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Toronto Maple Leafs

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Toronto Maple Leafs

2010±11 Toronto Maple Leafs

Conference Eastern

Division Northeast

Founded 1917

Toronto Blueshirts 1917±18

Toronto Arenas 1918±19 History Toronto St. Patricks 1919 ± February 14, 1927 Toronto Maple Leafs February 14, 1927 ± present

Home arena Air City Toronto,

Blue and white Colours

Leafs TV Rogers Ontario Media TSN CFMJ (640 AM)

Maple Leaf & Owner(s) Entertainment Ltd. (, chairman)

General manager

Head coach Ron Wilson

Captain

Minor league (AHL) affiliates (ECHL)

13 (1917±18, 1921±22, 1931±32, 1941±42, 1944±45, 1946±47, 1947±

Stanley Cups 48, 1948±49, 1950±51, 1961±62, 1962±63, 1963±64, 1966±67)

Conference 0 championships

Presidents' Trophy 0 Division 5 (1932±33, 1933±34, 1934±35, championships 1937±38, 1999±00)

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the (NHL). The organization, one of the "" members of the NHL, is officially known as the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and is the leading subsidiary of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). They have played at the Air Canada Centre (ACC) since 1999, after 68 years at . Toronto won their last in 1967.

The Leafs are well known for their long and bitter rivalries with the Canadiens and the Senators. The franchise's 13 championships are second only to the Canadiens, who have 24. Toronto has won eleven Stanley Cups as the Maple Leafs since the cup became solely competed for within the NHL in 1927, and two cups prior to this: one as the St. Patricks, and one as the Arenas. However, the Leafs have not won the Cup at all since 1967, the longest-active Cup drought in the NHL, and thus are the only Original Six team that has not won the Cup since the 1967 NHL expansion.

At $470 million US (in 2009), the Leafs are the most valuable team in the NHL, followed by the and the .[1]

Contents

[hide]

y 1 Team history o 1.1 Early years o 1.2 era  1.2.1 1930s: Opening of Maple Leaf Gardens and first Maple Leaf  1.2.2 1940s: A second decade of success  1.2.3 1950s: The Barilko Curse o 1.3 1960s: New owners and a new dynasty o 1.4 1970s and : The Ballard years o 1.5 Early 1990s: Resurgence o 1.6 A new home and a new millennium o 1.7 Post-lockout era  1.7.1 Brian Burke era y 2 Rivalries y 3 Fan base y 4 Season-by-season record y 5 Players o 5.1 Current roster o 5.2 Honoured members  5.2.1 Players  5.2.2 Builders o 5.3 Team captains o 5.4 Franchise scoring leaders y 6 Facilities y 7 Farm teams o 7.1 Historical o 7.2 Current y 8 See also y 9 References and notes y 10 External links

Team history

Main article: History of the Toronto Maple Leafs

Early years

Original Logo (1927)

The National Hockey League was formed in 1917 in Montreal by teams formerly belonging to the National Hockey Association (NHA) that had a dispute with Eddie Livingstone, owner of the Toronto Blueshirts. The owners of the other four clubs ± the Montreal Canadiens, , Bulldogs, and ± wanted to get rid of Livingstone, but discovered that the NHA constitution did not allow them to simply vote him out of the league. Instead, they opted to create a new league, the NHL, and did not invite Livingstone to join them. They also remained voting members of the NHA, and thus had enough votes to suspend the other league's operations, effectively leaving Livingstone's squad in a one-team league.

However, the other clubs felt it would be unthinkable not to have a team from Toronto (Canada's second largest city at the time) in the new league. They also needed another team to balance the schedule after the Bulldogs suspended operations (and as it turned out, would not ice a team until 1920). Accordingly, the NHL granted a "temporary" Toronto franchise to the Arena Company, owners of the Arena Gardens. The Arena Company was allowed to lease the Blueshirts' players, but was given until the end of the season to resolve the dispute with Livingstone. This temporary franchise did not have an name, but was informally called "the Blueshirts" or "the Torontos" by the fans and press. Under manager Charlie Querrie and coach Dick Carroll, the Toronto team won the Stanley Cup in the NHL's inaugural season. Although the roster was composed almost entirely of former Blueshirts, the Maple Leafs do not claim the Blueshirts' history as their own.

For the next season, rather than return the Blueshirts' players to Livingstone as originally promised, the Arena Company formed its own team, the Toronto Arena Hockey Club, which was readily granted full-fledged membership in the NHL. Also that year, the Arena Company board decided that only NHL teams would be allowed to play at the Arena Gardens²a move which effectively killed the NHA.[2] Livingstone sued to get his players back. Mounting legal bills from the dispute forced the Arenas to sell most of their stars, resulting in a horrendous five-win season in 1918±19. When it was obvious that the Arenas would not be able to finish out the season, the NHL agreed to let the Arenas halt operations on February 20, 1919 and proceed directly to the playoffs. The Arenas' .278 winning percentage that season is still the worst in franchise history. However, since the 1919 ended without a winner due to the worldwide flu epidemic, the Arenas proclaimed themselves champions by default.

