The Toronto Maple Leafs Miscellany

Leaf Legends

Throughout the years the Toronto Maple Leafs have been the home team to many hockey legends. Below is just a small sample of some of the greats to have worn the Leaf jersey.

Bill Barilko

Bill Barilko spent 5 seasons playing in the NHL, all with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was just a punishing, stay at home defensemen who never managed to break the 20 point mark. Still he scored what might possibly be the greatest Stanley Cup winner in overtime of game 5 against the Montreal Canadiens in the 1951 NHL season. It is perhaps through tragedy that he was been made a legend, as he died just 4 months later when his plane crashed while going on a fishing trip with a friend.

Johnny Bower

Spending 12 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Johnny Bower, nicknamed "The China Wall", was a latecomer to the NHL, joining the team in 1958 at the age of 34 having spent only one season in the NHL previously. He was a fearless goalie who played without a helmet and suffered numerous cuts to his face also losing all of his teeth. He was also the goalie who first used the poke check, often diving at attacking players to knock the puck from their stick. He won four Stanley Cup's with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Wendel Clark

Arguably the greatest Leaf captain of all time, Wendel Clark spent most of his career with the Maple Leafs after having been drafted first overall by them in 1985. Clark was loved by Leaf fans for his fearless play and wicked wrist shot. He would sacrifice his body to throw punishing bodychecks against the opposition while also taking on much larger opponents in fights in defense of his teammates. Wendel Clark was the major part of a trade that brought Mats Sundin to Toronto from the Quebec Nordiques.