Maple Leafs by the Numbers: #4 Red Kelly, Hap Day, or Harry Watson?

We’re almost done, and number four should be a close vote.

Hap Day (1924-37)
Stats: 491GP - 94G - 160A - 254Pts - 398Pts
Stanley Cup: 1932

Clarence ‘Happy’ Day joined the Toronto St. Patricks from the OHA Senior A Hamilton Tigers in 1924, and after one season he would be named captain for the next 12 seasons, tying him with George Armstrong for the franchise record. Day would pair with King Clancy to form one of the most formidable defense pairings in the NHL.

The Maple Leafs would win just one Stanley Cup with Day as a player, but when he retired he would become the Maple Leafs head coach from 1940-50. During his time as head coach the Leafs would win five Stanley Cups, and he was assistant general manager in the 50-51 season, helping the Leafs win another Stanley Cup.

The Maple Leafs would retire #4 in his honour before the start of the 2016-17 season.

Red Kelly (1960-67)
Stats: 470GP - 119G - 232A - 351Pts - 74PM
Lady Byng: 1961
Stanley Cup: 1962, 63, 64, 67

Kelly joined the Maple Leafs after a trade with the Red Wings for Marc Reaume. In his first full season in Toronto, he would score 70 points while taking only 12 minutes in penalties earning him the Lady Byng trophy. Kelly would patrol the Leafs blue line for eight seasons, helping them win four Stanley Cups.

Kelly would retire after winning the 1967 Stanley Cup to become the head coach of the expansion Los Angeles Kings. He would coach the Kings and Penguins until the 73-74 season where he would take over the Maple Leafs as head coach for four seasons.

Harry Watson (1946-54)
Stats: 500GP - 163G - 122A - 285Pts - 111PM
Stanley Cup: 1947, 48, 49, 51

Watson joined the Maple Leafs in a trade with the Red Wings for Billy Taylor Sr. The winger would jump right into the thick of things, scoring 34 points in his first season in Toronto. In 1949 he led the Leafs in goals with 26, and points with 45. He took no penalties that season, but would finish second on Lady Byng voting to Bill Quackenbush, who scored fewer points but had a funnier name. After wining four Stanley Cups with the Maple Leafs, he would be sent to the Blackhawks early in the 54-55 season.

Other 4’s

Reid Bailey (1983)
Stats: 1GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 2PM

Bailey joined the Maple Leafs in a trade with the Oilers for Serge Boisvert. He played one game in the NHL, spending the majority of his career in the AHL.

Hugh Bolton (1954-57)
Stats: 142GP - 6G - 35A - 41Pts - 122PM

Bolton played the final three seasons of his career in #4, including just six games in the 56-57 season. After five AHL games the next year he would retire.

Cory Cross (1999-02)
Stats: 162GP - 10G - 25A - 35Pts - 168PM

Brought in from the Lightning for Fredrik Modin, Cross played three seasons with the Maple Leafs, leaving in the 2002 off-season.

Kevin Dahl (1998-99)
Stats: 3GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 2PM

Dahl only played three games for the Leafs, spending most of his time with the IHL Chicago Wolves.

Bob Davidson (1934-46)
Stats: 491GP - 94G - 160A - 254Pts - 398PM- Career
Stanley Cup: 1942, 45

Davidson worse four numbers over his career, and there’s nothing definitive about when he wore #4 that I could easily find. After retiring he would work as a scout for the Leafs from 1951-1979.

Art Duncan (1927-30)
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.

Dave Dunn (1974-76)
Stats: 115GP - 3G - 19A - 22Pts - 226PM

Brought to Toronto at the start of the 74-75 season from the Canucks for John Grisdale and Garry Monahan. He would play that season and then split the 75-76 season with the CHL Oklahoma City Blazers. He would leave for the WHA the following season.

Dave Ellett (1990-97)
Stats: 446GP - 51G - 172A - 223Pts - 371PM

Ellett came to the Leafs with Paul Fenton from the Jets in exchange for Ed Olczyk and Mark Osborne. He played seven seasons with the Leafs, scoring 22-51 points from the blue line. He would be one of the Leafs most relied upon defenders during their back to back conference final runs in 1993 & 1994. Midway through the 1997 season he would be traded to the New Jersey Devils with Doug Gilmour for Jason Smith, Steve Sullivan, and Alyn McCauley.

