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Toronto Maple Leafs: 1st Rounders Through the Years

By James Tanner

Apr 19, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) looks for a pass against the Washington Capitals in game four of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Washington defeated Toronto 5-4. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 19, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) looks for a pass against the Washington Capitals in game four of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Washington defeated Toronto 5-4. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 31: Toronto Maple Leafs alumni Wendel Clark #17 skates against Detroit Red Wings alumni during the 2017 Rogers NHL Centennial Classic Alumni Game at Exhibition Stadium on December 31, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 31: Toronto Maple Leafs alumni Wendel Clark #17 skates against Detroit Red Wings alumni during the 2017 Rogers NHL Centennial Classic Alumni Game at Exhibition Stadium on December 31, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Wendel Clark

The year was 1985 and the Leafs had their first ever first-overall selection.  It would be 32 years until they got another (though Mats Sundin and Bryan Berard were first-overall selections they traded for).

Clark will go down as one of the greatest players in Toronto  Maple Leafs history.  Perhaps the #1 most beloved player in franchise history.

Clark scored 330 NHL goals and played into the 99-00 season.  He was great, but how great would he have been if they kept him from fighting and he wasn’t perpetually injured.

Watching the old Clark/Probert fights is pretty fun, but what were the Leafs thinking allowing their best player to fight so much? Especially against other teams enforcers (though, little known fact, Probert once scored 29 goals in a year).

As good as Clark was, it’s hard to think about him without remembering that had the Leafs had the First-Overall pick the year before, they would have gotten Mario Lemieux!

Still, a great selection.  If only the Leafs could have kept it up.

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