Carl Brewer

WHEN Carl Thomas Brewer, the 23-year-old defenceman of the Toronto Maple Leafs, first rocketed into the National Hockey League three years ago, it was generally agreed that only his temper could keep him from becoming one of the game’s top players. The youthful Leaf had the speed, toughness and agility to make it big, but unfortunately a trigger temper produced a rash of penalties. In the 1959-60 season, he spent 150 minutes, or 2% full games, paying for his misdeeds.

Since it is Brewer’s avowed intention to become the best defenceman in hockey, he took stock of himself at the end of that season and decided to reform. “I’m doing my best to avoid those chippy penalties,” he says. “It’s tough to hold your temper when somebody pulls something sneaky on you, but you have to realize they’re trying to sucker you into a cheap penalty. The trick is to await your chance and pay them back later in the game.”

Brewer’s reformation has been so complete that he proudly boasts of having gone seven games in a stretch this season without drawing a penalty. As a result his play has improved so much that he won a spot on the NHL All-Star team in the halfway balloting and seems certain to retain it when the final votes are counted at the end of the season.

Except for a rejuvenated Doug Harvey, who is having one of his better seasons as playing coach of the Rangers, Brewer might have attained his ambition this season of being the game’s top defenceman. But at 23, with a good 10 seasons in the NHL ahead of him, he can afford to wait.

During the off season, Brewer attends McMaster University, working toward a degree in languages, a subject he hopes to teach when his hockey career is finished. Born in Toronto Oct. 21, 1938, he came up through the Leaf farm system, playing for Marlboros’ 1956 Memorial Cup team. Brewer and his fiancee, Marilyn Rea, plan a spring wedding. -JIM HUNT

(Copyright 1962 The Star Weekly)