Since 1917 · Arenas · St. Pats · Maple Leafs
Toronto hockey since 1917.
Celebrating 100 years of the Maple Leafs name, 1927 to 2027.
Thirteen Stanley Cups, three famous rinks, and more stories than a Saturday night broadcast could hold.
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The Maple Leafs name, 1927–2027
until February 14, 2027
On Valentine’s Day 1927, Conn Smythe’s group closed its purchase of the Toronto St. Patricks and renamed the club the Toronto Maple Leafs. Three days later, on February 17, the Leafs played their first game under the new name, in white sweaters with a green maple leaf. That September they switched to blue and white, and they have worn those colours ever since.
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☕ Buy Blue a coffeeThe franchise’s all-time regular-season leaders in points, goals and assists, including the Arenas and St. Patricks years. Games played (GP) are with Toronto only.
| # | Player | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mats Sundin | 981 | 420 | 567 | 987 |
| 2 | Darryl Sittler | 844 | 389 | 527 | 916 |
| 3 | Dave Keon | 1,062 | 365 | 493 | 858 |
| 4 | Auston Matthews | 710 | 440 | 369 | 809 |
| 5 | Börje Salming | 1,099 | 148 | 620 | 768 |
| 6 | Mitch Marner | 657 | 221 | 520 | 741 |
| T7 | William Nylander | 771 | 303 | 410 | 713 |
| T7 | George Armstrong | 1,188 | 296 | 417 | 713 |
| 9 | Ron Ellis | 1,034 | 332 | 308 | 640 |
| 10 | Frank Mahovlich | 720 | 296 | 301 | 597 |
| # | Player | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auston Matthews | 710 | 440 | 369 | 809 |
| 2 | Mats Sundin | 981 | 420 | 567 | 987 |
| 3 | Darryl Sittler | 844 | 389 | 527 | 916 |
| 4 | Dave Keon | 1,062 | 365 | 493 | 858 |
| 5 | Ron Ellis | 1,034 | 332 | 308 | 640 |
| 6 | William Nylander | 771 | 303 | 410 | 713 |
| 7 | Rick Vaive | 534 | 299 | 238 | 537 |
| T8 | Frank Mahovlich | 720 | 296 | 301 | 597 |
| T8 | George Armstrong | 1,188 | 296 | 417 | 713 |
| 10 | Wendel Clark | 608 | 260 | 181 | 441 |
| # | Player | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Börje Salming | 1,099 | 148 | 620 | 768 |
| 2 | Mats Sundin | 981 | 420 | 567 | 987 |
| 3 | Darryl Sittler | 844 | 389 | 527 | 916 |
| 4 | Mitch Marner | 657 | 221 | 520 | 741 |
| 5 | Dave Keon | 1,062 | 365 | 493 | 858 |
| 6 | Morgan Rielly | 969 | 98 | 463 | 561 |
| 7 | Tomáš Kaberle | 878 | 83 | 437 | 520 |
| 8 | George Armstrong | 1,188 | 296 | 417 | 713 |
| 9 | William Nylander | 771 | 303 | 410 | 713 |
| 10 | Auston Matthews | 710 | 440 | 369 | 809 |
Regular-season franchise totals as listed on NHL Records and Hockey-Reference on November 13, 2026, through Toronto’s 21st game of 2026–27 (a 2–5 loss to Minnesota on November 12). Current players’ totals will change. Stats: NHL.com / Hockey-Reference.
A short list of the franchise’s greatest defencemen, with their regular-season scoring as Leafs (or, for earlier years, as Arenas or St. Patricks). The points list is the official franchise ranking among defencemen.
1973–89 · 1,099 GP, 148 G, 620 A, 768 P
The Swedish defenceman played 16 seasons in Toronto and remains the franchise leader in assists and in points by a defenceman. He was the first European-trained player to make a lasting star career in the NHL, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996, and had his No. 21 honoured in 2006 and retired in 2016.
1949–70 · 1,184 GP, 109 G, 349 A, 458 P
A cornerstone of the 1960s teams, Horton won four Stanley Cups with Toronto (1962, 1963, 1964, 1967). His 1,184 games are second only to George Armstrong in franchise history. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977, and his No. 7 was retired in 2016.
2013– · 969 GP, 98 G, 463 A, 561 P
Selected fifth overall in 2012, Rielly has played his entire NHL career in Toronto and ranks second among Leafs defencemen in career points (and sixth on the franchise assist list). His totals are current as of November 13, 2026, and will change as he plays.
1998–2011 · 878 GP, 83 G, 437 A, 520 P
A playmaking defenceman for 12 seasons (1998–99 through 2010–11), Kaberle is third on the franchise list of points by a defenceman and seventh in career assists by any Leaf.
