Top 5 Toronto Maple Leafs Jerseys of the Decade

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 02: Toronto Maple Leafs logo on jersey during an NHL game against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena on October 2, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 02: Toronto Maple Leafs logo on jersey during an NHL game against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena on October 2, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
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The decade is coming to a close and a lot has happened for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

From the offset of new players who have suited up in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform to the coaches who have manned the benches, there have been a lot of changes since 2010.

But one constantly changing thing that we’ve seen multiple iterations of is the Leafs’ jersey. Whether it be the home, away or the alternate third jerseys, the Leafs have put out a lot of jersey designs in the last 10 years.

So here is my personal list for my favorite Leafs jerseys of this decade. Remember, liking how a jersey looks is subjective.

Everyone has their tastes and like what they like. These are my personal favorites, which may differ from yours. I would love to hear which jerseys are your favorite in the comments below.

TORONTO, CANADA – NOVEMBER 19: John-Michael Liles #24 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates up the ice against the Washington Capitals during NHL action at The Air Canada Centre November 19, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Leafs won 7-1. (Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA – NOVEMBER 19: John-Michael Liles #24 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates up the ice against the Washington Capitals during NHL action at The Air Canada Centre November 19, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Leafs won 7-1. (Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images) /

Third Jerseys, 2011-2015

Up first is a third jersey from the first half of the decade.

The Leafs wore these beautiful sweaters from 2011-2015. This was a time when the Leafs primary jerseys featured the simplistic modern logo, unlike the current modernized version of the Leafs old-school logo.

When the Leafs wore these, this logo was absolutely amazing to see donned on the ice.

Calling forward the history of the Leafs of the late 60s, this logo brought a lot more personality to the jersey.

The double stripes on the bottoms were nice touches and the laces at the collar just made it look like an old-time hockey sweater.

Overall, it was a nice change from the Leafs home sweaters of the early 2010s.

TORONTO, CANADA – NOVEMBER 18:Nikolai Kulemin #41 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates up the ice during game action against the New Jersey Devils at the Air Canada Centre November 18, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Abelimages / Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA – NOVEMBER 18:Nikolai Kulemin #41 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates up the ice during game action against the New Jersey Devils at the Air Canada Centre November 18, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Abelimages / Getty Images) /

Third Jerseys, 2008-11

It’s a shame these jerseys were only used for the first couple of years of this decade, they were really nice.

I remember looking forward to the games where the Toronto Maple Leafs would rock these because they looked so good on the ice.

Again, modernized iterations of retro Leafs logos will always hold special places in my heart, and this was one of my favorites.

The logo on these jerseys look a lot like the Leafs’ current logo, except the bolded blue trim really makes the logo stand out. It was actually an update to the Maple Leaf of the mid 60s, except with more white outlining.

The combination of the blue on the shoulders and the sleeves really made it stick out from the Toronto Maple Leafs typical away jerseys at the time and overall, these were just easy to love.

I wouldn’t mind these making a comeback as a third jersey in the near future.

TORONTO , ON – JANUARY 1: The Toronto Maple Leafs stand for the singing of the national anthem before action against the Detroit Red Wings during NHL game action during the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic January 1, 2014 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO , ON – JANUARY 1: The Toronto Maple Leafs stand for the singing of the national anthem before action against the Detroit Red Wings during NHL game action during the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic January 1, 2014 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images) /

2014 Winter Classic Jerseys

We’ll never forget the first time the Leafs braced the cold outdoors this decade back in 2014, facing off against the Detroit Red Wings in a record-breaking game at Michigan Stadium.

What’s a better way to commemorate a special game like that than with a beautiful jersey that’s rich in history?

As always, the old-school logo is a bright spot on the jersey, but this Leaf in particular calls on the Leafs of the 1930s.

Along with the logo, the stripes on the sleeves and the bottom trim makes the jerseys look identical to those worn during that decade as well as during the 1996-97 season.

The modernization of these historical jerseys were perfectly in tune with the event’s celebration of old-school hockey, making these jerseys one of the best.

TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 4: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Colorado Avalanche during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on December 4, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Avalanche defeated the Maple Leafs 3-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 4: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Colorado Avalanche during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on December 4, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Avalanche defeated the Maple Leafs 3-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Leafs Home/Away Jerseys, 2016-Present

The Toronto Maple Leafs current home and away jerseys come in at number two on my list.

These are just perfect for a standard jersey used throughout the season. Although the home and away jerseys used between 2010-2016 were nice, I didn’t necessarily love the old logo with the sharp corners (a little too simple given how nice and “leafy” Toronto’s old logos were).

This primary logo, introduced in 2016 and first donned by Auston Matthews at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, modernizes the old Leafs logo of the glory years.

Given the timing of its inception, these jerseys really symbolized a new era for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they committed to their rebuild led by a newly drafted star centre.

TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 1: Morgan Rielly #44 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on during the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic at Exhibition Stadium on January 1, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 1: Morgan Rielly #44 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on during the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic at Exhibition Stadium on January 1, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Centennial Classic Jerseys (2016-17)

Last but not least is my personal favorite jersey of the decade–the Centennial Classic jerseys, which were worn during the Toronto Maple Leafs outdoor game on New Years Day 2017 against the Detroit Red Wings.

These jerseys were so nice in my eyes.

The white stripe across the middle of the chest with the white logo looked so clean on the outdoor rink.

I also really liked the silver lining across the top and bottom of the stripes. The uniform also gave a nod to the Toronto Arenas by featuring their T logo on the pants.

Everything worked on these jerseys and I’ll always hold them as one of my favorite Leafs jerseys ever.

To top things off, how can we ever forget the crazy game that these jerseys were used in?

The Leafs were celebrating their 100th season and were up against their historic rival. Although the Leafs did give up a 4-1 lead in the third period to the Red Wings, it was none other than Matthews who became the overtime hero and won the game for the Leafs with a storybook ending.

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As we head into the 2020s, let’s hope for some more great jersey designs from the Leafs. Let me know which jerseys from this past decade were your personal favorites.

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