Published to coincide with the Maple Leafs' 75th anniversary, this book traces the history of the legendary Leafs over eight decades. Everything a fan could want is here - in-depth profiles of 75 of the greatest players (including the men who led the Leafs to 11 Stanley Cup victories); anecdotes, statistics, and trivia; and a wealth of historical and contemporary photographs capturing the club's most dramatic moments. This lavishly illustrated volume is a grand tribute to one of hockey's greatest teams.
In 1967 the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in a stunning defeat of the mighty Montreal Canadiens in Canada’s centennial year. Thirty-nine years later (and counting), no other Leaf team has been able to do it again. As the years pass, the legend grows. The men who were the Leafs in 1967--a scrappy group of aging players and unsung youngsters--were the kings of this universe, the last hockey heroes to skate in the world's most important hockey city. They were the men with the right stuff who enjoyed the perks and privileges that went with it. Sixty-Seven is not just another hockey book about that legendary team, but a unique and total look at the contradictions, the legends, the shame and the glory of '67. Within five years of that '67 victory, two key members of the team, Tim Horton and Terry Sawchuk, would be dead due to alcohol and drug-related issues. The man who had succeeded Smythe as King of Carlton Street, Harold Ballard, was in jail. The seeds of what would become a horrifying pedophile scandal a quarter-century later were being planted. All that had been built up over the course of decades was in the process of being torn down. Sixty-Seven will tell previously untold stories, funny and tragic, from the inside of that unforgettable dressing room. And beyond the story of the team, it will tell the story of the times, a time of innocence before Vietnam and Watergate, the last year of the Original Six-Team NHL, and the last gasp of the hockey dynasty built by the legendary Conn Smythe. The story of Sixty-Seven extends well beyond that of a hockey team that found a way to win.
Published in partnership with the Toronto Maple Leafs and officially licensed by the NHL, this is the one and only official Toronto Maple Leafs Centennial publication! The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most storied franchises in all of sport and without question -- the most recognized team in all of hockey. Through this journey of a hundred years of Maple Leaf hockey, fans will read of ups and downs, triumphs and tears, laughter and laments. This publication tells the Leafs' complete history and introduces fans to coaches, as well as such legends as: Apps and Armstrong, Kennedy and Keon, Broda and Bower, Salming and Sundin, but also players who wore the Blue and White and left far more modest legacies. It takes fans to Toronto's first game, the construction of Maple Leaf Gardens and subsequent move to the Air Canada Centre. It celebrates Toronto's Stanley Cups and Hall of Fame players and demonstrates that through each exciting season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have forever remained our team and enjoyed the incredibly loyal support of a nation of fans. Published in complete partnership with the Toronto Maple Leafs and scheduled to release as the Leafs enter their 100th season, this official centennial publication includes contributions from many of the biggest names in Leaf history. Author Kevin Shea gained unprecedented access to players -- past and present -- as well as team executives to offer this book the most compelling, informed, and accurate portrayal of Toronto's historic hockey team and their important place in both the world of hockey and the culture of Canada. Combined with incredible archival photographs and a truly incredible design, this is the definitive and must have book for fans of the Blue and White.
From George Armstrong to Peter Zezel, celebrate some of the Maple Leafs' greatest legends of the past 100 years! Maple Leaf history comes alive in this wonderful A-Z album of some of the Leafs' most memorable players. From Hap Day -- who was with the team even before they were called the Leafs -- to fan favourite Mats Sundin, Leafs fans young and old will love reading about their heroes, their team spirit and love of the game. Share in a hockey legacy more than 100 years in the making. Each featured player's profile includes stats, career highlights and strikingly realistic illustrations. Although this is primarily a children's book, its illustrated picture portraits and sophisticated design will resonate with hockey fans of all ages.
Funny, fierce, and gritty, Bleeding Blue recounts every struggle and success of Wendel Clark’s rough-and-tumble journey to becoming one of hockey’s greatest heroes. As a young boy growing up in Kelvington, Saskatchewan, Wendel Clark never dreamed of an NHL career. The pro league just seemed too far away from the young man’s small-town life in the Prairies. But Wendel had a talent for hockey that was surpassed only by his love for the sport, and it wasn’t long before he embarked on a path that would take him away from his hometown to a new life. Wendel honed his talents in cities across western Canada and earned a reputation as a force to be reckoned with on the ice. Drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs first overall in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, Wendel burst onto the pro scene and immediately made an impact, all the while staying true to his roots. As he learned from the players around him, Wendel steadily matured into a respected leader. He soon assumed the mantle as the Leafs captain, and his willingness to lay it all on the line transformed him into a player who could inspire courage in his teammates and fear in his opponents in equal measure. The future seemed limitless for the young star. But just as Wendel’s talents were set to peak, everything unraveled. Years of no-holds-barred, physical play were taking their toll, and soon his greatest competitor wasn’t anyone on the ice, but his own body. Every movement brought agony, every shift was a challenge, and every game meant the decision to keep fighting. But as Wendel’s body broke down, his resolve only grew. Determined to succeed no matter what the cost, Wendel set out on a course that would allow him to keep doing what he loved and that would turn him into one of the most beloved hockey players of all time. Emotional and uplifting, Bleeding Blue is the story of a man who refused to say no, who wore his heart on his sleeve, and who would do anything to keep going, even when everything told him to quit.
