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THE LEAFS SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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{{current sport-related|mini=1|2007-08 Toronto Maple Leafs season}}
{{NHL Team | CAN_eng=1
|team_name = Toronto Maple Leafs
|bg_color = #003876
|text_color = white
|logo_image = TorontoMapleLeafsLogo.png
|conference = ]
|division = ]
|founded = ]
|history = '''Toronto''' ]<br/>
'''Toronto Arenas''' ]<br/>
'''Toronto St. Patricks'''<br/>]–]<br/>
'''Toronto Maple Leafs'''<br/>]–present
|arena = ]
|city = ]
|media_affiliates = ]<br/>]<br/>]<br/>]
|team_colors = Royal Blue and White
|owner = ]
|general_manager = {{flagicon|CAN}} ]
|head_coach = {{flagicon|CAN}} ]
|captain = {{flagicon|SWE}} ]
|alternate captains = ]<br/>]
|minor_league_affiliates = ] (])<br />] (])
|stanley_cups = ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]
|conf_titles = none
|division_titles =], ], ], ], ]
}}
The '''Toronto Maple Leafs''' are a professional ] team based in ], ], ]. They are members of the ] of the ] of the ] (NHL). The organization, one of the "]" members of the NHL, is officially known as the '''Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club''' and is owned by ] (MLSE). They play at the ] (ACC). The Leafs are well known for their long and bitter rivalry with the ], and more recent rivalry with the ]. The franchise has won thirteen ]s, eleven as the Leafs, one as the ], and one as the ].

Valued at $413 million (2007), the Leafs are the most valuable team in the NHL, followed by the ] and the ].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/31/biz_07nhl_NHL-Team-Valuations_Rank.html | title = NHL Team Valuations | publisher = Forbes | date = 2007-11-08 | accessdate = 2007-11-08}}</ref>

==Team history==
: see: ]

===Early years (1917-27)===
The National Hockey League was formed in 1917 in Montreal from teams formerly belonging to the ], because of a dispute with ], owner of the ]. The owners of the other four clubs--the ], ], ] and ]--had enough votes between them to expel Livingstone. Instead, they opted to create a new league--the NHL--and effectively left Livingstone in the NHA by himself.

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 league. They also needed another team to balance the schedule after the Bulldogs suspended operations (and as it turned out, wouldn't ice a team until ]. Accordingly, the NHL granted a "temporary" Toronto franchise to the Arena Company, owners of the ]. The Arena Company agreed to lease the Blueshirts' players for the season until the dispute was resolved. This temporary franchise didn't have an official name, but was informally called "the Blueshirts" by area writers.

Under manager Charlie Querrie and Coach Dick Carroll, the Toronto team won the ] in the NHL's inaugural season. For the [[1918-19 NHL season|next season, rather than return the Blueshirts' players to Livingstone, the Arena Company formed its own team, the Toronto Arena Hockey Club. This grouping was readily granted a full-fledged franchise by the NHL. 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. The Arenas' .278 winning percentage that season is still the worst in franchise history.

The legal dispute nearly ruined the Arena Company, 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 until 1927. The St. Pats would win the Cup in 1922. The jersey colour was changed from blue to green.

===The 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 ] put together an ownership group of his own and made a $160,000 offer for the franchise. With the support of St. Pats shareholder ], Smythe persuaded Querrie to reject the Philadelphia bid, arguing that civic pride was more important than money.

After taking control on ] 1927, Smythe immediately renamed the team the '''Maple Leafs.''' (The ] had won the ] 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 ]. Another story says that Smythe named the team after a team he'd once scouted, called the East Toronto Maple Leafs. Initial reports were that the team's colours would be changed to red and white,<ref>"Good-bye St. Pats, howdy Maple Leafs," ''The Globe'', ], ], p. 6</ref> but the Leafs were wearing white sweaters with a green maple leaf for their first game on ], ]<ref>"Toronto crumbles New York chances," ''The Globe'', ], ], p. 8.</ref> 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 in truth blue has been Toronto's principal sporting colour since the ] adopted blue as their primary colour in ].

====1930s: Opening of Maple Leaf Gardens and first Maple Leaf dynasty====
]After four more lacklustre seasons (including three with Smythe as coach), Smythe and the Leafs debuted their new arena, ], with a 2-1 loss to the ] on November 12, ].

