Maple Leafs by the Numbers: #22 Rick Vaive or Tiger Williams?

Two fan favourite Leafs, both traded for each other. Who gets the nod: Tiger Williams or Rick Vaive?

Rick Vaive (1980-1987)
Stats: 512GP - 290G - 230A - 520Pts - 863PM

Rick Vaive was drafted 5th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 1979, afer he played one season for the Birmingham Bulls of the WHA. He wouldn’t last long in Vancouver as the Canucks sent him to the Maple Leafs with Bill Derlago in exchange for Tiger Williams and Jerry Butler. Vaive would play eight seasons with the Maple Leafs, captaining the team for four of them, until he was stripped of the captaincy in the 86-87 season by Harold Ballard for missing morning practice. At the start of the 87-88 season he would be traded to the Blackhawks with Steve Thomas and Bob McGill for  Ed Olczyk and Al Secord. He would play for the Blackhawks and Sabres before spening one year with the AHL Hamilton Canucks before retiring.

Tiger Williams (1975-80)
Stats: 407GP - 109G - 132A - 241Pts - 1670PM

A second round pick for the Leafs, Dave ‘Tiger’ Williams would play six seasons with the Leafs as an enforcer and stick rider, until being traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Rick Vaive. Fans in Toronto always loved their enforcers and Williams was no different. He currently holds the NHL records for most penalty minutes for a career - 4,421 and regular season - 3,966. His Maple Leafs records would be surpassed by Tie Domi.

Other 22’s:
Doug Acomb (1970)
Stats: 2GP - 0G - 1A - 1Pt - 0PM

Acomb played two games for the Leafs after junior, but spent most of his career in the minors.

Gary Aldcorn (1958-59)
Stats: 5GP - 0G - 3A - 3Pts - 2PM

Aldcorn was a call up three times for the Leafs over three seasons, before sticking in the NHL with the Red Wings.

Ken Baumgartner (1992-96)
Stats: 189GP - 7G - 7A - 14Pts - 497PM

Baumgartner joined the Leafs after playing for the Kings and Islanders in a trade with New York for Claude Loiselle and Daniel Marois. After four seasons in Toronto he would be traded to the Ducks for a fourth round pick.

Francois Beauchemin (2009-11)
Stats: 136GP - 7G - 31A - 38Pts - 49PM

Beauchimen was signed as a free agent after he played three seasons with the Anaheim Ducks. His season and a half were spent as an alternate captain with the team, and would end when he was traded back to Anaheim for Jake Gardiner, Joffrey Lupul, and a fourth round pick.

Jack Bionda (1955-56)
Stats: 13GP - 0G -1A - 1Pt - 18PM

Played 13 games for the Leafs after his final junior season, and spent the rest of his career in the minors.

Mike Blaisdell (1987-89)
Stats: 27GP - 4G - 2A - 6Pts - 10PM

Blaisdell joined the Leafs after playing for the Red Wings, Rangers, and Penguins. His two seasons with the Leafs were spent between Newmarket and Toronto, and after those two years he played in Germany.

Arnie Brown (1962)
Stats: 2GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 0PM

Brown played these two games after the junior season was over. He would switch to #18 for all his future Leafs games.

Mike Bullard (1991-92)
Stats: 65GP - 14G - 14A - 28Pts - 40PM

Bullard came to the Leafs after a year in the Swiss league. The former Penguins captain played well in his final NHL season. He would leave the NHL after this season and play 11 seasons in Germany before retiring. He is currently the head coach of the Caledonia “Moneybags” Corvairs of the Jr B GOJHL.

Brian Conacher (1966-68)
Stats: 126GP - 25G - 27A - 52Pts - 78PM
Awards: Stanley Cup - 1967

Nephew of Maple Leafs legend Charlie Conacher, Brian would play two full seasons with the Maple Leafs as a role player, helping win the Stanley Cup in 1967. After the cup win he would play three seasons on Team Canada and play two more pro seasons with the Red Wings and Ottawa Nationals (WHA).

Dave Creighton (1959-60)
Stats: 14GP - 1G - 5A - 6Pts - 4PM

Creighton was an annual all up but never played a full season in the NHL with Toronto after three years with the Rangers. After this season he would stay in the AHL for the remainder of his career.

Brian Cullen (1957-58)
Stats: 67GP - 20G - 23A - 43Pts - 29PM

Cullen would wear several numbers for the Leafs, and 57-58 was his second last season with the Leafs. After Toronto he would play with the Rangers and then AHL Buffalo Bisons before retiring and opening a Chevy dealership in St. Catharines, where he won the Memorial Cup in junior.

Boyd Devereaux (2006-09)
Stats: 118GP - 21G - 27A - 48Pts - 38PM

Spending his final three NHL seasons with the Maple Leafs, Devereaux only got one full season up with the Leafs, he split his first and third seasons with the Marlies. After his time in Toronto he played half a season in the Swiss league until suffering a fractured vertebrae at the Spengler Cup. He retired afterwards and returned home to Kitchener.

Dave Fortier (1970-73)
Stats: 23GP - 1G - 4A - 5Pts - 63PM

A second round pick in 1971, Fortier only made it into 23 Leafs games before being traded with Randy Osburn to the Flyers for Bill Flett.

Gord Hannigan (1953-55)
Stats: 113GP - 21G - 24A - 45Pts - 63PM

His first three seasons with the Leafs were in #22, and he switched to #23 in his final year. After leaving the Leafs he played two years in the minors and retired.

Larry Hillman (1960-65)
Stats: 113GP - 21G - 24A - 45Pts - 63PM
Awards: Stanley Cup - 1962, 63, 64

Larry signed with the Leafs after a few seasons with the Bruins and Red Wings. All of his years in Toronto were split between the NHL and AHL, but he’d always be there to help them win the cup. After eight seasons with the Leafs he would move on to the North Stars, Canadiens, Flyers, Sabres, Kings, and WHA Cleveland and Winnipeg.