The legal dispute forced the Arena Company into bankruptcy, and it was forced to put the Arenas up for sale. Querrie put together a group that mainly consisted of the people who had run the senior amateur St. Patricks team in the Ontario Hockey Association. The new owners renamed the team the Toronto St. Patricks (or St. Pats for short) and would operate it until 1927. This period saw the team's jersey colours change from blue to green, as well as a second Stanley Cup championship in 1922.

During this time, the St. Patricks also allowed other teams to play in the Arena whenever their home rinks lacked proper ice in the warmer months. At the time, the Arena was the only facility east of with artificial ice.[2]

Part of the series on Evolution of the Toronto Maple Leafs Teams Toronto Pro HC (OPHL) (1908±1909) Toronto Blueshirts (NHA) (1912±1917) Torontos (NHL) (1917±1918) (NHL) (1918±19) Toronto St. Patricks (NHL) (1919±27) Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) (1927±present)

Ice hockey portal · v ‡ d ‡ e

Conn Smythe era Querrie lost a lawsuit to Livingstone and decided to put the St. Pats up for sale. He gave serious consideration to a $200,000 bid from a group. However, Toronto Varsity Graduates coach Conn Smythe put together an ownership group of his own and made a $160,000 offer for the franchise. With the support of St. Pats shareholder J. P. Bickell, Smythe persuaded Querrie to reject the Philadelphia bid, arguing that civic pride was more important than money.

After taking control on Valentine's Day 1927, Smythe immediately renamed the team the Maple Leafs (the Toronto Maple Leafs team had won the International League championship a few months earlier and had been using that name for 30 years). The Maple Leafs say that the name was chosen in honour of the Maple Leaf Regiment from World War I. As the regiment is a proper noun, its plural is formed by adding a simple 's' creating Maple Leafs (not *Maple Leaves). Another story says that Smythe named the team after a team he had once scouted, called the East Toronto Maple Leafs, while Smythe's grandson states that Conn named the team after the Maple Leaf insignia he had worn during the First World War.[3] Initial reports were that the team's colours would be changed to red and white,[4] but the Leafs were wearing white sweaters with a green maple leaf for their first game on February 17, 1927.[5] The next season, the Leafs appeared for the first time in the blue and white sweaters they have worn ever since. The Maple Leafs say that blue represents the Canadian skies and white represents snow, but it also follows the tradition of blue being Toronto's principal sporting colour starting with the in 1873 and the Varsity Blues in 1877 (and later the in 1977).

1930s: Opening of Maple Leaf Gardens and first Maple Leaf dynasty

Toronto Maple Leafs opening night program at MLG, November 12, 1931 After four more lacklustre seasons (including three with Smythe as coach), Smythe and the Leafs debuted at their new arena, Maple Leaf Gardens, with a 2-1 loss to the Black Hawks on November 12, 1931.

Led by the "Kid " (, and ) and coach , the Leafs would capture their third Stanley Cup during the first season in their stadium, vanquishing the in the first round, the Bruins in the semifinals, and the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals. Smythe took particular pleasure in defeating the Rangers that year; he had been tapped as the Rangers' first general manager and coach in the Rangers' inaugural season (1926±27), but had been fired in a dispute with management before the season.

The Leafs' star , , was nearly killed in 1933 when checked him from behind into the boards at full speed. Maple Leafs defenceman was able to knock Shore out with a punch, but it was too late as Bailey, who was by now writhing on the ice, had his career ended. The Leafs would hold the NHL's first All-Star Game to benefit Bailey.

The Leafs would reach the Finals five more times in the next seven years, but would not win, bowing out to the now-defunct Maroons in 1935, the Red Wings in 1936, the Chicago Black Hawks in 1938, Boston in 1939, and the hated Rangers in 1940. At this time, Smythe allowed Irvin to go to Montreal to help revive the then-moribund Canadiens, replacing him as coach with former Leafs .

1940s: A second decade of success

Logo (1938/39±1966/67)

In the 1942 season, the Maple Leafs were down three games to none in a best-of-seven final in the playoffs against Detroit. However, fourth-line forward Don Metz would galvanize the team, coming from nowhere to score a hat-trick in game four and the game-winning in game five, with the Leafs winning both times. Captain had won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy that season, not taking one and finishing his ten-season career with an average of 5 minutes, 36 seconds in penalties a season. Goalie would shut out the Wings in game six, and would score two goals in the third period to win the seventh game 3- 1.

Apps told writer Trent Frayne in 1949, "If you want me to be pinned down to my [biggest night in hockey but also my] biggest second, I'd say it was the last tick of the clock that sounded the final bell. It's something I shall never forget at all." It was the first time a major pro sports team came back from behind 3-0 to win a best-of-seven championship series.

