Only A True Toronto Maple Leafs Fan Can Beat This Quiz
- by Chris Roberts
- – on
- in Sports
The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most valuable franchises in the National Hockey League (NHL) along with the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens. That should be no surprise given the amount of Maple Leafs fans spread throughout Canada and even living in the United States. If you happen to watch the Leafs play in Florida, Philadelphia, Dallas, or anywhere in the United States, you'll notice at least 20 percent of the crowd is wearing blue and white. That was the case even when the team was a hot mess led by overrated and miscast stars like Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel, but not that the team is stocked with young, exciting talent, there's somewhat of a Maple Leafs revival going on in North America.
Toronto came within one game of advancing to the second round of the 2017 NHL playoffs after finishing dead last the year prior, which is a testament to the team's young stars as well as its coaching staff. The Leafs run reinvigorated the fan base and brought new fans on board, many of whom might not know the storied history of the franchise. But that's OK, because it has been a long time since the Maple Leafs have accomplished anything meaningful. With that said, we've created a mix of historical and current questions to see if you really are a true Maple Leafs fan or just a bandwagon jumper.
What year did the Toronto franchise join the NHL?
This question should be relatively easy if you paid attention to the celebrations going on throughout Toronto and the NHL in the past year. The Maple Leafs were an Original Six team along with the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, and Detroit Red Wings, but the club, like most others, was actually formed prior to joining the NHL. The first version of the Toronto hockey club was formed in 1906 and was simply known as the Toronto Professional Hockey Club and later referred to as The Toronto Blueshirts. They became known as the Toronto Arenas upon joining the NHL.
What was the team's name before switching to the Maple Leafs in 1927?
As previously mentioned, Toronto joined the NHL in 1917 as the Toronto Arenas, as it was operated by the owner of Arena Gardens. The team only played two-and-a-half seasons as the Arenas, but one of which was quite successful. In its first year of operation, the 1917-18 season, the Arenas defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in a best-of-five Stanley Cup Final. However, the following year was a disaster, and by the middle of the 1919-20 season, an ownership dispute was settled and Toronto was renamed once again.
How many Stanley Cups have the Toronto Maple Leafs won?
As the Arenas, Toronto won its first Stanley Cup in 1918 and it didn't take long for the team to win its first Stanley Cup as the St. Patricks as it did so in 1922. Likewise, Toronto won the coveted championship only four years after changing its name to the Maple Leafs in 1928. Despite not winning the Stanley Cup for quite some time, the Maple Leafs franchise still has the second most Stanley Cup wins thanks to dominant stretches during the 1940s and 1960s. Only the Montreal Canadiens (23) have won more Stanley Cups than Toronto.
Before moving to the Air Canada Centre, where did the Maple Leafs play its home games?
The Air Canada Centre (ACC) was originally supposed to be the home of the Toronto Raptors National Basketball Association franchise. That changed in 1998, when Larry Tannenbaum and Steve Stavro, who owned the Maple Leafs, partnered to purchased a stake in the Raptors and the ACC, which was under construction at the time. It was then announced that both teams would share the new arena, as the Leafs would move out of their famed home arena, in which they played for nearly 70 years.
What is the Maple Leafs' current AHL affiliate?
In the early days of the NHL, teams didn't necessarily keep close ties with their minor league affiliates. In fact, there wasn't a close connection between NHL teams and minor league teams; instead, minor league teams would accept NHL prospects from all teams, while recruiting their own players as well. The Maple Leafs current minor league affiliate traces its roots back to 1978 as the New Brunswick Hawks. Since then, the team has been strictly used to develop future Maple Leafs, but it has bounced around to different communities throughout Canada, including St. Catherine's, St. John's, and Newmarket.
What year did the Maple Leafs win its most recent Stanley Cup?
If you're a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, you should have no trouble recalling this year as you have likely been reminded of it countless times by fans of rival teams. In fact, if you're a hockey fan at all, especially one living in Canada, you've probably reminded your Maple Leaf friends of this year at least once a season. Quite simply shouting out the year is a painful reminder of the Maple Leafs recent ineptitude and poor play. Things are certainly looking up in Toronto for the time being, but until the team wins another Stanley Cup, fans will constantly be reminded of this year.
Who owns the franchise?
We previously mentioned Larry Tanenbaum and Steve Stavro joined forces to buy the Toronto Raptors and the ACC, while also holding a stake in the Maple Leafs. The ownership group of the Maple Leafs still includes Tanenbaum, who acts as chairman of the commercial real estate group. In addition to owning the Maple Leafs, the group, which was previously called Maple Leaf Gardens Limited (MLGL) and founded in 1931 by Conn Smythe, also owns the Major League Soccer team Toronto FC as well as the Toronto Raptors, Raptors 905 G-League team, and the Toronto Marlies.
