Hockey Hall of Famer Johnny Bower dies at 93, family confirms

Hockey Hall of Famer Johnny Bower looks for his names on the Stanley Cup after The Hockey Hall of Fame officially unveiled the " Esso Great Wall" as home to the Stanley Cup in Toronto on Friday, March. 9, 2012. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette)

TORONTO - Canadian hockey legend Johnny Bower has died.

A statement from his family says the 93-year-old died after a short battle with pneumonia.

Bower was a two-time Vezina Trophy winner who helped the Toronto Maple Leafs win their last Stanley Cup championship in 1967.

Bower, who became known as the China Wall, remained one of the most beloved ex-Leafs years after retiring.

Toronto honoured Bower on the occasion of his 90th birthday on Nov. 8, 2014, during a game against the New York Rangers, his first team.

Bower's career took off after the Leafs claimed him in a 1958 intra-league draft. Bower went on to play 475 regular-season games and win four Stanley Cups for the Leafs, playing his trade mostly without a mask.