Toronto Maple Leafs

Early History of Hockey in Toronto

Toronto was slow to enter the competitive hockey field, by the late 1890s the city had a number of competitive teams, including the Toronto Granites, one of the founding teams of the Ontario Hockey Association in 1890. Toronto's first professional hockey team was the Toronto Professional Hockey Club, also known as the Torontos, who first played on 28 December 1906. The Torontos initially played exhibition matches against other professional teams in North America. However, the team was under constant criticism from the Ontario Hockey Association for its professional status. Consequently, the team became a founding member of the Ontario Professional Hockey League, one of Canada’s first professional hockey leagues. The Torontos unsuccessfully challenged the Montreal Wanderers for the Stanley Cup in 1908, before disbanding in 1909.

In 1909, the National Hockey Association (NHA) was founded, with teams in Québec and Ontario. One of Toronto's teams was the Toronto Tecumsehs, who played from 1912 to 1913. Although the Tecumsehs did not initially have a home arena, on 28 December 1912 the team played in the newly constructed Arena Gardens in Toronto. The Tecumsehs finished the 1912–13 season in last place in the NHA. The team was subsequently sold, and played as the Toronto Ontarios in the 1913–14 season. The team operated under that name until 1915, when they were renamed the Toronto Shamrocks. The Shamrocks operated for just one year, finishing in fifth place, ahead of only the Montreal Canadiens.

Another Toronto team in the NHA was the Toronto Blueshirts, founded in 1911, who also played home games at Arena Gardens upon its completion in 1912. In the 1913–14 season, the Blueshirts became Stanley Cup champions after defeating the Victoria Aristocrats from the Pacific Coast Hockey League (PCHL). The team struggled the following season, however, and finished the 1914–15 season in fourth place. Following the 1914–15 season, the NHA lost many players to the expanding Pacific Coast Hockey League. As a result, the Toronto Blueshirts absorbed the Shamrocks players to form one team under the Blueshirts name. The amalgamation of the two teams, both operated by Eddie Livingstone, bothered other NHA owners, who were annoyed by Livingstones's business practices. Consequently, by the end of the 1916–17 season, these owners decided to form a new league known as the National Hockey League (NHL), without Livingstone.

Toronto in the Early NHL

Although the Blueshirts were initially blocked from the NHL, the team was allowed to enter the league when the Quebec Bulldogs could not organize a team. The Blueshirts, owned by the Toronto Arena Company, kept the playing roster intact, but cut its ties with Livingstone and adopted another name, the Toronto Arenas. (There is some debate about the team’s name, as it was known simultaneously as the Toronto Blueshirts, the Toronto Arenas or the Torontos). The Toronto team played its first NHL game on 19 December 1917 at Arena Gardens (also known as the Mutual Street Arena).

Only three of the original five members of the NHL remained at the end of the season. The Toronto Arenas won the NHL's first Stanley Cup against the Pacific Coast Hockey League's Vancouver Millionaires. The next season, the team withdrew from the NHL.

Toronto's departure from the NHL did not last long. The franchise returned for the 1919–20 season under a new name — the Toronto St. Patricks (also known as the St. Pats). The team was so named in the hopes that Toronto's large Irish population would attend home games. The new team was off to a good start in the early 1920s, claiming the Stanley Cup once again from the Vancouver Millionaires in 1922.

Although they did not make it to the Cup again for the next few years, the St. Pats were hard at work building the foundations for a stronger team. New player additions to the team included Clarence "Hap" Day for the 1924–25 season, and Irvine "Ace" Bailey for the 1926–27 season. By 1927, the St. Pats were at risk of being moved to Philadelphia. Fortunately, an investor named Conn Smythe came forward to purchase the team, and raised enough money to keep the team in Toronto.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Conn Smythe's first tasks as new owner was a name change from the St. Patricks to the Toronto Maple Leafs – although his reasons for this change are not clear, the team may have been named in honour of a First World War fighting unit, the Maple Leaf Regiment.

