The Top 5 Grinches in Toronto Maple Leafs History

Grinch #3

This next Grinch brings us back all the way to the 1993 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He is the first on this list that didn’t work for the Leafs organization.

In Game 6 of that year’s Western Conference final, the Toronto Maple Leafs were just a win away from proceeding to NHL finals. At that time, there was only one referee assigned to the games along with two linesmen. The ref for this game was Kerry Fraser.

Fraser didn’t earn his Grinch stripes for the actions he took; it was for one he didn’t. When the Los Angeles Kings superstar Wayne Gretzky’s stick came up and clipped Doug Gilmour in the face, Fraser’s whistle stayed out of his mouth.

The act took place in overtime and should have sent the Great One to the penalty box on a major penalty. However, due to the non-call, instead of Gretzky sitting for five minutes, he was able to stay on the ice.

Fraser described this moment in detail in a piece published in the Player’s Tribune. He was candid about how he saw the events unfold.

"“Gretzky gets the puck. He shoots it, and my eyes go to the net. But Jamie Macoun blocks it. The puck rebounds between Gretzky and Doug Gilmour. When my eyes go back to Gretzky, I see a motion. Gilmour goes down. Did Gretzky’s stick follow through and catch him? Gilmour’s bent over now. He’s got blood on his chin. And I have no idea what happened. That’s a helpless, helpless feeling. Under the 1993 rules, if Gretzky high-sticks Gilmour and it draws blood, it’s a five-minute major. He’s gone. It was a huge call to make — a worse one to miss.”"

Gretzky’s impact was felt almost immediately. After the very next faceoff, he scored and ended the game. It sent the Kings Game 7 instead of the Leafs to meet the Montreal Canadians to battle for the Cup.

Gretzky played out of his mind in that deciding game. He factored in on four of Los Angeles’s five goals. Gretz picked up a hat trick and an assist, leading his club to a 5–4 win over Toronto. If only Fraser had made the call.