About

Mike Palmateer was born in Toronto in 1954 and grew up in Don Mills as the eldest of six. He played both baseball and hockey in Don Mills as a child. Mike went on to play for the Toronto Marlboros where his team won the Memorial Cup.

Mike began his professional career playing in the International Hockey League Saginaw Gears, then advanced to the Central Hockey League Oklahoma City Blazers, the farm team for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs were struggling at the time and needed some changes. Their general manager, Jim Gregory made the call to Palmateer and told him he’d be starting their next game in Detroit. Palmateer’s now famous reply was "Mr. Gregory, your goaltending troubles are over".

In his rookie year, 1976-77, he posted a 26-21-8 record, including playoffs with the Leafs. “Palmy” with his unorthodox, exciting style, quickly became a fan favourite in his second season with 34 wins and 5 shutouts. He was a key figure in the Leafs drive to the semi-finals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In 1979 the Toronto Maple Leafs named Palmateer the recipient of the seldom awarded J.P. Bickell Memorial trophy for outstanding performance and standard of excellence.

In 1980 Mike was traded to the Washington Capitals. He returned to his home town Maple Leafs in 1982 and played two more seasons before he was forced to hang up his skates due to recurring knee injuries and multiple surgeries.

Being a local from the GTA, Mike was given the honour of being inducted into the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame and most recently, in June of 2022, had a street named after him in the new Don Mills Crossings development, Mike Palmateer Rd.

Mike Palmateer was the goalie every Toronto kid imagined themselves to be in the 1970s and 80s. Mike was honoured to be included in the Toronto Maple Leafs top 100 of all time.