According to Rick Cole over at "50 Years Ago in Hockey," Punch Imlach's efforts to add a left-winger before the Trade Deadline in 1964-65 almost brought Johnny Bucyk to Toronto. Cole said that the "Bruins apparently asked for Eddie Shack and Jim Pappin and two young players (possibly Rochester’s Gerry Cheevers and Andre Champagne of Tulsa). Imlach agreed to the deal but the Bruins backed off at the last minute."
The hockey fans who like to imagine "what if" can imagine what if that trade had taken place? Bucyk was consistently productive for a poor Boston Bruins team (circa 1964-65). How much more productive might he have been on a contending team like the Leafs? Might his addition have been enough to change the results of the playoffs in 1964-65 and 1965-66? Eddie Shack demonstrated in 1965-66 with the Leafs, and in 1967-68 with the Bruins, what he could do with decent playing time and linemates. Jim Pappin would have gotten every opportunity to demonstrate what he could do as a fulltime NHLer. Gerry Cheevers was destined to join the Bruins just a few months later during the Intra-League Draft. Lord knows what Andre Champagne might have done as a member of the Bruins' organization.
This is link Rick Cole's article:
https://thehockeywriters.com/50-years-ago-in-hockey-no-deals-as-deadline-passes/
Affiliates X: Cleveland Monsters and more (All Affiliate Talk Here)
Friedman: Gibson is interested in Carolina or Edmonton
