Maple Leafs by the numbers: 44-40

This section is dominated by players who came up to the NHL under Brian Burke, who didn’t let the call-ups pick their own numbers, and they would be assigned a number based on the order of their call-up. Lucky for them they didn’t change their numbers and all made the list.

#44 - Morgan Rielly (2014-Present)
Stats: 328GP - 27G - 104A - 131Pts - 79PM
Awards: N/A

The Toronto Maple Leafs future captain was drafted from the Moose Jaw Warriors fifth overall after suffering a knee injury and missing most of the WHL season. Then GM Brian Burke said he picked the best kid in the draft that year. That may or may not be true, hello underused Alex Galchenyuk, but Rielly is the one of the top defenders on the Maple Leafs and is looked upon to represent the team in scrums, and off ice initiatives - for example he’s the Leafs MLSE Launchpad ambassador and seems to be the player who promotes the White Ribbon initiative the most on social media. On the ice he’s a well used defender who often faces some of the top competition. He’s going to be a Maple Leafs for a long time, and that makes his dad very happy.

Other 44’s:
Brian Bradley (1991-1992)
Bradley came over from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Tom “Not Scott Neidermayer” Kurvers midway through the 90/91 season. He’d stay until 1992 and scored 42 points in 85 games for the Leafs. He would be taken by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1992 expansion draft, and go on to be one of their top players in the early days.

Brayden Irwin (2009-2010)
Irwin was a college free agent the Maple Leafs brought to the organization in 2009.  His family ran Irwin Toys, and I once turned down an offer to buy a loft in the old Irwin Toy factory for $250,000 because I was stupid.

Staffan Kronwall (2006-2008)
A 9th round pick (remember those?) in 2002, Kronwall was put on waivers by Brian Burke in 2009 because he promised the kid a chance in the NHL, but the Leafs couldn’t offer it to him after he had one point in 52 games. He was claimed by the Capitals, spent two years in the Flames system then returned to Sweden.

John McIntyre (1990-1991)
Drafted in 1989 by the Leafs, McIntyre spent one season in Toronto, and was then traded to the Kings for Mike Krushelnyski. He totaled 20 points in 72 games for the Leafs.

Yanic Perreault (1993-1994 / 1998-2001)
Drafted in the 3rd round in 1991, he would be flipped tro the LA Kings for a 4th round pick three years later, then acquired back from the Kings in 1998 fora third round pick and Jason Podollan. They couldn’t make up their minds on this guy. He’d return again in 2007 from the Coyotes for Brendan Bell and a 2nd round pick (Roman Josi!), but would wear #94 then. He’s currently a development coach with the Chicago Blackhawks/Rockford IceHogs.

Who was the best #44 for the Maple Leafs?

#43 - Nazem Kadri (2010-Present)
Stats: 424GP - 121G - 150A - 271Pts - 310PM
Awards: N/A

Kadri was drafted out from under the Ottawa Senators noses and has played for the Maple Leafs his entire professional career. He’ll reach 300 regular season points this season and is the king of drawing penalties and getting under the opponents skin. Signed to a very team friendly contract for the next five years, he may even get up to 600 games as a Maple Leafs. Can he crack the top 20 in games, goals, assists, and points? If he plays out his contract he very well could be up there.

Other 43’s:
Ken Belanger (1995)
A seventh round pick for the Whalers, traded for a 9th round pick before he even played a professional game, Belanger made it to just three games for the Leafs before being traded to the Islanders with Damien Rhodes for Kirk Muller and Don Beaupre.

Nathan Dempsey (1996-1997 / 1999-2002)
A career NHLer with the Leafs, he played a handful of games over eight seasons in the Leafs organization before being released as a free agent.

Jay Harrison (2006-2007 / 2008-2009)
A third round pick who spent seven years with the St. John’s Maple Leafs, but only playing 20 NHL games, Harrison left in 2008 to play in Switzerland after not making the Leafs yet again. He would have a long career with the Carolina Hurricanes before ending with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL in 15/16.

Who was the best #43 for the Maple Leafs?

#42 - Tyler Bozak (2010-Present)
Stats: 529GP - 129G - 201A - 330Pts - 160PM
Awards: N/A

A college free agent that actually panned out for the Maple Leafs, Tyler Bozak is 32nd all time in games played, 30th in goals, 27th in assists, and 29th in points for the Maple Leafs. He’s in his ninth season here in Toronto, and it could be his last. With an expiring contract many see him as an overpaid 3rd line centre, but he’s coming off a career best season last year. A polarizing player we haven’t seen on this list since, probably Roman Polak yesterday, but Bozak has been a very good player for the Maple Leafs through some of the worst years for the team. Make sure to watch Twitter eagerly this summer if he gets re-signed.

Other 42’s:
Kevyn Adams (1998-2000)
Another college free agent who joined the Leafs after a year in Grand Rapids of the AHL, his big break would come in his third year with the Leafs in 99/00 when he played 52 games for the big club. That would also be his last season, but he’d stick in the NHL with the Panthers, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, and Coyotes.

