Toronto Maple Leafs: Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak Both Have Stanley Cups

The Toronto Maple Leafs failed at building their team around Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak.

But both of the former Toronto Maple Leafs players are now Stanley Cup Champions.

Phil Kessel has two Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Tyler Bozak now has one with the St. Louis Blues.

Kessel and Bozak

If, several years ago, you had told me that both Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak would win the Stanley Cup, I’d have agreed.  Of course the Leafs were going to win the Cup.

It would have been  2014 and two of my all-time favorite Leafs – Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel would have just signed twin seven years extensions to stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the duration of their careers.

I was excited and optimistic, and I never would have imagined it playing out the way it did. I thought David Clarkson was going to be awesome.

But then Kessel got traded to Pittsburgh.  Phaneuf to the Senators, and Bozak….well they kept Bozak through all the bad years, and was only made expendable when the Leafs signed John Tavares.

It’s amazing to me that they both won Cups, and that neither won them here.  I never would have thought that would be possible. Though, this is the Leafs were talking about, so I guess we shouldn’t be surprised.

The fact is, we get so caught up in the jersey that players were, that we forgot sometimes to cheer for them as people.  Kessel is an all-time great Leafs player, and while I didn’t think Bozak was, the statistics say otherwise.  Therefore we should be overjoyed about their victories.

If the Toronto Maple Leafs can’t win a Stanley Cup, then seeing these guys win it is the next best thing.

Phil Kessel is the 20th highest scoring Leaf of all-time. 18th in goals.

Tyler Bozak is 24th. 30th in goals. 22nd in games played.  (info from quanthockey.com).

So these aren’t just some ex-players.  No offense to Carl Gunnarsson or Alex Steen, but nobody cares that they are ex-Leafs.  They weren’t core players (although both were lost in objectively stupid trades) and they aren’t especially beloved.

Kessel and Bozak are different – or at least they should be.  They didn’t choose to leave Toronto, and they weren’t incapable of winning here.  They just didn’t receive the kind of support needed to do so.  Unfortunately their time as members of the Leafs was marred by terrible management and blown opportunities.

And Randy Carlyle (booooo!).

Tyler Bozak is a champion, and he deserves our full congratulations and respect.  I wish he had of won in Toronto, but it was absolutely awesome to see him raise the  Stanley Cup over his head the other night.