O Canada

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS


One of the original teams when the NHL formed in 1917, the Toronto franchise was formed in an effort to spite the owner of the Toronto Blueshirts of the NHA.  They operated without a nickname for the first year of their existence before becoming the Arenas in 1918.  That would last a year before the new owners renamed them the St. Pats.  In 1927, the team was renamed to the Maple Leafs.  Since 1927, when they became the Maple Leafs, the team has had eighteen captains.

MAPLE LEAF BEGINNINGS TO EXPANSION ERA

Beginning with the renaming of the franchise on Valentine's Day of 1927, Bert Corbeau would be named captain to finish the season.  Beginning with the following season, Hap Day would take over the captaincy, a role he would hold until 1937.  A year of Charlie Conacher would follow before Red Horner would captain the team for the next two years.  Syl Apps would wear the C from 1940 until 1943, which would be followed by two years of Bob Davidson and a 1945 to 1948 reign of Apps.  Ted Kennedy would captain the team from 1948 until 1955, and would be succeeded by Sid Smith for a season.  Jimmy Thomson would begin the 1956-57 season as captain, but Kennedy would finish the season as captain.  George Armstrong would be named captain in 1957 and would hold the captaincy until 1969, and holds the distinction of being the captain of the Maple Leafs' last Stanley Cup team in 1967.

POST EXPANSION ERA


Dave Keon would be named captain in 1969, and would be in that role until 1975.  Darryl Sittler would be named captain in 1975, and would have two separate stints as captain, his first run being until 1979, and his second run being from 1980 until 1982, with the team running without a captain for the 1979-80 season.  Rick Vaive would be named captain from 1982 until 1986.  The next three seasons would have the Leafs go without a captain, and 1989, Rob Ramage would be named captain.  He would wear the C until 1991, when Wendel Clark would be named captain.  A popular player in Toronto, he would wear the C until his trade in the 1994 offseason to the Quebec Nordiques that saw Mats Sundin come to Toronto.  Doug Gilmour would be named captain in the wake of the trade, and would hold the role until 1997.  The aforementioned Mats Sundin would be named captain in 1997, and would wear the C until the conclusion of the 2007-08 season.  Two seasons without a captain followed before Dion Phaneuf would be named captain in 2010.