1973–81 · 580 GP, 112 G, 302 A, 414 P
Fifth in franchise points among defencemen. On February 2, 1977, he scored five goals on five shots in a 9–1 win over Detroit at Maple Leaf Gardens, still the NHL record for goals by a defenceman in a game.
1958–68 · 633 GP, 47 G, 186 A, 233 P
A steady veteran on Punch Imlach’s blue line, Stanley won four Cups with the Leafs (1962, 1963, 1964, 1967) and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981.
1956–67, 1970–73 · 739 GP, 29 G, 140 A, 169 P
A stay-at-home defenceman on the 1960s Cup teams. In Game 6 of the 1964 Final he was struck in the ankle, returned, and scored the overtime winner against Detroit; he then played Game 7. X-rays after the series showed a fracture. The Leafs later reacquired him from St. Louis in 1970.
1957–65, later returns · 473 GP, 19 G, 136 A, 155 P
A skilled, competitive defenceman on the first three Cups of the 1960s (1962, 1963, 1964). He left the club before the 1967 championship.
1930–37 · 286 GP, 52 G, 78 A, 130 P
Acquired from Ottawa in 1930 for $35,000 and two players, Clancy was a star defenceman on the 1932 Cup team, the first championship under the Maple Leafs name. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958 and later served the club as coach, assistant general manager and vice-president.
1924–37 · 543 GP, 86 G, 118 A, 204 P
A defenceman and captain of the 1932 champions, Day later coached five Cup winners in the 1940s (1942, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949). He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961. His 204 points include his years with the St. Patricks before the 1927 rename.
Red Kelly was a Hall of Fame defenceman in Detroit. After the Leafs acquired him in 1960, Punch Imlach converted him to centre, and he won four Cups (1962, 1963, 1964, 1967) as a Leaf forward, so he is not listed among the defencemen here.
Defenceman scoring totals as listed on NHL Records (Most Points, Defenseman, Career) and Hockey-Reference on November 13, 2026. Rielly’s line is through Toronto’s 21st game of 2026–27. Stats: NHL.com / Hockey-Reference.
Toronto joins the NHL in its first season, run by the Toronto Arena Company and playing at Arena Gardens on Mutual Street. They win the Stanley Cup in 1918 over the Vancouver Millionaires.
New owners rename the club the St. Patricks, dress it in green and white, and win the 1922 Cup, again against Vancouver.
Conn Smythe’s group, backed by mining executive J.P. Bickell, who kept his stake in the club rather than let it move to Philadelphia, buys the team (the sale closed February 14, 1927) and renames it the Maple Leafs. In 1930 Smythe lands King Clancy from Ottawa for $35,000 and two players.
Maple Leaf Gardens is built in about five months and opens November 12, 1931. That season the Leafs sweep the Rangers for the 1932 Cup.
Hap Day coaches five Cups (1942, ’45, ’47, ’48, ’49), the first after falling behind Detroit three games to none in the final. Bill Barilko’s overtime goal wins the 1951 Cup.
Punch Imlach’s teams, captained by George Armstrong, win four Cups in six years, ending with the 1967 upset of Montreal. Dave Keon wins the Conn Smythe Trophy.
On February 7, 1976, Darryl Sittler sets an NHL record with 10 points (6 goals, 4 assists) against Boston. The Leafs play their last games at the Gardens in February 1999.
The Air Canada Centre is dedicated February 19, 1999, and the Leafs beat Montreal 3–2 in overtime the next night. The building becomes Scotiabank Arena in July 2018.
Above the ice at Scotiabank Arena hang the franchise’s Stanley Cups and the numbers no Leaf will wear again: 13 numbers for 19 players. For years the Leafs kept two lists. Only numbers tied to tragedy were “retired”; the greats had their numbers “honoured” and still in use. At the franchise-centennial home opener on October 15, 2016, the club changed course and retired every honoured number, plus Dave Keon’s No. 14.
No. 6 · the first retired number
On December 12, 1933, at Boston Garden, Bruins star Eddie Shore hit Ace Bailey from behind. Bailey struck his head on the ice and fractured his skull. Doctors feared for his life, and although he recovered, he never played again.
On February 14, 1934, the Leafs hosted a team of the NHL’s best players at Maple Leaf Gardens to raise money for Bailey and his family. It is widely called the NHL’s first all-star game. Before the puck dropped, Bailey reached out and shook Shore’s hand, and the crowd of more than 14,000 roared. Conn Smythe then announced that no Leaf would wear No. 6 again, the first retired number in NHL history. The Leafs won 7–3, and the game raised about $21,000 for the Baileys (most records put it at $20,909).
In 1968, Bailey asked that Ron Ellis be allowed to wear No. 6, and he handed it to Ellis himself. When Ellis retired in 1981, the number went back into retirement.