Smythe next set to work building a team of strong players. New additions to the team included Joe Primeau, Red Horner and goaltender Lorne Chabot for the 1928–29 season. The new name and the new players drove the Leafs to the playoffs for the first time since 1925. By the next year, the team had also added Charlie Conacher and Harvey Jackson. Together, Primeau, Conacher and Jackson would make up the "Kid Line" of the Leafs; nevertheless, the team failed to make the 1930 playoffs. So, Smythe returned to the bargaining table, and purchased "King" Clancy from the Ottawa Senators for the unprecedented sum of $35,000 and two players. The Leafs team was now a powerhouse, known as a gutsy, hardworking team exemplifying Smythe's (perhaps apocryphal) dictum: "if you can't beat them in the alley, you can't beat them on the ice." The team finished second in the Canadian Division during the 1930–31 season, and was, thanks in part to Foster Hewitt's radio broadcasts of Leafs’ games, gaining popularity in Toronto.

As the team's popularity increased, Smythe recognized the need for a new home for the Leafs. In the depths of the Depression he was able to arrange financing for a new arena. Maple Leaf Gardens was built in five months in 1931. The Leafs played their first game at the new arena on 12 November 1931, when the Chicago Blackhawks defeated them. Built above the ice was a gondola for Foster Hewitt. From his perch, Hewitt began his famous Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts (originally known as the General Motors Hockey Broadcast). As if in celebration of the team's new beginnings, the Toronto Maple Leafs won their first franchise Stanley Cup in 1932. The following season, they reached the final, but lost the Cup to the New York Rangers.

The Leafs were involved in an infamous incident on 12 December 1933, while playing against their chief 1930s rival, the Boston Bruins. During the game, the Bruins' Eddie Shore crashed into Leafs' star Ace Bailey. Bailey hit the ice and cracked his skull. The incident nearly killed Bailey, and ended his hockey career. The Leafs rallied and finished the season as leaders in league scoring. However, their luck in the post-season ran out as the team was knocked out of the finals from 1935 to 1940. Although the 1930s had seen the team reach the finals seven times, they only won the Cup once. Consequently, coach Dick Irvin stepped down, and was replaced by former Leaf defenceman Hap Day.

The 1940s

The Leafs began the 1940s with high hopes. With their lineup of Gordie Drillon, Syl Apps and goaltender Turk Broda, the stage was set for Leaf success. During the 1942 Stanley Cup final series against the Detroit Red Wings, the Leafs were thought to be the team to beat. Although Detroit won the first three games, Toronto went on to win the next four games handily, and took home their second Stanley Cup.

However, the team lost many star players to the armed forces in the Second World War, including 1942 Cup stars Apps and Broda. Detroit eliminated Toronto from the 1943 playoffs, while the Montreal Canadiens did the same in the 1944 playoffs.

In 1945, the Toronto Maple Leafs met the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of playoffs. The Canadiens, who had not lost as many players to the war front, were considered the superior team; nonetheless, Toronto eliminated the Canadiens in six games. They then met the Detroit Red Wings in the final. Though Toronto won the first three games, Detroit tied the series at three games each. Nevertheless, Toronto won the seventh game and their third Stanley Cup.

Though the team failed to reach the playoffs in 1946, they were soon strengthened by the return of many star players from the war. In the 1946–47 season, Toronto met the first place Montreal Canadiens in the Cup final. The first game was a disaster. Toronto lost 6–0, which prompted the Canadiens to accuse them of not belonging in the final. Inspired to prove their rivals wrong, Toronto edged the Canadiens in six games, and won the 1947 Stanley Cup. The following playoffs, the team defeated the Red Wings in four straight games. The two teams would meet again the next year at the 1949 Stanley Cup final. Once again the Leafs triumphed and swept the Red Wings in four straight games for their sixth Stanley Cup.

