Aut Erickson

 


Aut Erickson played one game with the Maple Leafs. It happened to be Game One of the 1967 Stanley Cup final against Montreal. Erickson dressed as the extra defenceman and probably would not have seen the ice at all if the score didn't get out of hand in the third period. He actually served a Too Many Men on the Ice bench minor in the first period. 

Once the Canadiens went up 6-2 in the ninth minute of the third (on Henri Richard's hat-trick goal), Leaf coach Punch Imlach pulled back his regulars. According to Dick Beddoes writing for The Globe and Mail,

  "He benched Allan Stanley, gave Tim Horton and Dave Keon long reprieves, spotted Frank Mahovlich and removed goaler Terry Sawchuk. The benchings brought out the bullpen that is stocked by Johnny Bower, Eddie Shack and Aut Erickson - the last a blond defenseman called up as a playoff standby from Victoria.. 'I just tried to keep my good guys off the ice in the last 10 minutes,' Imlach explained, 'I'm not going to take any chances on my big guns getting hurt when the score is out of reach.' "

And so, Aut Erickson got into a Cup final, got his name on the Cup and into the team photo. He would be named a Western Hockey League 2nd Team All-Star soon after for his work with Victoria, tallying 36 points in 70 games. The following month, he would be selected by the California Golden Seals in the expansion draft and played 65 games with them in 67/68, collecting 15 points. 

Aut Erickson and some terrific Victoria Maple Leafs team photos from my collection.

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