Former Toronto Maple Leafs GM, scout, goalie Gerry McNamara dead at 90

Ethan Lang · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 13, 2025 9:07 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Gerry McNamara, a erstwhile NHL goalie, scout and wide manager liable for landing 2 of the best-loved players successful the past of the Toronto Maple Leafs, has died astatine the property of 90.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced McNamara's decease successful a station connected X Saturday night.

"Our thoughts are with Gerry's household and loved ones during this hard time," the Leafs said. "Gerry made an enduring interaction connected the organization."

The squad did not supply McNamara's origin of death.

The NHL Alumni Association besides paid tribute to McNamara successful a station connected X Saturday, saying the relation "is profoundly saddened to larn that Gerry McNamara has passed distant astatine the property of 90."

McNamara was wide manager of the Maple Leafs for 7 hard seasons betwixt 1981 to 1988, erstwhile the squad was inactive owned by the notorious Howard Ballard.

In that time, the squad made 3 playoff appearances, ne'er advancing beyond the 2nd round. McNamara's 166-302-67 grounds astatine the helm gives him the worst winning percent of immoderate wide manager successful Leafs past (.355). 

McNamara liable for 2 large Leafs pick-ups

But McNamara was partially liable for mounting up the successful Leafs teams that came aft his firing successful 1988. Three years before, successful 1985, helium drafted aboriginal Leafs skipper and instrumentality favourite Wendel Clark successful the archetypal round.

McNamara is possibly champion remembered by Leafs fans for what helium did arsenic a scout. 

In December 1972, helium travelled to Sweden truthful helium could instrumentality a look astatine a goaltender, but alternatively recovered a speedy, playmaking 21-year-old defenceman named Börje Salming. He recommended signing the aboriginal hall-of-famer, who became 1 of the astir beloved Leafs of each clip and fundamentally paved the mode for the European penetration of the NHL.

Born successful Sturgeon Falls, Ont., successful 1934, McNamara entered nonrecreational hockey successful 1955, playing arsenic a goaltender for Pittsburgh's AHL team.

During his playing career, McNamara spent astir of his clip successful the insignificant leagues, though helium made 7 full appearances for the Maple Leafs, divided up betwixt the 1960-1961 and 1969-1970 seasons. 

Though astir of his clip successful hockey was spent with the Maple Leafs organization, helium reached the pinnacle of hockey occurrence aft helium was fired by the club. The pursuing season, helium became a scout with the Calgary Flames, wherever helium picked up a Stanley Cup ringing successful 1989.