Maple Leafs by the numbers: #33 - Al Iafrate

Okay, one number per day and we start with the name I always have trouble pronouncing. To make voting a bit easier as we get more players, I’m including the stats for everyone when they wore #33. We’ll start with my pick.

Al Iafrate (1985-1991)
Stats: 472GP -81G - 169A - 250ts - 546PM
Awards: 6th place in Norris voting, 1990

Drafted in the first round (4th overall) in the 1984 draft, Iafrate never spent a minute in the AHL, but jumped right into the Leafs line up and never looked back. He played 6.5 seasons with the Maple Leafs, and was traded in 1991 to the Washington Capitals for Bob Rouse and Peter Zezel. His career was plagued with injuries, and he missed two years recuperating. He would be claimed by the Nashville Predators in the 1998 expansion draft, but never played after the draft. He’s now a consultant with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Other 33’s:
Mark Arcobello (2016)
Stats: 20GP - 3G - 1A - 4Pts - 0PM
Arcobello signed with the Maple Leafs for his final (so far) season in the NHL before going off to Europe, as most people we’ve seen in these lists do. He played 20 NHL games with the Leafs and spent the majority of the season with the Marlies. He came to Toronto after spending the 14/15 season with four different NHL teams: The Oilers, Predators, Coyotes, and Penguins. He’s now in his second year with Bern of the Swiss league.

Reid Bailey (1983)
Stats: 1GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 2PM
Baily joined the Leafs after a trade from the Edmonton Oilers (he played no NHL games with them) for Serge Boisvert. Bailey played one game for the Leafs and spent two seasons with the St. Catharines Saints before moving on to the Hartford Whalers organization.

Bates Battaglia (2007-2008)
Stats: 95GP - 12G - 19A - 31Pts - 52PM
Spent seven seasons in the NHL with the Hurricanes until the lost season. Then he went to the ECHL for that year. He joined the Leafs organization after that, making it into 95 games for the Leafs but spending most of the time with the Marlies. Most notable after that he would win The Amazing Race.

Wade Belak (2008)
Stats: 30GP - 1G - 0A - 1Pt - 66PM
Belak wore #33 briefly with the Leafs, in his final season before being traded to the Florida Panthers. Over those 30 games, he’d score one goal and take 66 minutes in penalties. He wouldn’t last long on the Panthers, after 32 games he’d end up with the Predators, but in Nashville he’d become just as big a fan favourite as he was in Toronto.

Jeff Brown (1998)
Stats: 19GP - 1G - 8A - 9Pts - 10PM
Brown made an appearance briefly on the Leafs in 1998 when the Leafs sent a late round pick to the Hurricanes for him, but then flipped him two months later to the Capitals for Sylvain Cote. He had nine points in 19 games for the Leafs.

Luca Caputi (2010-2011)
Stats: 26GP - 1G - 5A - 6Pts - 14PM
The OG Josh Leivo, Caputi came to the Leafs from the Penguins with Martin Skoula in exchange for Alexei Ponikarovsky. He made it into 26 NHL games with the Leafs before being traded to the Ducks for Nicolas Deschamps. Caputi is now an assistant coach with the OHL’s Guelph Storm.

David Cooper (1998/2001)
Stats: 11GP - 0G - 4A - 4Pts - 4PM
Cooper spent two seasons in the Leafs org. before being traded to the Flames for Ladislav Kohn. After a year with the Flames and one in the DEL he rejoined the Leafs for another season, then went to Europe permanently. He totaled 30 games in the NHL and scored 10 points.

Tim Erixon (2015)
Stats: 15GP - 1G - 0A - 1Pt - 6PM
His last season in the NHL was 2014/15 where he would start with the Blue Jackets, get traded to the Blackhawks, and then picked up off waivers by the Maple Leafs. 15 games later for the Leafs he would be sent to the Penguins in the off season in the Phil Kessel trade. He’s currently playing with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL.

Doug Favell (1974-1976)
Stats: 74GP - 26W - 3.53GAA - 1SO
Favell played 74 games in goal for the Maple Leafs, getting one shutout and holding a 3.53GAA. After the 75/6 season the Leafs would sell his contract to the Colorado Rockies.

Frederik Gauthier (2016-2017)
Stats: 21GP - 2G - 1A - 3Pts - 23PM
In his second stint with the Leafs Gauthier changed his number from 54 to 33. It suits him better as he played 21 games in the NHL in it, and tripled his output to 3 points.

Seth Griffith (2016-2017)
Stats: 3GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 0PM
Signed by the Leafs, wavied, claimed by the Panthers then waived by them then claimed by the Leafs, Griffith had got quite a few frequent flyer miles in the 16/17 season. He’s no playing with the Buffalo Sabres.

Bob Halkidis (1991-92)
Stats: 46GP - 3G - 3A - 6Pts - 145PM
Stopped by the Leafs for one season, played 46 games, scored 6 points and left for Detroit. He’s now a scout for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Benoit Hogue (1996)
Stats: 44GP - 12G - 25A - 37Pts - 68PM
He wore three different numbers in 56 games with the Leafs, being called up from the AHL every time. He’d make a bigger impact with the Stars, Sabres, and Islanders than the Leafs.

Dave Hutchison (1983-84)
Stats: 47GP - 0G - 3A - 3Pts - 137PM
He wore #33 in his second stint with the Leafs, in 1984. He wore #23 in 1980, but was traded to the Blackhawks mid-season. His 47 games in the 83/84 season were his last in the NHL.

Craig Johnson (2004)
Stats: 10GP - 1G - 1A - 2Pts - 6PM
In 2004 Johnson bounced from the Ducks, to the Leafs to the Capitals. He played 10 games for Toronto, then after that season went to the DEL. After he retired he went to coaching high school hockey in Minnesota.

Matt Martin (1994-1995)
Stats: 27GP - 0G - 1A - 1Pt - 19PM
No, not THAT Matt Martin. This one spent four seasons in the Leafs system, mostly playing in St. John’s. He had five points in 71 NHL games.

Chris McAllister (1999-2000)
Stats: 56GP - 0G - 5A - 5Pts - 107PM
He came to the Leafs from the Canucks in a trade for Darby Hendrickson. He played 56 games for the Leafs before being flipped to the Flyers for the rights to Regan Kelly.

Craig Muni (1983)
Stats: 2GP - 0G - 1A - 1Pt - 0PM
We spoke about Muni yesterday when he was wearing #34. He played 2 games in #33 in the 82/83 season.

Curt Ridley (1980)
Stats: 3GP - 0W - 4.36GAA -0SO
The Canucks traded Ridley to the Leafs for cash, and he’d play goal for the Leafs in three games before spending the rest of his career in the minors.

Bob Wren  (2002)
Stats: 1GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 0PM
A career minor leaguer, he played 1.5 seasons for the St. John’s  Maple Leafs, one game in the NHL and was traded to the Predators for Nathan Perrott.

Who was the best#33 for the Maple Leafs?