The 1950s

The Red Wings would get their chance to meet Toronto again in the 1950 playoffs. This series, however, had a very different ending for Toronto. During the first game, Red Wing Gordie Howe was seriously injured when he crashed into the boards, an incident involving Leafs player Theodore Kennedy. The Red Wings were furious, and swore to bring down Kennedy and the Leafs, whom they accused of deliberately causing the accident. Detroit finally succeeded in beating the Leafs in the seventh game of the series, and went on to defeat the New York Rangers in the final.

Toronto's return to the Cup final was an all-Canadian battle, with the Leafs meeting the Montreal Canadiens in 1951. Leafs defenceman Bill Barilko was credited with saving the day in game five. Despite orders from coach Joe Primeau to stay put in his defence position, Barilko scored the winning goal in overtime. (See Barilko has won the Stanley Cup for the Maple Leafs!) The win secured the series for the Leafs, and gave the team their fourth Stanley Cup in five years. Celebrations were short lived, however, as Barilko went missing in the summer following the Cup win, having never returned from a fishing trip. Convinced that their star was returning, the team began the 1951–52 season with Barilko's locker ready to go. Years later, Barilko's body, and that of his pilot friend, was found in the wreckage of an airplane crash north of Timmins.

The loss of Barilko seemed to set the Leafs down a mediocre path. They finished the 1951–52 season in third place, and were swept by their Detroit rivals in the semi-finals. They went on to finish out of playoff contention in 1953, their first time missing the playoffs since 1946. As a result, coach Joe Primeau stepped down, replaced by King Clancy. In an attempt to spruce up the team, owner Smythe brought in a series of new players and traded away many of the Leafs' former champions. Replacements included Tim Horton, George Armstrong, Ron Stewart, Dick Duff, Bob Pulford, Carl Brewer and Frank Mahovlich. Despite the overhaul, however, the team met with little playoff success. Howie Meeker replaced Clancy as team coach, but he led the Leafs to the bottom of the NHL. By 1958, they were in fifth place of the six-team league, with their fourth coach of the decade, Billy Reay.

Changes arrived in the form of a relatively unknown Punch Imlach, the Leafs' new general manager. Almost immediately, Imlach fired coach Reay, named himself coach and declared that Toronto, despite sitting at the bottom of the league, would reach the playoffs in 1959. Imlach's prediction came true, and the Leafs made the playoffs on the last night of the season, their first appearance since 1956. Imlach then made another bold prediction: the Leafs would win the Stanley Cup. Although it was not to be, the Leafs, who had begun the season in the bottom of the NHL, did meet the Montreal Canadiens in the 1959 Stanley Cup final. Despite Imlach's prediction, the Leafs failed to dethrone the Canadiens.

The 1960s

Punch Imlach is often credited with choosing veteran players from other NHL clubs to finish their careers in Toronto. One significant acquisition by Imlach was a trade for Red Kelly of the Detroit Red Wings. He also acquired junior hockey star David Keon. With players like Keon, Kelly, Tim Horton, Carl Brewer and captain George Armstrong, the Leafs had a strong line-up. However, in the 1961 playoffs, the team was riddled with injuries, and was defeated by the Detroit Red Wings in the first round. That series was the last Conn Smythe would enjoy as Leafs' owner; that year, he relinquished control to his son, Stafford Smythe, Harold Ballard and John Bassett. The following season, the Leafs took home the 1962 Stanley Cup, 11 years after their last win at the hands of Barilko's overtime winning goal. Poignantly, soon after their 1962 win, the cause of Barilko's disappearance was finally discovered.

The team went on to their second consecutive Cup in 1963, and the following year tied their record of three Stanley Cups in a row. However, the team's playoff successes could not stop the Montreal Canadiens from taking the Cup in 1965.

The two teams met again at the 1967 Stanley Cup finals. By most accounts, the 1967 playoffs should have belonged to the Canadiens. Not only was Montréal the host of the Expo 67, but the Canadiens planned to display their winning 1967 Stanley Cup in the Québec Pavilion at Expo. They had reason to expect the win, as they had won the Cup for the past two seasons and had a much younger team than Toronto. Moreover, the Leafs had played a mediocre season. However, the Leafs took the series to a game seven deciding match and won their 11th Stanley Cup.