Jeff Finger (2008-10)
Stats: 105GP - 8G - 25A - 33Pts - 63PM

Finger is one of the biggest free agency blunder for the Maple Leafs. They signed him away from the Colorado Avalanche at age 27 after he played just 94 NHL games to a 4 year contact at $2.5million per year. Rumour has it they meant to sign Kurt Sauer, but...¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Cody Franson (2011-15)
Stats: 236GP - 20G - 95A - 115Pts - 86PM

Traded to the Maple Leafs from the Nashville Predators with Matthew Lombardi for Brett Lebda and Robert Slaney, sort of an incentive to take on Lombardi’s contract. He would play three and a half seasons for the Leafs before being sent back to Nashville with Mike Santorelli for Olli Jokinen, Brendan Leipsic, and a 1st.

Greg Hotham (1979-80)
Stats: 46GP - 3G - 10A - 13Pts - 10PM

A 1976 5th round pick, Hotham spent four years in the minors with a couple call ups to the Maple Leafs, until he was traded to the Penguins for 5th and 6th round picks.

Trevor Johansen (1977-79)
Stats: 119GP - 3G - 18A - 21Pts - 130PM

The Maple Leafs 1st round pick in 1977, Johansen only spent two seasons with the Leafs before being traded to the Colorado Rockies with Don Ashby for Paul Gardner.

Stephen Kraftcheck (1958-59)
Stats: 8GP - 1G - 0A - 1Pt - 0PM

A career minor leaguer, Kraftcheck was called up for eight games with the Leafs for what were his final NHL games.

Rick Lanz (1986-89)
Stats: 151GP - 9G - 50A - 59Pts - 115PM

Acquired from the Canucks for Jim Benning and Dan Hodgson, he would play three seasons with the Maple Leafs and leave for Switzerland in the off-season.

Gary Leeman (1983-85)
Stats: 105GP - 9G - 43A - 52Pts - 103PM

Leeman would wear #4 in his first two seasons with the Maple Leafs, before switching to #11 for the majority of his career.

Brad Maxwell (1985-86)
Stats: 52GP - 8G - 18A - 26Pts - 108PM

Maxwell came to the Leafs in the 85 off-season from the Nordiques for John Anderson. He played one season and was moved to the Canucks for a 5th round pick before the next season began.

Bob McGill (1981-83)
Stats: 98GP - 1G - 10A - 11Pts - 409PM

A second round pick for the Leafs in 1980, McGill wore #4 in his first two seasons and racked up 409 penalty minutes in less than 100 games. He would switch to #15 the following season.

Mike Pelyk (1968-74)
Stats: 363GP - 25G - 77A - 102Pts - 493PM

A 3rd round pick in 1964, Pelyk wore #4 for the majority of his Maple Leafs career. He would leave the Leafs for the WHA Vancouver Blazers in 1974.

Robert Picard (1980-81)
Stats: 59GP - 6G - 19A - 25Pts - 68PM

Brought to Toronto from the Capitals  with Tim Coulis and a 2nd for Mike Palmateer and a 3rd in the 1980 off-season, he wouldn’t last the year before being traded to the Canadiens for Michel Larocque.

Tracy Pratt (1977)
Stats: 11GP - 0G - 1A - 1Pt - 8PM

Pratt was traded to Toronto from the Colorado Rockies for a 3rd round pick. He would retire after the season ended.

Duane Rupp (1967-68)
Stats: 71GP - 1G - 8A - 9Pts - 42PM

After Rupp played his first full season after three seasons in Rochester with small call-ups, he would sign with the Minnesota North Stars the following summer.

Dave Shand (1982-83)
Stats: 1GP - 0G - 1A - 1Pt - 2PM

Shand spent the season with the AHL St. Catharines Saints, and was called up for one game. At the start of the 83-84 season he would be traded to the Capitals for Lee Norwood.

Darryl Shannon (1989-90)
Stats: 10GP - 0G - 1A - 1Pt - 12PM

A 1986 2nd round pick, he spent most of 89-90 with the AHL Newmarket Saints. He wouldn’t make the Leafs full time until the 91-92 season.

D.J. Smith (1996-97)
Stats: 8GP - 0G - 1A - 1Pt - 7PM

Smith played eight games in the NHL after the Windsor Spitfires season ended. He is now an assistant coach with the Maple Leafs.

Kurt Walker (1975-76)
Stats: 5GP - 0G - 0A - 0Pts - 49PM

Walker spent three seasons in the Leafs system, mostly playing in the minors with the occasional call up.

Who was the best #4 for the Maple Leafs?