Maple Leafs Top 100 is the definitive book for ardent Maple Leafs fans and is sure to stir passionate debate about its list of the 100 top players from 1927 to 2007. Mike Leonetti, author of Maple Leafs Legends, offers a fresh angle on the much-loved Maple Leafs, making this book a must-have for every fan. The team has not won the Stanley Cup in 40 years: win, lose or draw, diehard fans debate the merits of their favourite team rosters. Leonetti details the team's rich history, featuring profiles on 100 of the top players, as chosen by a specially selected panel of experts. Also included are special essays by John Iaboni, 30-year veteran of the Maple Leafs organization and editor of the Leafs' official program, Leafs Game Day. With full-colour photographs, anecdotes, statistics and trivia spanning eight decades, and in-depth profiles of 100 of the greatest players, this book is an essential part of every hockey fan's collection.
The Toronto Maple Leafs official book of the greatest players and coaches from yesterday and today! We Are Your Leafs is the first book in an eight-book partnership between Fenn/Random House and the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of the team's forthcoming centennial celebration plans. It is the absolute must-have for Leaf fans far and wide! The Toronto Maple Leafs have 61 players and fifteen builders inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame, more than any other NHL franchise. Their list of team captains from the past century of hockey reads like an All-Star roster and the names of each net-minder who have stood between the Leafs' pipes include some of the game's most brilliant goalies. In hockey, there is no other club as recognized and as widely admired as the Leafs. They are baseball's New York Yankees and the NFL's Dallas Cowboys -- a team that defines the sport, is an iconic ingredient in the culture and traditions of its city, and enjoys fan support well beyond their own market. As the Toronto Maple Leafs approach their centennial season, historians, hockey analysts, and fans alike will examine this club's contribution to the game and the athletes who have given the fans so much to cheer for. In We Are Your Leafs, veteran sports writer Mike Ulmer, in partnership with the Toronto Maple Leafs, selects and profiles more than 80 of the greatest Leafs of all time. This unique and fully illustrated official publication recognizes the team's greatest captains, goalies, defencemen, enforcers, coaches, and more. The profiles -- of legends like Johnny Bower, snipers like Phil Kessel, and recent fan favorites such as Doug Gilmour -- are accompanied by entertaining stories, quotes, stats, and a wealth of Leafs memorabilia and photographs.
Whether you're a die-hard booster from the early days of Conn Smythe or a new supporter of John Tavares and Auston Matthews, these are the 100 things all Maple Leafs fans need to know and do in their lifetime. Authors Michael Leonetti and Paul Patskou have collected every essential piece of Maple Leafs knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities, and ranked them, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist as you progress on your way to fan superstardom. 100 Things Maple Leafs Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the ultimate resource guide for true fans.
The hockey stars of the 1950s and '60s--Rocket Richard, Gordie Howe, Dave Keon, Bobby Hull, Jean Beliveau, Terry Sawchuk, Tim Horton, and others--were some of the most passionate players in National Hockey League history. These skillful and often colorful athletes played exhilarating hockey and were national heroes in a time when only six teams and fewer than 150 players battled for the Stanley Cup. Hockey's Original Six celebrates the most dynamic players and exciting moments of the era in more than 120 photographs from the legendary Harold Barkley Archives, including a number of never--or rarely seen--images. From 1942 until the early '70s, Barkley was the Toronto Star's leading sports photographer. He pioneered the use of electronic flash to capture stop-action hockey, and his dramatic work--both black and white and vibrant color--define the pre-expansion period. Two informative essays by Mike Leonetti-hockey historian, archivist, and prolific sportswriter--set Barkley and the photos in context, and short image captions illuminate the players and their feats. Jean Béliveau--hockey legend and elder statesman--provides a personal and insightful foreword. Combining iconic images and hockey lore, Hockey's Original Six is the perfect gift for sports fans, history buffs, and art collectors.
"Since its construction in 1931, the Maple Leaf Gardens had seen its share of powerful, memorable moments and held its share of championship glory. But there was something different about this evening of May 2, 1967." This book will be especially facinating for readers interested in hockey or sports. The Toronto Maple Leafs is one of Canada's greatest franchises. From their humble beginnings in the 1920s, to their remarkable Stanley Cup victories of the 1940s and 1960s, to their teambuilding challenges of the 1990s and beyond, the Leafs have a history packed with exhilarating accomplishments and devastating setbacks. This is their story -- the incredible story of a beloved Canadian institution.