The win would be the last Stanley Cup for the Leafs. The 1967 playoffs were the last of the NHL's "Original Six " era — the six teams that formed the basis of the NHL from 1942 to 1967. Following the 1966–67 season, the NHL doubled in size to 12 teams. The Maple Leafs' status as a NHL powerhouse was over. The Leafs are the only one of the Original Six not to have won the Stanley Cup since the expansion of the league.

Although Imlach attempted to bolster the Leafs in 1968 with a number of ill-advised trades to Detroit for Norm Ullman, Paul Henderson and Floyd Smith, his magic was gone. Players became disgruntled, and, although the team did advance to the playoffs in 1969, they were quickly beaten by Bobby Orr and the Boston Bruins. Leafs President Stafford Smythe soon after fired Imlach, bringing an end to what would be the first Imlach era.

The 1970s

With Imlach gone, the Leafs were led by coach John McLellan and general manager Jim Gregory. Although the team finished out of the playoffs, their low ranking allowed them to draft Darryl Sittler, who would come to dominate the Leafs through the 1970s and become the second highest scorer in the team’s history. Despite the team’s promise, it was knocked out of both the 1971 and 1972 playoffs in the first round. In 1973, Red Kelly succeeded John McLellan as coach of the team.

One of the most significant challenges was the leadership of Harold Ballard. In 1969, Leafs president Stafford Smythe and vice president Harold Ballard were charged with tax evasion. Although John Bassett tried to limit the influence of both men, between them, they owned almost half of the company’s shares. Bassett resigned and sold his shares to the two men in 1971. However, Smythe died not long after and Ballard bought his shares, given him a controlling interest in the team.

Ballard would lead the once great team to ruin. Not long after taking control, he was convicted of tax evasion, fraud and theft, and spent a year behind bars. More significantly for the team, Ballard did not respect his players and lost many of them to the newly formed World Hockey Association (1972–79).

General Manager Jim Gregory went on a mission to rebuild the team roster, acquiring Lanny McDonald, Bob Neely and Ian Turnbull. He also sent scouts to Europe, and signed Inge Hammarstrom and Borje Salming. Along with Sittler, who scored 10 points in a victory over the Boston Bruins on 7 February 1976 (the best-ever offensive game in league history), these additions brought new life to the team. However, they were still eliminated three playoffs in a row by the physically-dominant Philadelphia Flyers.

By the 1977–78 season, Kelly was relieved of his coaching duties and replaced by Roger Neilson. Despite Neilson leading the team to the playoff semi-finals, the team continued to be plagued by the antics of team owner Ballard. Late in the 1978–79 season, Ballard fired Neilson, only to reinstate him a few days later due to the lack of a replacement.

In 1979, owner Harold Ballard made the unexpected decision to fire Neilson and Gregory, and re-hire Imlach to run the franchise. The team suffered serious setbacks in the decade that followed. Leafs players feuded with Imlach for the better part of the 1979–80 season, and, by the end, Imlach had traded nearly half the Leafs roster. Sittler and fellow teammates were incensed by the new management and the loss of star players such as Lanny McDonald. Sittler cut the "C " ("Captain ") off his sweater prior to a 1979 game in protest. Ballard's antics continued through the next decade.

The 1980s

The 1980s are considered the darkest period in Leafs’ history, remembered not for the stellar play of the team, but for the antics of its owner, Harold Ballard. Throughout the 1980s, the Toronto Maple Leafs appeared to be in disarray at the hands of Ballard, who replaced three general managers and seven coaches during the decade.

Just as the decade was beginning, many players had had enough. Leafs star Darryl Sittler demanded to be traded midway through the 1981–82 season, and was subsequently sent to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Leafs experienced little success at the start of the decade, and missed the playoffs in 1982, 1984 and 1985.