Led by the "Kid Line" (], ] and ]) and coach ], the Leafs would capture their third Stanley Cup victory during the first season in their new digs, vanquishing the ] in the first round, the ] in the semis and, in the Stanley Cup Finals the hated ]. Mr. 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 (]), but had been fired in a dispute with ] management before the season.

The Leafs' star forward, ], was nearly killed in ] when ] defenseman ] checked him from behind into the boards at full speed. Maple Leafs defenseman ] was able to knock Shore out with a punch, but it was too late for 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 Mr. 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, the ] in 1936, the ] in 1938, Boston in 1939, and the hated Rangers in 1940.

====1940s: A second decade of success====
Toronto looked sure to suffer a similar fate in ], down three games to none in a best-of-seven final in 1942 against Detroit. However, fourth-line forward ] would galvanize the team, coming from nowhere to score a ] in game four and the game-winning goal in game five, with the Leafs winning both times. ] ] had won the ] that season, not taking one penalty 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 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 ] goalie ] and ] ]. They would upset the Red Wings in the ] finals.

The powerful defending champion ] and their "Punch Line" (], ] and ]), would be the Leafs' nemesis two years later when the two teams clashed in the ] finals. ] would score the game-winning goal late in game six to win the Leafs their first of three straight Cups &mdash; the 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.

====The 1950s: The Barilko Curse====
The Leafs and Habs would meet once again in the finals in ], with all five games going to overtime. ] 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 ] barely four months after that historic moment. The Leafs would not win the Cup again that decade.

===New owners, new dynasty in the 1960s===

] and ] celebrate the Leafs' last Stanley Cup]]

Before the ] season, Smythe sold nearly all of his shares in ] to a partnership of his son ], newspaper baron ] and ] president ]. The sale price was $2.3 million--a handsome return on Conn Smythe's original investment 34 years earlier. Conn Smythe later claimed that he knew nothing about his son's partners, but there is skepticism that Stafford could have raised the money on his own.

And then, Toronto was able to reel off another three straight ] victories from 1962 to 1964, with the help of Hall of Famers ], ], ], ], ] and ], and under the leadership of coach and general manager ].

In ], the Leafs and Canadiens met in the Cup finals for the last time. Montreal was considered to be a heavy favourite as analysts said that the Leafs were just a bunch of has-beens. But ] scored the double-overtime winner in game three, ] got the series winner in game six, and Keon won the ] as ] of the playoffs as the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in six games. The Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since.

In ], Mahovlich was traded to Detroit in a blockbuster trade. Then in ], following a first-round playoff loss to ], Smythe fired Imlach. Horton declared, "If this team doesn't want Imlach, I guess it doesn't want me." He was traded to the ] ].

===1970s and 1980s: The Ballard years===
], captain of the Leafs in the late 1970s and former all-time leading scorer in franchise history.]]
Following Stafford Smythe's death, Harold Ballard bought his shares to take control of the team.
Ballard's term as owner was marked by several disputes with prominent players, including ], ], and ], poor win/loss records, and not a single Stanley Cup.

During the 1970s, with the overall level of talent in the league diluted by the addition of 12 new franchises and the birth of the rival ] (WHA), the Leafs, led by a group of stars such as Sittler, McDonald, ] ], ], and ] (the first European to make a name for himself in the NHL) were able to ice competitive teams for several seasons. But they only once made it past the second round of the playoffs, besting the ], a soon-to-be dynasty, in the ] quarter-finals, only to be swept by arch-rival Montreal in the semi-finals.

One of the few highlights from this era occurred on ], ], when Sittler scored six goals and four assists against the ] to establish a NHL single-game record that still stands more than 30 years later.

The serious decline started in July 1979, when Ballard brought back Imlach, a longtime friend, as general manager. Imlach traded McDonald to undermine his friend Sittler's influence on the team.<ref name=mcdonald>"Lanny McDonald trade has Sittler in tears," Jim Kernaghan, '']'', ] ], p. 1.</ref> Sittler himself was gone two years later, when the Leafs traded him to the ]. He left as the franchise's all-time leading scorer.

The McDonald trade sent the Leafs into a downward spiral. They finished five games under .500 and only made the playoffs due to the presence of the ], a refugee from the WHA, in the ]. For the next 12 years, the Leafs were barely competitive, not posting another winning record until ]. They missed the playoffs six times and only finished above fourth in their division once (in ], the only season where they even posted a .500 record). They only made it beyond the first round of the playoffs once (in ], advancing to the division finals). The low point came in ], 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 record did result in several high draft 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.

