Maple Leafs by the Numbers: #15 Kaberle, Meeker or Harris?

Multiple cups winners to choose from today.

Tomas Kaberle (1998-2011)
Stats: 878GP - 83G - 437A - 520Pts - 246PM

An 8th round draft pick by the Maple Leafs in 1996, Kaberle would join the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 98/99 season. The season before he played two games for the St. John’s Maple Leafs after the Czech league season was over, and those were the only games he would play in the minors. A solid member of the Toronto Maple Leafs blue line for a decade, Kaberle would play almost 1,000 games for the Maple Leafs putting him eigth all time, and third all time for defenders. Not a goal scorer, he was known for his accuracy and at the 2008 All-Star Game skills competition he hit all four targets in his first four shots, something only Ray Bourque, Mark Messier and Jeremy Roenick had done previously.

At the 2011 trade deadline, with his contract expiring, Kaberle was traded to the Boston Bruins for Joe Colborne, a 1st and a 2nd round pick. Kaberle would go on to win the Stanley Cup with the Bruins. He would play for the Hurricanes and Canadiens as well before retiring, and moving back to his home in downtown Toronto.

Billy Harris (1955-65)
Stats: 610GP - 106G - 181A - 287Pts - 187PM
Awards: Stanley Cup - 1962, 63, 64

Harris joined the Maple Leafs from the junior Marlboros and only had two stints in the minors over his decade with the Maple Leafs. He would centre the Leafs for three straight Stanley Cups, before being traded to the Detroit Red Wings in the 1965 off-season in an eight player deal.

Howie Meeker (1946-1954)
Stats: 346GP - 83G - 102A - 185Pts - 329PM
Awards: Calder Trophy - 1947, Stanley Cup - 1947, 48, 49, 51

Howie Meeker played with the Leafs eight seasons, winning the Calder trophy and four Stanley Cups. While a rookie he scored five goals in one game against the Chicago Blackhawks, tying a league record. He played in three all-star games while a member of the Maple Leafs, and eventually become the teams head coach for one season. He was also a Member of Parliament for the Waterloo South riding while a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but perhaps he was most famous for working the telestrator for Hockey Night in Canada in the 70’s and 80’s.

Other 15’s

George Armstrong (1949-55)
Stats: 203GP - 44G - 47A - 91Pts - 224PM

Armstrong wore two numbers during his early years, #15 and #20. When he made the Leafs as a starter in the 1955-56 season he would switch to the #10 he’d wear for 15 seasons.

Jim Benning (1981-82)
Stats: 74GP - 7G - 24A - 31Pts - 46PM

A first round pick for the Leafs, Benning jumped right out of junior and onto the blue line in the NHL. He would wear #15 in his first season but switch to #3 for the next.

Pat Boutette (1975-79)
Stats: 349GP - 59G - 82A - 141Pts - 520PM

A 9th round pick, he joined the Leafs after two seasons in the minors. The enforcer would play five seasons with the Maple Leafs until being traded early in the 89-90 season to the Hartford Whalers for Bob Stephenson.

Wally Boyer (1965-66)
Stats: 46GP - 4G - 17A - 21Pts - 23PM

Boyer joined the Leafs for half of the 65-66 season after playing almost a decade in the minors. The following season he would get some games in with the Blackhawks, before expansion in 1967 got him a full tie NHL job with the Seals and Penguins.

Marty Dallman (1988-89)
Stats: 4GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 0PM

This was Marty’s final call up to the Leafs, and after this season he would go and play in Europe for the rest of his career.

Denis Dupere (1972-74)
Stats: 95GP - 21G - 32A - 53Pts - 18PM

Dupere played four seasons for the Leafs, half in #17 and half in #15. He would be taken by the Washington Capitals in the 1974 expansion draft.

Lou Franceschetti (1989-90)
Stats: 96GP - 22G - 16A - 38Pts - 157PM

Brought in to the Maple Leafs from the Capitals for a 5th round pick, Lou would play one and a half seasons before being traded to the Sabres with Brian Curran for Mike Foligno and an 8th round pick.

Dave Gagner (1996)
Stats: 28GP - 7G - 15A - 22Pts - 59PM

Coming to the Leafs from the Stars with a 6th round pick for Benoit Hogue and Randy Wood, Gagner played out the end of the 95-96 season with the Leafs and would be traded to the Flames for a 3rd round pick in the off-season.

Billy Harris (1982-83)
Stats: 76GP - 20G - 29A - 49Pts - 44PM

The other Billy Harris played the first eight years of the Islanders existence but was traded to the Kings before the dynasty began. He would come to the Leafs with John Gibson from the Kings for Ian Turnbull. In 1984 he would be sent back to the Kings for cash.

Pat Hickey (1979-80)
Stats: 45GP - 22G - 16A - 38Pts - 16PM

Arriving in Toronto in his second trade in two months with Wilf Paiment for Lanny McDonald and Joel Quenneville from the Colorado Rockies, Hickey stuck around for just one more full season before being traded to the Rangers (his original team) one game into the 81-82 season for a 5th round pick.

Mike Hudson (1995-96)
Stats: 27GP - 2G - 0A - 2Pts - 29PM

Hudson signed with the Maple Leafs in the off-season, but would be claimed off waivers by the Blues halfway through the season.

