Toronto Maple Leafs All-Time Starting Line-Up: Goaltender
Goaltender: Turk Broda
This was the hardest choice of any position to make. If it’s Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals and you have one goaltender to choose from, who would you go with?
Well, Broda is actually only one of few goaltenders in NHL history to have actually played in a Game 7 final and have gone onto win. In 1942, Broda helped lead the Leafs come back from a 3-0 series deficit to defeat the Detroit Red Wings for the Stanley Cup.
The NHL in his day is an entirely different game than it is today. However, with the game’s current equipment, you’d have to imagine Broda would be even better. Broda leads the Leafs with 301 career wins and 61 career shutouts, with no active or retired player even close.
Not only does Broda hold those records, but he continued to play for the Leafs after missing three seasons due to fighting in World War II. Any player that can leave the NHL to fight in the War and come back without missing a beat is special.
You could make a case for Jaques Plante, Johnny Bower, Felix Potvin or Curtis Joseph for the starting position, but with two Vezina trophies, and five Stanley Cup’s, Broda is the Leafs all-time starting goaltender.