===Resurgence in the 1990s===
Ballard died in 1990, and a year later his longtime friend, supermarket tycoon ], bought a majority stake in the Leafs from his estate. Unlike Ballard, Stavro hated the limelight and rarely interfered in the Leafs' hockey operations. Stavro's first act was to lure ] GM ] to Toronto after the ]. Fletcher immediately set about building a club that would be competitive once again.

Fletcher made a series of trades and free agent acquisitions which turned the Leafs from an also-ran to a contender almost overnight, starting in ]. Outstanding play from ], ] and ] would lead the team to a franchise-record 99 points, third in the ] and the eighth-best overall. The Leafs dispatched the ] in the first round, then defeated the ] in the Division finals.

Hoping to meet long-time rival Montreal in the Cup Finals, the Leafs faced the ], led by the great ], in the Campbell Conference Finals. The Leafs led the series 3-2, but dropped Game 6 in ]. Gretzky's ] 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 ], 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, the Leafs were seeded third in the ] (formerly the ]) by virtue of the Flames' ] title. The Leafs would defeat the ] in six games and the ] in seven before losing to the ] in five games in the Western Conference Finals.

===A new home===

In 1996, Leafs owner Stavro took on ], the co-founder of Toronto's new ] (NBA) team, the ], as a partner. Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. was accordingly renamed ] (MLSE), and it remains the parent company of the Leafs, the Raptors, and ] of ] (MLS), to the present day.

After two years out of the playoffs in the late 1990s, the Leafs made another charge during the ] after moving from ] to the new ], shared with the new Toronto Raptors. The Leafs eliminated the ] and ] in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but lost in five games to the ] in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Maple Leafs would reach the second round in both ] and ], losing both times to the ], who would make the Stanley Cup Finals both seasons. 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 the final contest (game six) against the Devils.

In ], the Leafs dispatched the Islanders and their ] rivals, the ], in the first two rounds, only to lose to the Cinderella-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 ].

Joseph left to go to the defending champion Red Wings in the 2002 off-season; the team almost immediately 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 ] 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 ] and resigned his position as Chairman of the Board in favour of Tanenbaum. Stavro died in ].

The ] season started in an uncommon way for the team, as they held their training camp in ], and playing in the ] against teams from ] and ]. That year, the Leafs posted a franchise-record 103 points. They also finished with the fourth-best record in the league &ndash; their best overall finish in 41 years. They also managed a .628 win percentage, their best in 43 years (and the third-best in franchise history). They 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.

===2006 to present===
The Leafs struggled in ], and despite a late-season surge, led by third-string goaltender ], 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 ], and as a result he was fired shortly after the season. ], an experienced NHL coach who had just coached the Leafs' ] affiliate, the ], in their inaugural season, was announced as Pat Quinn's replacement. On ] ], the Maple Leafs bought out the contract of long-time fan favourite, Tie Domi. The team's current marketing slogan is "The Passion That Unites Us All." 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 ] ], effectively ending their tenures with the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, despite the coaching change and addition of new players such as ] and ], the Leafs again did not make the playoffs in ].

==Season-by-season record==
''This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Maple Leafs. For the full season-by-season history, see ]''

'''''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, TG = Playoff series decided on total goals''
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold; background-color:#dddddd;" |
| Season || GP || W || L || T || OTL|| Pts || GF || GA|| PIM || Finish || Playoffs
|-
|] || 82 ||43 ||25|| 10|| 4 ||100 || 249 ||207 ||1212 || 2nd in Northeast || Lost in Conference Finals, 2-4 (])
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
| ] || 82||44 ||28 ||7 ||3 ||98 ||236 ||208 ||1390 ||2nd in Northeast || Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (])
|-
| ] || 82|| 45 ||24 ||10 ||3 ||103 ||242|| 204 ||1452 || 2nd in Northeast || Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2-4 (])
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
| ] || colspan="11" | ''Season cancelled due to ]''
|-
| ]<sup>1</sup> || 82 || 41 || 33 || -- || 8 || 90 || 257 || 270 || 1291 || 4th in Northeast || Did not qualify
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
| ] || 82 || 40 || 31 || -- || 11 || 91 || 258 || 269 || 1065 || 3rd in Northeast || Did not qualify
|}
:<sup>1</sup> <small> Starting ], games remaining tied after overtime are decided by ]. </small>

