Vancouver Canucks goodwill ambassador Walter “Babe” Pratt, a former Hart Memorial Trophy winner and two-time Stanley Cup champion, suffers a fatal heart attack in the media booth during the first intermission of a 5-3 loss to the Calgary Flames at Pacific Coliseum. The retired defenceman, a hockey hall of famer who scored the winning goal in the seventh game of a Stanley Cup final in 1945 while playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs , was 72.
The NHL team honoured Pratt’s memory by stitching “BABE” on their sweaters for the remainder of the season. His legacy lives on through the annual Babe Pratt Trophy given to the team’s best defenceman as voted by fans and presented at the last home game of the regular season. Last year’s winner was Dan Hamhuis.
