Syl Apps Syl Apps joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in time for the 1936-37 season and became the first winner of the Calder Trophy, awarded to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL.
Ace Bailey Bailey was one of the most popular players ever to skate for the Leafs during his few years in the NHL, but he will forever be linked to one of the worst on-ice accidents in the history of the game.
Jean Béliveau Jean Arthur Béliveau is a Canadian icon, and one of the most respected figures to have ever played the game.
Toe Blake Long before he became a coaching legend, left wing Hector "Toe" Blake was a talented scorer and NHL star. He totaled 235 career goals, including six 20-goal seasons and became known as "the Old Lamplighter" in honor of his skill for putting the puck in the net.
Mike Bossy
Drafted 15th overall in the 1977 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders, Mike Bossy began a stellar 10 year career whereby he established himself as one of the most talented snipers the game has ever seen.
Ray Bourque Over the course of a 22-year career in the National Hockey League, Raymond Bourque became one of the best defensemen the game has ever seen and one of the greatest Bruins of all time, retiring in 2001 as the club's all-time leader in games (1,518), assists (1,111) and points (1,506).
King Clancy Francis King Clancy was a tremendous competitor whose immense contributions on the ice were equalled by his extraordinarily effusive personality off ice during his lifelong association with the game.
Bobby Clarke Bobby Clarke could have become a national hero. The merits he accumulated during his career were impressive. As a player, the former Philadelphia captain led his club to Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975. He also captured numerous individual awards, including the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player in 1973, 1975 and 1976, and made the All-Star Team four times.
Alex Delvecchio
Alex was only the second player in NHL history to play more than 20 seasons for one team, 12 of which he served as the team captain.
Marcel Dionne Though he stood at a diminutive 5'8, Marcel Dionne was a remarkable talent and by the mid-1970s he had emerged as one of the premier scorers in the National Hockey League.
Phil Espositio He was the centerman who held the greatest scoring record of them all before Wayne Gretzky came along and broke it - 76 goals in a single season in 1970-71.
Tony Esposito Tony "0" revolutionized goaltending in the NHL with his legs-open "butterfly" style and his spectacular flop-on-the-ice saves during the 16 years he spent in the league, all except one with the Chicago Black Hawks.
Bernard "Boom Boom" Geoffrion Geoffrion earned the nickname "Boom Boom" for his thundering slapshot. He was the second player in NHL history to score 50 goals in one season, the first being teammate Rocket Richard.
Wayne Gretzky Gretzky announced his retirement as a player on April 16, 1999 after 20 seasons in which he dominated the National Hockey League unlike any player in history.
Bobby Hull
Nicknamed 'The Golden Jet' because of his his blonde hair and speedy
skating, Bobby Hull was the highest scoring left wing in the history.
Gordie Howe Though other superstars could be deemed somewhat better scorers, tougher fighters or faster skaters, no player has approached Gordie Howe's sustained level of excellence.
Jarri Kurri Jari Kurri is not only the greatest Finnish player to ever play in the National Hockey League, he is also one of the greatest Europeans to ever play in the league, too.
Guy Lafleur Known as one of the greatest right wingers ever to play the game and one of the most exciting offensive players of all time, Lafleur was also known as "le Demon Blond" (the Blond Demon) for his long hair, wild rushes down the ice and booming shot.
Mario Lemieux He was big and strong but rarely had to bully his way through defenders, sending them flying instead with deft fakes and dekes. In him, the attributes of the pure scorer and the playmaker were fused and his size, reach and balance made his end-to-end rushes seem effortless.
Frank Mahovlich Frank Mahovlich was hailed as a superstar while playing junior hockey, and he went on to record 533 goals and 570 assists during his NHL career.
Stan Mikita One of the most clever and successful forwards in league history, Stan "Stosh" Mikita won awards in numbers not seen again until Wayne Gretzky arrived in the NHL.
Howie Morenz
His blazing speed caused several monikers to be bestowed upon him, such as the Stratford Streak, the Mitchell Meteor, the Canadian Comet and the Hurtling Habitant.
Bobby Orr In his first National Hockey League game, against the Detroit Red Wings and Gordie Howe, 18-year-old Orr impressed the home crowd and the many reporters with his defensive abilities.
Brad Park He had size and played aggressively, taking care of business in his own zone. Offensively, he was a pinpoint passer and a deceptive stickhandler, abilities which made him a natural and potent power-play threat.
Denis Potvin
Potvin began his first season with the Islanders in 1973-74 and in 77 games tallied 54 points on 17 goals and amassed 175 minutes in the "sin bin," establishing himself not only as one of the hardest hitting defensemen, but one with a shot rivalling the best of his time.
Jean Ratelle A talented center who exhibited class and style throughout his career, Jean Ratelle spent two decades in the NHL with the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins.
Maurice "Rocket" Richard Maurice Richard
was the first National Hockey League player to score 50 goals in a 50-game season among his 544 in 978 regular-season games.
Art Ross In 1905 Ross made his first appearance for a major hockey organization by scoring 10 goals in eight games for the Westmount franchise in the Canadian Amateur Hockey League. He rapidly earned the distinction of being one of the top rushing defensemen in the game.
Anders Salming Salming ended up in Canada quite by accident. In 1973 the Toronto Maple Leafs were interested in a different Swede, the winger Inge Hammarstrom. Leafs scout Gerry McNamara, who happened to be in Sweden at the time, saw Salming in action and immediately called his boss in Canada to tell him about another Scandinavian genius.
Terry Sawchuk In 1952, with the Detroit Red Wings, Terry became the fifth National Hockey League goaltender to record four shutouts in one postseason. The Wings went 8-0 in the 1952 Stanley Cup Finals, allowing just five goals in total.
Peter Stastny After Wayne Gretzky, Peter Stastny was the most prolific scorer in the NHL in the 1980s.
Frederick "Cyclone" Taylor His dynamic rushes and memorable scoring feats made him one of hockey's first superstars. He was one of the few players in the history of the game capable of skating backwards as fast as many could forwards.
Georges Vezina One of the elite goaltenders in the annals of NHL history, Georges Vezina was a key figure in the early history of the Montreal Canadiens franchise.
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