==Players==
===Current roster===
<small>As of November 14, ]. </small>

{| width=90%
!colspan=6 |<center><big>Goaltenders
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
!width=5%|#
!width=5%|
|align=left!!width=15%|'''Player'''
!width=8%|Catches
!width=9%|Acquired
!width=37%|Place of Birth

|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''1'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CAN}}
|]
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]

|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''35'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|FIN}}
|]
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|], ]
|}

{| width=90%
!colspan=6 |<center><big>Defencemen
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
!width=5%|#
!width=5%|
|align=left!!width=15%|'''Player'''
!width=8%|Shoots
!width=9%|Acquired
!width=37%|Place of Birth

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''7'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CAN}}
|]
|align=center|R
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''8'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CAN}}
|]
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''15'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CZE}}
|] &ndash; ''']'''
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|], ]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''24'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CAN}}
|] &ndash; ''']'''
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''25'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|USA}}
|]
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''31'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CZE}}
|]
|align=center|R
|align=center|]
|], ]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''56'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|USA}}
|]
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]
|}

{| width=90%
!colspan=7 |<center><big>Forwards
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
!width=5%|#
!width=5%|
|align=left!!width=15%|'''Player'''
!width=8%|Position
!width=8%|Shoots
!width=9%|Acquired
!width=37%|Place of Birth

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''3'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CAN}}
|]
|align=center|RW
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''9'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CAN}}
|]
|align=center|LW
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''10'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|SWE}}
|]
|align=center|C
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''13'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|SWE}}
|] &ndash; ''']'''
|align=center|C
|align=center|R
|align=center|]
|], ]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''14'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CAN}}
|]
|align=center|C
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''16'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CAN}}
|]
|align=center|RW
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''18'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CAN}}
|]
|align=center|LW
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''21'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|USA}}
|]
|align=center|C
|align=center|R
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''22'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CAN}}
|]
|align=center|C
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''23'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|Ukraine}}
|]
|align=center|LW
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|], ]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''33'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|USA}}
|]
|align=center|LW
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]
|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''42'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CAN}}
|]
|align=center|C
|align=center|R
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''54'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|CAN}}
|]
|align=center|C
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''55'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|USA}}
|]
|align=center|LW
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|]

|-bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|align=center|'''80'''
|align=center|{{flagicon|KAZ}}
|]
|align=center|C
|align=center|L
|align=center|]
|], ]
|}

===Hall of Fame===
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====
<div style="float:left; width:48%;">
* ], C, 1922-26, inducted 1959
* ], C, 1950-71, inducted 1975
* ], C, 1936-48, inducted 1961
* ], LW, 1926-33, inducted 1978
* ], C, 1963-65, inducted 1978
* ], C, 1947-53, inducted 1966
* ], D, 1951-55, inducted 1986
* ], G, 1958-70, inducted 1976
* ], G, 1936-52, inducted 1967
* ], D, 1917-23, inducted 1962
* ], G, 1961-62, inducted 1985
* ], D, 1930-36, inducted 1958
* ], D, 1920-21, inducted 1958
* ], RW, 1929-37, inducted 1961
* ], LW, 1917-19, inducted 1962
* ], D, 1924-37, inducted 1961
* ], LW, 1937-42, inducted 1975
* ], LW, 1954-64, inducted 2006
* ], RW, 1920-26, 1930, inducted 1970
* ], D, 1950-54, inducted 1990
* ], C, 2003-04, to be inducted 2007
* ], G, 1991-93, inducted 2003
* ], RW, 1994-96, inducted 2001
* ], D, 1921-22, inducted 1945
* ], G, 1933-37, inducted 1961
* ], G, 1917-19, inducted 1972
* ], D, 1928-40, inducted 1965
* ], D, 1952-70, inducted 1977
</div><div style="float:right; width:48%;">
* ], LW, 1931-32, inducted 1965
* ], LW, 1929-39, inducted 1971
* ], D, 1960-67, inducted 1969
* ], C, 1943-57, inducted 1966
* ], C, 1960-75, inducted 1986
* ], G, 1952-56, inducted 1980
* ], LW, 1957-68, inducted 1981
* ], RW, 1973-79, inducted 1992
* ], LW, 1964-65, inducted 1974
* ], D, 1995-97, inducted 2004
* ], C, 1929-30, inducted 1947
* ], LW, 1919-24, inducted 1962
* ], RW, 1958-62, inducted 1985
* ], G, 1970-72, inducted 1984
* ], D, 1968-69, inducted 1975
* ], G, 1970-73, inducted 1978
* ], D, 1942-46, inducted 1966
* ], C, 1927-36, inducted 1963
* ], D, 1965-70, inducted 1978
* ], LW, 1956-70, inducted 1991
* ], D, 1973-89, inducted 1996
* ], G, 1964-67, inducted 1971
* ], LW, 1939-46, inducted 1962
* ], C, 1970-82, inducted 1989
* ], D, 1958-68, inducted 1981
* ], C, 1968-75, inducted 1982
* ], LW, 1946-55, inducted 1994
</div><br clear="all">