Goalies with nine Stanley Cups between them. Honoured 1995, retired 2016.
Day captained the 1932 champions and coached five Cup winners; Kelly won four Cups as a Leaf. Honoured 2006, retired 2016.
Scored the 1951 Cup-winning goal in overtime, then died in a plane crash that summer. The wreckage was not found until 1962. Retired October 17, 1992.
Retired February 14, 1934, the first in NHL history.
Clancy starred on the 1932 champions; Horton won four Cups in the 1960s. Honoured 1995, retired 2016.
Kennedy idolized Conacher as a boy, and Conacher later presented him with the No. 9 sweater. Kennedy won five Cups. Honoured 1998 and 1993, retired 2016.
Captains of seven Cup winners between them. Honoured 1993 and 1998, retired 2016.
The Leafs’ career points leader with 987. Honoured 2012, retired 2016.
1967 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, named the greatest Leaf of all time in 2016. Retired October 15, 2016.
First overall pick in 1985 and captain from 1991 to 1994. Honoured 2008, retired 2016.
The Swedish defenceman played 16 seasons in Toronto. Honoured 2006, retired 2016.
Mahovlich won four Cups; Sittler scored 10 points in one game. Honoured 2001 and 2003, retired 2016.
Set franchise records with 95 assists and 127 points in 1992–93. Honoured 2009, retired 2016.
Thirteen championships: 1918 (Arenas), 1922 (St. Patricks), and 1932, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967 as the Maple Leafs.
Twenty-six players have captained the franchise since 1917. Thirteen are in the Hockey Hall of Fame (marked ★). Auston Matthews is the 26th, named on August 14, 2024, and wears the “C” in 2026–27.
Seasons follow the NHL’s official records. Sittler gave up the captaincy from December 1979 to September 1980 during a dispute with management.
From the Gardens’ first season to the Scotiabank Arena era, these are the netminders who carried the blue and white. Cups and Vezina Trophies are for their whole careers, with the team noted where it wasn’t Toronto.
Leafs 1928–1933
Cups: 1932 (also 1928, Rangers) · Vezina: 1935 (Chicago)
Won the second-longest game in NHL history, a 1–0 playoff win in the sixth overtime in 1933.
Leafs 1933–1937
Cups: 1930, 1931 (Montreal) · Vezina: 1927, 1928, 1929 (Montreal)
Came to Toronto in a straight swap for Chabot on October 1, 1933, and helped the Leafs reach the 1935 final.
Leafs 1936–1952 (away 1943–46 for war service)
Cups: 1942, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951 · Vezina: 1941, 1948
In net for the 1942 comeback from three games down against Detroit. Won 304 regular-season games, all as a Leaf.
Leafs 1958–1970
Cups: 1962, 1963, 1964, 1967 · Vezina: 1961, 1965 (shared with Sawchuk)
“The China Wall” became, at 44, the oldest goalie ever to play in a Stanley Cup playoff game, on April 6, 1969.
Leafs 1964–1967
Cups: 1967 (also 1952, 1954, 1955 with Detroit) · Vezina: 1965 with Bower (also 1952, 1953, 1955 with Detroit)
Stopped 40 of 41 shots in the 1967 Cup clincher against Montreal, his last game as a Leaf.
Leafs 1970–1973
Cups: six with Montreal · Vezina: seven (six with Montreal, one shared with St. Louis)
At 41, led the NHL in goals-against average in his first Leafs season and tied a team record with nine straight wins.
Leafs 1971–1972
Cups: 1974, 1975 (Philadelphia) · Vezina: 1974, 1975 (Philadelphia)
Came to Toronto in January 1971 and learned the craft beside his boyhood hero, Jacques Plante.
Leafs 1976–1980, 1982–1984
Cups: none · Vezina: none
A Toronto kid drafted by the Leafs in 1974, he was the starter for three straight seasons and came home again in 1982.
Leafs 1991–1999
Cups: none · Vezina: none
“The Cat” backstopped the Leafs to the 1993 conference final, where they lost a seven-game series to Los Angeles.
Leafs 1998–2002, 2008–2009
Cups: none · Vezina: runner-up 1999, 2000
Led the Leafs to the conference final in 1999 and 2002, and won the 2000 King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership and community work.
Leafs 2002–2006
Cups: 1999 (Dallas) · Vezina: 1991, 1993 (Chicago)
Won 37 games in his first Leafs season, reaching 400 career wins, then posted 10 shutouts in 2003–04.
Leafs 2016–2021
Cups: 2026 (Carolina) · Vezina: none
Set the Leafs’ single-season record with 38 wins in 2017–18.
From an arena company to a telecom giant, here is how the club has changed hands since the NHL’s first season.
