Rick Vaive
A fierce goal-scoring winger who broke the Toronto Maple Leafs' long-standing 50-goal barrier, becoming an instant franchise icon.
Born 1959 (age 67)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: May 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Rick Vaive's hockey journey was defined by a blistering shot and a captain's resolve. Drafted by the Vancouver Canucks, he found his true home in Toronto after a trade, where his aggressive style and scoring touch electrified Maple Leaf Gardens. In the 1981-82 season, he shattered a psychological ceiling for the storied franchise, netting 50 goals—a first for any Leaf—and he would repeat the feat twice more. Wearing the 'C' during a tumultuous period for the team, Vaive led not just with goals but with a rugged, honest effort that endeared him to fans despite the club's playoff struggles. His later years saw him play for Chicago, Buffalo, and a stint in the minors before retirement. While team success often eluded him, Vaive's individual brilliance left an indelible mark on one of hockey's most demanding markets.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Rick was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Rick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first Toronto Maple Leaf to score 50 goals in a single season, achieving it in the 1981-82 campaign.
- Served as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs for three seasons from 1982 to 1986.
- Recorded three consecutive 50-goal seasons (1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84) with the Maple Leafs.
- Played over 600 NHL games, finishing his career with 441 goals and 788 total points.
Did You Know?
He was famously stripped of his captaincy after missing a team curfew.
Vaive scored his 50th goal of the 1981-82 season into an empty net.
He played his final WHA season for the Birmingham Bulls, a team known for its toughness, nicknamed the 'Baby Bulls.'
His son, Justin Vaive, was also a professional hockey player.
“You have to want to score goals more than you want to breathe.”
