Norm Ullman: an under-the-radar Hall-of-Fame Maple Leaf

There haven’t been many “purer” hockey players who have donned a Maple Leaf jersey over the past 80 years than Normie Ullman.  He was a cle...

Mark “Snowshoes” Fraser evokes memories of some old-time Maple Leafs

I admit it:  sometimes, as I've been watching watching the Leafs this season, I’ve wondered why Mark Fraser is with the big club.  I me...

How different would things be if only we went back to one-year contracts?

Reading an article by Dave Feschuk in the Toronto Star a while back triggered memories of when sports was in a far, far different “place”. ...

Remembering when the Leafs won their third Cup in a row in ’64- it really should have been the Wings’ year…

You know how sometimes things fall your way, but only by the narrowest of margins?  And you realize that luck may have had mor...

With all those old Leafs and Habs, how did the '67-'68 Oakland Seals play so poorly?

I’ve posted here on occasion over the past two and a half or so years about the impact of the “first” major NHL expansion in 1967-’68.  I ...

A Maple Leaf blueline with sandpaper—and skill: yes, it feels like 1971 again

It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve been able to say this and really feel it, but the Maple Leafs right now have a back line that evo...

Remembering the spring of 1971: when the Leafs also had a young goalie, young defense- and made the playoffs

As our enthusiasm grows for the current Leaf roster (young goalie, good young defense, a few talented forwards under the age of 25, etc.) I ...

Can Phaneuf and Aulie, Gunner and Schenn roll off the tongue like Horton and Stanley, Baun and Brewer?

I realize that I sometimes fall into the trap of “comparing” modern-day players to those of yesteryear, but, well, it’s fun to do.   Not alw...

Phaneuf's big night triggers hope- and some great Maple Leaf playoff memories

Many of us have wondered aloud if Dion Phaneuf would be the kind of on (and off) -ice leader the Leafs need.  In terms of his on-ice play,...