Maple Leafs by the Numbers: #3 Phaneuf, Stanowski, or Mortson?

Longevity, or Stanley Cups?

Dion Phaneuf (2009-2016)
Stats: 423GP - 45G - 151A - 196Pts - 598PM

Phaneuf came to Toronto in a seven player deal with the Calgary Flames, and was named an alternate captain right away and became the 17th captain in Toronto Maple Leafs history. Phaneuf was always a controversial figure in Toronto, some fans didn’t care for his play, some fans didn’t care for his contracts, and some people didn’t care for his hats.

Phanuef sits just out side the top 10 all time for the Maple Leafs in defensive assists and points, perhaps overplayed in his time in Toronto, given a top 2 role when a top 4 may have suited him better, Phaneuf was traded to the Ottawa Senators in a trade that the top hockey insiders only heard about minutes before it was officially announced. A nine player deal move Phaneuf and his $7million per year contract to Ottawa as the Leafs entered a rebuild and needed the cap space.

Phaneuf is still with the Senators, and is an alternate captain this season.

Gus Mortson (1946-52)
Stats: 371GP - 21G -71A - 92Pts -709PM
Stanley Cup: 1946, 47, 49, 51

Mortson was a hard checking defender for the Maple Leafs through the 40’s and 50’s, won four Stanley Cups, and appeared in eight All-Star games. He became one of just two players to get in a fight during an All-Star game when he and Gordie Howe squared off in 1948. in 1952 he would be traded to the Blackhawks with three other players for Harry Lumley.

Wally Stanowski (1939-42, 1944-51)
Stats: 282GP - 20G - 74A - 94Pts - 106PM
Stanley Cup: 1942, 45, 47, 48

Stanowski played three seasons with the Maple Leafs and won the Stanley Cup in 1942. He then joined the Royal Canadian Air Force during the second world war, and when he returned to the Leafs he helped them win three more Stanley Cups.

Other 3’s

Al Arbour (1961-65)
Stats: 62GP - 2G - 6A - 8Pts - 189PM
Stanley Cup: 1961, 62, 64

Arbour signed with the Leafs after leaving the Chicago Blackhawks. He would only play one full season with the Leafs, and split the rest between Toronto and Rochester. He would switch to #18 in the 66-67 season, and be taken by the St. Louis Blues in the 1967 expansion draft.

He would help coach the Blues from 1970-73, and join the Islanders as full time head coach in the 73-74 season, where he would remain through four Stanley Cups, leaving in 1994.

Wade Belak 2003-07
Stats: 154GP - 1G - 7A - 8Pts - 328PM

Belak moved up from #2 to #3 in the 03-04 season, wearing it for 3 seasons until switching to #33 for the 07-08 season.

Jim Benning (1982-87)
Stats: 290GP - 30G - 112A - 142Pts - 142PM

A 1981 1st round pick for the Maple Leafs, Benning began his career in #15, then he switched to #3 in his second season, which he kept until he was traded to the Canucks with Dan Hodgson for Rick Lanz.

After retiring he scouted and was assistant general manager for the Bruins, before becoming the current general manager for the Canucks in 2014.

Mickey Blake (1935-36)
Stats: 1GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 0PM

Blake was mostly a minor league player who had call ups with the Montreal Maroons, St. Louis Eagles, and the Maple Leafs.

William Brydge (1926-27)
Stats: 41GP - 6G - 3A - 9Pts - 76PM

Brydge played one season in Toronto, then played in the minors and with the Detroit Cougars before signing with the New York Americans where he found his home for seven seasons.

Larry Carriere (1979-80)
Stats: 2GP - 0G - 1A -1Pt - 0PM

Carriere joined the Maple Leafs after taking to 78-79 season off. He tried out for two games, but was released. He would work with the Sabres for 21 years, going from scout to assistant general manager after retiring from playing for good. He is currently the general manager for the AHL Laval Rocket.

Sylvain Cote (1998-99)
Stats: 94GP - 8G - 31A - 39Pts - 34PM

Joining the Leafs in a trade with the Capitals for Jeff Brown late in the 97-98 season, Cote would play one full season for the Leafs and be traded to the Blackhawks at the start of 99-00 for a 2nd.

