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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — It was a simple gesture that Prince Edward Islander Kirk Taylor never forgot.

As a 10-year-old kid, Taylor received a Tim Horton stick during a visit to Toronto in March 1969. Taylor’s cousin, Forbie Kennedy, who was a teammate of Horton’s with the Toronto Maple Leafs, provided the gift.

“You are dreaming of being in the NHL growing up playing hockey,” Taylor told SaltWire Network in a recent interview. “To be in Maple Leaf Gardens (was a thrill), and we weren’t even expecting a stick.

“We just went to practice, and Forbie came out and had the two sticks – I shot right so I took the Tim Horton one and my brother (Paul) took the Murray Oliver one because he shot left.”

“You are dreaming of being in the NHL growing up playing hockey. To be in Maple Leaf Gardens (was a thrill), and we weren’t even expecting a stick.” – Kirk Taylor

Taylor held onto the stick for over 50 years – until recently.

“I took it home, put it in my closet, kept it and a friend of mine told me after I told him I had a Tim Horton stick that I should get a hold of (P.E.I. Tim Hortons franchise owner) Danny Murphy and offer him the stick to display in one of the stores. I thought it was a great idea.”

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Murphy was thrilled with the idea and said the stick, along with a plaque explaining its story, will be displayed at the Kent Street Tim Hortons in Charlottetown.

“It was kind of pointless of leaving something like that in a closet,” said Taylor. “It’s better to give it to Danny for Tim Hortons.”

Kennedy described Horton as a great guy and noted it was rare for players to give sticks away during that era the way Horton did with Taylor.

“I could have four brand new ones, but I would use the old one because you like it,” said Kennedy. “I couldn’t believe Tim Horton said, ‘Take any one you want.’

“It was usually don’t touch this one or that one … or take one he didn’t use.”

Some facts about Tim Horton:

The pure wooden stick is much heavier than sticks used today. Kennedy said Horton must have liked the stick Taylor received, pointing out there was tape over a little crack.

“If he didn’t like it, he would have fired it away,” said Kennedy. “That must have been one of his favourites.”

Jason Simmonds is a sports editor with the SaltWire Network in Prince Edward Island. He can be reached by email at [email protected]  and followed on Twitter @JpsportsJason.

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