Peter Ihnacak (1988-89)
Stats: 26GP - 2G - 16A - 18Pts - 10PM

After five seasons with the Leafs, Ihnacak would start being sent to the minors, like in the 88-89 season, where on his call up, his usual #18 was taken.

Larry Jeffrey (1966-67)
Stats: 56GP - 11G - 17A - 28Pts - 27PM
Awards: Stanley Cup - 1967

Brought to the Leafs in the 1965 off-season in an eight player deal with the Red Wings, he would split each season with the Rochester Americans but stuck around long enough in the 66-67 season to win the cup. Jeffrey would be taken by the Penguins in the 1967 expansion draft.

Derek Laxdal (1987-88)
Stats: 5GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 0PM

An 8th round pick for the Leafs, he would never make the team full time aside from random call ups. In December 1989, he would be sent to the Islanders in a five person swap.

Joakim Lindstrom (2015)
Stats: 19GP - 1G - 3A - 4Pts - 4PM

Lindstrom would come to the Leafs at the deadline from the Blues for Olli Jokinen. He would leave for Europe in the off-season.

Claude Loiselle (1990-92)
Stats: 71GP - 7G - 10A - 17Pts - 104PM

Claimed off waivers from the Quebec Nordiques, Loiselle played two half seasons with the Leafs, and would be traded to the Islanders with Daniel Marois for Ken Baumgartner and Dave McLlwain. Loiselle would ‘manage’ the Maple Leafs salary cap under Brian Burke/Dave Nonis, and is currently a consultant with the Islanders.

Matthew Lombardi (2011-12)
Stats: 62GP - 8G - 10A - 18Pts - 10PM

Acquired with Cody Franson and a pick for Brett Lebda, Robert Slaney, and a pick from the Nashville Predators, Lombardi  would play one season for the Leafs, and be traded to the Coyotes for a 4th round pick before the lockout shortened 2013 season began.

Paul Marshall (1980-81)
Stats: 13GP - 0G - 2A - 2Pts - 2PM

Acquired with Kim Davis from the Penguins for Dave Burrows and Paul Gardner, he would play two half seasons with the Leafs before being traded to the Whalers for a 10th round pick.

Matt Martin (2016-Present)
Stats: 107GP - 7G - 10A - 17Pts - 149PM

Matt Martin joined the Leafs as a free agent in 2016, and is in his second season of making some people mad by existing.

Bob McGill (1983-87)
Stats: 200GP - 2G - 15A - 17Pts - 545PM

A 2nd round pick for the Maple Leafs, he played his final four years with the Leafs in #15. He would be traded to the Blackhawks with Steve Thomas and Rick Vaive for Ed Olczyk and Al Secord.

Dmitri Mironov (1991-95)
Stats: 175GP - 22G - 63A - 85Pts - 146PM

An 8th round pick, Mironov would join the Leafs for three seasons and then be traded to the Penguins for Larry Murphy in the 1995 off-season.

P.A. Parenteau (2015-16)
Stats: 77GP - 20G - 21A - 41Pts - 68PM

A member of the ‘tank season filler’ group, Parenteau was signed in the off season away from the Canadiens, and left the next summer for the Devils. He is most recently played  with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg in the KHL this season.

Paul Ranger (2013-14)
Stats: 53GP - 6G - 8A - 14Pts - 36PM

The defender left the Lightning in 2010 for personal reasons and stayed out of hockey for two seasons before trying to come back to the pros, starting with one season for the Toronto Marlies. He would get an NHL deal the following season, and then play one more year in Switzerland before retiring.

Gary Sabourin (1974-75)
Stats: 55GP - 5G - 18A - 23Pts - 26PM

Brought to the Leafs in the 1974 off-season from the Blues for Eddie Johnston, he would be traded one year later to the Golden Seals for Stan Weir.

Brit Selby (1969-70)
Stats: 99GP - 12G - 16A - 28Pts - 64PM

Selby would be brought in from the Flyers late in the 68-69 season in a five player deal, then be traded early in the 70-71 season to the Blues for Bob Baun.

Brian Spencer (1970-72)
Stats: 86GP - 10G - 20A - 30Pts - 180PM

A 1969 5th round pick for the Leafs, he would split seasons between Toronto and Rochester until being taken by the Islanders in the 1972 expansion draft.

Bob Stephenson (1979-80)
Stats: 14GP - 2G - 2A - 4Pts - 4PM

Brought to the Leafs from the Whalers for Pat Boutette, Stephenson got in 14 games with the Leafs, but spent most of his season in the minors.

Bill Sutherland (1968-69)
Stats: 14GP - 2G - 2A - 4Pts - 4PM

Sutherland left the Flyers to join the Maple Leafs in the off-season, but before the 68-69 season was over he’d be back in Philadelphia in a five player swap.

Garry Unger (1967-68)
Stats: 15GP - 1G - 1A - 2Pts - 4PM

In his debut season with the Leafs he would be part of an eight player trade with the Red Wings.

Brian Wiseman (1996-97)
Stats: 3GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 0PM

A career minor-leaguer, Wiseman was called up for three games in the 96-97 season. He is currently an assistant coach with the University of Michigan.

Ken Yaremchuk (1987-88)
Stats: 316GP - 2G - 5A - 7Pts - 2PM

Played mostly in the minors for Toronto, he would go on to play for a decade in Switzerland after leaving the Leafs.

Who was the best #15 for the Maple Leafs?