After an outstanding rookie campaign with the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, Jack Valiquette was drafted 13th overall in the first round of the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He would spend most of the 1974-75 season playing for Toronto’s minor league affiliate in Oklahoma City but did manage to suit up for one game with the Maple Leafs that year before becoming a roster regular during the 1975-76 season. In his time with Toronto, Valiquette would play in a total of 172 regular season games, tallying 33 goals and 66 assists.

Nicknamed “The Milkman”, Claire Alexander was persuaded to leave his job as a milkman by an offer to join the Toronto Maple Leafs organization in 1973. A strong defender with a big shot, Claire would spend a season in the minors before debuting with the Maple Leafs during the 1974-75 season at 29 years old. He played 3 seasons with the Blue & White and his biggest on-ice contributions came during the 1976 playoffs where he amassed 6 points in 9 games against Pittsburgh & Philadelphia. Dave Hutchison: Drafted 36th overall in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft, Dave Hutchison is remembered for his hard-hitting, defensive focused game rather than scoring prowess. In just under 600 career NHL games, Hutchison racked up over 1500 penalty minutes. Through two tours of duty with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Hutchison would skate in 157 regular season games and was often the stay-at-home defenseman paired with Hockey Hall of Famer, Borje Salming.

Named one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players in 2017, Johnny Bower was an icon across generations of Maple Leafs fans. Known for his use of the poke-check, the fearless goaltender joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1958 at 34-years of age and quickly established himself as the team’s starting goaltender. He would go on to play 12 seasons with the Maple Leafs and won the Stanley Cup four times while wearing the Blue & White. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976.

After a standout junior career with the Toronto Marlboros, Ron Ellis played his first game with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the conclusion of the 1963-64 season. The hard-working two-way forward would remain with the club into the 1980-81 season and played in over 1,100 career NHL games…all in the Blue & White. Ellis was a member of the 1967 Stanley Cup winning Maple Leafs team and was also an important piece of the historic Canadian team that beat the Soviet Union during the 1972 Summit Series.

Drafted by the Maple Leafs with the 17th pick of the 1963 NHL Amateur Draft, Jim McKenny would play all but 10 of his 604 career regular season games in the NHL with Toronto. While playing for the Leafs, he amassed 327 regular season points which places him 6th all-time on the club’s points list amongst defensemen. Jim’s final season in the NHL came in 1978-79 and, after a season overseas in Europe, he would officially retire from professional hockey. Post-retirement, Jim worked as a sports reporter at CityTV News and, for the last decade plus, has shifted focus to assisting people with substance abuse issues as an addictions counsellor.

Jim Dorey was known for his rugged, aggressive playing style which made him a fan-favorite and a Maple Leaf blueline mainstay during his four seasons in Toronto. Dorey made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs on October 16, 1968 in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. That night, he would set two single-game NHL records by being assessed 9 penalties, including four minors, two fighting majors, two misconducts and one game misconduct, and received 48 minutes in penalties overall. All of this accomplished in under two periods of play! When his playing days concluded, Jim returned to his hometown of Kingston to work in the insurance industry and spent over a decade on the TMLA Board of Directors.

Peter Ing was born in Toronto and got to live out every kid’s dream of being drafted by his hometown team when the Maple Leafs selected him in the third round of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. He would be called up by the team late in 1989 and appeared in 59 games with Toronto over two seasons. Peter’s time with the Maple Leafs may be best remembered by a big save he made on a Wayne Gretzky penalty shot during a contest between Toronto and the LA Kings in January 1991. Ing’s commitment to the Blue & White extended well beyond his playing days and has included countless community & charitable appearances, both at home and abroad, and several years of service on the TMLA Board of Directors, serving as TMLA President between 2014-17.

A native of Timmins, Ontario, Paul Harrison began his NHL career with the Minnesota North Stars before joining the Toronto Maple Leafs via trade in 1978. After an injury to starting goaltender, Mike Palmateer, during a playoff game against the Montreal Canadiens in 1979, Harrison was thrust into the historic rivalry for the fourth and, unfortunately, final game of the series. Harrison and the Maple Leafs lost in overtime that night and the two historic franchises would not meet again in the postseason until the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

 After a standout junior career with the Peterborough Petes, including a run to the Memorial Cup Championships where he was named to the Tournament’s All-Star team, Mark Kirton was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the 58th pick of the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. Kirton would play two seasons with the New Brunswick Hawks of the American Hockey League before making his NHL debut with Toronto during the 1979-80 season and scored his first NHL goal during his first NHL game. Mark would begin the 1980-81 season with the Maple Leafs before being traded to the Detroit Red Wings in a deal for veteran goaltender, Jim Rutherford. Mark’s ice-time increased in Detroit and his production followed, including two game winners against his former team shortly after the trade. He would spend parts of three seasons with the Red Wings before being traded to Vancouver during the 1982-83 season and spent the final years of his NHL career with the Canucks. Mark would sign with Toronto prior to the 1987-88 season and played two seasons with their AHL affiliate in Newmarket before retiring in 1989. Throughout his NHL career, Mark Kirton played in 266 regular season games and amassed 113 points (57 Goals & 56 Assists).