The Most Colorful Toronto Maple Leafs of All-Time

Dave “Tiger” Williams

Tiger Williams was one of the most popular Toronto Maple Leafs of the 1970s.

Today, he stands as the National Hockey League’s all-time leader in penalty minutes. Williams achieved this distinction with his fists which he used to defend his Maple Leafs teammates during the seventies, and later did the same for the Vancouver Canucks, the Los Angeles Kings, the Hartford Whalers and the Detroit Red Wings.

William was a second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1974.

The Weyburn, Saskatchewan native play junior hockey for the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League where he was a high-scoring  left winger who put up big numbers on the ice and in the penalty box.

In typical Williams fashion he referred to the town of  Swift Current  as “Speedy Creek”

The Tiger was among the most quotable NHL players during his run in Toronto, and throughout his career. When the Maple Leafs defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first game of the 1977 NHL playoffs, Williams was asked what he thought of Pittsburgh’s chances of getting back into the three-game elimination series.

Williams quickly snapped back at the interviewer, “they’re done like dinner,” and this was indeed the case.

Williams spent six memorable years with the Toronto Maple Leafs and while he took on all comers, his most memorable battles were with the buds 1970s nemesis the Philadelphia Flyers in the quarterfinals in 1977 and 1978.

When facing the Broad Street Bullies, Williams had his work cut out for him and inevitably had to duke it out with Dave “the Hammer: Schultz on an almost nightly basis.

William was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in 1980 along with Jerry Butler in exchange for  Bill Derlago and Rick Vaive.

Upon Williams return to Maple Leaf Gardens, that year Williams scored a goal on his former teammates and in a moment indelibly etched into the minds of many of his fans, Williams charged down the ice, took his stick and placed it between his legs and rode it like a hobby horse down on the ice while gesturing wildly to the fans with his free hand.

Tie Domi revisited this moment during a game in Madison Square Gardens in the early 90s after scoring a goal-a clear tip of the hat to Williams.

The Tiger was a fan-favorite during his tenure in T.O, but nobody loved him more than  team owner Harold Ballard who was the recipient of a bear skin rug made from a bear that Williams had shot himself. (All information for this article from nhl.com,  hockeydb.com, wikipedia and memory).

He is the most colorful character in Toronto Maple Leafs history.