1984-85 - Allan Bester

by 1967ers on Oct 19, 2009 3:21 PM EDT in Leaf of the Day

Editor's Note: This is the most important LotD ever.

(Allan Bester - looking not even 20 because he he probably wasn't - via img7.imageshack.us )

After seven games, the '84-85 Leafs were actually 3-4-0. They were about to embark on a 0-7-3 run that would put them on their way.

Between the Wregget post last week and the 90-91 post of a couple days later, I've already talked quite a bit about Allan Bester. Suffice it to say that I liked the guy.

He'd been a great little goalie as a 19-year-old in 1983-84, putting up an .883 save percentage while facing over 37 shots per game. His '84-85 numbers weren't that bad, but the team was, and Bester would spend much of this season and almost all of the next one in the minors while the Leafs would experiment with Wregget, Rick St. Croix, Tim Bernhardt and Donnie Edwards. Sort of like the past couple of years, new saviours would arrive every year or so, get slaughtered behind a horrific Leaf defense and be buried in the minors or out of hockey shortly thereafter. Bester looked set to join this group.

He did make it back, though. In 1986-87, he posted a 3.65 GAA and a pair of shutouts, unheard-of performance for a Toronto goaltender. The shutouts just left us in awe. A team not scoring a single goal against Toronto was one of those events we'd sort of imagined existing in the realm of possibility but couldn't really imagine it ever happening. And Bester did it twice. TWICE! (Once, I think, was a 0-0 draw with Minnesota's Kari Takko - in '80s hockey, that's supposed to be an impossibility.)

It's more than a little scary right now to think that pretty much the entire hope for the season now rests with a goalie with less than 100 NHL minutes to his credit. The whole thing has a real '80s kind of vibe to it. The time is coming when those of us that saw the whole Ballard thing happen live won't be able to lord it over those who didn't, because you're getting a pretty good look at it now.

Man - I'm kind of goalied-out right now. So far, 7 of 22 LotDs have been goaltenders. Let's hope the next time I have one, it's to celebrate yet another great win. (A SHUTOUT! By a LEAF! SERIOUSLY!!!)

The Bester tribute on youtube. More rubber than a dead skunk on the Trans-Canada highway. Nice save on Gilmour, too. Man, I hated that guy....

Allan's stats:

1981-82	Hamilton Kilty B's	OJHL
1981-82	Brantford Alexanders	OHL	19	4	11	0	0	4.21
1982-83	Brantford Alexanders	OHL	56	29	21	3	0	3.51	8	3	3	1	2.50
1983-84	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	32	11	16	4	0	4.35
1983-84	Brantford Alexanders	OHL	23	12	9	1	1	3.35	1	0	1	0	5.00
1984-85	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	15	3	9	1	1	4.22
1984-85	St. Catharines Saints	AHL	30	9	18	1	0	4.78
1985-86	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	1	0	0	0	0	6.00
1985-86	St. Catharines Saints	AHL	50	23	23	3	1	3.64	11	7	3	0	2.54
1986-87	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	36	10	14	3	2	3.65	1	0	0	0	1.54
1986-87	Newmarket Saints	AHL	3	1	0	0	0	1.89
1987-88	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	30	8	12	5	2	3.81	5	2	3	0	4.98
1988-89	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	43	17	20	3	2	3.80
1989-90	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	42	20	16	0	0	4.49	4	0	3	0	4.29
1989-90	Newmarket Saints	AHL	5	2	1	1	0	4.09
1990-91	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	6	0	4	0	0	4.37
1990-91	Newmarket Saints	AHL	19	7	8	4	1	3.01
1990-91	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	3	0	3	0	0	4.38	1	0	0	0	3.00
1991-92	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	1	0	0	0	0	3.87
1991-92	Adirondack Red Wings	AHL	22	13	8	0	0	3.69	19	14	5	1	2.56
1992-93	Adirondack Red Wings	AHL	41	16	15	5	1	3.52	10	7	3	1	2.46
1993-94	San Diego Gulls	IHL	46	22	14	6	1	3.54	8	4	4	0	4.00
1994-95	San Diego Gulls	IHL	58	28	23	5	1	3.38	4	2	2	0	2.86
1995-96	Orlando Solar Bears	IHL	51	32	16	2	1	3.58	23	11	12	2	2.90
1995-96	Dallas Stars	NHL	10	4	5	1	0	3.00
1996-97	Orlando Solar Bears	IHL	61	37	13	3	2	2.54	10	4	4	0	3.16
1997-98	Orlando Solar Bears	IHL	26	13	8	1	1	2.98	2	1	0	0	4.68
	Leaf Totals		205	69	91	16	7	4.06	11	2	6	0	4.37
	NHL Totals		219	73	99	17	7	4.00	11	2	6	0	4.37

