Maple Leafs by the Numbers #1: Turk Broda or Johnny Bower?

Turk Broda (1936-52)
Stats: 629GP - 302W - 2.53GAA - 62SO
Vezina Trophy: 1941, 48
Stanley Cup: 1942, 47, 48, 49, 51

Walter Edward "Turk" Broda joined the Maple Leafs after two seasons playing in the minors in Detroit. After that, he would tend goal for the Maple Leafs for 13 seasons - not playing in the 43-44 and 44-45 seasons due to military commitments. Broda was the goaltender in net for the Maple Leafs when they made the first comeback when being down 3-0 in a seven game series, beating the Detroit Red Wings for the Stanley Cup with four straight victories.

Broda would retire in 1952, having played one game in the 51-52 season, at age 38. He would become a junior hockey coach in retirement and lead the Toronto Marlboroughs to back-to-back Memorial Cup championships in 1955 and 56. He would be added to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966, to Maple Leafs legends row, and have #1 retired in his honour at the start of the 2016-17 season.

Johnny Bower (1958-70)
Stats: 475G - 219W - 2.49GAA - 32SO
Vezina Trophy: 1961, 65
Stanley Cup: 1962, 63, 64, 67

John William Bower came to the NHL after eight seasons in the minor leagues. He played one full season with the New York Rangers, and then had four more seasons in the minor leagues. In 1958, 13 years after his professional hockey debut, he would join the Toronto Maple Leafs via the intra-league draft, and found the team he would play the next 11 seasons with.

Beginning an NHL career as a full time goaltender is daunting, doing so at age 34 is even more remarkable. Bower played without a mask, without the glasses he needed when he wasn’t playing, and to an age where most players were 10 years into retirement. Bower would help the Maple Leafs win four Stanley Cups and capture two Vezina trophies during his time in Toronto - the 1965 trophy is shared with Terry Sawchuk.

Bower would be inducted to the Hockey Hall of fame in 1976, become one of the first players on Legends Row, and have the #1 retired for him at the start of the 2016-17 season.

After retiring having played a single game in the 69-70 season, Bower would go on to be assistant coach from 1976-78, and be a community representative with the Maple Leafs to this day. He has performed more appearances for Maple Leafs alumni than any other player, and is a great representative of the Maple Leafs, the NHL, and hockey to this day, taking time where ever he is to speak with fans at events, games, or his local Tim Hortons.

Other 1’s

Baz Bastien (1945-46)
Stats: 5GP - 0W - 4.00GAA - 0SO

Bastien played five NHL games after returning from the war, but would spend his career in the minors.

Gord Bell (1945-46)
Stats: 8GP - 3W - 3.87GAA - 0SO

Bell played eight NHL games after returning from the war, but would spend his career in the minors.

Tim Bernhardt (1984-87)
Stats: 61GP - 17W - .866sv% - 4.26GAA - 0SO

Bernhardt would play seven seasons in the Maple Leafs organization, and be called up for 61 games - none after the 86-87 season. He is currently the director of amateur scouting for the Arizona Coyotes.

Paul Bibeault (1943-44)
Stats: 29GP - 13W - 3.00GAA - 5SO

Bibeault played one season in Toronto, but would do rather well. Five shutouts in 29 games is kind of impressive.

Lorne Chabot (1928-33)
Stats: 215GP - 103W - 2.17GAA - 31SO
Stanley Cup: 1928, 32

The Maple Leafs acquired Chabot in a trade with the Rangers for John Ross Roach. He would ted goal for the Leafs for five seasons, winning two Stanley Cups in that short period of time. Ahead of the 1933 season he would be traded to the Montreal Canadiens for George Hainsworth.

Ed Chadwick (1955-60)
Stats: 180GP - 57W - 2.88GAA - 14SO

Chadwick played three full seasons with the Leafs - 55-56 and 59-60 were mostly spent in the minors - and would be traded to the Bruins while playing the 60-61 season for the Rochester Americans for Don Simmons.