As a result of their low standings, the Leafs were awarded a number of early draft picks. This brought Jim Benning, Gary Nyland, Russ Courtnall and Al Iafrate to the team. Although the team managed to secure these draft picks, Ballard refused to pay the salaries they demanded and the talent was soon lost to other NHL teams.

One highlight came in 1985 when the team had the first pick overall in the NHL entry draft. The Leafs selected Wendel Clark of the Western Hockey League's Saskatoon Blades. Clark went on to become one of the most popular players in Leafs’ history, serving as the team's captain. His physical play exhilarated fans during the late 1980s. With Clark, the team made it to the second round of playoffs in both 1986 and 1987, and the first round in 1988. However, in 1989, the Leafs missed the playoffs entirely. By the 1989–90 season, it was obvious that the once great team was gone. Though they returned to the playoffs in 1990, they were knocked out in the first round by the more disciplined St Louis Blues.

Perhaps most significantly for the Leafs, the end of the Ballard era arrived on 11 April 1990, when the owner passed away.

The 1990s

By the beginning of the 1990s, the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans were looking to put the dismal past decade behind them. Following Ballard's death in 1990, supermarket entrepreneur Steve Stavro purchased the team. Hope came in the form of General Manager Cliff Fletcher, who had led the Calgary Flames to success. Fletcher was hired in the hopes that he could build this kind of success in Toronto. One of Fletcher's first moves was a seven-player trade with the Edmonton Oilers that brought goaltender Grant Fuhr and winger Glenn Anderson to the Leafs. In addition, he masterminded a 10-player trade with the Calgary Flames for Gary Leeman. In return, the Leafs acquired Doug Gilmour and Jamie Macoun.

Although the Leafs missed the 1991–92 playoffs, the team had a new spirit. This was bolstered when Fletcher hired former Canadiens coach Pat Burns to lead the Leafs. Although Fuhr was sent to Buffalo, the Leafs had a new goaltender in Felix Potvin. The new team appeared to have a winning lineup, with the Leafs finishing the 1992–93 season in third place with a team record of 99 points. The Leafs made it to the third round of the 1993 playoffs. Despite the heartbreaking loss to Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings in game seven, it was the furthest the team had made it since 1967. They repeated this result in the 1994 playoffs.

Before the 1994–95 season began, Fletcher unexpectedly traded many Leaf stars, including captain Wendel Clark, for Swedish centre Mats Sundin, who went on to become one of the most popular Leaf players and captains. Nevertheless, the Leafs lost in the first round of the 1995 playoffs, and followed this with a slump in the 1995–96 season. Coach Burns was fired, and Doug Gilmour, who had twice led the team to the third round of the playoffs, was traded to New Jersey. Fletcher was subsequently let go by the Leafs owners. The team missed the playoffs in 1997 and 1998.

The decade ended with a new coach behind the bench, Pat Quinn, a new goaltender, Curtis Joseph, and a new venue. The Leafs played their last game at Maple Leaf Gardens on 13 February 1999 and a week later, played their first game in the new Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena). They celebrated the year with a trip to the Stanley Cup semi-finals under coach Quinn, but were knocked out by the Buffalo Sabres.

2000–2015

The Leafs continued to improve into 2000, the first year they reached the 100-point mark and their first division title in 37 years. The team reached the second round of playoffs in both 2000 and 2001, losing both times to the New Jersey Devils. In 2002, with many of their players (including captain Mats Sundin) sidelined with injuries, the team lost in the Eastern Conference finals in six games. Despite attempts to re-sign Curtis Joseph, the Leafs' goalie left for the Red Wings. Although the team re-signed Doug Gilmour, he suffered a season-ending knee injury and retired after the 2003 regular season.

In 2004, the Leafs accumulated a franchise record for points and finished second in the Northeast Division. However, after the NHL lockout (which cancelled the 2004–05 season), the Leafs struggled, failing to qualify for the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons. Star player and long-time captain Sundin left as a free agent in 2008 and signed with the Vancouver Canucks. In 2008, the contract of general manager John Ferguson, Jr., was not renewed. He was replaced on an interim basis by Cliff Fletcher while the team searched for a replacement.

