When we look back at the Toronto Maple Leafs' draft history, we can see that they have had a broad spectrum of triumphs and disappointments. High choices become flops, late round picks become stars, and (it appears) all traded picks become franchise players for other clubs (Tyler Seguin, Robert Luongo, Scott Niedermeyer, Dougie Hamilton).
The original Maple Leafs were founded in Toronto on December 27, 1917 by Conn Smythe with himself as president, owner, and general manager. His intention was to create a team that would compete with the best in hockey. The first game played by the new team was against the Boston Bruins on January 25, 1918 at home where they lost 1-4.
During their first season, the team finished last in the NHL with only 4 wins. However, Conn Smythe was not ready to give up so easily so he started looking for help outside the organization. He found an assistant coach from Ottawa who agreed to come to Toronto if he was given control of the team's hockey operations. This man was Howard "Honeydew" Kelly who took over the role of general manager. Together, they helped the team finish second next year and then win the championship in 1919-20. After one more season finishing third, the team moved to Philadelphia where they remain to this day.
Maple Leaf players are often referred to as "Flames", probably due to the fact that early jerseys had flames on them.
The Maple Leafs acquired a player who had become one of the NHL's top players during his nine seasons with the New York Islanders, who chose him with the first overall choice in the 2009 NHL Draft. In his first season with the Maple Leafs, he set NHL career highs in goals (47) and points (88), and he was appointed captain on October 2, 2019. He is the second-youngest player to be chosen number 1, after Alex Ovechkin.
John Tavares was born on January 4th, 1991, in Stouffville, Ontario. He is a center who plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL. His wife's name is Sarah Morrisey and they met when they both attended the University of Michigan. They have two children together named Jack and Poppy.
Before becoming an NHL player, John Tavares played major junior hockey for the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. In 2006, at the age of 16, he became the youngest ever captain of an OHL team when he took over as captain of the Generals. That same year, he also won the CHL Player of the Year award after scoring 92 points in just 42 games.
Tavares made his NHL debut on October 4th, 2009, against the Montreal Canadiens. He scored his first goal in his third game, helping the Maple Leafs beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3.
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired G Michael Hutchinson from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a fifth-round selection in 2020. The Toronto Maple Leafs traded Nazem Kadri, Calle Rosen, and a 2020 third round selection to the Colorado Avalanche for Tyson Barrie, Alexander Kerfoot, and a 2020 sixth round pick.
The 2001–02 Toronto Maple Leafs season was the franchise's 85th season and the Maple Leafs' 75th season. With a record of 43-25-10-4 for 100 points, they finished second in the Northeast Division.
The Maple Leafs' first draft choice in the NHL amateur draft was also their first Brad Boyes—a first-round pick who would not play for the Leafs until the conclusion of his career.
The Maple Leafs acquired forward Ryan Hollweg in a deal with the New York Rangers on July 14 in exchange for a fifth-round draft selection in 2009. The Maple Leafs were predicted to have a disappointing season due to their inexperienced roster. This proved to be right, as they dropped out of the playoff race early and showed no evidence of rebound. At the trade deadline, Toronto dealt away their only real threat in Martin Brijess, sending him to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Jiri Hudler. The Maple Leafs finished last overall with a total of 32 wins, 51 losses and 1 tie.
Hollweg, 24, spent most of the 2008-09 season with the Rangers' American Hockey League (AHL) team, the Hartford Wolf Pack. He had seven goals and eight assists in 44 games before being called up by New York on January 26, 2009. The 6'1", 190 lb center has also played for Germany at the 2006 World Junior Championships and at the 2005 Under-18 World Championship. He was selected by the Rangers in the third round, 79th overall, of the 2007 NHL Draft.
Hollweg made his NHL debut two days after being traded to the Maple Leafs. He scored his first career goal against Devan Dubnyk of the Edmonton Oilers on January 29, 2009. He also added an assist that night.
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