Gerry Cheevers (1961-62)
Stats: 2GP - 1W - 3.00GAA - 0SO

Cheevers made an appearance on the Leafs after his junior season ended. He would play several more years in the minors before sticking with the Boston Bruins.

Bruce Dowie (1983-84)
Stats: 2GP - 0W - .907sv% - 3.3GAA - 0SO

Dowie played five seasons of minor league hockey and had one call up to the Maple Leafs.

Bruce Gamble (1969-70)
Stats: 52GP - 19W - 3.06GAA - 5SO

Gamble wore #30 for most of his career but took #1 for one season. He would eventually be traded to the Flyers for Bernie Parent and a 2nd.

Ben Grant (1928-44)
Stats: 39GP - 13W - 3.62GAA - 5SO

Grant would play on and off for the Maple Leafs from 1928-44, with stints on the New York Americans and the Boston Bruins.

George Hainsworth (1933-37)
Stats: 147GP - 79W - 2.26GAA - 19SO

Acquired from the Montrel Canadiens for Lorne Chabot, Hainsworth played three excellent seasons for the Maple Leafs before returning to Montreal in the 36-37 season.

Peter Ing (1990-91)
Stats: 56GP - 16W - .883sv% - 3.33GAA - 0SO

A 3rd round pick in 1988, he would stick with the Leafs in the 90-91 season, but would be traded to the Edmonton Oilers ahead of the 91-92 season.

Eddie Johnston (1973-74)
Stats: 26GP - 12W - 3.09GAA - 1SO

Johnston signed with the Leafs after 11 seasons with the Boston Bruins. After one season as back up, he would be traded to the St. Louis Blues for Gary Sabourin.

Mark LaForest (1989-90)
Stats: 27GP - 9W - .886sv% - 3.89GAA - 0SO

Coming from the Flyers for a 5th and 7th round pick, LaForest lasted one season with the Leafs before being traded to the Rangers for Greg Johnston.

Michel Larocque (1981-83)
Stats: 74GP - 16W - 4.79GAA - 0SO

Acquired at the end of the 80-81 season from the Canadiens for Robert Picard, Larocque would be back up for the Maple Leafs until being traded mid-way through the 82-83 season for Rick St. Croix.

Harry Lumley (1952-56)
Stats: 267GP - 103W - 2.20GAA - 34SO
Vezina Trophy: 1954

At the start of the 52-53 season, Lumley would join the Maple Leafs after Toronto sent four players to the Chicago Blackhawks. He played excellently for the Leafs for four seasons, winning the Vezina once and coming high in Hart trophy voting twice. He wouldn’t win a cup with the LEafs and in 1956 would be traded back to the Blackhawks for $40,000.

Cesare Maniago (1960-61)
Stats: 7GP - 4W - 2.43GAA - 0SO

Playing seven games for the Maple Leafs, he wouldn’t stick in the NHL until expansion in 1967 where he would play nine seasons for the Minnesota North Stars and two for the Vancouver Canucks.

Frank McCool (1944-46)
Stats: 72GP - 34W - 3.36GAA - 4SO
Calder Trophy: 1945
Stanley Cup: 1945

McCool played just two seasons in the NHL, both with the Maple Leafs, and would win the Calder Trophy and Stanley Cup in his only season as Leafs starter. He would be forced to retire after the 45-46 season due to severe ulcers.

Gerry McNamara (1960-61 / 69-70)
Stats: 7GP - 2W - 2.60GAA - 0SO

Two brief stints a decade apart. McNarmara was a minor leaguer who was called up early in his career then called out of senior A hockey for a two game stint before he retired for good. He would be a scout for Toronto from 1972-78, director of Leafs scouting from 1979-81, and general manager from 1981-89.

Gord McRae (1974-78)
Stats: 60GP - 23W - 3.68GAA - 1SO

He would back up the Leafs in two seasons and be a minor league call up in two more.