OHL First All-Star Team (1983)
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy (Playoff MVP - AHL) (1992)

- Traded to Detroit by Toronto for Detroit's 6th round choice (Alexander Kuzminsky) in 1991 Entry Draft, March 5, 1991.
- Signed as a free agent by Anaheim, September 9, 1993.
- Signed as a free agent by Dallas, January 21, 1996.
- Officially announced retirement, August 5, 1998.

the HHOF take on Allan:

"Diminutive netminder Allan Bester spent parts of eleven years in the NHL. He made up for his lack of size with quick reflexes and self-assured attitude between the pipes.
The native of Hamilton, Ontario starred in the OHL with the Brantford Alexanders. After posting 29 wins and a 3.51 goals against average in 1982-83, he was chosen 49th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Entry Draft. He was also recognized by the OHL when he was named to the first all-star team. While he was still in junior, the youngster was summoned to the Leafs halfway through the 1983-84 season. He guarded the net admirably and, at times, spectacularly on the defensively horrid club. Bester's eleven wins and 4.35 goals against mark were quite impressive considering the calibre of play in front of him.

Bester spent his second and third pro seasons mostly in the AHL working on the nuances of his game. He played more in 1986-87 and 1987-88 but was always supplanted by Ken Wregget in the post-season. Bester won 17 games for Toronto in 1989 and won 20 games the following year when the club reached the .500 mark for the first time in over a decade. By this time, Bester's penchant for allowing goals through his legs was giving him a bad name. The most glaring moment came in the crucial third game of the 1990 Norris Division semi-final when St. Louis forward Sergio Momesso put a long shot between Bester's legs during overtime.

During the 1990-91 season, Bester was traded to the Detroit Red Wings but was chiefly a farm hand with his new club. In 1992 he was sensational when he led the Adirondack Red Wings to the Calder Cup. Following this triumph he was presented the Jack Butterfield trophy as the most valuable player in the post-season.

Bester remained in the minors through the mid-1990s then made an unexpected return to the NHL with the Dallas Stars in 1995-96. Ravaged by injuries throughout their roster, the Stars signed the veteran netminder to a temporary contract. Bester looked solid in ten appearances before returning to the minors. He retired in 1998 after finishing his third season with the Orlando Solar Bears of the "I"."

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Comments

I often wonder

would Bester have had more success if he’d changed his last name to Bestest?

"Sanity is not statistical." - George Orwell, a Leafs fan...
Stalk me here...

by blurr1974 on Oct 19, 2009 3:37 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs

In about Grade 11, we tried to come up with an appropriate response to “IncROYable” – about the best we had was “unbesterable,” which we acknowledged was weak, but it annoyed our Hab fan friends, and that was all that mattered.

Leaf, the universe and everything.

by 1967ers on Oct 19, 2009 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions

anything that irritates Habs fans is the right thing

Brain: The irony of it all, Pinky. Years of trying to take over the world, and all I had to do was say "truculence".
Follow me I'm Boring!

by blindfolded tank driver on Oct 19, 2009 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions

bathing is a good one

Refusing To Bow To Your Standards Since 2006

by JaredFromLondon on Oct 19, 2009 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions

By this time, Bester’s penchant for allowing goals through his legs was giving him a bad name. The most glaring moment came in the crucial third game of the 1990 Norris Division semi-final when St. Louis forward Sergio Momesso put a long shot between Bester’s legs during overtime.

Other than the aftermath of a ridiculous glove save this is my most vivid memory of Allan Bester.

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Oct 19, 2009 4:07 PM EDT reply actions

I was at this game.

Only playoff game I ever saw live in Toronto, come to think of it.

Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.

by Down Goes Brown on Oct 19, 2009 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions

DGB, I do believe you’ve cursed the rest of us for eternity. But keep on the blog updates! ;)

Identical to Sergei Berezin in every way, only 1/10 his size.

From Russia with GLOVE SIDE!

by Sergei Puckizin on Oct 19, 2009 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I’d just like to point out that I was also at Game Six of the 2000 series at Ottawa. The Leafs won that game (on Wendel Clark’s final career goal).

So don’t blame me.

Down Goes Brown - Unapologetically nostalgic for the past. Brutally realistic about the present. Grudgingly optimistic about the future.

by Down Goes Brown on Oct 20, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions

hmmm, sounds like the universe balanced that Bester goal out for you

Refusing To Bow To Your Standards Since 2006

by JaredFromLondon on Oct 20, 2009 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Yep,

Now the universe only owes us 5, 918 flukey goals for and we’ll be even!

(FYI, half of those are to account for Gretzky in games 6 & 7 in ’93)

Identical to Sergei Berezin in every way, only 1/10 his size.

From Russia with GLOVE SIDE!

by Sergei Puckizin on Oct 20, 2009 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Other than the aftermath of a ridiculous glove save this is my most vivid memory of Allan Bester.

Me too. It was after that goal that I first heard the “[insert Leaf goaltender’s name here] tried to throw himself in front of the team bus – but it went through his legs” joke. Ha ha ha fucking ha. I was inconsolable about that goal. In those days, as a Leaf fan you were either a “Wregget” guy or a “Bester” guy (in terms of who should be the #1), and I was always firmly in Wregget’s corner. That goal sealed the deal for me forever. Reading the HHOF summary above, it looks like the NHL felt the same way, for the most part.

Bester seemed like a nice guy and it was obvious that his team-mates liked him – they did seem to play hard in front of him – but I always felt he was too small to be top echelon.

jrwendelman
The Artist Formerly Known as "Junior", who blogs at heroesinrehab.ca/blog

"But if someone so eager to engage into fist talk, we can always meet after season end in Minsk." (Mikhail Grabovski and a well-meaning but not particularly skillful translator)

by jrwendelman on Oct 20, 2009 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Leafs really need just one game of amazing goaltending. One shutout, one something where the goalie is an absolute wall. They’ll still have lots of issues, but that could be a major catalyst for change in the locker room.

by birky on Oct 19, 2009 4:12 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

rec'd

for being so painfully, soul-crushingly, dream-destroyingly, achingly true.

Looks like we were just spoiled during the Quinn years.

by pevans on Oct 20, 2009 12:28 AM EDT up reply actions

how do I stopped goal

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Oct 19, 2009 4:21 PM EDT reply actions

One of my strongest Leaf memories is that Momesso goal. Had to fight bad AM reception to listen to the game. That goal from damn near the other side of Carlton was my reward.

Anyone remember Bester’s call-up by Dallas in ’96 when he beat the Leafs as part of a 10 game run? The Leafs had (have?) a wonderful tradition of making mediocre goalies look like Vezina winners.

Bitter Leaf Fan: a life-long Toronto Maple Leafs fan comments on the team, the media and the exasperation...

by mf37 on Oct 19, 2009 7:48 PM EDT reply actions

Yes. I remember it well. And as for that tradition, I think it should be known as the “Arturs Irbe effect”.

jrwendelman
The Artist Formerly Known as "Junior", who blogs at heroesinrehab.ca/blog

"But if someone so eager to engage into fist talk, we can always meet after season end in Minsk." (Mikhail Grabovski and a well-meaning but not particularly skillful translator)

by jrwendelman on Oct 20, 2009 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions

Just looking at his career stats… he played for quite a number of teams with fierce names:

Hamilton Kitty B’s
Brantford Alexanders
San Diego Gulls

-Graham-

by CanadianMaple09 on Oct 19, 2009 11:44 PM EDT reply actions

Don’t forget the “Solar Bears” of Orlando.

jrwendelman
The Artist Formerly Known as "Junior", who blogs at heroesinrehab.ca/blog

"But if someone so eager to engage into fist talk, we can always meet after season end in Minsk." (Mikhail Grabovski and a well-meaning but not particularly skillful translator)

by jrwendelman on Oct 20, 2009 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions