three Cups in a row and had not been accomplished since the Ottawa Silver Seven in the pre-NHL era, 44 years before. The Leafs had also won 9 consecutive Stanley Cup final games dating back to April 19, 1947 (initial cup won on this date, with the following two wins being finals sweeps). This Toronto Maple Leafs team is distinguished as the first dynasty in the history of the NHL. The Gordie Howe incident At the beginning of the 1949–50, Conn Smythe liked the Leafs' chances for continued success, saying, "We'll be hard to keep away from a fourth Stanley Cup," but as the season progressed many hockey people felt Detroit would end the Leafs' Stanley Cup streak. By the end of the season, Toronto had finished in third and Kennedy finished second on the Leafs in points. The 1950 playoffs were overshadowed by an on-ice mishap in the opening game between Toronto and Detroit, in which the Red Wings' young star player, Gordie Howe, was seriously injured. Late in the game with Toronto leading 4–0, Kennedy stole the puck from Detroit defenseman Jack Stewart and was carrying it down the left wing about six feet from the boards into the Detroit end of the rink. Stewart was pursuing him from behind and Howe was coming in fast from the side to try to cut him off. Kennedy saw Howe coming at the last moment, and was able to dodge Howe's check while passing the puck to Sid Smith, but Howe could not stop and crashed head-first into the boards, with Stewart falling on top of him. Howe sustained a concussion, facial fractures, and a lacerated right eyeball, and doctors had to perform emergency procedures on him at the hospital to save his life. Detroit coach Tommy Ivan and general manager Jack Adams accused Kennedy of deliberately butt-ending Howe. Kennedy had not been assessed a penalty on the play. After the game Kennedy said, "I don't know how he got it. I avoided his check along the boards and didn't feel anything hit me, although he may have struck my stick." NHL President Clarence Campbell was at the game and was seated near where the incident occurred. After receiving a report from the game's officials, Campbell called a news conference and said the injury was not Kennedy's fault. Campbell also publicly rebuked Ivan for his accusation, saying, "That is a