The Greatest Toronto Maple Leafs Players From A-Z
The history of the Toronto Maple Leafs is filled with greatness from A-Z.
From as early as 1917, the Toronto Maple Leafs have seen a number of great players wear the Blue-and-White.
Although the team hasn’t won a championship since 1967, there have been multiple Hall-of-Famer’s play for the Leafs from then until now.
The modern-day fan may not be as familiar with a name like Turk Broda or Charlie Conacher, but they’ve definitely heard about them.
They may not know which way they shot or how many goals or saves they had each season, but they respect the history and understand how important they were the Leafs franchise.
For today’s sports fan, they think that every thing that happens today is the greatest. What I mean by that comment is that every headline will read: “Greatest comeback in team history?” or “Greatest Save of All-Time?”
Instead of appreciating it and living in the moment, everything is a competition that it has to be the greatest thing that has ever happened in sports history.
Even the Leafs comeback against the Blue Jackets in Game 4 of the qualifying series is looked at as the greatest comeback in team history. Although it may actually be the best comeback based on the scenario, we jump to say that it’s the best thing that’s ever happened without really looking at history.
Recency bias was a tough thing to fight during this exercise, but I tried my best to be neutral.
Here are the top Toronto Maple Leafs players of all-time from A-Z (last name only).
A. Armstrong, George
The name George Armstrong is synonymous with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Armstrong is on a short list of people that played 21 seasons in the NHL and even shorter list to do it all with one franchise.
With 1,188 games played, Armstrong is the Leafs leader in that category and is fifth in team scoring with 713 points.
Other Notables: Syl Apps
B. Broda, Turk
There’s no question that Broda is the greatest goalie in Toronto Maple Leafs history.
With 304 career wins, Broda is the franchise leader in that category. Not only that, but he finished his career with two Vezina Trophies and five Stanley Cup’s.
Another fun fact about Broda is that he was traded to Toronto for $8,000, so that deal goes down as one of the worst trades in NHL history.
Other Notables: Johnny Bower, Ed Belfour
C. Clark, Wendel
The former first-overall pick in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft is just as beloved today as he was when he played.
They just don’t make players like Clark anymore, which is why he’s so special. He could run you through a wall, beat up the toughest guy and then score a highlight-reel goal, all in one shift.
If it wasn’t for injuries, Clark could have been a Hall-of-Famer, but he still had a fantastic career finishing with 564 career points.
Other Notables: Charlie Conacher
D. Day, Hap
I’m going to go out on a limb and say not too many people reading this had the privilege of watching Hap Day’s career.
Playing his first season in 1924, Day was involved with the Leafs until 1950. After playing 13 seasons with the Leafs, he then coached the team for another 10 seasons.
After winning one Stanley Cup as a player, he was even more successful as a coach, winning five Stanley Cups behind the bench.
Other Notables: Tie Domi
E. Ellis, Ron
Ellis is one of the best wingers in Leafs history and is also one of the most underrated.
When you think of the Leafs franchise, Ellis’ name isn’t one that comes into conversation that often, but it should.
He had 11 seasons of 20 or more goals and was a key part of the Leafs last Stanley Cup win in 1967.
Other Notables: Bill Ezinicki
F. Francis, Ron
He may have only played 12 regular season games in the blue-and-white, but Francis is one of the greatest players in NHL history.
Only 10 of his 1798 career points came as a Maple Leaf, but that doesn’t matter because there’s no better player with a last name starting with “F” then Francis.
Other Notables: Tom Fergus
G. Gilmour, Doug
From 1992-1994, besides Wayne Gretzky, Gilmour was looked at as the best hockey player on the planet.
Leading the Leafs to back-to-back Conference Finals, fans hoped that Gilmour would be the man to get Toronto their first Stanley Cup since 1967, but a missed high-stick unfortunately crushed those dreams.
The Hall-of-Famer finished his career with just under a point-per-game average and still one of the most beloved players in Leafs history.
Other Notables: Jake Gardiner, Todd Gill
H. Horton, Tim
The millennial Leafs fan may only recognize this name for coffee and donuts, but back in the 1950s and 60s, Horton was a staple on the Leafs blue-line.
Voted as the sixth greatest Maple Leafs player of all-time, Horton is arguably the best defenseman to ever play for the team and his legacy lives on forever.
Other Notables: Paul Henderson, Phil Housley
I. Iafrate, Al
There were two things that Iafrate could do better than most NHL defenseman: Fire a slap-shot from the point and rock a skullet.
Iafrate had two 20-goal seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, which is incredibly impressive as a defenseman.
Other Notables: Peter Ihnacek
J. Joseph, Curtis
Although Joseph only played four seasons with the Leafs, it felt much longer than that because he was so loved.
“Cujo” was part of one of the last great Leafs team during the 2001-02 season when the team made the Conference Final, falling just short of a Stanley Cup Finals appearance.
Other Notables: Busher Jackson
K. Keon, Dave
Voted as the greatest Maple Leaf of all-time, Keon played 15 seasons in the Blue-and-White.
Keon was a vital piece of the Leafs last dynasty in the 1960s, winning four Stanley Cups, as well as the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1967.
