BUFFALO, N.Y. — When the name "Tim Horton" comes to mind, many may think of coffee or donuts from the popular Canadian coffee chain.
What those may not know is the story of the man behind the multinational coffeehouse.
On the morning of Feb. 21, 1974, Sabres defenseman Tim Horton was driving home from a game in Toronto against his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, when he crashed his vehicle on the Queen Elizabeth Way in St. Catherines, Ontario.
It was reported that Horton was driving over 100 mph when the car overturned several times near the Lake St. interchange of the QEW. He was found by police more than 100 feet away from the vehicle, after being ejected into the median, and was later pronounced dead at St. Catherines General Hospital.
Fifty years later, Horton is remembered for his accomplishments not only on the ice but off as well.
During his time in the NHL, Horton played for four teams over 24 seasons. He played in 1,445 total games and had 115 goals plus 403 assists, totaling 518 points.
Horton spent most of his career with the Maple Leafs, helping them win four Stanley Cup championships. He was also runner-up for the Norris Trophy twice and earned postseason All-Star recognition six times.
The last team he played for though was the Buffalo Sabres. At 42 years of age, he joined the Sabres after persuading his former coach in Toronto Punch Imlach, GM of the Sabres at the time, to throw in a sports car along with his contract, according to NHL.com.
Imlach agreed to the request, as he knew how much Horton loved cars, having owned a sports car dealership before going into the doughnut business.
In 1964, while playing for the Maple Leafs, Horton opened the first location of his new coffee chain, originally titled Tim Horton Donuts. Growing more popular over the years, the franchise expanded into the United States in 1985 as Amherst, New York was the first location selected for expansion.
Sixty years later from the opening of the first café, the company now has thousands of locations in both the United States and Canada, as well as other parts of the world.
