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-Famer Dickie Moore wore #16 at the end of his career, as did legends Syl Apps,Tim Horton(before switching to his famous #7) and former 50 goal scorers Rick Kehoe and Gary Leeman at the starts of their careers.
Veteran forward Bert Olmstead played his final four seasons with the Leafs and increased his career Cup total to five after helping Toronto break an 11-year drought in 1962.
Finalists
Ed Olczyk(1988 – 1991)
Toronto Totals – GP - 257, G – 116, A – 151, Pts – 267, PIM - 221
Olczyk played a relatively short time in Toronto, but was a consistent scorer throughout. After playing for the US Olympic squad in Sarajevo in 1984 and three seasons for his hometown Chicago Blackhawks, “Eddie O… was traded to the Leafs in the summer of 1987 along with former 50-goal scorer Al Secord for Rick Vaive, Steve Thomas and Bob McGill.
He led the Leafs in scoring his first two seasons and combined with wingers Mark Osborne and Gary Leeman to make up the club’s top line, but after three successful offensive seasons, Olczyk was puzzlingly traded by GM Floyd Smith along with Osborne to Winnipeg early in the 1990-91 season for defenseman Dave Ellett and forward Paul Fenton. Toronto went on to finish near the bottom of the league that season, but did not have their first round pick due to a 1989 deal with New Jersey for defenseman Tom Kurvers.
That pick ended up being future Hall-of-Famer Scott Niedermayer.
Darcy Tucker (2000 – 2008)
Toronto Totals – GP – 531, G – 148, A – 171, Pts – 319, PIM – 756
A three-time Memorial Cup winner with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, Tucker was drafted by Montreal in the 6th round of the 1993 Draft and played parts of three seasons with the Habs before being traded to Tampa in 1998. Two years later, Tucker was obtained by Leafs GM Pat Quinn for winger Mike Johnson, defenseman Marek Posmyk and two low draft picks.
In eight seasons, Tucker scored 20 or more goals four times and was especially adept on the power-play, setting up at the side of the net and one-timing shots past opposing goaltenders, but his forte was as an antagonist who could get underneath the skin of most of his opponents.
In spite of being just 5’10… and 170 lbs, Tucker was more than willing to back up his chatter and snippy play by dropping the gloves against bigger opponents.
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Another tidbit from Steve Simmons' column in Sunday's Toronto Sun. The Maple Leafs are toying with the idea of splitting up wingers Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk at training camp. The Leafs top line extremely effective last season until playing major minutes wore them down after the Olympic break. The club's second line had their struggles, as Joffrey Lupul and Nazem Kadri could not muster enough of a threat to take the heat off of the top unit.
This could lead to Lupul being reunited with Tyler Bozak and Kessel, while JVR teams with Kadri and an unknown forward on the second unit.
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