Three years later, with their heroes from 1942 dwindling (due to either age, health, or the war), the Leafs turned to lesser-known players like rookie goalie Frank McCool and defenceman . They would upset the Red Wings in the 1945 finals.

The powerful defending champion Montreal Canadiens and their "" (Maurice "Rocket" Richard, and ), would be the Leafs' nemesis two years later when the two teams clashed in the 1947 finals. Ted "Teeder" Kennedy would score the game- winning goal late in game six to win the Leafs their first of three straight Cups²the first time any NHL team had accomplished that feat. With their Cup victory in 1948, the Leafs moved ahead of Montreal for the most Stanley Cups in league history. It would take the Canadiens 10 years to reclaim the record.

1950s: The Barilko Curse

Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, is greeted by at Maple Leaf Gardens, with Conn Smythe behind, 1951.

The Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens would meet once again in the finals in 1951, with all five games going to . scored with 42 seconds left in the third period of game five to send it to an extra period, and defenceman , who had scored only six goals in the regular season, scored the game-winner to win Toronto their fourth Cup in five years. Barilko's glory, however, was short-lived: he disappeared in a plane crash near , Ontario, barely four months after that moment. The Leafs would not win the Cup again that decade. 1960s: New owners and a new dynasty

Before the 1961±62 season, Smythe sold nearly all of his shares in Maple Leaf Gardens to a partnership composed of his son , newspaper baron , and president . The sale price was $2.3 million, a handsome return on Smythe's original investment 34 years earlier. Conn Smythe later claimed that he knew nothing about his son's partners, but it is very unlikely that he could have believed Stafford could have raised the money on his own.

Under the new ownership trio, Toronto won another three straight Stanley Cups from 1962 to 1964. The team featured Hall of Famers , , , , , and , and was helmed by coach and general manager .

In 1967, the Leafs and Canadiens met in the Cup finals for the last time to date, where Montreal was considered to be a heavy favourite. But scored the double-overtime winner in Game 3, got the series winner in Game 6, and Keon won the as Most Valuable Player of the playoffs as the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in six games. The Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since.

In 1968, Mahovlich was traded to Detroit in a blockbuster deal, and in 1969, following a first- round playoff loss to the Bruins, Smythe fired Imlach. Horton declared, "If this team doesn't want Imlach, I guess it doesn't want me."[citation needed] He was traded to the New York Rangers the next year.

1970s and 1980s: The Ballard years

Following Stafford Smythe's death, Harold Ballard bought his shares to take majority control of the team. Ballard's controversial term as the Leafs' owner was marked by several disputes with prominent players, including Keon, Lanny McDonald, and , poor win/loss records, and not a single Stanley Cup championship.

During the 1970s, with the overall talent level in the league diluted by the addition of 12 new franchises and the birth of the rival (WHA), the Leafs were able to ice competitive teams for several seasons. But despite the presence of stars such as Sittler, McDonald, Dave "Tiger" Williams, Ian Turnbull, and Borje Salming, they only once made it past the second round of the playoffs, besting the (a soon-to-be dynasty) in the 1978 quarter-finals only to be swept by arch-rival Montreal in the semi-finals. One of the few highlights from this era occurred on February 7, 1976, when Sittler scored six goals and four assists against the Bruins to establish a NHL single-game points record that still stands more than 30 years later.

The serious decline started in July 1979, when Ballard brought back Imlach, a long-time friend, as general manager. Imlach traded McDonald to undermine his friend Sittler's influence on the team.[6] Sittler himself was gone two years later, when the Leafs traded him to the . He was the franchise's all-time leading scorer until passed Sittler's total in 2007.

The McDonald sent the Leafs into a downward spiral. They finished five games under .500 and barely made the playoffs. For the next 12 years, the Leafs (who had shifted to the for the 1981±82 season) were barely competitive, not posting another winning record until 1992±93. They missed the playoffs six times and finished above fourth in their division only once (in 1990, the only season where they even posted a .500 record). They made it beyond the first round of the playoffs twice (in 1986 and 1987, advancing to the division finals). The low came in 1984±85, when they finished 32 games under .500, the second-worst record in franchise history (their .300 winning percentage was only 22 percentage points higher than the 1918±19 Arenas).

The Leafs' poor records during the 1980s, however, did result in several high picks. , the first overall pick in the 1985 draft, was the lone success from the entry drafts of this period and went on to captain the team.