Dale DeGray (1987-88)
Stats: 56GP - 6G - 18A - 24Pts - 63PM

Acquired from the Flames for a 5th round pick, DeGray played one season in Toronto, and would sign the the Los Angeles Kings in the off season.

Art Duncan (1927-37)
Stats: 122GP - 15G - 14A - 29Pts - 199PM

After captaining the Detroit Cougars, Duncan would be traded to the Maple Leafs for Bill Brydge. He would play on the Leafs blueline for three seasons, and after two games in the 30-31 season he would leave the team.

Jerome Dupont (1986-87)
Stats: 13GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 23PM

Dupont wore both #2 and #3 in his only season with the Leafs. He mostly played in the AHL, and had 13 games worth of call ups.

Daryl Evans (1986-87)
Stats: 2GP - 1G - 0A - 1Pt - 0PM

Evans played three seasons in the AHL with Newmarket and was called up for just two games.

Fern Flaman (1953-54)
Stats: 62GP - 0G - 8A - 8Pts - 84PM

Flaman wore #3 in his final season in Toronto, and in the 1954 off-season he would be traded to the Boston Bruins for Dave Creighton.

Jimmy Fowler (1936-39)
Stats: 135GP - 18G - 29A - 47Pts - 39PM

Fowler played all three of his NHL seasons with the Maple Leafs. He would retire from playing after the 38-39 season.

John Grisdale (1972-73/74)
Stats: 51GP - 1G - 7A - 8Pts - 80PM

Grisdale played the 72-73 season with the Leafs, and a few games into the 74-75 season before he would be traded to the Canucks for Dave Dunn.

Reg Hamilton (1935-47 - career)
Stats: 366GP - 20G - 77A - 97Pts - 379PM - career
Stanley Cup: 1942, 45

Reg Hamilton wore #3, #5, #20, and #21 over his career, but I couldn’t nail things down to which number when. He only played in the NHL with the Maple Leafs.

Pierre Hedin (2003-04)
Stats: 3GP - 0G - 1A - 1Pt - 0PM

An 8th round pick in 1999, Hedin came to North America for one season and then went back to Sweden for the rest of his career.

Flash Hollett (1933-36)
Stats: 63GP - 11G - 20A - 31Pts - 50PM

Hollett played one full season with the Leafs and split two more with the minors before being traded to the Boston Bruins for $16,000.

Syd Howe (1931-32)
Stats: 3GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 0PM

Howe was called up from the Syracuse Stars for three games in the 31-32 season. The next season he would stick in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators/St. Louis Eagles and win three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings.

Grant Jennings (1995)
Stats: 10GP - 0G - 2A - 2Pts - 7PM

Acquired near the end of the lockout shortened 1995 season for Drake Berehowsky, Jennings played 10 games as a Leaf and moved on to the Buffalo Sabres the next season.

Alex Levinsky (1931-34)
Stats: 142GP - 11G - 20A - 31Pts - 130PM
Stanley Cup: 1932

Levinsky made the Leafs full time in the 31-32 season and he would win the Stanley Cup in his rookie year. In the 1934 off-season he would be traded to the New York Rangers for cash.

Bob Manno (1981-82)
Stats: 72GP - 9G - 41A - 50Pts - 67PM

Played one season with the Maple Leafs and then spent all but one season of the rest of his career in Italy.

Dave Manson (2000-01)
Stats: 87GP - 4G - 8A - 12Pts - 103PM

Manson played the 00-01 season in Toronto and a few games into 01-02 he would be traded to the Stars for Jyrki Lumme.

Alexey Marchenko (2017)
Stats: 11GP - 1G - 1A - 2Pts - 0PM

Claimed off waivers in February 2017 from the Red Wings, Marchenko played 11 games for the Leafs and in the 2017 off-season he signed with CSKA Moskva of the KHL.

Brad Marsh (1988-91)
Stats: 181GP - 2G - 28A - 30Pts - 189PM

Marsh played three seasons with the Maple Leafs, and would be traded late in the 90-91 season t the Red Wings for an 8th round pick.

