Biography
Calvin “Cal” Gardner was born on October 30, 1924 in Transcona, Manitoba. Cal lived for over 40 years in the Leaside Community, raising his family here.
Cal played junior hockey in Manitoba and was a member of the winning 1943 Memorial Cup team. In 1943, he enlisted in the Canadian military and served until the end of the WWII. In 1945, he signed with the NHL’s New York Rangers. Cal played 696 regular season NHL games, scoring 154 goals and assisting 238. He played 61 NHL playoff games, scoring 7 goals and assisting 10.
While playing for the Toronto Maple Leaf’s, he won two Stanley Cups,1949 & 1951 and was an All-Star twice.
Spending time at the Leaside Gardens with sons Dave and Paul, Cal was a familiar and motivating sight watching over the next crop of hockey stars from Leaside.