Early 1990s: Resurgence

Ballard died in 1990, and Steve Stavro, Don Crump and Don Giffin were executors of his will. Flames GM , who had crafted the Flames' 1989 Stanley Cup championship team, was hired by Don Giffin to run the team against the objections of Stavro who told Fletcher directly that he wanted to install his own man.[7]

Fletcher immediately set about building a club that would be competitive once again, making a series of trades and acquisitions which turned the Leafs from an also-ran to a contender almost overnight, starting in 1992±93. Outstanding play from forwards (an acquaintance of Fletcher's from Calgary) and (acquired from the in exchange for ), as well as stellar goaltending from call-up Felix Potvin, led the team to a then-franchise-record 99 points, third place in the Norris Division, and the eighth-best overall record in the league. Toronto dispatched the in seven games in the first round, then defeated the St. Louis Blues in another seven games in the Division Finals.

Hoping to meet long-time rival Montreal (who was playing in the Wales Conference Finals against the New York Islanders) in the Cup Finals, the Leafs faced the in the Campbell Conference Finals. The Leafs led the series 3-2, but dropped Game 6 in Los Angeles. The game was not without controversy, as clipped Gilmour in the face with his stick, but referee did not call a penalty and Gretzky scored the winning goal moments later.[8] Gretzky's hat-trick in Game 7 finished the Leafs' run, and it was the Kings that moved on to the Cup Finals against the Canadiens.

The Leafs had another strong season in 1993±94, finishing with 98 points, good enough for fifth overall in the league ± their highest finish in 16 years. However, despite finishing one point above Calgary, Toronto was seeded third in the Western Conference (formerly the Campbell Conference) by virtue of the Flames' Pacific Division title. The Leafs eliminated the division rival in six games and the surprising in seven before falling to the Canucks in five games in the Western Conference Finals. At that year's draft, the Leafs would package Clark in a trade with the that netted them Mats Sundin.

A new home and a new millennium

In 1996, Stavro took on Larry Tanenbaum, the co-founder of Toronto's new National Basketball Association (NBA) team, the , as a partner. Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. was accordingly renamed Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), to be the parent company of the Leafs and the Raptors. MLSE has expanded since then, adding the Toronto Marlies (the Leafs' ) of the (AHL) and the Toronto FC of (MLS) to its stable of franchises.

After two years out of the playoffs in the late 1990s, the Leafs acquired as a free agent from the Oilers and signed , who had been fired by Vancouver in 1997, to serve as head coach. This resulted in the Leafs making another charge during the 1999 playoffs after moving from Maple Leaf Gardens to the new Air Canada Centre, shared with the Toronto Raptors. The team eliminated the Philadelphia Flyers and Penguins in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but lost in five games to the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Toronto reached the second round of the playoffs in both 2000 and 2001, only to lose both times to the New , who made the Stanley Cup Finals both seasons and won in 2000. The 2000 season was particularly notable because it marked the Leafs' first division title in 37 years, as well as the franchise's first-ever 100-point season. The season ended on a particular low, however, with the Leafs being held to just 6 shots in game six of the second round against the Devils.

In 2002, the Leafs dispatched the Islanders and their Ontario rivals, the Ottawa Senators, in the first two rounds, only to lose to the -story in the Conference Finals. The 2002 season was particularly impressive in that the Leafs had many of their better players sidelined by injuries, but managed to make it to the conference finals due to the efforts of lesser-known players who were led mainly by Gary Roberts and Alyn McCauley.

Joseph left to go to the defending champion Red Wings in the 2002 off-season; the team found a replacement in veteran , who came over from the and had been a crucial part of their 1999 Stanley Cup run. Belfour could not help their playoff woes in the 2003 playoffs, however, as the team lost to Philadelphia in seven games in the first round. 2003 also witnessed a change in the ownership ranks, as Stavro sold his controlling interest in MLSE to the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and resigned his position as Chairman of the Board in favour of Tanenbaum. Stavro died in 2006.

The 2003±04 season started in an uncommon way for the team, as they held their training camp in and played in the NHL Challenge against teams from Sweden and Finland. That year, the Leafs had a very successful regular season, posting a franchise-record 103 points. They finished with the fourth-best record in the league (their best overall finish in 41 years) and also managed a .628 win percentage, their best in 43 years and the third-best in franchise history. Toronto defeated the Senators in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth time in five years, but lost to the Flyers in the second round in six games.

Post-lockout era

Following the 2004±05 NHL lockout, the Leafs have experienced very rough times. They struggled in 2005±06, and despite a late-season surge (9-1-2 in their final 12), led by third-string goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin, the Leafs were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 1998. This marked the first time that the team missed the playoffs under coach Pat Quinn, and he was fired shortly after the season. , an experienced NHL coach who had just coached the Leafs' American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, in their inaugural season, was announced as Pat Quinn's replacement. On June 30, 2006, the Maple Leafs bought out the contract of long-time fan favourite, . In addition to Domi, the Maple Leafs also decided against picking up the option year on the contract of goaltender Ed Belfour. Both players became free agents on July 1, 2006, effectively ending their tenures with the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, despite the coaching change and addition of new players such as Pavel Kubina and , the Leafs again did not make the playoffs in 2006±07.

