a MP for Waterloo South from 1951-1953 while he played but didn’t seek re-election. He later ran hockey camps that were featured on CBC that led to a career breaking barriers on Hockey Night In Canada providing a deeper level of analysis than what was previously seen.

Meeker retired to live in Parksville, B.C.

On Twitter: @zjlaing