Toronto Maple Leafs Franchise Profile
Founded: 1917
Formerly known as: Toronto Arenas (1917-1919), Toronto St. Patricks (1919-1926)
Arena: Air Canada Centre
Stanley Cups: 13
1918, 1922, 1932, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1967
Colors: Blue and white.
A pre-NHL version of the team, known as the Blueshirts, won the 1914 Stanley Cup. Toronto also won the Cup in 1918, the inaugural NHL season, as a team informally known as the Arenas. By 1919 they were called the St. Patrick's. The final name change came in 1927, when Conn Smythe bought the team, christened it the Maple Leafs, and adopted the blue-and-white uniform colors.
The Leafs grew to become the most popular team in the NHL and Canada, thanks to continued success, Foster Hewitt's famous radio broadcasts from Maple Leaf Gardens, and the city's status as the media and business center of English Canada.
The popularity continues, despite the Maple Leafs now-famous Stanley Cup drought. The team last won the Stanley Cup in 1967, and most of the years since have been characterized by incompetence at every level.
2009-10 Maple Leafs Season Preview:
Toronto looked headed for a top-five draft pick in 2010. But the Phil Kessel trade is a big upgrade for the top line, and could push the team a little higher in the standings.
The 2008-09 Leafs were a disaster in their own end, so you can’t blame GM Brian Burke for starting his rebuild on defense. The new guys, Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin, and Garnet Exelby, can help keep the score respectable. But Tomas Kaberle remains the only d-man with any real skill.
Beyond Kessel, the Leafs have no genuine first-line forwards. Maybe Jason Blake can score 25 goals and fetch a decent draft pick at the trade deadline.
As for the goaltending, who knows? Vesa Toskala is coming off a bad season. The new goalie Jonas Gustavsson, is an unknown quantity. He just had a “minor” heart procedure, which doesn’t inspire confidence.
The year will be a huge challenge for Kessel, who will be target number-one for every opponent, every game.
Colton Orr will win some fights, keeping the Don Cherry disciples happy. Burke will produce storm surges of hot air at every press briefing.
Prediction: 12th place in the East
See also: Toronto Maple Leafs in the Hockey Hall of Fame
Toronto Maple Leafs retired and honored numbers