Pressure was on the club to hire a general manager to take the team back to its glory days of the 1960s. Eventually, they secured Brian Burke, who left the GM position with the Anaheim Ducks to join the Leafs in November 2008. He made an impression early by trading away the team's first round draft choices in the 2010 and 2011 entry draft to get forward Phil Kessel from the Boston Bruins. The Leafs again struggled, even with Kessel, and finished 29th in the 2009–10 season.

After struggling throughout the 2011–12 season, the Leafs dismissed head coach Ron Wilson on 2 March 2012. Wilson’s time with the franchise, dating back to the 2008–09 season, had not been successful and he finished with a coaching record of 130–135–45. The Leafs replaced Wilson with Randy Carlyle, who, as head coach of the Anaheim Ducks, had won the Stanley Cup in 2007.

Not long after the 2012–13 season began, the Leafs fired Brian Burke as the team’s general manager, replacing him with assistant general manager Dave Nonis. Under Nonis and Carlyle, the Leafs made it to the playoffs, ending a seven-year drought. They faced long-time rivals the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Projected to be the underdogs, Toronto valiantly forced the series to seven games. In the final game in Boston, the Leafs were leading 4–1 with less than 15 minutes remaining in the third period, but a series of miscues allowed the Bruins to tie the game. Boston subsequently won the game in overtime, eliminating Toronto from the playoffs.

The Maple Leafs’ return to the postseason was short lived, as they were unable to clinch another playoff berth the following season, and finished 23rd in the league with a 38–36–8 record. In the offseason that year, the Leafs hired the National Hockey League’s former head of player safety, Brendan Shanahan, to become the club’s president of hockey operations and alternate governor.

The Leafs’ troubles continued in the 2014–15 season. On 6 January 2015, the team fired Carlyle and appointed assistant coach Peter Horachek as the interim bench boss. However, the team continued to struggle. Not long after Horachek assumed his new role, the Leafs set a franchise record when they recorded an 11-game winless streak. The last time the team had lost 10 games in row was in the 1966–67 season. After once again failing to qualify for the playoffs, the Leafs parted ways with general manager Dave Nonis (and much of their coaching staff) on 12 April 2015.

2015–Present

Change continued to sweep through the Leafs organization in the offseason. On 20 May 2015, after months of speculation and rumours, Toronto hired Mike Babcock as the team’s new head coach. Babcock had previously been the bench boss of the Detroit Red Wings, guiding the team to a Stanley Cup victory in 2008. He had also been at the helm for Canada’s gold medal wins in the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The Leafs inked him to an eight-year contract worth approximately $50-million, making Babcock the highest paid coaching in NHL history.

In the off-season, the Maple Leafs made a change in net, acquiring goaltender Frederik Andersen from the Anaheim Ducks. They promptly signed him to a five-year, $25-million contract. Less than a week later, at the NHL Entry Draft, the Maple Leafs selected Mitchell Marner fourth overall and nabbed defenceman Travis Dermott in the second round. On 1 July 2015, the Maple Leafs made a big splash by trading one of the franchise’s most prolific goal scorers, Phil Kessel, to the Pittsburgh Penguins as the club continued with plans to rebuild the team. Later that summer, the Maple Leafs appointed Lou Lamoriello as the club’s 16th general manager. Lamoriello had been the president and general manager of the New Jersey Devils for 28 years and presided over three Stanley Cup–winning teams.

Following the 2015–16 campaign, in which the Maple Leafs finished at the bottom of the league standings with 69 points, the club won the NHL Draft Lottery to secure the first overall pick at the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. On 24 June 2016, Toronto used the top pick to select Auston Matthews, who had just finished his first season playing professional hockey in Switzerland.

Matthews immediately lived up to his billing, scoring four goals in his first NHL game against the Ottawa Senators. By the end of the season, he had racked up 40 goals and 69 points and established new Maple Leafs rookie scoring records. Matthews took home the league’s Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie, becoming the first Toronto player to win the award in more than 50 years. Fellow newcomers William Nylander and Mitchell Marner also gave stellar performances. The team finished fourth in the Atlantic Division with 95 points — a marked improvement over the previous season.