====Builders====
<div style="float:left; width:48%;">
* ], owner/executive/director, 1957-89, inducted 1977
* ], shareholder/director, 1919-51, inducted 1978
* ], president/general manager, 1991-97, inducted 2004
* ], president/vice-chairman, 1997-2004, inducted 1983
* ], general manager, 1969-79, will be inducted in 2007
* ], announcer, 1927-63, inducted 1965
* ], coach/general manager, 1958-69 and 1979-80, inducted 1984
* ], coach, 1931-40, inducted 1958
</div><div style="float:right; width:48%;">
* ], player/executive, 1948-52, inducted 1992
* ], player/coach/general manager/broadcaster, 1946-57, inducted 1998
* ], coach, 1977-79, inducted 2002
* ], player/executive, 1942-48, inducted 1990
* ], executive, 1929-46, inducted 1960
* ], owner/executive/director, 1927-66, inducted 1958
* ], player/executive, 1926-29, inducted 1974
</div><br clear="all">

===Team captains===
<div style="float:left; width:48%;">
*] 1927-37
*] 1937-38
*] 1938-40
*] 1940-43
*] 1943-45
*Syl Apps 1945-48
*] 1948-55
*] 1955-56
*] 1956-57
*Ted Kennedy 1957
*] 1957-69
</div><div style="float:right; width:48%;">
*] 1969-75
*] 1975-79
*no captain 1979-80
*Darryl Sittler 1980-82
*] 1982-86
*no captain 1986-89
*] 1989-91
*] 1991-94
*] 1994-97
*] 1997- ''present''
</div><br clear="all">

===Retired numbers===
* '''5''' ], D, 1947-51
* '''6''' ], LW, 1926-33
* '''99''' ] (Number retired league-wide by NHL; banner raised at ] ], ] at NHL All Star Game)

The Leafs have a policy of retiring numbers only for players "who have made a significant contribution to the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and have experienced a career-ending incident while a member of the Maple Leaf team". Barilko (whose career ended with death in a plane crash)<ref name="Barilko">{{cite web
|url=http://www.mapleleafs.com/team/alumni/bbariko.asp
|title=Alumni Bios: Bill Barilko
|publisher=Toronto Maple Leafs
}}</ref> and Bailey (whose career ended with a severe head injury)<ref name="Bailey">{{cite web
|url=http://www.mapleleafs.com/team/alumni/abailey.asp
|title=Alumni Bios: Ace Bailey
|publisher=Toronto Maple Leafs
}}</ref> met the criteria. These two numbers were not officially retired until ], ]. ] received permission from Bailey, by the time of his career the Leafs' Director of Scouting, to wear number 6.

====Honoured numbers====
In 1993, the Leafs began a policy of honouring their greatest players by declaring their number an "Honoured Number" rather than retirement. MLSE CEO Richard Peddie formed a committee in 2005 to study the issue and announced the decision to continue with the honoured number program late that year, citing a desire to allow current players to build upon the legacy of those numbers.

* 1 ], G, 1937-52; honoured ], ].
* 1 ], G, 1959-70; honoured ], ].
* 4 ], D, 1924-37; Head Coach, 1940-50; Assistant General Manager, 1950-57; honoured ] ].
* 4 ], D, 1961-67; Head Coach, 1973-77; honoured ],].
* 7 ], D, 1931-37; Head Coach, 1953-56; honoured ], ].
* 7 ], D, 1950-70; honoured ], ].
* 9 ], RW, 1930-38; honoured ], ].
* 9 ], C, 1943-57; honoured ], ].
* 10 ], C, 1937-48; honoured ], ].
* 10 ], 1950-71; Head Coach, 1988-89; honoured ], ].
* 21 ], D, 1973-89; honoured ], ].
* 27 ], LW, 1957-68; honoured ], ].
* 27 ], C, 1970-82; honoured ], ].

