“Bill Barilko disappeared that summer

He was on a fishing trip

The last goal he ever scored

Won the Leafs the cup

They didn't win another till nineteen sixty two

The year he was discovered

I stole this from a hockey card

I keeped tucked up under”

The Tragically Hip.

The subject of the legendary Canadian band's song, "Fifty Mission Cap," Bill Barilko was a strong Defenseman who logged a lot of minutes on the ice and in the penalty box.  The tough player was a large part of four Stanley Cup Championships and would twice finish in the top ten in Defensive Point Shares.  Barilko scored the game-winning goal in Game 5 of the ’51 Finals, which was the deciding game.  At age 24, Barilko was on top of the world and should have had many more years to come.

Barilko died in a plane crash on his way to a fishing trip.  As the song stated, the Leafs never won a Cup until the "year he was discovered," 1962, when the plane was found.  

The Leafs would officially retire his number 5 in 1992, likely due to the renewed attention from Gord Downie and company.

In the middle of Norm Ullman’s 13^th season with the Detroit Red Wings, the Center was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of an eight-player transaction.  Ullman would show that he still had a lot left despite his veteran status.

Ullman scored at least 50 Points in his first five seasons with the Leafs, and it was in Toronto where he posted a career-high with 85 in 1970-71.  An All-Star twice as a Maple Leaf, the durable Canadian remained one of the better Centers in hockey until his play dropped off in the 1974-75 Season.  He signed with Edmonton of the WHA after that year.

With the Maple Leafs, Ullman had 471 Points, and averaged .88 Points per Game, .01 more than he did as a Red Wing.  Ullman was chosen for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.

Curtis Joseph should be better known for his stellar season early in his career with St. Louis, where he was a three-time leader in Goalie Point Shares, but many remember him more for his time in Toronto, his third NHL team.

Signing as a Free Agent in 1998, “Cujo” was an instant fan favorite in Toronto, and he instantly made the Maple Leafs better.  Joseph was second and third in Vezina voting respectively in his first two seasons a Leaf, and his grit earned him the King Clancy Trophy in 2000.  Joseph stayed with Toronto for two more seasons, and while he was not as good, he was still in the top ten in Vezina Trophy voting.  Without Joseph, Toronto would arguably not have made the Eastern Conference Finals in 1999 and 2002.  Despite his success, Joseph was traded to Detroit at the end of the 2001-02 Season but came back in 2008 for one final year.

With the Maple Leafs, Joseph had 138 Wins with a GAA of 2.49.

Bryan McCabe began his NHL career with the Islanders, Canucks, and Blackhawks, and looked to be moving from promising youngster to credible journeyman.  This would change in 2000 when he was traded again to Toronto for what would be far his most productive and longest stay.

McCabe had 29 Points in his first year in Toronto and had 43 the following year after finding a regular role on the power play.  In 2003-04, McCabe had a 53-Point year, and the Defenseman was named a Second Team All-Star and was fourth in Norris voting.  After the lockout, McCabe had a career-high 68 Points in 2005-06, with 57 the following year.  After his production dipped, McCabe was traded to Florida.

As a Maple Leaf, McCabe scored 297 Points with a Plus/Minus of +63.