The team built on its success in the 2017–18 campaign and established franchise records for most wins (49), most home wins (29) and most points (105). Expectations were high for the Maple Leafs heading into the postseason, but they fell to the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, losing four games to three in a hard-fought battle.

On 1 July 2018, after months of speculation, centre John Tavares fulfilled his childhood dream and signed a seven-year, $77-million contract with the Maple Leafs.

Stanley Cup Results

1967 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens

Game One - Montreal Canadiens 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Game Two - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Montreal Canadiens 0
Game Three - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Montreal Canadiens 2
Game Four - Montreal Canadiens 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Game Five - Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Montreal Canadiens 1
Game Six - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Montreal Canadiens 1

Toronto Maple Leafs win series 4–2, and the Stanley Cup

1964 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings

Game One - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Detroit Red Wings 2
Game Two - Detroit Red Wings 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 3
Game Three - Detroit Red Wings 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 3
Game Four -Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Detroit Red Wings 2
Game Five - Detroit Red Wings 2, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Six - Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Detroit Red Wings 3
Game Seven - Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Detroit Red Wings 0

Toronto Maple Leafs win series 4–3, and the Stanley Cup

1963 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings

Game One - Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Detroit Red Wings 2
Game Two -Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Detroit Red Wings 2
Game Three - Detroit Red Wings 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Game Four - Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Detroit Red Wings 2
Game Five - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Detroit Red Wings 1

Toronto Maple Leafs win series 4–1, and the Stanley Cup

1962 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Game One - Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Chicago Blackhawks 1
Game Two - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2
Game Three - Chicago Blackhawks 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 0
Game Four - Chicago Blackhawks 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Five - Toronto Maple Leafs 8, Chicago Blackhawks 4
Game Six - Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Chicago Blackhawks 1

Toronto Maple Leafs win series 4–2, and the Stanley Cup

1960 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens

Game One - Montreal Canadiens 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Game Two - Montreal Canadiens 2, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Three - Montreal Canadiens 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Game Four - Montreal Canadiens 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 0

Montreal Canadiens win series 4–0, and the Stanley Cup

1959 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens

Game One - Montreal Canadiens 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 3
Game Two - Montreal Canadiens 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Three - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Montreal Canadiens 2
Game Four - Montreal Canadiens 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Game Five - Montreal Canadiens 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 3

Montreal Canadiens win series 4–1, and the Stanley Cup

1951 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens

Game One - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Montreal Canadiens 2
Game Two - Montreal Canadiens 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Game Three - Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Montreal Canadiens 1
Game Four - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Montreal Canadiens 2
Game Five - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Montreal Canadiens 2

Toronto Maple Leafs win series 4–1, and the Stanley Cup

1949 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings

Game One - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Detroit Red Wings 2
Game Two - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Detroit Red Wings 1
Game Three - Toronto Maple Leafs 3 Detroit Red Wings 1
Game Four - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Detroit Red Wings 1

Toronto Maple Leafs win series 4–0, and the Stanley Cup

1948 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings

Game One - Toronto Maple Leafs 5, Detroit Red Wings 3
Game Two - Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Detroit Red Wings 2
Game Three - Toronto Maple Leafs 2 Detroit Red Wings 0
Game Four - Toronto Maple Leafs 7, Detroit Red Wings 2

Toronto Maple Leafs win series 4–0, and the Stanley Cup

1947 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens

Game One - Montreal Canadiens 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 0
Game Two - Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Montreal Canadiens 0
Game Three - Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Montreal Canadiens 2
Game Four - Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Montreal Canadiens 1
Game Five - Montreal Canadiens 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Six - Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Montreal Canadiens 1