The alternate logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which is a monogram containing the initialism of the team's name

For 2007±08, the Leafs brought in players such as Jason Blake and while Jeff O'Neill and J.S. Aubin left. On January 22, 2008, general manager John Ferguson, Jr. was fired and was replaced by Cliff Fletcher[9] on an interim basis. Though it was expected by some that the Leafs could make the playoffs, they ended up missing again. It was the first time that the Leafs had missed the playoffs three years in a row since before even the days of the Maple Leaf Gardens. 2007-08 was also Mats Sundin's last year with the Leafs. On May 7, the Leafs fired head coach Paul Maurice and assistant coach , and replaced them with former San Jose Sharks coach, Ron Wilson, and assistants and Rob Zettler.[10]

Brian Burke era

On November 29, 2008, the Maple Leafs hired Brian Burke as their 13th non-interim General Manager (first American) in team history. The acquisition of Burke had ended the second Cliff Fletcher era and settled rumours that Brian was coming to Toronto within the next year.[11] On September 18, 2009, Burke made a blockbuster trade with the Boston Bruins for forward . Along with completing the trade, Toronto quickly signed Kessel to a five-year, $27 million contract. The Leafs gave Boston their first () and second round (Jared Knight) Entry Draft selections in 2010, as well as a first round Entry Draft pick in 2011.[12]

On January 31, 2010 the Leafs made a blockbuster trade with the , which sent , , , and , in exchange for Fredrik Sjostrom, , and Dion Phaneuf.[13]

On June 14, 2010, the Leafs named Dion Phaneuf as captain after the two seasons without a captain following Sundin's departure.[14]

On June 30, 2010, the Leafs made another big trade, this time with the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Chicago Blackhawks, acquiring forward , along with the rights to in exchange for forwards Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico, and .[15] Rivalries

See also: National Hockey League rivalries

The Hockey Knights in Canada Leafs mural is installed in 1984 on the southbound side of Toronto's College Station, the nearest station to Maple Leaf Gardens

As one of the oldest teams in the league, the Leafs have developed numerous rivalries. The deepest of these is with the Montreal Canadiens, which is acknowledged as one of the richest rivalries in ice hockey.[16] The Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups, while the Leafs have won 13, putting them at first and second place in NHL history, respectively. The Canadiens' fan point of view is perhaps most famously captured in the popular Canadian short story "", by Roch Carrier, originally published in French as "Une abominable feuille d'érable sur la glace" ("An abominable maple leaf on the ice") referring to the Maple Leafs sweater his mother forces him to wear. This rivalry is also evident in Toronto's College subway station, in which the northbound side of the station has the mural depicting the Canadiens and the southbound side has the Leafs mural.

The rivalry between the Leafs and the Ottawa Senators, known as the , has heated up since the late 1990s, owing in no small part to the Canadiens' struggles during that period. While Ottawa has dominated during most of the teams' regular season matchups in recent years, the Leafs have won all four postseason series between the two teams, including a four- game sweep. However, the rivalry has somewhat diminished since the lockout, owing largely to the Leafs' failure to make the postseason since that time.

One of the Leafs' biggest U.S.-based rivals of late have been the Philadelphia Flyers, who defeated the Leafs in the 2003 and 2004 . The rivalry goes back to the 1970s when the Flyers and Leafs had the reputation as being two of the toughest (and often most penalized) teams in the league. Games between the two teams are still often very physical.

The Buffalo Sabres have also been cited[by whom?] as notable American rivals of the Leafs. Buffalo is the NHL team that is geographically closest to Toronto, with an approximately 140-kilometre (87 mi) long drive along the Queen Elizabeth Way.

The Leafs also maintain a traditional Original Six rivalry with the Detroit Red Wings. The teams' close proximity to each other ² the two cities are approximately 380 kilometres (240 mi) apart ² and a of shared fans (particularly in markets such as Windsor, Ontario) means the rivalry is found more in the crowd than on the ice. However, since the Maple Leafs moved to the Eastern Conference in 1998, the two teams have faced each other less often each season. Fan base

Maple Leafs fans are known by the collective nickname "Leafs Nation", which the club uses on its website. Maple Leafs home games have long been one of the toughest tickets to acquire in Canada, even during lean periods.[17] As of 2008, there is a waiting list of about 2,500 names for season tickets. Earlier, they sold out every game at Maple Leaf Gardens from 1946 until the building closed in 1999.[18] The Leafs have also sold out every game at the Air Canada Centre since October 2002.[19][further explanation needed] With an average of US$1.9 million per game, the Leafs had the highest average ticket revenue per game in the 2007±08 season; the previous season they earned about $1.5 million per game.[20]

