Well-travelled former Maple Leafs goalie Marv Edwards passes

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‘Marvelous’ Marv Edwards, whose long career as a goaltender included 22 different teams, a gold medal for Canada and three NHL stops, one with the Maple Leafs, has died.

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The family posted of his passing on Saturday at age 87.

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The St. Catharines-born Edwards played for the local Teepees and as a 15-year-old, got a chance to work out with the 1950-51 Stanley Cup champion Leafs. Coach Joe Primeau advised the 5-foot-8 youngster to guard his post more effectively to prevent short-side goals.

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It took 19 years for Edwards to come back to the Leafs, via four different leagues and outposts such as Knoxville, Nashville, Milwaukee and Portland, Oregon. In 1959, he was part of the Belleville McFarlands world champion roster at the tournament in the former Czechoslovakia.

The NHL path for many goalies didn’t open until its 1967 expansion. After winning the Western Hockey League’s outstanding goalie award with the Portland Buckaroos, Edwards got in one game with the Pittsburgh Penguins. When they left him unprotected in 1969, Toronto claimed him to help fill a hole created by Johnny Bower’s retirement. Edwards had a record of 10-9-4 with a 3.25 goals-against average on a team coached by his former Belleville teammate John McLellan.

When the Leafs brought in Jacques Plante and Bernie Parent the next year, Edwards was demoted and finished his NHL career with 35 games for the California Golden Seals.

He later coached the Salt Lake City Golden Eagles and spent four years in the late 1990s as assistant with the OHL Peterborough Petes.

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