Eddie Litzenberger NHL legend

On my walk through Riverside Cemetery in Etobicoke — just a few graves behind Toronto’s late mayor, Rob Ford — I came across the grave of Eddie Litzenberger.

What caught my attention was this: “Litz” won four consecutive Stanley Cups… while playing for two different teams.

Standing at 6’3”, Eddie was a towering right winger and centerman who played twelve seasons in the NHL between 1952 and 1964. He started with the Montreal Canadiens, but after just 29 games, he was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks— for cash.

It was in Chicago where Litzenberger found his stride. In his first season with the Hawks, he put up 40 points in 44 games, earning the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.

He later played for the Detroit Red Wings and then joined the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he became part of their early 1960s dynasty.

1962–63 (Toronto Maple Leafs) Shirriff metal coins from my personal collection.

A lesser-known but remarkable feat: Litzenberger is the only player in North American hockey history to win six straight professional championships — winning the Stanley Cup in 1961 (Chicago), and then 1962, 1963, and 1964 (Toronto). After his NHL career, he moved to the minors and helped the Rochester Americans win back-to-back Calder Cups in 1965 and 1966.

Eddie Litzenberger died in Toronto on November 1, 2010. He was 78.

1932-2010

In the distance you might spot a Canadian flag. That is the grave of the late Toronto mayor, Rob Ford.