Conversely, there is an equally passionate dislike of the team by fans of several other NHL teams. In November 2002, the Leafs were named by Sports Illustrated hockey writer Michael Farber as the "Most Hated Team in Hockey".[21] Leafs fans are also known for being loyal despite being treated poorly²in a 2008 survey by ESPN The Magazine on rewarding fans, the Leafs were ranked 121st out of the 122 professional teams in the Big Four leagues. Teams were graded by stadium experience, ownership, player quality, ticket affordability, championships won and "bang for the buck"; in particular, the Leafs came last in ticket affordability.[22]

In the , several cities in the Sun Belt have sizable numbers of Leaf fans, since many Snowbirds tend to flock to locales such as Atlanta,[23] Phoenix, Tampa Bay, and Miami during the winter, resulting in a boost in turnout and ticket sales when these franchises play the Maple Leafs.[citation needed] The mascot of the Toronto Maple Leafs is Carlton the Bear, an anthropomorphic polar bear whose name and number (#60) comes from the location of Maple Leaf Gardens, at 60 Carlton Street in that city, where they played throughout much of their history. Season-by-season record

Main article: List of Toronto Maple Leafs seasons

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA PIM Finish Playoffs

2005±06 82 41 33 8 90 257 270 1291 4th, Northeast Did not qualify

2006±07 82 40 31 11 91 258 269 1065 3rd, Northeast Did not qualify

2007±08 82 36 35 11 83 231 260 1087 5th, Northeast Did not qualify

2008±09 82 34 35 13 81 250 293 1113 5th, Northeast Did not qualify

2009±10 82 30 38 14 74 214 267 1091 5th, Northeast Did not qualify

Players

Current roster

view ‡ talk ‡ edit

Updated December 6, 2010.[24]

Nat Acquired # Player Pos S/G Age Birthplace

9 RW R 28 2010 ,

59 Keith Aulie D R 21 2010 Regina, Saskatchewan Francois

22 D L 30 2009 Sorel-Tracy, Quebec Beauchemin (A)

42 Tyler Bozak C R 24 2009 Regina, Saskatchewan

37 Tim Brent C R 26 2009 Cambridge, Ontario

18 Mike Brown RW R 25 2010 Northbrook,

46 Joey Crabb RW R 27 2010 Anchorage, Alaska Jean-Sebastien

35 G L 33 2010 Montreal, Quebec Giguere

84 C L 26 2008 Potsdam, East Germany

36 D L 24 2007 Örebro, Sweden

50 G L 26 2009 , Sweden 55 Korbinian Holzer D R 22 2006 Munich, Germany

15 Tomas Kaberle (A) D L 32 1996 Rakovník, Czechoslovakia

43 C L 20 2009 London, Ontario

81 Phil Kessel RW R 23 2009 Madison, Wisconsin

8 (A) D R 28 2009 West Islip, New York Magnitogorsk, Soviet 41 Nikolai Kulemin LW L 24 2006 Union

23 Brett Lebda D L 28 2010 Buffalo Grove, Illinois

16 Clarke MacArthur LW L 25 2010 Lloydminster,

39 John Mitchell C L 25 2003 Oakville, Ontario

28 Colton Orr RW R 28 2009 , Manitoba

3 Dion Phaneuf (C) D L 25 2010 Edmonton, Alberta

34 G L 22 2006 Winnipeg, Manitoba

38 LW L 25 2009 Olds, Alberta

2 D R 21 2008 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

11 Fredrik Sjostrom LW L 27 2010 Färgelanda, Sweden

32 Kris Versteeg LW R 24 2010 Lethbridge, Alberta

Honoured members

Main article: List of Toronto Maple Leafs award winners

The following members of the Toronto Maple Leafs have been inducted into the . The list includes anyone who played for the Leafs who was later inducted as a player. The list of builders includes anyone inducted as a builder who spent any part of their career in a coaching, management, or ownership role with the Leafs.

