63 Facts About Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto.

The Maple Leafs' broadcasting rights are split between BCE Inc and Rogers Communications.

The Maple Leafs moved to their present home, Scotiabank Arena, in February 1999.

The Maple Leafs history includes two recognized dynasties, from 1947 to 1951; and from 1962 to 1967.

The Maple Leafs have developed rivalries with four NHL franchises: the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, the Montreal Canadiens, and the Ottawa Senators.

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Maple Leafs have retired the use of 13 numbers in honour of 19 players, including the first in professional sports.

The Maple Leafs are presently affiliated with two minor league teams: the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League and the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL.

Maple Leafs attributed his choice of a maple leaf for the logo to his experiences as a Canadian Army officer and prisoner of war during World War I Viewing the maple leaf as a "badge of courage", and a reminder of home, Smythe decided to give the same name to his hockey team, in honour of the many Canadian soldiers who wore it.

Maple Leafs had been tapped as the Rangers' first general manager and coach for their inaugural season, but had been fired in a dispute with Madison Square Garden management before the season had begun.

The Maple Leafs held the Ace Bailey Benefit Game, the NHL's first All-Star Game, to collect medical funds to help Bailey.

The Maple Leafs reached the finals five times in the next seven years, but bowed out to the now-disbanded Maroons in 1935, the Detroit Red Wings in 1936, Chicago in 1938, Boston in 1939 and the Rangers in 1940.

The Maple Leafs remain the only team to have successfully performed a reverse-sweep in the Stanley Cup finals.

Under a new captaincy, the Maple Leafs managed to make it to the 1949 finals, facing the Red Wings, who had finished the season with the best overall record.

However, the Maple Leafs went on to win their third consecutive Cup, sweeping the Red Wings in four games.

Maple Leafs's glory was short-lived, as he disappeared in a plane crash near Timmins, Ontario, four months later.

The Maple Leafs did not win another Cup during the 1950s, with rumours swirling that the team was "cursed", and would not win a cup until Barilko's body was found.

Under Punch Imlach, their new general manager and coach, the Maple Leafs made it to the 1959 Finals, losing to the Canadiens in five games.

Maple Leafs had said that because the Gardens' owners agreed to host the fight they had "put cash ahead of class".

The Maple Leafs managed to make the post-season as well as the Cup finals.

Maple Leafs returned to play with his ankle frozen, and eventually scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the Red Wings.

Maple Leafs continued as Leafs' head coach until after the 1979 playoffs, when he was fired again, alongside Gregory.

Maple Leafs' management continued in disarray throughout most of the decade, with an inexperienced McNamara named as Imlach's replacement in September 1981.

At the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, the Maple Leafs packaged Wendel Clark in a multi-player trade with the Quebec Nordiques that landed them Mats Sundin.

Realigning the NHL's conferences in 1998, the Maple Leafs were moved from the Western to the Eastern Conference.

In both the 2000 and 2001 playoffs, the Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators in the first round, and lost to the New Jersey Devils in the second round.

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In 2002 playoffs, the Maple Leafs dispatched the Islanders and the Senators in seven games each during the first two rounds, only to lose to the Cinderella-story Carolina Hurricanes in six games in the Conference Finals.

The Maple Leafs lost to Philadelphia in seven games during the first round of the 2003 playoffs.

The Maple Leafs went on to enjoy a very successful regular season, leading the NHL at the time of the All-Star Game .

Quinn's dismissal was controversial since many of the young players who were key contributors to the Maple Leafs' late-season run had been drafted by him before Ferguson's arrival, while Ferguson's signings had suffered season-ending injuries.

The Maple Leafs did not qualify for the post-season, marking the first time since 1928 the team had failed to make the playoffs for three consecutive seasons.

However, the Maple Leafs lost in seven games to eventual 2013 Stanley Cup finalist Boston in the first round.

The Maple Leafs were eliminated in the First Round of the 2019 playoffs on April 23, after losing to the Bruins in a seven-game series.

The Maple Leafs were eliminated in the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers on August 9, after losing a five-game series against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Maple Leafs made the playoffs, but lost in the First Round to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games.

Maple Leafs fans have been noted for their loyalty to the team in spite of their performance.

In November 2002, the Maple Leafs were named by Sports Illustrated hockey writer Michael Farber as the "Most Hated Team in Hockey".

The Maple Leafs were found to be the most favoured team in Prince Edward Island, with 24 percent of respondents favouring the Maple Leafs; and the second favourite team in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador .

The Maple Leafs established several rivalries with other teams that played in this era, including the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and the Montreal Canadiens.

Detroit Red Wings and the Maple Leafs are both Original Six teams, playing their first game together in 1927.

Rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and the Maple Leafs is the oldest in the NHL, featuring two clubs that were active since the inaugural NHL season in 1917.

The Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups, while the Maple Leafs have won 13, ranking them first and second for most Cup wins, respectively.

The rivalry became intradivisional in 1998, when the Maple Leafs were moved into the Eastern Conference's Northeast Division.

The Maple Leafs' jersey has a long history and is one of the best-selling NHL jerseys among fans.

Also during this time, the Maple Leafs began wearing a white 1960s-style throwback third jersey featuring the outlined 35-point leaf, blue shoulders, and lace-up collar.

Maple Leafs have worn historical throwback uniform for select games, with the club wearing Toronto Arenas or St Pats-inspired throwback design.

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Additionally, the Maple Leafs have used contemporary "historically inspired" uniforms as alternate uniform.

Maple Leafs' mascot is Carlton the Bear, an anthropomorphic polar bear whose name and number comes from the location of Maple Leaf Gardens at 60 Carlton Street, where the Leafs played throughout much of their history.

Maple Leafs are presently affiliated with two minor league teams, the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League and the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL.

The Maple Leafs did not have an AHL affiliate from 1969 to 1978, and relied on placing their drafted players with other team's affiliates.

The Marlboros constituted one of two junior hockey teams the Maple Leafs formerly sponsored, the other being the Toronto St Michael's Majors.

Maple Leafs remained a publicly traded company until 1998, when an ownership group fronted by Steve Stavro privatized the company by acquiring more than the 90 percent of stock necessary to force objecting shareholders out.

Maple Leafs's portfolio has since expanded to include the Toronto FC of Major League Soccer, the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, and a 37.

Maple Leafs was one of only six goalies in NHL history to have been officially recognized as the team captain.

Maple Leafs's tenure as captain holds the distinction as the longest captaincy for a non-North American born player in NHL history.

Three captains of the Maple Leafs have held the position at multiple points in their career.

Maple Leafs is followed by Pat Quinn, who coached 574 games, with 678 points all-time with the Maple Leafs.

Five Maple Leafs' coaches have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as players, while four others were inducted as builders.

Two Maple Leafs captains were obtained through the draft, Darryl Sittler in the 1970 draft; as well as Wendel Clark in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft.

The Maple Leafs have drafted two players with a first overall draft pick; Clark in the 1985 draft, and Auston Matthews in the 2016 draft.

The Maple Leafs won their last Stanley Cup in 1967; with the team's 53-season Stanley Cup drought being the longest active drought in the NHL.

Maple Leafs have retired the numbers of 19 players; as some players used the same number, only 13 numbers have been retired.

Toronto Maple Leafs acknowledge an affiliation with 75 inductees of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Maple Leafs have the greatest number of players inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame of any NHL team.