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).
#7
Unlike the previous jersey numbers(which were retired in 1933 and 1951), #7 has been worn by a over two dozen players over the decades , including five Hall-of-Famers and another who may receive that honor in the coming years.
Honorable Mentions
Francis “King… Clancy – The Hall-of-Fame defenseman won two championships with Ottawa in the 1920’s before being acquired by Toronto for two players and a large sum of cash in 1930. Clancy played six seasons with the Leafs, was a two-time First Team NHL All-Star and was a key member of the 1932 Stanley Cup winning squad.
Max Bentley – The highly-skilled, speedy center played alongside his brother Doug for six seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, leading the NHL in scoring in 1946 and 1947 before being traded to the Stanley Cup Champion Maple Leafs in a seven-player deal early in the 1947-48 season. Bentley won three championships and scored over 20 goals four times in his six-year stint with Toronto. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966.
Gary Roberts – The former 50-goal scorer and Stanley Cup winner played a decade in Calgary before retiring in 1996 due to a serious neck injury. After a year away from the game, he returned and played three seasons in Carolina before signing with Toronto in 2000. In four seasons with the Leafs, Roberts scored over 20 goals three times and led the club to an Eastern Conference Final in 2002 in spite of the absence of Mats Sundin.
Finalists
Miles Gilbert “Tim… Horton(1954 – 1970)
Toronto Totals – GP - 1185, G – 109, A – 349, Pts – 458, PIM - 1389
Stanley Cup Championships – 4 (1962-64, 1967)
NHL First-Team All-Star – 1964, 1968 & 1969
Hockey Hall-of-Fame – Inducted 1977
Known for his strength, physical play and defensive prowess, Horton made the Leafs as a full-time player in 1952 and in some ways assumed the mantle of Bill Barilko, who was also from Timmins, Ontario. The six-time NHL All-Star was not simply a stay-at-home blueliner and possessed the skating ability to jump into the offensive attack.
Horton scored in double figures three times and over 20 assists nine times in 18 seasons with the Leafs, as well being the defensive backbone of the Leafs dynasty from 1962-1967.
Lanny McDonald (1973 – 1979)
Toronto Totals – GP – 477, G – 219, A – 240, Pts – 459, PIM – 372
A fourth overall pick in 1973, McDonald struggled to find his way in the first two seasons of his Leafs career, but flourished starting in 1975 and averaged over 40 goals the next four seasons, playing on the right side with Hall-of-Famer Darryl Sittler. His best year in Toronto was 1978, where he scored 47 goals and tallied the series-winning overtime goal in Game 7 against the New York Islanders.
In spite of being in the prime of his career, McDonald was traded to Colorado in December 1979 by GM Punch Imlach due to his relationship with Sittler and his role in the NHL Player’s Association. He went to score 500 goals in his 16-year career and win a Stanley Cup with Calgary in 1989.
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The Toronto Marlies have added more depth to their roster with the signing of 20-year-old Patrick Watling to an AHL contract on Monday.
The addition of Watling comes on the heels of the signings of forwards Denver Manderson and Brett Findlay last week. The finger prints of Kyle Dubas appear to be on the Watling signing(as was with Findlay), as he played for the Leafs new assistant GM with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds last season, scoring 18 goals and 36 assists in 65 games.
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