February 21, 1974: Tim Horton Is Killed In a Car Crash

February 21, 1974, 50 years ago: Hockey star Tim Horton is killed in a car crash. It was the only thing that could stop him from playing hockey.

Miles Gilbert Horton was born on January 12, 1930 in Cochrane, in northern Ontario. He grew up in Sudbury, Ontario, and was signed as a defenseman by the Toronto Maple Leafs. That team was in a dynasty, having won the Stanley Cup in 1942, 1945, 1947, 1948 and 1949. They would win another in 1951.

But Tim Horton would not be a part of it: He would play 1 regular-season game on March 26, 1950, and a Playoff game on April 9, but would remain in the Leafs' minor-league system, with the Pittsburgh Hornets, whom he would help to win the 1952 American Hockey League Championship.

He was called up for good for the start of the 1952-53 season, but this would be a transition period for the Leafs, as their 1940s dynasty had aged, and it took a while for a new great team to be built. For a while, Horton was their best player.

Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks explained: "There were defensemen you had to fear because they were vicious, and would slam you into the boards from behind, for one, Eddie Shore. But you respected Tim Horton, because he didn't need that type of intimidation. He used his tremendous strength and talent to keep you in check."

In 1958, George "Punch" Imlach was named head coach and general manager. He built a veteran team that reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1959 and 1960, and then won it in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967. Horton was key for this team, appearing in 486 consecutive games between February 11, 1961 and February 4, 1968. This remains the Toronto franchise record, and was an NHL record for defensemen until 2007.

In the meantime, in 1964, Horton co-founded the Tim Hortons restaurant chain, featuring baked goods and coffee. In 1967, he took on investor Ron Joyce, who ran Canada's Dairy Queens. Joyce was able to turn Tim Hortons into an icon of Canada.

After the 1967 Stanley Cup, knowing that internal politics within the Leafs organization meant that money needed to be saved, Imlach began to break up the dynasty. In 1970, he traded Horton to the New York Rangers. He remained with them through the end of the 1970-71 season. He was claimed by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the intra-league draft.

After 1 season with them, he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres, who, by then, were being run by Imlach. As Rick Martin of the "French Connection Line" (also including Gilbert Perreault and René Robert) was already wearing Number 7 for the Sabres, Horton was given Number 2. In 1973, though he was 43 years old, Horton helped the Sabres reach the Playoffs in only their 3rd season of play.

On February 20, 1974, the Sabres played their 55th game of the season. Horton, now 44 years old, played in it, and in all 54 games before it. The game was at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, The Leafs won, 4-2.

A few hours later, early on the morning of February 21, Horton was trying to make the 100-mile drive from Toronto back to Buffalo, in his De Tomaso Pantera sports car, on the Queen Elizabeth Way (named for the widow of King George VI, not her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II).

On the way, he stopped at his office in Oakville, Ontario, and met with Joyce. While there, he phoned his brother Gerry, who recognized that Tim had been drinking, and tried to persuade him not to continue driving. Joyce also offered to have Horton stay with him. Horton chose to continue his drive to Buffalo.

At around 4:30 AM, Horton approached the Lake Street exit in St. Catharines, Ontario, and lost control, crossing onto the center grass median. His tire caught a recessed sewer, causing him to flip onto the Toronto-bound lanes. In addition to being drunk -- which was not publicly revealed until 2005 -- he also had several drugs in his system, including Dexedrine, a stimulant, and Amobarbital, a sedative. To make matters worse, he wasn't wearing a seatbelt. He was found 123 feet from his car. He never had a chance.

After Tim's death, Joyce offered his widow, Lori, $1 million for the shares of Tim Hortons that she inherited. She accepted, and Joyce became the sole owner. Lori lived until 2000. The Hortons had 4 children, all daughters. One of them, Jeri-Lyn, married Ron Joyce Jr., so some shares returned to the Horton family.

The Sabres retired Number 2 for Horton in 1996. The Leafs retired Number 7 for him and 1930s star King Clancy in 2016. A statue of Horton now stands outside the original store in Hamilton, Ontario, about halfway between Toronto and Buffalo. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977. In 1998, The Hockey News ranked him 43rd on their list of the 100 Greatest Players. In 2017, he was named to the NHL's 100th Anniversary 100 Greatest Players.