LOL Toronto Maple Leafs History

The Toronto Maple Leafs currently have the longest cup drought in Hockey.

1960's: The beginning of the End

 * The 1967 Stanley Cup would be the last cup the Maple Leafs have won to date, which means anything typed under this sentence is worth reading.
 * Following the expansion draft and the formation of the NHLPA, the Leafs were severely dismantled and only one year after making the finals missed the playoffs.

1970's & 1980's: The Worst Owner in NHL History

 * February 1972 will probably be known to Leafs fans as the day the sun disappeared from the sky, after arguments between owners and one of them dying, Harold Ballard, who was pretty much the stereotypical rich old white man, officially became majority owner of the Maple Leafs. We'll have to make a separate page for him.
 * Ballard easily became sole owner due to the terms of the late Stafford Smythe's allowing owners to buy each others shares after a death. Stafford's son alleges Ballard wrote this himself.
 * To top off the Rich White stereotype, he became owner while being in prison for tax evasion and using all the money from the team on his personal stuff. Prison also treated him as if it was a luxury getaway.
 * Coincidentally, the WHA was also starting up at the end of 71, Ballard didn't think that league would offer as much money as he would to Leafs player and let a shit ton of players jump ship. The 70's were spent either with terrible season records or making the playoffs only to quickly exit.
 * Ballard fired beloved coach Roger Nielsen during the 78-79 season, why? Honestly probably because he looked like a hippy.
 * The players then proceeded to protest the firing and Ballard actually relented and brought Nielsen back... and asked him to wear a paper bag on his head and be labelled, "The Mystery Coach". Nielsen refused and would coach a few more games until Ballard kicked him out again.
 * Darryl Sittler, who led the outcry for Nielsen's reinstatement, would proceed to get in heated arguments with Ballard after the fiasco and following the return of GM Punch Imlach would see his time with the Leafs become a living hell until he was traded to the Flyers in 82.
 * Punch Imlach also treated him GM job like he was the leader of a Boarding School Hockey Team, players would have to wear a shirt and tie to see him (or be fined) in his office and they weren't allowed to drink on the bus after games.
 * Punch also took Sittler to court one time to prevent him and Mike Palmateer from appearing on a game show, he was unsuccessful in getting the injuction.
 * He also traded Sittler's best friend Lanny McDonald to Colorado just to get rid of Sittler's influence.
 * In 1980, coach Floyd Smith got in a car accident and his assistant was terrible at coaching, therefore Punch himself decided to coach the Leafs, this led to the first season under .500 in 13 years.
 * Right before he could deal Sittler to Quebec, Punch had a heart attack, Ballard would take over as GM and Punch would suffer another heart attack during training camp, Ballard fired him but proceeded not to tell him. Punch found out when he discovered his parking spot was gone.
 * The later 80's were spent with shitty seasons and whenever the Leafs made the playoffs, they would be horrendously eliminated.
 * One of these seasons (87-88), they had the second worst record in the league but thanks to the North Division being shit they actually made it in.
 * The only upside with all this losing was drafting Wendel Clark in 1985.
 * On April 11th, 1998, Harold Ballard finally died, throughout his little over 18 years as sole owner, only 6 times the Leafs had a winning record and never made it past third in their division.

1990's: Some Hope?

 * Ballard's friend, Steve Stavro, while still being his bud, actually did put some life into the team in the 90's. Notable names signed by new GM Cliff Fletcher included Doug Gilmour, Dave Andreychuk and Felix Potvin. However that's not to say there were some fuck ups.
 * Toronto had a the 3rd pick in the 91 entry draft, however they traded it to NJ a few years back to acquire Tom Kurvers, who didn't offer much for the team. The Devils used the draft pick to select Scott Niedermeyer.
 * Speaking of Kurvers, Toronto traded him to Vancouver for Brian Bradley, when the 92 expansion draft rolled around, Toronto decided not to protect him and Tampa Bay scooped Bradley right up, he would become the first big face of the Lightning franchise. lol.
 * Wendel Clark was traded to Quebec in 94 (for Mats Sundin, see the 2000's section), since it's the Nordiques nothing bad happened at least. They'd get him back from Long Island the following year along with Mathieu Schneider, losing another 1st round pick in 1997. While the Leafs sucked that year, the Islanders would use the draft pick on Roberto Luongo, so... that's a win for Toronto right?
 * Larry Murphy was acquired from the Penguins in 94, he wasn't showing results immediately so Toronto sent him to Detroit (literally just giving him up and paying his salary) where he'd help fuel the Red Wings dynasty.

2000's: No Wait We Still Suck

 * The Leafs decided to take Gilmour back from Montreal in 2002, he would play one game where he would suffer a career ending injury.
 * The longest play off drought for the Leafs began after 2004, as they would miss the playoffs for 8 years.
 * Mats Sundin went through the hard times like a boss, however coming up short every season led to Toronto asking him to waive his no trade clause in 2008. This led to him realizing Toronto had no faith in him so he packed him bags and went to Vancouver.
 * Sundin and the Canucks faced Toronto twice in 08-09 and proceed to kick their asses in both games.