Throughout the long and storied National Hockey League
history of the Toronto Maple Leafs, five players have appeared in over 1,000
regular season games with the club. The team has existed in the NHL since 1917.
However, four of the five players played during generally the same era.
George Armstrong – 1,187
George
Armstrong leads the way with 1,187 regular season games played in a Toronto
Maple Leafs jersey. Armstrong played from 1949-50 to 1970-71, always with
Toronto. In that time, he totaled 713 points and appeared on four Stanley Cup
winning teams (1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64 and 1966-67). His number 10 is
honoured by the Maple Leafs and George was inducted into the Hockey Hall of
Fame 1975.
Tim Horton – 1,185
Tim Horton fell just two games shy of Armstrong with 1,185
games played with Toronto. However, Horton did play more NHL games, totaling
1,446 in a career that spanned from 1949-50 to 1973-74. Horton finished his
career, playing with the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo
Sabres.
Horton was part of the same four Stanley Cup winning teams as George
Armstrong. His number 7 is honoured by the team and he posthumously entered the
Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977.
Borje Salming – 1,099
Borje Salming played 1,099 games with Toronto from 1973-74
to 1988-89. He played one more NHL season with the Detroit Red Wings and
retired with 1,148 regular season games. He totalled 768 points from the
Toronto blue line and his 620 assists are a Toronto Maple Leafs record for most
career assists. Borje’s number 21 has been honoured by the Maple Leafs. He was
inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996 and two years later he became a
member of the IIHF Hall of Fame.
Dave Keon – 1,062
Dave Keon played 1,062 of his 1,296 NHL games with the
Toronto Maple Leafs between 1960-61 and 1974-75. Keon played an additional 301
games in the World Hockey Association with the Minnesota Fighting Saints,
Indianapolis Racers and New England Whalers.
Keon returned to the NHL to play
three years with the Hartford Whalers before retiring. Dave was part of the
four Stanley Cup teams in the 1960’s. He won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of
the year in 1960-61, the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1966-67 and two
Lady Byng Trophies. Keon was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986.
Ron Ellis – 1,034
Ron Ellis played 1,034 games with Toronto in an NHL career
that spanned from 1963-64 (1 game) to 1980-81. In that time, he scored 332
goals and accumulated 640 points. He was a big part of the 1966-67 Stanley Cup
winning team. Ellis is the only one of the five not in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
If there were an honourable mention category, Ron would be there.
