The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t been the most successful team in this generation. Their last Stanley Cup victory came in 1967, which is surprising considering they are the second-most winningest NHL team in history. The Maple Leafs have 13 Stanley Cups, second to the Montreal Canadiens with 23. However, it’s important for Maple Leafs fans to respect the franchise’s history and hope that better days are ahead with players like Auston Matthews and William Nylander leading the way.
Having said that, let’s look at the Maple Leafs’ 10 greatest teams.
Maple Leafs’ early years
The top five teams in Maple Leafs history came before their last Stanley Cup championship. Unfortunately, the team hasn’t advanced back to the Stanley Cup final since their win in 1967, but some of those teams featured many legendary Hall-of-Famers. There is a reason the Maple Leafs are the center of the hockey universe and it’s because of the road paved by the players on the following five teams.
This era of Maple Leafs hockey may not have many fans who can remember watching them in black and white but the stories will last a lifetime.
1. 1966-67
The number 1967 is a sore spot amongst Maple Leafs fans. It was glorious when Toronto won its 13th Stanley Cup that year, but now it’s the punchline to a joke considering it’s the last time they’ve won the historic trophy. The Leafs were third in the league during the regular season, led by the superb goaltending of legend Terry Sawchuk. Sawchuk had 15 wins and a 2.81 goals-against average.
The Leafs’ offense didn’t generate much excitement, but one of the best forwards in team history, Ron Ellis, led the squad with 22 goals. The Chicago Blackhawks were the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, but the Leafs eliminated them in six games. They moved on to play their rival Canadiens in the finals and won that one in six.
2. 1947-48
The 1948 team was full of Maple Leafs legends and stood head and shoulders above their competition. They finished first in the regular season with a 32-15-3 record, while players like Syl Apps and Turk Broda led the way.
Apps led the team with 26 goals and 27 assists, while Max Bentley finished just behind him with 49 points. Broda was the team MVP, owning a 2.38 goals-against average in an era where goaltenders didn’t excel. Broda’s story was inspiring as he returned from serving in World War II to win this championship.
The Maple Leafs dominated the postseason, winning eight of nine games over the Boston Bruins and Red Wings to win their second-straight title.
3. 1950-51
The 1951 season was concluded with the Leafs winning their fourth Stanley Cup in five years. There weren’t many players on this dynasty that fans would remember, but they are a group that is looked upon fondly in Leafs lore. This Stanley Cup-winning season was another second-place finish, six points behind the Detroit Red Wings.
The Canadiens finished well behind the Maple Leafs that season, but they upset the Red Wings in the semifinals to set up their finals matchup. The Leafs ousted the Canadiens in five games to win another title.
Ted Sloan scored 31 goals to lead the team, while Sid Smith and Cal Gardner finished behind him with 30 and 23 respectively.
4. 1962-63
The 1963 season was another with plenty of legendary Maple Leafs leading the team to a Stanley Cup. The Leafs and Blackhawks battled all season, with Toronto outlasting them by one point. Frank Mahovlich led the Leafs with 36 goals and 37 assists, with Dave Keon contributing 28 goals and 28 assists.
It was another year where the Maple Leafs didn’t have to play against the other contending teams, going 8-2 in the postseason by defeating the Canadiens and Red Wings on the way to their 11th cup and second in three years.
5. 1959-60
The only thing stopping the Maple Leafs from having more Stanley Cups is the dominance of the Canadiens in this era. Toronto had a list of legendary players like George Armstrong and Bob Pulford in 1959-60. Pulford and Armstrong led the team with 52 and 51 points but finished 13 points behind the Habs.
The Leafs won the semi-finals in six games over the Red Wings, but the mighty Canadiens swept the team in the finals to continue their historic run.
The post-Stanley Cup era
The 1968-2024 run of the Maple Leafs can be infamously named the post-Stanley Cup era. The blue and white haven’t appeared in the Stanley Cup Final since 1967 but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have some important teams to the franchise’s history.
6. 1992-93
Close your eyes Leafs fans. The sixth-best team in franchise history was the squad that lost to Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings in the conference finals. Ironically, you were told to close your eyes, as that must’ve been what Kerry Fraser was doing when Gretzky high-stuck Doug Gilmour during Game 6.
The Maple Leafs were one win away from a Stanley Cup Final matchup with the Canadiens, but Fraser missed the call which would’ve been an automatic major penalty and a game misconduct. Gretzky stayed in the game and scored seconds later to extend the series and eventually win in the seventh game.
The Leafs set franchise records in wins and points, and Felix Potvin and Gilmour were among the best goaltenders and forwards in the league, which made the controversial end to the season even more bitter-sweet.
7. 1998-99
The last season at the historic Maple Leaf Gardens was memorable for Toronto. They set franchise records in wins (45) and posted 97 points to qualify for the playoffs after missing out in 1997-98. The group, led by Mats Sundin’s 83 points, turned the franchise around and kickstarted a successful run through the early 2000s.
The Maple Leafs beat the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins in the first two rounds but lost to the Buffalo Sabres in five games in the conference finals.
8. 1999-00
The Leafs finished first in the Northeast Division and third in the Eastern Conference. It was the first season that the Leafs topped 100 points, with Sundin tallying 73 points and Jonas Hoglund taking the city by storm with 29 goals and 27 assists.
Toronto defeated Ottawa in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals but fell to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils in the
9. 2001-02
The Maple Leafs didn’t top the NHL standings in 2001-02, finishing second in the Northeast Division and fourth in the East. However, their best players had one of their most productive seasons of the era. Mats Sundin had 41 goals and Curtis Joseph was one of the top goaltenders in the entire league.
The Maple Leafs beat their rival Ottawa Senators in the semifinals to advance to the East finals but lost again to the Carolina Hurricanes. The streak of failing to advance to the Stanley Cup final added another year.
10. 2022-23
It’d be hard not to honor the team that finally broke the playoff winless streak in the 2023 postseason. The 2022-23 team finished second in the Atlantic Division with a 50-21-11 record. The 111-point performance would’ve given them the top spot in most seasons if the Bruins hadn’t had their historic regular season.
It was a down year for Auston Matthews, finishing third on the team with 40 goals and 45 assists. However, Mitch Marner led the way with 99 points in 80 games, and William Nylander showed his worth by tallying 40 goals and 47 assists. The fans weren’t concerned about individual performances, focusing on the looming matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.
Fans avoided getting their hopes up after the Lightning won Game 1, but the Leafs rallied off three-straight victories to get on the verge of winning their first round since 2004. The team finished the job in Game 6 but fell to the Florida Panthers in five games in the second round to continue the Stanley Cup drought.
