Maple Leafs by the numbers: #31 Curtis Joseph

This is 99.99% goalies, but isn’t too hard a choice. That comes tomorrow.

Curtis Joseph (1998-2002 / 2009)
Stats: 270GP - .910sv% - 2.49GAA - 17SO
Awards:
1999: Hart - 4th, Vezina - 2nd
2000: King Clancy Award, Hart - 11th, Vezina - 3rd
2001: Vezina - 8th
2002: Vezina - 10th

Curtis Joseph was the Leafs goalie when I became a big fan of the team, and I’m always surprised about how short a time he was here. Four seasons originally before leaving for the Red Wings, Joseph came close to winning the Vezina twice, losing out to Dominic Hasek, the man he would replace in Detroit and future Maple Leafs Olaf Kolzig. His charity work in the city won him the King Clancy Award in 2000. Joseph was a top goalie for the Maple Leafs while he was here but left after Pat Quinn wouldn’t move up to a four year contract from a three year. He returned as back up in the 08-09 season, playing behind Vesa Toskala. CuJo is currently working with the Carolina Hurricanes as a goaltending consultant.

Other 31’s:

Frederik Andersen (2016-Present)
Stats: 82GP - 43W - .914sv% - 2.79GAA - 5SO
The Leafs current goalie came in from the Anaheim Ducks in a two part trade for Jonathan Bernier and draft picks.  Much debated up until tonight’s game and beyond was that Andersen was given a five year contract when he joined the Leafs and hadn’t played as a starter for very long in his career. He came into his first season as a Leafs recovering from a pre-Olympics game for Denmark, but recovered well and backstopped the Leafs to their first playoff spot in four years.

Allan Bester (1984-1986)
Stats: 46GP - 14W - .769sv% - 4.87GAA - 1SO
Awards: 1984: Calder trophy - 5th place

Besters career was split between #30 and #31, starting with #31. He came in fifth for the Calder Trophy, despite splitting the season between the Maple Leafs and the OHL’s Brantford Alexanders. Bester was traded to the Red Wing sin his eight season with the Leafs for a 6th round pick. He ended his career in 1998 with the original iteration of the Orlando Solar Bears.

Marcel Cousineau (1996-1998)
Stats: 15GP - 3W - .905sv% - 3.19GAA - 1SO
Cousineau spent five seasons in the Leafs org, mostly with the St. John’s Maple Leafs. Most of his career was spent in the minors, and ended in the LNAH.

Jiri Crha (1979-1981)
Stats: 69GP - 28W - 3.97GAA - 0SO
A free agent out of the Czech Republic, he played four seasons in the Leafs org, only one season full time in the NHL, before spending the final nine years of his career in Germany.

Marv Edwards (1969-70)
Stats: 25GP - 10W  - 3.25GAA - 1SO
14 years after going pro, Marv made it to the NHL. He was the Maple Leafs back up goalie in the 69-70 season, before being released. His career ended in 1974 with the California Golden Seals.

Grant Fuhr (1991-1993)
Stats: 95GP - 38W  - .885sv% - 3.50GAA - 3SO
Fuhr joined the Maple Leafs after winning four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, in a seven player trade just before 1991 training camps opened. He didn’t stay in Toronto long, as he was sent to the Buffalo Sabres at the 1993 trade deadline, since the Leafs had Felix Potvin as the starter. Fuhr would go on to play for the Kings and Blues before ending his career with the Oilers rival, the Calgary Flames.

Pierre Hamel (1975/1979)
Stats: 5GP - 1W  - 4.34GAA - 0SO
Hamel joined the Leafs org after playing junior in Quebec, but only made it to 5 NHL games over five seasons, mostly spent with the Dallas Black Hawks, Oklahoma City Blazers, and New Brunswick Hawks. He would leave the Leafs, play two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets and toil in the minors until retirement.

Peter Ing (1989-90)
Stats: 3GP - 0W  - .832sv% - 5.93GAA - 0SO
When Ing made it full time to the Maple Leafs he wore #1, in #31 he was still a fresh faced kid off the Windsor Spitfires. He didn’t last long with the Leafs as he was part of the trade to Edmonton that brought in Grant Fuhr.

Pavel Kubina (2007-2008)
Stats: 72GP - 11G - 29A - 40Pts - 116PM
Making his third appearance on the list, Pavel Kubina is our only non-goalie represented today. Welcome back Pavel, it’s been a while.

Murray McLachlan (1971)
Stats: 2GP - 0W  - 9.60GAA - 0SO
An NCAA free agent, he only played two years pro before retiring, mostly with the Tulsa Oilers.

Gord McRae (1973)
Stats: 11GP - 7W  - 3.77GAA - 0SO
Spent the majority of his pro career playing in the minors while waiting for that once a year Leafs call up.

Bob Parent (1982-1983)
Stats: 3GP - 0W  - 5.63GAA - 0SO
A fourth round pick who saw no more than 3 NHL games before retiring after six pro seasons.

Damian Rhodes (1991)
Stats: 1GP - 1W  - .962sv% - 1.00GAA - 0SO
He was a Leafs sixth round pick who was a backup for Felix Potvin once he made the team, but he wore #1 for that so nevermind. He would be traded to the Ottawa Seantors in a three way trade with the Islanders, where he would become starter for the fledgling franchise. He would be traded to the Atlanta Thrashers, grow weary of the expansion franchise game and retired shortly after. Getting used to mediocrity in his career, he moved to Cleveland after retiring.

Al Smith (1969)
Stats: 7GP - 2W  - 2.87GAA - 0SO
Signed to the Leafs after ending his junior career with the Toronto Marlboros, he spent four seasons in the minors before leaving the organization. He played the 68-69 season in #31, which held the majority of his Leafs games. Smith would stick in the pros with the Pittsburgh Penguins at first, before moving on to the Red Wings, Whalers, Sabres, and ending with the Colorado Rockies.

Garret Sparks (2015-16)
Stats: 17GP - 6W  - .893sv% - 3.02GAA - 1SO
Sparks set Maple Leafs history by becoming the first goaltender to win with a shutout in his NHL debut. After that he was a victim of the 15/16 tank for Matthews season and hasn’t played in the NHL since. He’s currently playing for the Toronto Marlies.

Ken Wregget (1986-1989)
Stats: 174GP - 52W  - .872sv% - 4.29GAA - 2SO
Wregget was a third round pick who wore #31 for the second half of his Leafs career. Midway through the 1989/90 season he would be traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for two first round picks. The Flyers sent him to the Penguins a year later and he would win two Stanley Cups there. Way to aide your enemy, Flyers.

Who was the best #31 for the Maple Leafs?