Leaf of the Day

Yesterday, the conversation in the Ian Turnbull thread devolved into a discussion on the merits of keeping Anton Stralman around. Stralman, in case people haven't noticed, has been putting some points on the board for Columbus, playing 20 minutes per night and seeing some real PP time, something

With a single point, Tomas Kaberle will tie Tim Horton as the second-highest point getter amongst Leaf defensemen. I'm going to save Horton until Tomas actually passes him, so today we'll look at the player in fourth, the one Tomas passed last year - Ian Turnbull.

When people reminisced about Walt Poddubny after his death in March, the feeling that was expressed again and again was simply how much everyone seemed to like him.  He was a good guy, a person it was fun to hang with, to have a beer with, someone whose company was

Before there was Aki, there was Bill. I spent way, way too much time this morning (and even into yesterday night) debating just who should be the LotD for tonight's momentous game against the Islanders.  Friend of the site (meaning the restraining order has lapsed) Alyn McCauley was

In honour of Ian White's Gordie Howe hat trick last night, and particularly in honour of that fantastic hip check on Eric Cole, I give you Bobby Baun. It was really a choice between Baun and Marcel Pronovost, who could also really throw the hip, but Boomer was

Some days the LotD is topical.  Some days it's a history lesson.  Some days it's an opportunity to admire some significantly bad hair.  Some days it's comfort food. Normally, I don't go in for all the "it's always darkest

After 19 games in 1990-91, the Leafs were 2-16-1 and had lost six straight.  If we granted points this year the way they used to be granted, the Leafs would be 3-15-1 and they've lost four straight, so it's probably time to revisit my earlier thoughts

In the 2002 playoffs, the Leafs were dropping like flies. At one point in the second-round series against Ottawa, the Leafs had 10 different players out with injuries. Now, not all of them were big parts - third-string goalie Tom Barrasso was one of them. Still, though, Alyn McCauley was

Between "Stumpy" and "Tubby," the mid-80s Leafs led the league in not-terribly-flattering nicknames (though Ken "the Rat" Linseman probably begs to differ).   Greg Terrion was one of those unsung guys who did the unglamourous jobs that don't really show up in the

Not necessarily a big name today, but a player that I always liked - well, "always" to the extent that he had no actual existence prior to becoming a Leaf, anyway. New Leafs GM Mike Smith was noted for having a love for things Russian, and he showed

No, I'm not suggesting that Carl Gunnarsson is the next Matt Martin, but lacking another real focus for today's LotD, I wandered through the scan pile looking for youngish defensemen who'd come up from the minors from time to time and whom I wasn&

On the Vimy Memorial, the name of Lance Corporal Allan MacLean Davidson is inscribed. Known to Toronto hockey fans as "Scotty", he was captain of the Toronto Blueshirts and the leading scorer of the team that had won the 1914 Stanley Cup. Just 24 years old at the

(You know, having today's Leaf of the Day mostly completed yesterday meant that I could post much earlier today.  There's a lesson in there somewhere, I'm just not sure what it is....) Last season, Ian White was having a terrible time getting himself back

So much for the best-laid plans. I was supposed to be away today.  As it turns out, I'm not, so I got about 4/5 of the way through today's '84-85 Leaf before discovering I hadn't bothered emailing the scan to myself.  So

Editor's Note: Sorry for publishing this late but it'll have to carry us through to Tuesday! The game thread will be up at 6:45pm. In the meantime, read about one of the Leafs' greatest playmakers. In the 1929-30 season, the NHL made a radical

Much like Denis Dupere (though without the killer moustache), Claude Loiselle was a checker and penalty-killer fated to spend most of his career playing for lousy teams. Claude is actually a name I forgot to mention when I did the write-up on the miserable season that was 1990-91. He was

Was looking through the scans I have of well-intentioned forwards, some even with reputations for skill, who couldn't put the puck in the ocean if they were standing on the shore. But this is not the time for that. No - this is the time to admire a

I do have one of these that isn't creased but never got around to scanning it.  Alas. As has been pretty widely reported, last Sunday was the 50th anniversary of the Habs/Rangers game in which future-Leaf Andy Bathgate cranked a shot off future-Leaf Jacques Plante's

Whereas Gary Nylund was drafted to be the stud defenseman - the rock upon which the Leafs would build their defense, Jim Benning was pretty much the opposite.  He was the skill guy.  Though neither really fleet of foot nor physical, Jim could really bring the offense. As part of

OK - without the name being printed on the bottom of the card, how many of you would know who this was? Heading into Movember, there is no better place to begin than with a clean-shaven Lanny McDonald.  This might possibly have been the last day Lanny ever shaved, because

For the most part, I liked last night's game.  Gustavsson was strong again and if they can maintain that kind of effort, remember who they're supposed to be covering and throw it up the glass instead of to a wide-open opponent on the far wing, they&

I mentioned the other day that I've gotten into the habit of watching vintage Leaf games on LeafsTV because I like to see some of the people they're playing.  Once in a while, there's a surprise for me, though. Last night, it was a

Former Leafs European scout Anders Hedberg captures the feeling of Leafs RAUP (Random Assortment of Unrelated Parties) this morning.  Good on you, Anders.  When you score 70 goals, nobody can tell you how to smile.  :) It's hard not to wonder a little bit just how history would have

(Leafs loved Gary, but not enough to spell his name correctly - via img3.imageshack.us ) Imagine if you could take Luke Schenn and make him two inches taller, give him a bit more truculence and maybe a touch more offense (but just a touch). That was Gary Nylund. Back

OK, looking for something that isn't about goaltending, isn't about goaltending.... When Leaf teams were great, they were made up of players who put winning ahead of any personal stats or gains, players who would do the little things, the less glamourous things that didn'