Who was the team's first captain?
The Toronto Maple Leafs had no captain last season and are unlikely to have one again this season. That will change when Auston Matthews is finally given the 'C' on his sweater, but until then we're left to consider the past captains in Maple Leafs history. The team has only had three captains since 1994, but that stability didn't exist prior to that. In total, Toronto has had 17 captains since becoming the Maple Leafs in 1927-28, but the franchise had four captains during its St. Patricks/Arenas era, including this man, who was the captain during the 1917-18 season.
Who was the team's most recent captain?
Toronto has had some highly-respected captains throughout its history, most of which are Hall of Famers, including two of its three most recent captains, Mats Sundin and Doug Gilmour. Both players embodied what it meant to be Maple Leafs as they left everything on the ice each and every night and had an immense amount of talent as well. It's fascinating to go through the history of the Maple Leafs captaincy and find such distinguished names. One player, however, stands out as perhaps somewhat undeserving, and that's the team's most recent captain.
How many numbers are retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs only officially had two numbers retired prior to this season - Ace Bailey's No. 6, which was the first number retired in professional sports, and Bill Barilko's No. 5. Up until this season, the team's legendary players had their numbers honored, meaning they were risen to the rafters, but players could still wear that number. The team's new management group decided to change that philosophy this past season and give the team's great players the respect they deserve.
Who is the team's all-time leader in points?
One of the players that had his jersey number retired is the franchise's all-time leader in points, who only happened to retire a few years ago and was subsequently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. This individual played center for the team and recorded 987 points in 981 games as a member of the Maple Leafs. He also holds the franchise record for most goals with 420. He was originally drafted by the Quebec Nordiques, but will forever be known as an all-time great Toronto Maple Leaf.
Who is the team's all-time leader in games played?
Had he started his career with the Maple Leafs, Mats Sundin could have easily been the franchise's leader in every major category. He is first in goals and points and trails Bjorge Salming in assists by 53. He is also sixth all-time in games played as a Maple Leaf, behind Ron Ellis, Dave Keon, Salming, Tim Horton, and this man, the franchise's all-time leader, who played 1,187 games with Toronto. He's one of five players to play over 1,000 games with the team.
Who is the team's all-time leader in goaltender wins?
The Toronto Maple Leafs have had some pretty awful goaltenders in recent years. In fact, the team hasn't enjoyed much stability between the pipes since Felix Potvin had an eight-year run as its starting goaltender from 1991-99. Potvin won 160 games during that time and sits third in all-time wins as a Maple Leaf, while James Reimer, who was a backup for most of his six years with the team, is 10th all-time in wins with 85. The franchise's all-time leader has a career record of 302-224-101 with the Maple Leafs.
Who was the team's head coach before Mike Babcock?
Mike Babcock was a tremendous coach with the Detroit Red Wings as well as a mastermind behind the bench for the Canadian Olympic team. However, the gold-medal- and Stanley Cup- winning coach's greatest accomplishment was helping the young Maple Leafs reach the playoffs in 2016-17. Prior to that, the team was a wasteland with massive organizational issues. In fact, during the 2014-15 season, it was evident the team quit on the season and its coach, who was an interim hire after Randy Carlyle was fired. Under this coach, the Leafs posted a record of 9-28-5.
Who is the team's current president?
Part of changing the culture within the organization was bringing in a new president who had respect league-wide and a desire to turn one of sport's greatest franchises back into a winning program. Prior to being hired as president following the end of the 2014 season, this individual served as the league's director of player safety and even before that was one of the game's most dominant left wingers. In fact, he was named to the 100 Greatest NHL Players list compiled by the league and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Who is the team's current general manager?
When the Maple Leafs hired Brendan Shanahan as its president, it was viewed through a positive angle as the team was bringing in a young executive who had a firm grasp on the way the league worked as well as how differently today's game is played. Shanahan brought in younger, analytics-driven staff to help the Maple Leafs turn the corner, but when it came to hiring a general manager, he went with experience, hiring a someone who was once the general manager of a team he played for.
Which Tragically Hip song is about the Toronto Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup?
The Tragically Hip are a national treasure in Canada. The band never quite broke through in the United States and that's part of the reason why Canadians are so fond of them - they're distinctly Canadian and they didn't crave success south of the border, despite the fact they're a great, deserving rock band. Although lead singer Gord Downie is a Boston Bruins fan, he grew up near Toronto and wrote a popular song about the Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup, which he "stole ... from a hockey card."
