Barilko: Without a Trace

by Kevin Shea

A poor boy from Northern Ontario who labored at skating, Barilko miraculously found himself playing defense on the hockey team of his dreams — the Toronto Maple Leafs. Through five National Hockey League seasons, Barilko emerged as the toast of Toronto, winning four Stanley Cup championships. On April 21, 1951, playing their rivals, the loathed Montreal Canadiens, Bill Barilko scored the overtime goal, winning the Toronto Maple Leafs their seventh Stanley Cup. It was the last game he ever played. Four months later, preparing to return to Toronto for training camp, Barilko planned one final fishing trip to a favored spot on the east side of James Bay. Neither Barilko nor his friend, pilot Dr. Henry Hudson, were heard from again, prompting the most massive aerial search in Canadian history. Eleven years later, the remains of both men were discovered in the remnants of their small aircraft, a few miles outside of Cochrane, Ontario. It wasn’t until Barilko’s body was found in 1962 that the Leafs again hoisted the Stanley Cup.

Genres: Biography, Hockey, Sports, Nonfiction

362 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

Windsor-born, music-industry man turned hockey historian, Kevin Shea is the real deal. He has the heart of the game, mind of a librarian and the memory of a goal judge.

From his experience working at the Hockey Hall of Fame to his 100 Grades of Shea series on Substack, he chronicles the sport like a man documenting a living myth.

His books, Barilko: Without a Trace, Lord Stanley: The Man Behind The Cup and The Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club: Official Centennial Publication are titles that belong on every shelf beside a puck and a program stub. He reminds us that hockey isn’t just a pastime — it’s an archive of character and country.

Kevin's 22nd book, out in time for Christmas 2025, Barclay Bear and the Forest Rangers Hockey Club, is his second foray into hockey books targeted, but not limited, to children.

Kevin lives in Ajax Ontario with his partner and his cat, Skye.

Reviews

[Brandi McKandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up and had it next to read when I discovered I was about to take a class taught by the author. I'm not and never have been a Leafs fan but Barilko's disappearance was eerie and haunting to me from the first time I hear Fifty Mission Cap. To delve into his life before the disappearance helped put a personality to the legend himself. Incredible storytelling. (Not saying that for bonus grades, promise). RIP Mr. Barilko.

[Tony Pisano · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Excellent book. Great historical view about Barilko who I only knew a tad about. Very well researched and well told. I used this as more of a chapter to chapter book, then a front to back book. Not a “story” book if that makes sense. But I truly loved it, for a true hockey historian fan.

[Alex Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed depiction of the life, death, and mystery surrounding young Toronto Maple Leaf Bill Barilko -- who many of us learned about through The Tragically Hip's Fifty Mission Cap. Shea looks at it from many angles: biography, hockey, family, history, Northern Ontario, sports collectors, coincidences, photography....something for anyone interested in Canadian history, hockey, or just a good tale.

[Charlie Chevallier · Rating 5 out of 5]

It tells you a lot about history