David Cooper (1996-1997)
A Buffalo Sabres first round pick (11th overall) would play his 30 NHL games with the Maple Leafs. He spent most of his career in the AHL, and the final six seasons would be in Europe, ending in the Italian league.

Tim Stapleton (2008-2009)
Stapleton joined the Leafs org after two years in the Finnish league, and he’d score 79 points in 70 games with the Marlies and one point in four NHL games with the Leafs. He’d sign on for three years in the Thrashers/Jets* organization after that and would then return to Europe to continue playing. He’s currently with Olten EHC of the second tier Swiss league.

Kyle Wellwood (2003-2008)
A Leafs draft pick best known for being pudgy by the pool, he would spend most of his team in the NHL with the Leafs, scoring 108 points in 189 Leafs games. He was put on waivers by the Maple Leafs in the 2008 off season and would be claimed by the Vancouver Canucks. He’d also play for the Winnipeg Jets* and San Jose Sharks, before ending his career with Zug EV of the NLA (SWitzerland).

Who was the best #42 for the Maple Leafs?

#41 - Nikolai Kulemin (2008-2014)
Stats: 421GP - 84G - 111A - 195Pts - 112PM
Awards: N/A

Kulemin was a second round pick for the Maple Leafs in 2006 and joined the Leafs full time in the 08/09 season. He had great chemistry with Mikhail Grabovski and the two would end up playing most of their Maple Leafs careers together. After only putting up 20 points in 70 games in 13/14 the Maple Leafs let him go as a free agent to the Islanders, where he reunited with Grabovski. He’s in the final yeah of his Islanders contract.

Other 41’s:
Jason Allison (2005-2006)
Allison joined the Leafs after the cancelled season, and was the very first Maple Leafs shootout shooter. He’s still trying to finish the shot to this day.

Paul Gagne (1988-1989)
Gagne was a first round pick for the Colorado Rockies, and signed a contract with the Maple Leafs a few years after the team moved to New Jersey. He would be traded at the deadline that year to the New York Islanders with Derek Laxdal and Jack Capuano for Mike Stevens and Gilles Thibaudeau.

Eric Lacroix (1993-1994)
A seventh round pick who got in three NHL games before being traded at the start of the 94/95 season to the LA Kings with Chris Snell and a fourth round pick for  Kelly Fairchild, Guy Leveque, Shayne Toporowski, and Dixon Ward. He’d stick around in the NHL and then finish his career with the Ottawa Senators.

Nikita Soshnikov (2015-2016)
Soshnikov rode the wave of his Maple Leafs premier, but when he switched number to #26 the following season he hit a break all. Now he’s with the Marlies.

Matt Stajan (2002-2003)
Stajan played one game with #41, then switched to #14 when he made the team full time.

Shayne Toporowski (1996-1997)
A Kings second round pick who signed with the Leafs as a free agent after the Kings didn’t sign him, he played only three NHL games before departing to spend the rest of his career in Europe. He also coached for two years at Worcester State College.

Who was the best #41 for the Toronto Maple Leafs

#40 - Michael Grabner (2015-2016)
Stats: 80GP - 9G - 9A - 18Pts - 12PM
Awards: N/A

It’s hard to beat Troy “Only here because my father-in-law is the company CEO” Bodie, but Grabner’s 18 points put him on top of this list. #40 isn’t a super great bunch of guys. The Leafs released him and the next year he put up 40 points for the New York Rangers.

Other 40’s:
Troy Bodie (2014-2015)
Bodie signed with the Leafs, with some pointing to his father-in-law Tim Lieweke playing a role in the signing, and split his two seasons with the Leafs and Marlies. In his final season he would be Marlies captain, and is now a pro scout for the Leafs in the Los Angeles area.

Tie Domi (1990)
A Leafs second round pick in 1988,  he would premiere with the team in 1990 and play two games for the Leafs wearing #40. He took 42 penalty minutes in those two games. That summer he would be traded with Mark Laforest to the New York Rangers for Greg Johnson. He would return later, but in a different number.

Kelly Fairchild (1996)
Brought to Toronto in the above mentioned Eric Lacroix trade, Fairchild spent four years in the Leafs system but made it into only 1 NHL game wearing #40. He’d bounce around the AHL/IHL until settling in for a long run playing for Berlin in the DEL, and winning the Asian League championship with the Nippon Paper Cranes in 2009.

Ken McRae (1994)
McRae’s final year in Toronto after two seasons was in #40 and he played nine NHL games. After the Leafs he’d play in the AHL/IHL before turning to coaching. His final year behind the bench was in 09/10 with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL.

Phil Oreskovic (2009)
It took three seasons after leaving the OHL for Phil to make it to the Leafs. He played ten games scoring two points in 2009, and was released as a free agent after that season. His final pro year was playing for the Brampton Beast of the ECHL.

Jussi Rynnas (2011-2013)
Rynnas would never make it as a starter for the Marlies, and appeared in only three Maple Leafs games. He left the Leafs and went back to SM-Liiga in the 13/14 season where he would win the league championship with Karpat. He’d go to the Stars in 14/15 and after that season he’d return to Europe, and has spent the last two seasons with Karpat.

Who was the best #40 for the Maple Leafs?