gold star for USAHOF

13. Frank Mahovlich

13. Frank Mahovlich

Frank Mahovlich entered the NHL with lofty expectations, and he delivered immediately, winning the Calder Trophy as the best rookie in the 1956-57 Season.

The “Big M” built on his skills, becoming one of Toronto’s top offensive threat in the 1960s.  In the 1960-61 campaign, Mahovlich scored 84 Points, which would be a personal best in Toronto, and he led the league in Even Strength Goals (41).  Mahovlich was named a First Team All-Star that year, and he would help lead the Maple Leafs to the first of three straight Stanley Cup wins.

After his first Cup, Mahovlich was named a First Team All-Star in 1963 and had Second Team honors in 1962, 1964, 1965 & 1966.  The Left Wing again helped them win another Cup in 1967.  This added up to a substantial amount of success, but management would sour on the star like so many Leafs.  

For Mahovlich, Punch Imlach, Toronto’s Head Coach and Executive, was the bane of his existence.  Imlach constantly berated Mahovlich, who in modern terms suffered severe mental health issues because of it.  Allegedly, the two did not speak for the last five years of his time in Toronto, which ended in a trade to the Detroit Red Wings in March of 1968.  

Mahovlich would later win two more Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens, but he was always best known for his time as a Maple Leaf despite the issues with Toronto.  With the Leafs, Mahovlich scored 597 Points in 720 Games.

Mahovlich entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981, and he had a banner raised in 2001.  His number 27 (along with Darryl Sittler) was retired by the organization in 2016.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Left Wing
  • Acquired: Signed before the 1956-57 Season.
  • Departed: Traded to the Detroit Red Wings for Guy Charron, Bill Collins, and Mickey Redmond 3/3/68.
  • Games Played: 720
  • Notable Statistics:

    296 Goals
    301 Assists 
    597 Points 
    780 PIM 
    0.84 PPG 
    +96 Plus/Minus*
    63.8 Point Shares 

    84 Playoff Games
    24 Goals
    36 Assists 
    60 Points 
    135 PIM 
    0.71 PPG 
    -12 Plus/Minus*

    *Plus/Minus was not a statistic until the 1959/60 Season.

  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Stanley Cup Champion (1962, 1963, 1964 & 1967)
    First Team All-Star (1961 & 1963)
    Second Team All-Star (1962, 1964, 1965 & 1966)
    All-Star (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967 & 1968*)
    Calder Trophy (1958)
    Most Even-Strength Goals (1961)

    *Mahovlich was traded to the Montreal Canadiens during the season.

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