===First round draft picks===
<div style="float:left; width:48%;">
* 1963: ] (6th overall)
* 1964: ] (5th overall)
* 1965: none
* 1966: ] (4th overall)
* 1967: none
* 1968: ] (10th overall)
* 1969: ] (9th overall)
* 1970: ] (8th overall)
* 1971: none
* 1972: ] (11th overall)
* 1973: ] (4th overall), ] (10th overall) ] (15th overall)
* 1974: ] (13th overall)
* 1975: ] (6th overall)
* 1976: none
* 1977: ] (11th overall) ] (12th overall)
* 1978: none
* 1979: ] (9th overall)
* 1980: none
* 1981: ] (6th overall)
* 1982: ] (3rd overall)
* 1983: ] (7th overall)
* 1984: ] (4th overall)
* 1985: ] (1st overall)
</div><div style="float:right; width:48%;">
* 1986: ] (6th overall)
* 1987: ] (7th overall)
* 1988: ] (6th overall)
* 1989: ] (3rd overall), ] (12th overall) ] (21st overall)
* 1990: ] (10th overall)
* 1991: none
* 1992: ] (8th overall) and ] (23rd overall)
* 1993: ] (12th overall) and ] (19th overall)
* 1994: ] (16th overall)
* 1995: ] (15th overall)
* 1996: none
* 1997: none
* 1998: ] (10th overall)
* 1999: ] (24th overall)
* 2000: ] (24th overall)
* 2001: ] (17th overall)
* 2002: ] (24th overall)
* 2003: none
* 2004: none
* 2005: ] (21st overall)
* 2006: ] (13th overall)
* 2007: none</div>
<br clear="all">

===Team scoring leaders===
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history, as of the end of the 2006–07 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''
<!--PLEASE DO NOT UPDATE STATISTICS MID-SEASON, AS IT CREATES MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES, AND WIKIPEDIA'S PURPOSE IS NOT TO PROVIDE UP-TO-THE-MINUTE STATISTICS. PLEASE SAVE THE UPDATING OF STATISTICS UNTIL THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON AND/OR PLAYOFFS.-->
{| class="wikitable"
|- align="center" style="font-weight:bold; background-color:#dddddd;" |
| align="left" | Player || Pos || GP || G || A || Pts || P/G
|- align="center"
| align="left" | ] || C || 844 || 389 || 527 || '''916''' || 1.09
|- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"
| align="left" | ]*†|| C || 907 || 388 || 521 || '''909''' || 1.01 <!--Please read the comment above, and the heading above the table, and do NOT update this row until at least April 2008. Do NOT update the table mid-season-->
|- align="center"
| align="left" | ] || C || 1062 || 365 || 493 || '''858''' || .81
|- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"
| align="left" | ] || D || 1099 || 148 || 620 || '''768''' || .70
|- align="center"
| align="left" | ] || RW || 1187 || 296 || 417 || '''713''' || .60
|- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"
| align="left" | ] || RW || 1034 || 332 || 308 || '''640''' || .62
|- align="center"
| align="left" | ] || LW || 720 || 296 || 303 || '''599''' || .83
|- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"
| align="left" | ] || LW || 947 || 251 || 312 || '''563''' || .59
|- align="center"
| align="left" | ] || C || 696 || 231 || 329 || '''560''' || .80
|- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"
| align="left" | ] || RW || 534 || 299 || 238 || '''537''' || 1.01
|}

† Sundin has tied or exceeded Sittler's marks for goals, assists and total points during the 2007–08 season.

==NHL awards and trophies==
<div style="float:left; width:48%;">
''']'''
*] (as Arenas), ] (as St. Pats), ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]

''']'''
*] (as Arenas), ] (as St. Pats), ], ], ], ], ], ], ]

''']'''
*], ]

''']'''
*]: ] (league scoring leader prior to inception of trophy)
*]: ] (league scoring leader prior to inception of trophy)
*]: ] (league scoring leader prior to inception of trophy)
*]: ] (league scoring leader prior to inception of trophy)
*]: ] (league scoring leader prior to inception of trophy)
*]: ] (league scoring leader prior to inception of trophy)
*]: ] (league scoring leader prior to inception of trophy)

''']'''
*]: ] (trophy known as "Calder Trophy")
*]: ] (trophy known as "Calder Trophy")
*]: ]
*]: ]
*]: ]
*]: ]
*]: ]
*]: ]
*]: ]

