#2 – Punch Imlach
From one Hall of Fame coach to another, we land on the longest-serving coach in Leafs history, George “Punch” Imlach. Imlach was on the bench with the team for 12 seasons. As a result, he accumulated the most games in the regular season and in the playoffs on the bench with the Buds.
Imlach spent most of his NHL coaching career with the Maple Leafs. That journey began when he, as the team’s general manager, assigned himself coaching duties. It was a move that paid off. In the first nine years that Imlach held the reins, the team qualified for the playoffs. After he missed the postseason the next couple years, he was fired.
Leaving the Leafs allowed Imlach to become the first head coach and general manager in Buffalo Sabres history. He famously drafted Gilbert Perreault for the Sabres as their first overall and ever draft pick. Imlach’s time with the Sabres came to an abrupt and unfortunate halt when a heart attack in 1972 forced him to spend time away from the rink.
When Imlach was ready to return to hockey in 1979, he teamed up with Leafs owner Harold Ballard to manage in Toronto once again. Imlach decided to name himself the coach, a decision the players did not endorse as he had a contentious relationship with the stars on the team.
Imlach was behind the bench for just a single season when he returned. He then relinquished the role to a combination of Floyd Smith and a player he coached and even traded away, Dick Duff.
Why he’s second on this list
Imlach is number two on this list because of the playoff success he had with the Maple Leafs. He brought the Stanley Cup to Toronto four times. Three of those came as a natural-championship-hattricks. He won in 1962, 1963, and 1964. Imlach then captured one more, the last the franchise ever had, in 1967.
It’s hard to deny Imlach’s impact on the franchise. Not only did he capture four titles, but he won 370 of the 770 regular-season games he spent on the bench. The Leafs also tied 125 of their games, giving Imlach a points percentage of 56.2.
Imlach’s record would look even better if he stopped coaching after winning the last Cup. He was unable to win a single playoff game after that. Stafford Smythe tried to get Imlach to actually give up coaching in 1968, but he refused.
Amazingly, like Quinn, Imlach had a winning record every year he coached the Leafs. To have done that all twelve seasons is spectacular.