I only have vague recollections of watching him play, young at the time, but sure, remember him as I'd thought he was related to Murray Balfour... 2 Balfours, same team, not the most common of names & actually rather "upper crust" which I found amusing... as in referring to him as "The Earl of Balfour", Murray "The Duke of Balfour". Kids huh? Ya I was nuts even then.... at anyrate, nope, they werent brothers but I guess distant relations going back generations, the old country..... Then I recall how in 61 after winning the Cup, he gets claimed by the lowly Bruins in the intra-league Draft, so goes from basically Hero to Zero leaving Champagne still swirling in Lord Stanleys Cup.
And things got ugly in Boston real fast, Earl having a major run-in & falling out with Bruins Coach Phil Watson (no idea what went down there), sent down to the AHL, buried, playing 2 seasons for the Hornets & then retiring, sitting out a year as was required in order to re-gain his amateur status, then playing several more years, also as a playing-coach. It was this precedent that helped Carl Brewer re-gain his amateur status after he'd quit the Leafs & the game, allowing him to join Father David Bauers National Team program... and it was the other Balfour, Murray, who in beating Brewer to a pulp one night contributed to Brewers departure from the NHL (amongst other issues).
As a result, both Balfours players I remember, nothing spectacular about either, but just good, solid, tough team guys, better than average foot soldiers, specialists. ... Interesting to read in Earls obituary that despite the Cup win in Chicago, he was a lifelong Leaf fan & lived the dream of playing for the Marlboro's & Leafs as many did back in the day... also interesting to learn how he was a big fan of Jeopardy, Sinatra, Conspiracy Theories & talking hockey history, telling stories. My kinda guy.... RIP.