Ron Hurst (1955-56)
Stats: 50GP - 7G - 5A - 12Pts - 62PM

Played two seasons for the Leafs/Rochester Americans and after that he played in the minors until retiring.

Larry Jeffrey (1965-66)
Stats: 20GP - 1G - 1A - 2Pts - 22PM

Jeffrey joined the Leafs after playing with the Red Wings, and split the 65-66 season between the Leafs and the Americans. He would play one more season then move on to the New York Rangers.

Danny Johnson (1969-70)
Stats: 1GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 0PM

Played one game with the Leafs before finding more success with the Canucks and WHA Jets.

Forbes Kennedy (1969)
Stats: 13GP - 0G - 3A - 3Pts - 24PM

Kennedy joined the Leafs in a multiplayer trade from the Flyers, at the 1969 trade deadline. After the 68-69 season ended his rights would be sent to the Penguins for cash.

Ken Klee (2003-06)
Stats: 122GP - 7G - 37A - 44Pts - 102PM

After nine seasons with the Capitals he signed with the Maple Leafs and played here the two seasons surrounding the lost season. Near the end of the 05-06 season, he would be traded to the New Jersey Devils for Aleksander Suglobov.

Igor Korolev (1997-2001)
Stats: 297GP - 60G - 101A - 161Pts - 118PM

Joining the Leafs after time with the Blues and Jets, Korolev signed with the Leafs, and played here for four seasons, playing as a second/third line centre. In the 2001 off season he would be traded to the Blackhawks for a third round pick.

Al MacNeil (1956-60)
Stats: 70GP - 4G - 8A - 12Pts - 95PM

MacNeil spent five seasons making brief appearances on the Leafs, but spent most of the time in the minors. He would stick in the NHL with the Blackhawks, Rangers, and Penguins.

Brian Marchinko (1970-72)
Stats: 5GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 0PM

Another minor leaguer who got a couple call ups, but never made the NHL.

Don Marshall (1971-72)
Stats: 50GP - 2G - 14A - 16Pts - 0PM

Mashall played his final NHL season with the Leafs, after nine seasons with the Canadiens, seven with the Rangers, and one with the Sabres.

Rudy Migay (1958-60)
Stats: 20GP - 1G - 1A - 2Pts - 4PM

A long time Leafs, his final two seasons with the team were split between the Leafs and Americans. After retiring he would spend 20 years as a scout with the Penguins and Sabres.

Scott Pearson (1989-91/1996-97)
Stats: 13GP - 0G - 0A - 10Pts - 22PM

A first round pick for the Leafs he never played long for the team before being traded with picks to the Nordiques for Aaron Broten, Lucien DeBlois, and Michel Petit. After playing with the Nordiques, Sabres, and Oilers Pearson would play 15 games between St. John’s and Toronto in the 96-97 season.

Michel Petit (1990-91)
Stats: 54GP - 9G - 19A - 19Pts - 22PM

As noted above, he came to the Leafs from the Nordiques. He would play two half seasons in Toronto until being sent to the Flames in the Doug Gilmour trade.

Alexei Ponikarovsky (2002-03)
Stats: 13GP - 0G - 3A - 3Pts - 11PM

His third season in the Leafs system, he was called up for 13 games and wore #22. This was his final season split with St. John’s and Toronto before staying up for good the following season.

Luke Richardson (2006)
Stats: 21GP - 0G - 3A - 3Pts - 41PM

His second stint with the Leafs began at the 2006 trade deadline, when he joined the team from the Blue Jackets in exchange for a 5th round pick. He would play three more seasons with the Lightning and Senators before retiring and going into coaching, and he is currently an assistant coach with the New York Islanders.

Zach Sill (2015)
Stats: 21GP - 0G - 1A - 1Pt - 24PM

Sill came to the Leafs from the Penguins along with picks in exchange for Daniel Winnik. He was released after the season and signed with the Capitals. He’s currently playing with their AHL team, the Hershey Bears.

Jerred Smithson (2013-14)
Stats: 18GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 9PM

Jerred signed with the Leafs after playing for the Kings, Predators, Panthers , and Oilers. His year in Toronto was split between the Leafs and Marlies. He would play one more year in Denmark before retiring. He’s currently a coach in the BCHL with the Vernon Vipers.

Brian Spencer (1969-70)
Stats: 9GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 12PM

A fifth round pick for the Leafs, his first season was a brief appearance and mostly spent with the Tulsa Oilers. He would stick with the Islanders, Sabres, and Penguins after leaving Toronto.

Errol Thompson (1970-71)
Stats: 1GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 0PM

Thompson would stick with the Leafs for six seasons, two years after this single game and in #12.

Ray Timgren (1948-52)
Stats: 224GP - 13G - 43A - 56Pts - 62PM
Awards: Stanley Cup - 1949, 1951

Timgren played his first four years with the Leafs in #22, winning two Stanley Cups. He would switch to #23 after four seasons, some spent in the minors. After he retired in 1956 he would become a school principal in Toronto.

Glen Wesley (2003)
Stats: 7GP - 0G - 3A - 3Pts - 4PM

Brought in at the deadline from the Hurricanes for a 2nd round pick, he would return to Carolina after his time with the Leafs.

Nikita Zaistsev (2016-Present)
Stats: 7GP - 0G - 3A - 3Pts - 4PM

Zaitsev joined the Leafs as a free agent from the KHL, and has settled into his role on the Leafs second pairing. He’s signed on until 2024, so he could become the longest reigning #22 for the Leafs.

Who was the best #22 for the Maple Leafs?