Players

y , C, 1922±26, inducted 1959 y , RW/LW, 1991±94, inducted 2008 y Syl Apps, C, 1936±48, inducted 1961 y George Armstrong, C, 1950±71, inducted 1975 y Ace Bailey, LW, 1926±33, inducted 1978 y Andy Bathgate, C, 1963±65, inducted 1978 y , C, 1947±53, inducted 1966 y , D, 1951±55, inducted 1986 y Johnny Bower, G, 1958±70, inducted 1976 y Turk Broda, G, 1936±52, inducted 1967 y , D, 1917±23, inducted 1962 y , G, 1961±62, inducted 1985 y , D, 1930±36, inducted 1958 y , D, 1920±21, inducted 1958 y Charlie Conacher, RW, 1929±37, inducted 1961 y , LW, 1917±19, inducted 1962 y Hap Day, D, 1924±37, inducted 1961 y , LW, 1937±42, inducted 1975 y , LW, 1954±64, inducted 2006 y , RW, 1920±26, 1930, inducted 1970 y , D, 1950±54, inducted 1990 y , C, 2003±04, inducted 2007 y Grant Fuhr, G, 1991±93, inducted 2003 y , RW, 1994±96, inducted 2001 y , D, 1921±22, inducted 1945 y , G, 1933±37, inducted 1961 y , G, 1917±19, inducted 1972 y Red Horner, D, 1928±40, inducted 1965 y Tim Horton, D, 1952±70, inducted 1977 y , LW, 1931±32, inducted 1965 y Busher Jackson, LW, 1929±39, inducted 1971 y Red Kelly, D, 1960±67, inducted 1969 y Ted Kennedy, C, 1943±57, inducted 1966 y Dave Keon, C, 1960±75, inducted 1986 y , D, 2004, inducted 2009 y Harry Lumley, G, 1952±56, inducted 1980 y Frank Mahovlich, LW, 1957±68, inducted 1981 y Lanny McDonald, RW, 1973±79, inducted 1992 y Dickie Moore, LW, 1964±65, inducted 1974 y Larry Murphy, D, 1995±97, inducted 2004 y , C, 1929±30, inducted 1947 y , LW, 1919±24, inducted 1962 y , RW, 1958±62, inducted 1985 y , G, 1970±72, inducted 1984 y , D, 1968±69, inducted 1975 y , G, 1970±73, inducted 1978 y Babe Pratt, D, 1942±46, inducted 1966 y Joe Primeau, C, 1927±36, inducted 1963 y , D, 1965±70, inducted 1978 y Bob Pulford, LW, 1956±70, inducted 1991 y Borje Salming, D, 1973±89, inducted 1996 y , G, 1964±67, inducted 1971 y Sweeney Schriner, LW, 1939±46, inducted 1962 y Darryl Sittler, C, 1970±82, inducted 1989 y , D, 1958±68, inducted 1981 y , C, 1968±75, inducted 1982 y Harry Watson, LW, 1946±55, inducted 1994

Builders

y , played for Toronto 1961-66, inducted as a builder 1996 y Harold Ballard, owner/executive/director, 1957±89, inducted 1977 y J. P. Bickell, shareholder/director, 1919±51, inducted 1978 y Cliff Fletcher, president/general manager/executive, 1991±97 and 2008±2009, inducted 2004 y , general manager, 1969±79, inducted 2007 y , announcer, 1927±63, inducted 1965 y Punch Imlach, coach/general manager, 1958±69 and 1979±80, inducted 1984 y Dick Irvin, coach, 1931±40, inducted 1958

y Frank Mathers, player/executive, 1948±52, inducted 1992 y , player/coach/general manager/broadcaster, 1946±57, inducted 1998 y , coach, 1977±79, inducted 2002 y Bud Poile, player/executive, 1942±48, inducted 1990 y Frank J. Selke, executive, 1929±46, inducted 1960 y Conn Smythe, owner/executive/director, 1927±66, inducted 1958 y , player/executive, 1926±29, inducted 1974

Team captains

y Bert Corbeau, 1927[25] y Hap Day, 1927±37 y Charlie Conacher, 1937±38 y Red Horner, 1938±40 y Syl Apps, 1940±43 y Bob Davidson, 1943±45 y Syl Apps, 1945±48 y Ted Kennedy, 1948±55 y Sid Smith, 1955±56 y Jimmy Thomson, 1956±57 y Ted Kennedy, 1957 y George Armstrong, 1957±69

y Dave Keon, 1969±75 y Darryl Sittler, 1975±79 y No captain, 1979±80 y Darryl Sittler, 1980±82 y , 1982±86 y No captain, 1986±89 y , 1989±91 y Wendel Clark, 1991±94 y Doug Gilmour, 1994±97 y Mats Sundin, 1997±2008 y No captain, 2008±10 y Dion Phaneuf, 2010±present

Franchise scoring leaders

Further information: List of Toronto Maple Leafs records

These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history, as of the end of the 2009±10 season. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.

Legend: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Maple Leafs player

Player Pos GP G A Pts P/G

Mats Sundin C 981 420 567 987 1.01

Darryl Sittler C 844 389 527 916 1.09

Dave Keon C 1062 365 493 858 .81

Borje Salming D 1099 148 620 768 .70

George Armstrong RW 1187 296 417 713 .60

Ron Ellis RW 1034 332 308 640 .62

Frank Mahovlich LW 720 296 303 599 .83

Bob Pulford LW 947 251 312 563 .59

Ted Kennedy C 696 231 329 560 .80

Rick Vaive RW 534 299 238 537 1.01

Source: Toronto Maple Leafs Media Guide 2008±09.[26] Facilities

Besides the Air Canada Centre, the Leafs have a practice facility at the MasterCard Centre for Hockey Excellence. Opened in 2009, it was built on the site of the former Lakeshore Lions Arena (c. 1951). The practice facility has two rinks and is operated by the local Lions Club. Farm teams Historical

y minor league farm team 1936-1940 y minor league farm team 1940-1956 y minor league farm team 1956-1968 y Toronto Marlboros farm team 1927±1989 y Markham Waxers former farm team y Cincinnati Tigers minor league farm team 1981-1982 y St. Catharines Saints 1982±1986 y Newmarket Saints farm team 1986±1991 y St. John's Maple Leafs farm team 1991-2005 y Victoria Maple Leafs farm team 1964-1966 y Columbia Inferno minor league farm team 2006±2008