Toronto Maple Leafs win series 4–2, and the Stanley Cup

1945 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings

Game One - Toronto Maple Leafs 1, Detroit Red Wings 0
Game Two - Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Detroit Red Wings 0
Game Three - Toronto Maple Leafs 1, Detroit Red Wings 0
Game Four - Detroit Red Wings 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 3
Game Five - Detroit Red Wings 2, Toronto Maple Leafs 0
Game Six - Detroit Red Wings 1, Toronto Maple Leafs 0
Game Seven - Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Detroit Red Wings 1

Toronto Maple Leafs win series 4–3, and the Stanley Cup

1942 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings

Game One - Detroit Red Wings 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Game Two - Detroit Red Wings 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Game Three - Detroit Red Wings 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Game Four - Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Detroit Red Wings 3
Game Five -Toronto Maple Leafs 9, Detroit Red Wings 3
Game Six - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Detroit Red Wings 0
Game Seven - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Detroit Red Wings 1

Toronto Maple Leafs win series 4–3, and the Stanley Cup

1940 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. New York Rangers

Game One - New York Rangers 2, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Two - New York Rangers 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Game Three - Toronto Maple Leafs 2, New York Rangers 1
Game Four - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, New York Rangers 0
Game Five - New York Rangers 2, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Six - New York Rangers 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 2

New York Rangers win series 4–2, and the Stanley Cup

1939 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins

Game One - Boston Bruins 2, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Two - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Boston Bruins 2
Game Three - Boston Bruins 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Four - Boston Bruins 2, Toronto Maple Leafs 0
Game Five - Boston Bruins 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1

Boston Bruins win series 4–1, and the Stanley Cup

1938 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Game One - Chicago Blackhawks 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Two - Toronto Maple Leafs 5, Chicago Blackhawks 1
Game Three - Chicago Blackhawks 2, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Four - Chicago Blackhawks 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 1

Chicago Blackhawks win best-of-five series 3–1, and the Stanley Cup

1936 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings

Game One - Detroit Red Wings 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Two - Detroit Red Wings 9, Toronto Maple Leafs 4
Game Three - Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Detroit Red Wings 3
Game Four - Detroit Red Wings 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 2

Detroit Red Wings win best-of-five series 3–1, and the Stanley Cup

1935 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Maroons

Game One - Montreal Maroons 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
Game Two - Montreal Maroons 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Three - Montreal Maroons 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 1

Montreal Maroons win best-of-five series 3–0, and the Stanley Cup

1933 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. New York Rangers

Game One - New York Rangers 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Two - New York Rangers 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Game Three - Toronto Maple Leafs 3, New York Rangers 2
Game Four - New York Rangers 1, Toronto Maple Leafs 0

New York Rangers win best-of-five series 3–1, and the Stanley Cup

1932 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. New York Rangers

Game One - Toronto Maple Leafs 6, New York Rangers 4
Game Two - Toronto Maple Leafs 6, New York Rangers 2
Game Three - Toronto Maple Leafs 6, New York Rangers 4

Toronto Maple Leafs win best-of-five series 3–0, and the Stanley Cup

1922 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto St. Pats vs. Vancouver Millionaires

Game One - Vancouver Millionaires 4, Toronto St. Pats 3
Game Two - Toronto St. Pats 2, Vancouver Millionaires 1
Game Three - Vancouver Millionaires 3, Toronto St. Pats 0
Game Four - Toronto St. Pats 6, Vancouver Millionaires 0
Game Five - Toronto St. Pats 5, Vancouver Millionaires 1

Toronto St. Pats win best-of-five series 3–2, and the Stanley Cup

1918 Stanley Cup Final
Toronto Arenas vs. Vancouver Millionaires

Game One - Toronto Arenas 5, Vancouver Millionaires 3
Game Two - Vancouver Millionaires 6, Toronto Arenas 4
Game Three - Toronto Arenas 6, Vancouver Millionaires 3
Game Four - Vancouver Millionaires 8, Toronto Arenas 1
Game Five - Toronto Arenas 2, Vancouver Millionaires 1

Toronto Arenas win best-of-five series 3–2, and the Stanley Cup

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