Matt Martin (1995-97)
Stats: 49GP - 0G - 5A - 5Pts - 71PM

A 4th round pick in 1989, Martin wouldn’t stick around in hockey long after being draft, played four seasons in the Leafs system then a few years in the minors.

Bucko McDonald (1938-43)
Stats: 195GP - 17G - 53A - 70Pts - 116PM
Stanley Cup: 1942

Acquired from the Red Wings for Bill Thomson and $10,000, Bucko would play with the Maple Leafs for five years, some in the minors, winning the cup in 1942 and then being traded to the New York Rangers for cash.

Marc Moro (2001-02)
Stats: 2GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts -2PM

The ‘Wildman’ was acquired from the Predators for D.J. Smith and Marty Wilford. He mostly played in St. Johns with one call up, and was the first captain for the Toronto Marlies.

Jim Morrison (1954-58)
Stats: 266GP - 13G - 67A - 80Pts -267PM

Jim Morrison changed from #24 to #3 for the final four seasons of his Maple Leafs career. He would be traded to the Bruins for Allan Stanley ahead of the 58-59 season, and would go on to form a shitty band in the 60’s then die in France.

Ken Murray (1969-70)
Stats: 1GP - 0G - 1A - 1Pt - 2PM

Called up for one game in 69-70, Murray would spend most of his career in the minors.

Randy Murray (1969-70)
Stats: 3GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 0PM

Called up for three games in 69-70, Murray would spend most of his career in the minors.

Bob Neely (1973-78)
Stats: 261GP - 36G - 53A - 89Pts - 264PM

A 1st round pick in 1973, Neely played four and a half seasons in Toronto, until being traded to the Colorado Rockies for cash.

Marcel Pronovost (1965-70)
Stats: 223GP - 8G - 40A - 48Pts - 134PM
Stanley Cup: 1967

Pronovost played almost 1,000 games for the Red Wings before being part of an eight player trade to the Maple Leafs. He would help the team win the Stanley Cup in 1967, and would retire after spending his final two seasons with the Tulsa Oilers.

Joel Quenneville (1978-79)
Stats: 93GP - 3G - 13A - 16Pts - 84PM

A second round pick for the Leafs in 1978, Quenneville played with the Leafs just one and a half seasons before being traded to the Colorado Rockies. He would return to the St. John’s Maple Leafs in 1991-92 as a player-coach, then an assistant coach in 92-93. He has been the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks since 2008.

Pat Ribble (1980)
Stats: 13GP - 0G - 2A - 2Pts - 8PM

Acquired from the Blackhawks for Dave Hutchison, and then one month later he would be moved to the Capitals for Mike Kaszycki.

Bob Rouse (1991-94)
Stats: 224GP - 11G - 41A - 52Pts - 328PM

Acquired from the Capitals with Peter Zezel for Al Iafrate, Rouse would be an alternate captain for three seasons with the Maple Leafs, make two conference finals runs and then jump to the Detroit Red Wings in the 1994 off-season, where he would win two Stanley Cups.

Charlie Sands (1932-34)
Stats: 48GP - 8G - 11A - 19Pts - 2PM

Sands played three games in the 32-33 season, and the entire 33-34 season for the Maple Leafs, and would then be traded to the Bruins for cash.

Brad Selwood (1970-72)
Stats: 100GP - 6G - 27A - 33Pts - 71PM

A first round pick for the Maple Leafs in 1968, Selwood would spend two seasons in the Leafs system before jumping to the WHA Hartford Whalers.

Dave Shand (1980-81)
Stats: 47GP - 0G - 4A - 4Pts - 60PM

Shand played most of the 80-81 season with the Maple Leafs after being acquired from the Flames. He would spend the next season in the minors then switch to #4.

Art Smith (1927-30)
Stats: 101GP - 13G - 6A - 19Pts - 188PM

Smith played three seasons with the Leafs and then in 1930 he would be traded to the Ottawa Senators for King Clancy.

Who was the best #3 for the Maple Leafs?