</div><div style="float:right; width:48%;">
''']'''
*]: ]

''']'''
*]: ]

''']'''
*]: ]
*]: ]

''']'''
*]: ]

''']'''
*]: ]

''']'''
*]: ]
*]: ]
*]: ]
*]: ], ]
*]: ]
*]: ], ]
*]: ]

''']'''
*]: ], ]
*]: ]
*]: ]
*]: ]
*] & ]: ]

</div><br clear="all">

==Toronto Maple Leafs individual records==
*Most Goals in a season: ], 54 (1981-82)
*Most Assists in a season: ], 95 (1992-93)
*Most Points in a season: ], 127 (1992-93)
*Most Penalty Minutes in a season: ], 365 (1997-98)
*Most Points in a season, defenceman: ], 79 (1976-77)
*Most Points in a season, rookie: ], 66 (1982-83)
*Most Wins in a season (goaltender): ] (2002-03), ] (2006-2007),37
*Most consecutive games without a goal: ], 198 (1982-86)

==Miscellaneous==

===Leafs Nation===

{{Refimprove|date=September 2007}}
<!-- Unsourced image removed: ] -->Maple Leafs fans worldwide are known by the collective nickname "Leafs Nation"; the club uses this term as the title of its . 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 '']'' hockey writer Michael Farber as the "Most Hated Team in Hockey."<ref>{{cite web|title=CBC News Report|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2002/11/17/thisweekinhockey021117.html|retrieved=October 11, 2007}}</ref>

In the ], several cities in the ] have sizable numbers of Leaf fans, as many ] tend to flock to locales such as ], ], and ] during the winter, resulting in a boost in turnout and ticket sales when these franchises play the Maple Leafs.

The Leafs are sometimes referred to as "the Buds" (as in maple bud and/or short for buddy) by their legions of fans which has paralleled the use of "Habs" as a secondary nickname for the Montreal Canadiens.

The somewhat peculiar spelling of the word "Leafs" vs. "Leaves" is in actuality grammatically allowable, just as "dwarfs" is an alternative to the spelling "dwarves".

Maple Leafs home games have long been one of the toughest tickets to acquire in Canada, even during lean periods. The Leafs have sold out almost every game since 1946. While ] is technically illegal in Toronto, there are numerous scalpers around the Air Canada Centre. The only ways to get into a game are to buy tickets months in advance or to deal with scalpers at a markup considerably above face value.

===Rivalries===
{{refimprove|date=March 2007}}
The Maple Leafs' greatest rival is the ], given the long history of ] matchups and playoff meetings between the two clubs. The fact that Montreal is Canada's most populated ]-speaking city also gives the rivalry a nationalistic flair, which is perhaps best captured in the popular Canadian short story "]" by ].

The rivalry between the Leafs and the ], known as '']'', 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.

The Leafs' biggest U.S.-based rivals of late have been the ], who defeated the Leafs in the 2003 and 2004 ] Playoffs. 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 ] have also been cited as notable American rivals of the Leafs, mainly because of Buffalo's proximity to Toronto. In fact, Buffalo is the NHL team which is closest to Toronto, only a short drive along the Queen Elizabeth Way. A large contingent of Leaf fans typically travels the short drive to Buffalo for road games there, giving them a somewhat neutral setting.

The Leafs also maintain a traditional Original Six rivalry with the ]. The teams' close proximity to each other (the two cities are just 230 miles apart) and a number of shared fans - particularly in markets such as ] - means the rivalry is found more in the crowd than on the ice; since the Maple Leafs moved to the ] in ], the two teams have faced each other less often each season.

==See also==
* ]
**]
* ] (1912-17)
* ] minor league farm team (1961-1967)
* ] farm team 1927-1989
* ] former farm team
* ] 1982-1986
* ] farm team 1986-1991
* ] farm team 1991-2005
* ] farm team (2005-present)
* ] minor league farm team 2006-present
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

==References and notes==
* {{cite book|title=Deceptions and Doublecross|last=Holzman|first=Morey|publisher=Dundurn Press|year=2002}}

<div class="references-small">
<references />
</div>

==External links==

*
* Live news feed of Toronto Maple Leafs News
* <!--Vetted by a second editor and found to contain good news links and enriching content. --Cfred, 2006-11-30 01:17 (UTC)-->

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Revision as of 19:39, 22 November 2007

THE LEAFS SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!