Current

y Toronto Marlies farm team 2005±present y Reading Royals minor league farm team 2008±present See also

Toronto

portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Toronto Maple Leafs

y Toronto Blueshirts (1912±17) y List of Toronto Maple Leafs players References and notes

y Holzman, Morey (2002). Deceptions and Doublecross. Dundurn Press. y Lashway, John, ed (2008). Toronto Maple Leafs Media Guide 2008±09. Toronto Maple Leafs.

1. ^ "NHL Team Valuations". Forbes. 2009-11-11. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/31/hockey- values-09_Toronto-Maple-Leafs_312012.html. Retrieved 2008-11-11. 2. ^ a b Hunter, Douglas (1997). Champions: The Illustrated History of Hockey's Greatest Dynasties. Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN 1572432166. 3. ^ Thomas Stafford Smythe and Kevin Shea, Centre Ice: The Smythe Family, the Gardens and the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club, Fenn Publishing, 2000, p. 36. 4. ^ "Good-bye St. Pats, howdy Maple Leafs", The Globe, February 15, 1927, p. 6. 5. ^ "Toronto crumbles New York chances", The Globe, February 18, 1927, p. 8. 6. ^ Kernaghan, Jim (December 29, 1979). "Lanny McDonald trade has Sittler in tears". : p. 1. 7. ^ Cox, Damien; Stellick, Gord (2004). '67, The Maple Leafs: Their Sensational Victory and the End of an Empire. Wiley. p. 12. ISBN 0-470-83400-5. 8. ^ Zeisberger, Mike (2007-04-07). "Better than a Game 7: Hockey icons' true colours show through". SLAM! Sports. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Zeisberger/2007/04/07/3944053- sun.html. Retrieved 2008-06-28. 9. ^ "TSN : NHL ² Canada's Sports Leader". Archived from the original on 2008-01-23. http://web.archive.org/web/20080123114623/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=227906&hu bname=. Retrieved 2008-01-22. 10. ^ "Maple Leafs fire head coach Paul Maurice". TSN.ca. May 7, 2008. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=237026&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_nhl. Retrieved 2008-05- 07. 11. ^ "Leafs introduce Burke as new president and general manager". TSN.ca. November 29, 2008. http://tsn.ca/nhl/teams/story/?id=257760&hubname=nhl-maple_leafs. Retrieved 2009-01-21. 12. ^ "Kessel traded to Maple Leafs, signs 5-year, $27m contract". TSN. 2009-09-19. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=291601. 13. ^ "FLAMES TRADE D PHANEUF TO MAPLE LEAFS IN SEVEN-PLAYER DEAL". tsn.ca. January 31, 2010. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=308469. Retrieved January 31, 2010. 14. ^ "Maple Leafs introduce Phaneuf as team's captain". CTV.com. June 14, 2010. http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100614/toronto-leafs-phaneuf-captain- 100614/20100614/?hub=OttawaHome. Retrieved June 14, 2010. 15. ^ "Leafs add Versteeg". June 30,2010. http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/trade/2010/06/30/leafs_versteeg. 16. ^ "The Rivalry". TSN. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=10912&hubname=. Retrieved 2008-04- 24. 17. ^ Hornsby, Lance (2006-10-18). "Avs, Leafs battle over sellout record". Toronto Sun. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Colorado/2006/10/18/2059541-sun.html. Retrieved 2008-05-01. 18. ^ Maple Leaf Gardens page at Ballparks.com 19. ^ ACC has a capacity of 18,800 and the game on October 31, 2002 drew 18,727 fans. [1] 20. ^ Westhead, Rick (2008-05-30). "Canadian NHL teams mean money". Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Hockey/article/433906. Retrieved 2008-05-30. 21. ^ "Sabres still searching for new owner". CBC Sports. 2002-11-17. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2002/11/17/thisweekinhockey021117.html. Retrieved 2008-05-01. 22. ^ O'Connor, Joe (2008-05-01). "Leafs Are 121St (Of 122) In Rewarding Fans". . http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=483856. Retrieved 2008-05-01.[dead link] 23. ^ Thrashers party for 24. ^ "Toronto Maple Leafs - Team - Roster". Toronto Maple Leafs. http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/roster.htm?type=roster. Retrieved 2010-12-06. 25. ^ Lashway, p. 159 26. ^ Lashway, p. 184 External links

y Toronto Maple Leafs official web site