Top 50 Toronto Maple Leafs
When it comes to storied hockey franchises, very few clubs match the success and name recognition of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Formed in 1917 as the Toronto Arenas, the team would become a member of the "Original Six" and win the Stanley Cup in the NHL's first year. Renaming themselves the Toronto St. Patricks in 1919, they won their second title in 1922. In 1927, they made their third and final name change, that to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto won it all again in 1932 and would dominate the 1940s capturing the Cup five times that decade, and were the winners again in 1951. The 1960s were again their decade, winning the Stanley Cup four times, the last being in 1967.
The Leafs have not made the Stanley Cup Finals since.
This list is up to the end of the 2022/23 season.
Note: Hockey lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
Irvine “Ace” Bailey was not planning to turn his hockey playing into a professional career, and in the 1920s, that was not considered a lucrative option. The Toronto St. Patricks saw an abundance of talent in Bailey, and he signed with them before the 1926/27 season. Bailey was an instant star,…
Taken with the fourth overall pick in the 1973 Draft, Lanny McDonald made the Toronto Maple Leafs that year, and two seasons later, the mustached one was one of the snipers in hockey. The Right Wing would be on a line with Darryl Sittler, and the two lit up the…
Red Kelly was the top Defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings for years, helping them win four Stanley Cups, with Kelly earning six Fist Team All-Star Selections and the first-ever Norris Trophy in the process. Kelly struggled during the 1958-59 season and disclosed to a reporter the year after that he…
Joe Primeau played all of his ten seasons (1927-36) in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he famously centered the “Kid Line” with Charlie Conacher and Busher Jackson as his wings. A clean player who won the Lady Byng in 1932, Primeau took the Buds to…
When it comes to hockey players who stood firm on their principles, Carl Brewer might have stood the tallest. Brewer debuted in 1958 and was second in Calder Trophy voting for the 1958/59 Season. Showing grit on the defensive end and strong passing on the rush, Brewer quickly moved up to…
Hap Day entered the NHL with Toronto as a rookie in 1924, where he played at Left Wing, leading the NHL in Assists (17). He would move to Defense afterward, playing competent two-way hockey before becoming a pure lockdown Defenseman in his fourth NHL season. Day was very good in this…
If this list were based purely on popularity, Wendel Clark would be near the top. Clark was taken number one in the 1985 Draft, and he joined a struggling Maple Leafs team that lacked an identity. The Left Wing immediately became a fan favorite for his no-nonsense play, willingness to fight,…
Jimmy Thomson was an underappreciated cog in the machine that won four Stanley Cups in five seasons (1947-51), which coincidentally is also not as respected as their four titles in the 1960s. Playing at Defense, Thomson was twice a Second Team All-Star and led the NHL in Defensive Point Shares…
Ron Ellis played 1,034 Games in the National Hockey League, all of which were in the blue and white of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ellis played in one game in the 1963-64 Season and was then a fixture at Right Wing for years to come. Aiding the Maple Leafs in securing…
Bob Pulford played his junior hockey for the Toronto Marlboros, where he helped them win two Memorial Cups. The winning ways would continue in the same city when he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team he played the first 14 of his 16 NHL seasons. Pulford played at Left…
Sid Smith spent all 12 of his NHL campaigns with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it can be argued that his contributions have not received their proper due in Hogtown. Smith was signed in December of 1946 but played sparingly and was not on the roster when Toronto won the…
The Toronto Maple Leafs chose Czech Defenseman Tomas Kaberle in the Eighth Round of the 1996 NHL Draft, and it turned out to be a steal. Kaberle first played for the Maple Leafs in the 1998-99 season, and before long, he was the team's top blueliner. Kaberle scored at least 40…
Playing for Toronto in three different stints dating all the way back to when the team was called the Arenas, Harry Cameron was an early prototype of the rushing Defenseman who could play make without sacrifice his end of the ice. Cameron led the NHL in Assists twice and was…
One of the most versatile players in the early days of Hockey, Reg Noble played in the first season of the NHL, where he helped take the Toronto Arenas to the Stanley Cup. Noble was just getting started. Noble played both at Center and Defense, and was an early star at…
Max Bentley’s best years might have been with Chicago, where he won the Hart Trophy in 1946, but at age 27, he was traded to Toronto, where the two-time scoring champion had a lot left to offer. The Maple Leafs had a lot more talent than Chicago, but Bentley was…
Drafted Fourth Overall in the 2015 Draft, Marner led the London Knights to a Memorial Cup Championship in 2016, proving himself to be one of the best Juniors of his day. Marner transferred that success shortly after to the Maple Leafs, posting a 61 Point season and earning All-Rookie honors at…
The Toronto Maple Leafs have had their share of titles and snipers, but it is a surprise to some to learn that Rick Vaive was the first player in franchise history to score 50 Goals in a season. Arriving from Vancouver in early 1980, Vaive blossomed into one of Toronto’s…
Ken Randall was an original Toronto Arena when the National Hockey League formed, and we will make the case that he was one of the most underrated players of the era. Randall played mostly on the blueline but would occasionally play at Right Wing when needed. A Stanley Cup champion immediately…
Dick Duff began his career with the Maple Leafs in 1954, where he showed his gritty two-way play quickly as an asset. Duff would be one of the players in which Toronto was rebuilt around. While he was not a scoring machine, he was a glue guy who was capable of…
The First Overall Pick in 2009, John Tavares began his pro career with the New York Islanders. With the Isles, Tavares was a five-time All-Star, one-time First Team All-Star and was the face of the franchise. However, home is where the heart is, and the native of Mississauga, Ontario jumped…