Stanley earned the nickname "Snowshoes" for his slow, plodding skating style. But a lack of foot speed didn't stop him from becoming one of the Toronto Maple Leafs' top defenseman on their Stanley Cup championship teams in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967, as well as a 1981 inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Though Stanley played 21 NHL seasons with four Original Six teams (Toronto, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins) and the Philadelphia Flyers before retiring in 1969, his best years came with the Maple Leafs from 1958-68. He and defense partner Tim Horton, a fellow Hall of Famer, helped Toronto dominate the early part of the decade and finish with the second-fewest goals against (1,455, 2.58 per game) among Original Six teams from 1960-68.

But Stanley's passing skills also earned him playing time on Toronto's power play. He had his three best offensive seasons from 1959-62, scoring 28 goals during that span and finishing with 33, 34 and 35 points, respectively.

The native of Timmins, Ontario, entered the NHL after the Rangers acquired him in a trade with Providence of the American Hockey League in December 1948. He spent five seasons in New York before being demoted to Vancouver of the Western Hockey League in 1953-54. Stanley rejoined the Rangers at the start of the 1954-55 season, but was traded to Chicago on Nov. 23, 1954.

He played with the Blackhawks through the 1955-56 season before being sold to the Bruins, who acquired him because Lynn Patrick, Boston's general manager, remembered Stanley fondly from his time coaching the Rangers from 1948-50.

Stanley was a big part of the Bruins in 1956-57 until he sustained a season-ending knee injury with six games remaining. His absence was a big reason why the Bruins lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the 1957 Stanley Cup Final, Bruins coach Milt Schmidt said, according to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Stanley played one more season with the Bruins before being traded to Toronto, where he established himself as a Hall of Fame defenseman.

He was an NHL Second-Team All-Star in 1959-60 and 1960-61, then had an NHL career-high 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 1961-62, when the Maple Leafs won their first of three consecutive Stanley Cup championships.

The Flyers claimed him on waivers in 1968, and he had 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 64 games before retiring at age 43. Stanley finished his career with 433 points (100 goals, 333 assists) in 1,244 NHL games, as well as 43 points (seven goals, 36 assists) in 109 playoff games. After retiring, he ran a hockey school for many years.

Stanley died at age 87 on Oct. 18, 2013.