Hey there! Are you a Toronto Maple Leafs fan? If so, then you’re probably familiar with the team’s long and storied history. Over the years, the Leafs have had some truly great captains, each of whom has left their mark on the franchise in their own way. Here are just a few of the most notable Toronto Maple Leaf Captains
- Hap Day
- Ted Kennedy
- George Armstrong
- Dave Keon
- Darryl Sittler
- Rick Vaive
- Rob Ramage
- Wendel Clark
- Doug Gilmour
- Mats Sundin
- Dion Phaneuf
- John Tavares
These players all played a key role in leading the Maple Leafs to success on the ice, and they remain beloved figures among fans of the team to this day.
Here are some stats and info on each of these Toronto Maple Leaf captains.
Hap Day (1937-1940, 1942-1943) – Day was a defenseman who served as captain during two different stints with the Leafs. He won four Stanley Cups with Toronto and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player in 1961. He had 93 points (26 goals, 67 assists) in 299 regular season games as a Leaf.
Ted Kennedy (1948-1955) – Kennedy was a center who captained the Leafs to five Stanley Cup championships in seven seasons. He was known for his toughness and defensive skills, as well as his offensive contributions – he had 560 points (231 goals, 329 assists) in 696 regular season games as a Leaf.
George Armstrong (1958-1969) – Armstrong was a right winger who served as captain for a franchise-record 12 seasons. He won four Stanley Cups with Toronto and was known for his leadership and work ethic. He had 713 points (296 goals, 417 assists) in 1188 regular season games as a Leaf.
George Armstrong was the Toronto Maple Leaf captain for a franchise-record 12 seasons. Thanks Chief
Dave Keon (1969-1975) – Keon was a center who won four Stanley Cups with the Leafs. He was known for his speed and two-way play, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986. He had 858 points (365 goals, 493 assists) in 1062 regular season games as a Leaf.
Darryl Sittler (1975-1982) – Sittler was a center who famously scored 10 points in a game against the Boston Bruins in 1976. He served as captain for six seasons and helped lead the Leafs to the Stanley Cup semifinals in 1978. He had 916 points (389 goals, 527 assists) in 844 regular season games as a Leaf.
Rick Vaive (1982-1986) – Vaive was a right winger who scored 50 goals in three consecutive seasons from 1981-1984. He served as captain for four seasons and was the first player in Leafs history to score 50 goals in a season. He had 299 points (181 goals, 118 assists) in 325 regular season games as a Leaf.
Rob Ramage (1989-1991) – Rob Ramage captained the Leafs between 1989 and 1991. Ramage played in the WHA for the Birmingham Bulls before entering the NHL. He played for Calgary, St. Louis, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Montreal, Philadelphia, and, of course, Toronto. He won a Stanley cup in 89 with the Flames and also as a Montreal Canadien in 1993.
Wendel Clark (1991-1994) – Clark was a left winger who served as captain for two different stints with the Leafs. He was known for his physical play and willingness to drop the gloves, but also had a scoring touch – he had 564 points (260 goals, 304 assists) in 608 regular season games as a Leaf.
Doug Gilmour(1994-1997) – Doug Gilmour played for the Leafs between 1991-1997. He was a fan favorite and a great player. He ended up playing 1,474 games in the NHL with a few teams. He scored 459 goals, and 964 assists for a point total of 1414. Pretty amazing stats.
Mats Sundin (1997-2008) – Sundin was a center who served as captain for more games (981) than any other player in Leafs history. He was a seven-time All-Star and scored 987 points (420 goals, 567 assists) in 981 regular season games as a Leaf. He also led the team to the Eastern Conference finals in 2002.
Matts Sundin is the all time leading scorer in Toronto Maple Leafs History. He scored 420 goals. With 987 he has the most total points as well.
Dion Phaneuf (2010-2016) – Phaneuf was a defenseman who served as captain for six seasons. He was known for his physical play and offensive contributions, but also took criticism for his defensive lapses. He had 196 points (45 goals, 151 assists) in 423 regular season games as a Leaf.
John Tavares (2019-2023) – On October 2, 2019 John Tavares became the Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. As of 2023 he is still the captain and contributes with other big names like Austin Mathews and Mitch Marner to a very offensive Leaf team.
Thanks for your time and please leave a comment below. Who was the best Leaf captain of all time?