Jacques Plante (1970-73)
Stats: 106GP - 48W - 2.46GAA - 7SO

Plante came out of retirement for the expansion era, playing for the St. Louis Blues for their first three seasons. The Leafs would buy his contract with St. Louis and he would play in Toronto for three seasons before being traded with a 1st round pick to the Bruins for a 1st and Eddie Johnston.

Daren Puppa (1993)
Stats: 8GP - 6W - .922sv% - 2.25GAA - 2SO

Acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres, with Dave Andreychuk and a 1st for Grant Fuhr and a 1st. He played back up the rest of the season and then moved on to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he would stay for the next seven seasons.

Andrew Raycroft (2006-08)
Stats: 91GP - 39W - .890sv% - 3.17GAA - 3SO

Raycroft played only two seasons for the Maple Leafs but his legacy lives forever. After Ed Belfour retired, the Maple Leafs traded prospect Tuuka Rask to the Boston Bruins for the Calder trophy winning Raycroft. His first season in Toronto he set a record for most wins in a season by a goalie, but wasn’t convincing enough to be starter the next season, as the Leafs acquired Vesa Toskala in the off-season. Raycroft would leave the Maple Leafs in the 2008 off-season and join the Colorado Avalanche.

Jeff Reese (1987-89)
Stats: 15GP - 3W - .864sv% - 4.52GAA - 0SO

A fourth round pick for the Maple Leafs, would be called up over two seasons wearing #1, and switch the #25 the next season. He currently works as the goaltending coach for the Dallas Stars.

Damian Rhodes (1993-96)
Stats: 46GP - 19W - .907sv% - 2.70GAA - 0SO

A 6th round pick for the Leafs, he backed them up from 1993-1996, being traded to the Senators in a three way deal with the Islanders.

Curt Ridley (1980-81)
Stats: 3GP - 1W - 5.81GAA - 0SO

Ridley played five games that season, two were in the AHL. These would be his final NHL games.

Jim Rutherford (1980-81)
Stats: 18GP - 4W - 5.12GAA - 0SO

Rutherford would be acquired from the Red Wings in December 1980 for Mark Kirton, and in March 1981 he would be traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a 5th round pick. He is currently the general manager and VP of Hockey Operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Don Simmons (1961-62)
Stats: 9GP - 5W - 2.33GAA - 1SO
Stanley Cup: 1962

Brought from the Bruins in exchange for Ed Chadwick, Simmons would never be  a starter for the Maple Leafs and only spend one season fully in the NHL.

Al Smith (1965-66)
Stats: 2GP - 1W - 1.94GAA - 0SO

Smith played 2 games in #1 after this junior season ended.

Gary Smith (1965-67)
Stats: 5GP - 0W - 3.61GAA - 0SO

Smith was called up 5 games over two seasons. He would play for the California Golden Seals in their inaugural season.

Rick St. Croix (1983-84)
Stats: 37GP - 9W - 4.45GAA - 0SO

Acquired midway through the 82-83 season from the Flyers for Bunny Larocque, St. Croix split 83-84 with the St. Catharines Saints. He would switch to #30 for his final NHL season. He would come back to Toronto as goaltending coach from 2012-15. He is currently working for the AHL Manitoba Moose.

Phil Stein (1939-40)
Stats: 1GP - 0W - 1.71GAA - 0SO

Played one game for the Maple Leafs, but spent his career in the minors.

Vincent Tremblay (1979-80)
Stats: 10GP - 2W - 5.11GAA - 0SO

In his first season Tremblay split time with the New Brunswick Hawks and the Maple Leafs. He would switch to #30 after his rookie year.

Dunc Wilson (1974-75)
Stats: 25GP - 8W - 3.70GAA - 0SO

Changing from #30 to #1 for the 74-75 season, Wilson would be claimed off waivers by the New York Rangers mid-season.

Lefty Wilson (1955-56)
Stats: 1GP - 0W - 1.15GAA - 0SO

Wilson played one game for the Maple Leafs, and then moved on to the Bruins.

Who was the best #1 for the Maple Leafs?