Ron Ellis played for the Toronto Maple Leafs for 16 seasons, including their Stanley Cup-winning year in 1967.
- Died: May 11, 2024 (Who else died on May 11?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 79.
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Ron Ellis’ legacy
Born in Lindsay, Ontario, Ellis overcame a clubfoot, wearing a brace as a young boy. It affected the flexibility in his left ankle, and he learned to compensate for it while learning to skate. As a teen, he came up through the junior hockey system, playing for the Maple Leafs’ farm team, the Toronto Marlboros. His squad won the 1964 Memorial Cup, the Ontario Hockey Association’s national championship.
Ellis debuted in the National Hockey League in 1964, toward the end of its “Original Six” era, the 25 years when only six teams made up the league. In 1967, he helped the Maple Leafs to championship victory against the Montreal Canadiens in their most recent Stanley Cup win. Ellis was a member of Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series, in which Canada defeated the Soviet Union 4-3. He initially retired in 1975 after 11 seasons but returned to hockey in 1977 to play for Canada in the world championships. Ellis decided to extend his return, rejoining the Maple Leafs for another five seasons until his 1981 retirement. He was one of only five team members to play in more than 1,000 games for the Leafs.
After retiring, Ellis initially ran a sporting goods store before joining the Hockey Hall of Fame in the early 1990s as director of public affairs and assistant to its president. He remained with the Hall of Fame for decades. Ellis also spoke out about his clinical depression in later years, including in his memoir, “Over The Boards: The Ron Ellis Story.” He attributed his depression to head injuries sustained while playing hockey, and he said it contributed to his initial decision to retire at age 30.
Ellis on overcoming his clubfoot
“I developed a style of skating – straight away. I had the speed. If I couldn’t skate, then I might as well have stayed home. But I could cut into the net much better from the right than the left. I would have much rather played on my wrong wing. I was much stronger playing the right side. So I kept (information about the foot) quiet and worked through it. That’s what you do. It was just something you overcome. And there have been other people that have done that in other sports.” — from a 2018 interview for London Ontario Sports
Tributes to Ron Ellis
Full obituary: Toronto Star