The money and the drive
Conn Smythe organized the 1927 purchase that kept the St. Patricks in Toronto and renamed them the Maple Leafs, and he was the driving force behind Maple Leaf Gardens. The quieter partner — and much of the money and influence behind both moves — was mining executive J.P. (John Paris) Bickell. Bickell had invested about $25,000 in the St. Pats in 1924 and kept that stake when a Philadelphia group offered about $200,000 to move the club. The Toronto sale, closed February 14, 1927, was reported at about $160,000; Smythe himself put in about $10,000.
In 1931, Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. was formed to own the team and a new arena that would cost more than $1.5 million. Bickell, the company’s first president and later chairman, helped line up investors during the Depression. When the project still ran short, business manager Frank Selke arranged for trades to take 20 percent of their wages in Maple Leaf Gardens shares, and the Bank of Commerce covered remaining shortfalls. The Gardens opened November 12, 1931, about five months after ground was broken. Smythe later called Bickell “one of the corner stones of the whole thing; he was the man who put the thing over.” Bickell was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a Builder in 1978, and in 1953 the club created the J.P. Bickell Memorial Award in his honour.
The company that owned Arena Gardens on Mutual Street ran Toronto’s club in the new NHL, with Charlie Querrie as manager. As the Arenas, the team won the 1918 Stanley Cup.
The NHL approved the sale of the franchise to a group fronted by Querrie in December 1919. The new club, the St. Patricks, was owned mainly by Querrie, Fred and Percy Hambly, and Paul Ciceri. J.P. Bickell invested about $25,000 in 1924.
Smythe put together investors to buy the club, with Bickell keeping his share. The sale closed on February 14, 1927, for about $160,000, and the team became the Maple Leafs.
Smythe formed a public company to own both the team and the new Maple Leaf Gardens, which cost more than $1.5 million. Bickell, its first president, helped raise the money; trades accepted 20 percent of their wages in shares.
After a boardroom struggle, Smythe gained majority ownership and became president on November 19, 1947.
Conn Smythe sold most of his shares to a partnership of his son Stafford, Harold Ballard and John Bassett, giving them control of 60% of the company. He sold the rest in 1966.
Bassett sold out to Stafford Smythe and Ballard in 1971. After Stafford died that October, Ballard bought his shares in February 1972, taking about 70% of the company. He controlled it until his death on April 11, 1990.
The estate’s executors, including Steve Stavro, ran the company while Molson held a 19.9% stake.
Stavro’s MLG Ventures, backed by TD Bank and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, bought the estate’s and Molson’s shares. Larry Tanenbaum’s Kilmer Sports bought into Stavro’s holding company in 1996. In 1998 the company bought the Raptors and their new arena, took the name Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, and went private.
Stavro sold out in 2003, leaving Ontario Teachers’ as majority owner with Bell Globemedia, TD Capital and Tanenbaum as partners. By 2011 Teachers’ held 79.5% and Tanenbaum 20.5%.
Rogers and Bell bought out Teachers’ in a deal that closed August 22, 2012: Rogers 37.5%, Bell 37.5%, Tanenbaum’s Kilmer Sports 25%.
Rogers bought Bell’s 37.5% for C$4.7 billion, closing July 1, 2025, to own 75%.
Rogers bought Kilmer’s remaining 25% for C$4.35 billion, closing October 1, 2026, and now owns 100% of MLSE and the Maple Leafs. Rogers has said it plans to sell a minority stake in its combined sports business by mid-2027; no buyer had been announced as of November 2026.
1912 · Mutual Street
Opened October 7, 1912, as Ontario’s first artificial-ice rink. Home of the Arenas, St. Pats and early Leafs, and where Foster Hewitt called his first hockey broadcast in 1923.
1931 · Carlton Street
Ground broken June 1, 1931; opened November 12, 1931, with a 2–1 loss to the Chicago Black Hawks. Hewitt’s gondola hung high above the ice. Eleven Cups were won by teams who called it home.
1999 · Bay Street
Officially opened and dedicated February 19, 1999. First game February 20, 1999: Leafs 3, Canadiens 2 in overtime, with Todd Warriner scoring the first Leafs goal and Steve Thomas the winner.
Bought and renamed the club in 1927 and built Maple Leaf Gardens during the Depression.
The voice of the Leafs from the gondola. “He shoots! He scores!”
Star defenceman on the 1932 Cup team, then coach, assistant GM and vice-president.
Captain of the 1932 champions and coach of five Cup winners in the 1940s.
Captained the Leafs to Cups in 1942, 1947 and 1948.
Five Stanley Cups and the 1955 Hart Trophy.
His 1951 overtime goal won the Cup; he disappeared on a fishing trip that summer.
Coach and captain of the four Cups of the 1960s.
1967 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, MVP of the last Cup run.
10 points in one game, February 7, 1976, still an NHL record.
987 points as a Leaf, the franchise career record.
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