Other Notables: Phil Kessel, Red Kelly
L. Leeman, Gary
Leeman’s 1989-90 season was one of the most special years in Leafs history.
Scoring 51 goals that season, Leeman joined Rick Vaive as the only Leaf to ever eclipse the 50-goal mark in a single-season.
Other Notables: Brian Leetch
M. Matthews, Auston
Recency bias? Yeah probably, but who cares.
Mahovlich had an unbelievable career but what Matthews is doing in the modern-NHL is amazing. When Matthews’ career is over, he may go down as the greatest Leaf to ever live.
Other Notables: Frank Mahovlich, Lanny McDonald, Mitch Marner, Alex Mogilny
N. Nieuwendyk, Joe
He may have only played one season with the Leafs, but Nieuwendyk made an impact within that short time-frame.
Nieuwendyk scored two huge goals in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals against Patrick Lalime to send the Ottawa Senators packing. As crazy as it is, he was a vital part in the last Leafs team to ever win a playoff round.
Other Notables: William Nylander, Owen Nolan
O. Olczyk, Ed
In three seasons in Toronto, Olczyk’s goal totals went like this: 42, 38, 32.
His 1988-89 season was very special as he finished with 90 points, leading the Leafs in scoring.
Other Notables: Jeff O’Neill
P. Pulford, Bob
From 1956-1970, Pulford was a steady goal-scorer for the Leafs. With four Stanley Cup victories in the 1960s, Pulford was an important piece to those teams.
In 16 total NHL seasons, Pulford never scored less than 11 goals in a season and was a very steady and reliable player
Other Notables: Michael Peca
Q. Quinn, Pat
As a player, Quinn only contributed 14 points in two seasons, but as a coach his legacy will live on forever.
The Leafs have been blessed with great coaches over the past 100 years, but Quinn has to be on Mount Rushmore, despite never winning a Stanley Cup. He helped make the Leafs relevant again in the late 90s, early 2000s and was the perfect coach for Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Other Notables: Joel Quenneville
R. Rielly, Morgan
This was a toss-up between Gary Roberts and Rielly, but “Mo” gets the nod because of his position and longevity with the team.
Rielly is one of the best defenseman the Leafs have ever had and he’s only getting better with age. With 20 goals and 72 points in the 2018-19 season, “Mo” showed his true potential and it wouldn’t be shocking if that total returned next year.
Other Notables: Gary Roberts
S. Sundin, Mats
Dave Keon may have been voted as the Greatest Maple Leaf of all-time, but in my opinion that honor should be Sundin’s.
Sundin never won a Stanley Cup so that’s why Keon got the nod, but Sundin is the all-time Leafs leader in goals and points. Although he played in Quebec and Vancouver, it’s hard to remember him wearing any other sweater than the blue-and-white, as he provided so many great memories for fans for 13 seasons.
Other Notables: Darryl Sittler, Borje Salming
T. Turnbull, Ian
His 1976-77 season still holds up as the greatest season by a Leafs defenseman when Turnbull finished with 22 goals and 79 points, which are both records to this day.
Turnbull was an incredibly gifted offensive player and the pairing of him and Salming was one of the best defensive duos in the NHL during the 1970s and early 80s.
Other Notables: John Tavares, Darcy Tucker
U. Ullman, Norm
Believe it or not, there have only been two players with the last name “U” to ever play for the Leafs.
Ullman finished his NHL career as a Leaf and did it in style. He had five 20-plus goal seasons, including a team-leading 35 goals scored in the 1968-69 season.
Other Notables: Gary Unger
V. Vaive, Rick
Some call Vaive one of the most overrated players in Leafs history, but you can’t deny what he did during a three year stretch in the early 1980s.
Vaive had three consecutive 50-goal seasons and still holds the record for goals in one season (54).
Other Notables: James van Riemsdyk
W. Williams, Dave “Tiger”
They do not make players like Dave “Tiger” Williams anymore, but he sure was fun to watch during his prime.
Known as one of the toughest guys in the league, Williams could not only scrap but he could score too. In the 1977-78 seasons, Williams had 351 penalty minutes but also had 19 goals and 50 points.
Other Notables: Glen Wesley
X. Feli(X) Potvin
There was unfortunately no player with the last name to start with an “X” to play for Toronto, so instead, I’ll use this as an excuse to talk about the great Felix Potvin.
As a young goaltender, Potvin was great during the Toronto Maple Leafs back-to-back Conference Finals appearances and will always be remembered as one of the most fun goalies to watch in Leafs history.
Other Notables: N/A
Y. Yushkevich, Dmitri
This is a name that fans may forget about, but I’ll tell you the opposition never did. If you had your head down heading into the Leafs zone, you’d always have to watch for Yushkevich, as he wasn’t afraid to hit.
Known more for his strong defensive play than offensive ability, Yushkevich was a key member of the Leafs during their long playoff-runs in the 1990s and 2000s.
Other Notables: Gary Yaremchuk
Z. Zezel, Peter
In four seasons with Toronto, Zezel was a solid secondary scoring piece alongside Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark and Glenn Anderson.
The biggest moment of Zezel’s career with the Leafs came when scored the OT winner during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals to give Toronto a 1-0 series lead.
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Other Notables: Nikita Zaitsev