Horton, Tim

Tim Horton, byname of Miles Gilbert Horton, (born January 12, 1930, Cochrane, Ontario, Canada—died February 21, 1974, near St. Catharines, Ontario), Canadian professional ice hockey player and entrepreneur, who was a defenseman in the National Hockey League (NHL), helping the Toronto Maple Leafs win four Stanley Cups (1962–64, 1967), and who founded the popular North American restaurant franchise Tim Hortons.

After signing with the Maple Leafs in 1947, Horton played junior hockey at St. Michael’s College, where he was noted for his consistency and physical style. In 1949 he played in his first game with Toronto, but he failed to earn a regular spot with the club until the 1952–53 season. Near the end of the 1954–55 season, Horton was seriously injured after colliding with an opponent. Suffering a broken leg and jaw, he did not return to the lineup until midway through the following season. With his sound play and slap shot, Horton subsequently helped establish Toronto as a dominant force in the NHL. Beginning in the 1967–68 season, however, the Maple Leafs began to struggle, and in 1970 Horton was traded to the New York Rangers. He played a full season with the Rangers before joining the Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) and later the Buffalo Sabres (1972–74). In 1974, while returning home to Buffalo after a game in Toronto, he died in a single-car accident. Horton, whose career totals included 518 points and three All-Star appearances, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977.

In addition to hockey, Horton was involved in various business ventures. In 1964 he opened a donut shop in Hamilton, Ontario. The business soon grew into a popular franchise, though its greatest success was achieved in the years following Horton’s death. In 1974 Tim Hortons had 40 locations in Canada, and by the early 21st century there were more than 3,500 restaurants in Canada and the United States.