The Toronto Maple Leafs have a rich history that includes numerous All-Stars, Stanley Cup winners and Hall-of-Fame players. There have been 852 players who have donned the Blue and White since their entry into the NHL in 1917, with dozens wearing the same jersey number over the years.
In this completely non-scientific exercise, we’ll take a look at who wore which number and vote on who was the best. Some decisions will be so apparent that voting will not be necessary, as in the case of #93(unless there is a sizeable faction that believes that Alexander Godynyuk had a better Leaf career than Doug Gilmour).
Honorable Mentions
Hall-of-Famers George Armstrong, Red Horner and Joe Primeau wore 15 for a short time, but switched to lower numbers later in their tenure with the Leafs.
Finalists
Bill Harris(1955 – 1965)
Toronto Totals – GP - 610, G – 106, A – 181, Pts – 287, PIM - 187
Stanley Cup Championships – 3 (1962-64)
Harris spent a decade with the Leafs and scored in double figures five straight seasons from 1958 to 1962 and was a member of the three consecutive Cup winners for 1962 to 1964 before being traded in a massive eight-player deal to Detroit in 1965.
Expansion extended the two-way forward’s career, who played for Pittsburgh and Oakland before retiring in 1970.
Tomas Kaberle (1998 – 2011)
Toronto Totals – GP – 878, G – 83, A – 437, Pts – 520, PIM – 246
All-Star Selection – 2003, 2007-09
An eighth round pick out of the Czech Republic in the 1996 Draft, Kaberle surprisingly made the Leafs as a 20-year-old in 1998 and became an offensive mainstay on their blueline for the next dozen years.
Known for his skating, passing and playmaking ability, Kaberle’s 520 points with Toronto is second only to Hall-of-Famer Borje Salming in career points by a defenseman. He scored 30 or more assists nine times and scored in double figures three times with the Leafs.
The latter part of his tenure with the Leafs was plagued by frequent trade rumors, which finally resulted to being moved to the Boston Bruins in February 2011 for Joe Colborne and two high draft picks. Kaberle went on to win a Stanley Cup.
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Count HNIC's Don Cherry as one who thinks Toronto should not be first in line for an NHL expansion franchise.
“Quebec Nordiques all the way,… Grapes said to the Toronto Sun's Joe Warmington on Wednesday. “It’s a no-brainer. They have an arena half built, the greatest fans and so much tradition.…
The Nordiques were sold by owner Marcel Aubut and moved from Quebec City to Denver in 1995, but the reasons for the move were more financial and not due to lack of fan support.
Cherry believes that another Toronto franchise would work, since the GTA has millions of hockey fans, but thinks it could hurt the Leafs nearest rival, the Buffalo Sabres.
“As for a second team here, sure it would be great and would work." Cherry said. "I also think it would be terrific in Hamilton. The problem is, either way it would not hurt the Leafs but hurt Buffalo.…
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Conspicuous by his absence from the roster of the upcoming Leafs rookie tournament in London, ON is speedy Swedish winger Andreas Johnson.
The 19-year-old winger was selected by Toronto in the seventh round of the 2013 NHL Draft, won the SHL's Rookie of the Year scoring 15 goals for Frolunda last season and is considered one of the club's top forward prospects, but is currently playing for Frolunda in the Champions Hockey League tournament, which could last as long as early October.
Indications during the Leafs rookie orientation in July were that Johnson will stay in Sweden for the 2014-15 season and likely come to North America next season, which is likely the play for defensive prospect Viktor Loov and 2014 top pick William Nylander if he does not impress during training camp. *******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.*******
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