Which team eliminated the Maple Leafs in the 2016-17 playoffs?
At the start of the 2016-17 season, it appeared it would be another long year for the Maple Leafs and their fans, but that was to be expected. Rebuilding a team into a contender takes time. However, things began to change midway through the year, and the team picked up steam following a win over the Red Wings in the Centennial Classic game. That was when people really started talking playoffs. Despite some bumps along the way, the Maple Leafs managed to get back into the playoffs for only the second time in 13 years and gave a very good team a run for their money, before losing in overtime of Game 6.
Who is the team's all-time leader in penalty minutes?
OK, we mentioned Mats Sundin being at the top or near the top of every major statistical category, but that obviously doesn't include penalty minutes. That distinction belongs to another Maple Leaf great, who, despite not being the most talented player on the ice, is perhaps almost equally as revered as Sundin by some fans. Seven players have spent over 1,000 minutes in the penalty box as a member of the Maple Leafs, including Bobby Baun, Red Horner, Bjorge Salming, and Tim Horton. This player, however, is the only one to record more than 2,000 penalty minutes as a Maple Leaf.
Which player threw his broken stick into the crowd during a game and was later mocked by Daniel Alfredsson?
During a 2003 game against the Nashville Predators, this player, who was typically quite composed, broke his stick on a scoring opportunity and launched the broken twig into the crowd. He surprisingly didn't get a penalty for the play as it happened, but was soon after penalized for the action. The incident didn't blow over, however, as Ottawa Senators' Daniel Alfredsson, already a villain in Toronto, mocked the player by pretending to throw his stick when he broke it during a game against the Maple Leafs.
Which Maple Leaf player holds the record for most points in an NHL game?
Wayne Gretzky holds nearly every record in the NHL and that's not even an exaggeration. No. 99 practically re-wrote the league's record book during his career, but one record he couldn't break was the most points recorded during a single game. That distinction belongs to this Maple Leafs legend, who accomplished the feat by accumulating 10 points in an 11-4 rout over the Boston Bruins. Twelve other players, including Gretzky, have had eight points in a single game, but nobody has nine, let alone 10.
Which rival did the Maple Leafs beat in the playoffs in four of five years from 1999 to 2004?
A lot of the Toronto Maple Leafs recent history has involved disappointing seasons or heartbreaking losses (see the 2013 Game 7 against the Boston Bruins in which the Leafs blew a 4-1 lead in the third period to lose 5-4 in overtime). But in the early 2000s, it was actually fun to be a fan of the team, not only because they had decent playoff success, but because they beat up on a rival in four of five seasons, including one series in which the Maple Leafs overcame a 3-2 series deficit.
Who was Toronto's head coach during those years?
Toronto has had some legendary coaches throughout its history. In total, 39 people have coached the team, and while Hap Day and Punch Imlach won multiple Stanley Cups as coach of the team, fewer coaches were more beloved than the team's bench boss during those classic Toronto-Ottawa series. This man coached the team from 1999-06 and compiled a record of 300-196-52, which puts him second in most wins as a Maple Leafs coach. He passed away in 2014 and was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016.
Who did the Maple Leafs select first overall in the 2016 NHL Draft?
Before this past season, the Maple Leafs had been a laughing stock in the NHL. The team's current core group of players, however, were all drafted in recent years, which has given new hope and enthusiasm to fans and made the team into one that has caught the attention of players and executives league-wide. The crown jewel of that impressive core was selected first overall in the 2016 NHL Draft and recently won the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie after a 40-goal season.
Who was the Maple Leafs' top pick in the 2017 NHL Draft?
This question might be a tad more difficult as, since the Maple Leafs have turned the corner, less attention is paid to the NHL Draft. Instead, fans are expecting the Leafs to add experienced players through trade and free agency to build upon its core group of players. However, the Leafs have had drafted a potential steal in the most recent draft, as many analysts suggest the smooth-skating defenseman, who the team drafted with the 17th overall pick, has similarities to Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson.
What did Maple Leafs fans throw on the ice during a particularly poor stretch in 2010?
The Maple Leafs enjoyed a very good stretch of years prior to the NHL lockout in 2004, but the team's fortunes changed after that. Toronto failed the make the playoffs in the first year after the lockout and that one-year playoff absence stretched to five seasons by 2010, when a fan threw a rather odd object on the ice. The team was booed quite frequently and, for whatever reason, fans piggybacked off the one fan who threw the object in question and continued to do so for a few games.
Which current Maple Leaf is the longest-tenured player on the team?
Given the recent youth movement of the Maple Leafs, it's strange to think that this player is the team's longest-tenured member of the team. It's also not that surprising when you think about it. The Maple Leafs have cleared house in recent years, trading away any and all of its veteran players for draft picks and bringing in short-term veterans to fill the gaps until its young players are ready. The current longest-tenured Maple Leaf only became a full-time member of the team in 2012-13 and has only played 408 career games in the league.
Which Maple Leaf scored the most goals in a single season?
Only three players in Maple Leafs history have cracked the 50-goal mark and it's not the players you might expect. As such, the Maple Leafs record for most goals in a single season is 54, a total that was reached by this player during the 1981-82 season. The Maple Leafs weren't a great team during the 1980s, but this player remains one of the franchise's best natural goal scorers. He was originally drafted by the Vancouver Canucks, but spent eight seasons as a member of the Maple Leafs.
Which player didn't score 50 goals as a Maple Leaf?
As mentioned above, only three players have topped the 50-goal mark for the Maple Leafs, which is incredibly hard to believe given the team has been around for 100 years. In contrast, five players have scored 50 for the Washington Capitals in the team's 43-year history. Nonetheless, the Maple Leafs have had players come close to reaching the mark, and it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine Auston Matthews doing so at some point in his career. Until then, only three of the four players below have accomplished the feat.
Which goalie did the Maple Leafs acquire from the Ducks in 2016?
Goaltending as long been a problem for the Maple Leafs. The team actually drafted its goaltender of the future - Tuukka Rask - in 2005, but later decided to deal him to the Boston Bruins for Andrew Raycroft in what might be the most lopsided trade in franchise history. Rask became an All-Star, while Raycroft was run out of town after just one season. Since then, the Maple Leafs have gone through goaltenders Vesa Toskala and James Reimer, among others. A 2016 trade appears to have finally stabilized the position, however.
Who is the most recent former Maple Leaf to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame?
Only counting players (as previously mentioned coach Pat Quinn was inducted into the HOF in 2016), there have been over 60 individuals who once played for the Maple Leafs inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Many only played briefly for the team such as Joe Nieuwendyk, Ed Belfour, and Phil Housley, while others played in the first half of the 20th century, like Sweeny Schriner, Babe Pratt, and Harry Watson. This player, however, spent most of his career in Toronto and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.
Who is the only Maple Leaf to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy?
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the forward who displays the best defensive awareness and presence while on the ice. It may as well be renamed to the Patrice Bergeron Trophy as the Boston Bruins center won the award for a fourth time in 2016-17, tying Bob Gainey for the most wins. Twenty-four players have won the award since its creation, eight of which account for 23 of the 39 award recipients. Only one Toronto Maple Leaf player won the award and that was in 1993 after he recorded a 127-point season. That was the most points recorded by any Selke Trophy winner.
Who is the last Maple Leaf to win the Hart Trophy as league MVP?
Another surprising fact about the Toronto Maple Leafs is that the franchise has only had two players with the Hart Trophy, which is given annually to the league's most valuable player. The Maple Leafs have been around for 100 years and during the early years only had to compete with five other teams. In contrast, Wayne Gretzky won nine Hart Trophies himself, while 17 other players have won the award multiple times. Surprisingly, a Maple Leafs player hasn't won the award since 1955, when this player did so after a 52-point season. He somehow beat out Maurice Richard, who had 74 points that year.
Who is the only Maple Leafs coach to win the Jack Adams Award?
The Jack Adams Award was established in 1973 as a way to honor the coach who had the most impact on his team. The first ever winner of the award was Fred Shero, who coached the Philadelphia Flyers to a 112-point season that year. In recent years, the award has been given to coaches who drastically change their team's fortune from the year prior (Mike Babcock was a finalist in 2017), but it used to be dominated by legends like Jacques Lemaire, Jacques Demers, Scotty Bowman, and this Maple Leafs coach, who won the award as Toronto's bench boss in 1993. He also won the award in 1989 as coach of the Montreal Canadiens and in 1998 as coach of the Boston Bruins.
"Holy Mackinaw!" Which iconic Maple Leafs broadcaster recently called his 3,000th game?
In some instances, broadcasters hang around long enough to become synonymous with the team. In Los Angeles, Vin Scully was perhaps more recognizable than half of the players on the Dodgers due to his longevity. In Toronto, few voices are as recognizable and synonymous with the team as this man, who was celebrated this past year for calling his 3,000th regular season Maple Leafs game. He began calling games for the team in 1982 and is best known for his excited "Holy Mackinaw!" catch phrase.