The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the Original Six teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) and have a storied history dating back to 1917. However, despite being an iconic franchise, the Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967. Their most recent Stanley Cup victory was 54 years ago, which is the longest active drought in the NHL.
Quick Answers
The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the Stanley Cup 13 times in their history:
- 1917-18
- 1921-22
- 1931-32
- 1941-42
- 1944-45
- 1946-47
- 1947-48
- 1948-49
- 1950-51
- 1961-62
- 1962-63
- 1963-64
- 1966-67
As shown above, their last Stanley Cup win was in 1967. Since then, the Maple Leafs have not made it back to the Stanley Cup Finals, despite having some very talented rosters and making the playoffs in most seasons.
Early Success and Championships
The Toronto Maple Leafs joined the NHL in 1917 as the Toronto Arenas. In their early years, the team was known by various nicknames like the Toronto St. Patricks and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Their first Stanley Cup championship came in 1917-18 when they defeated the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association.
After a few lean years, the Maple Leafs’ next Cup win came in 1921-22 when they beat the Vancouver Maroons. It would be another decade before Toronto won again in 1931-32 against the New York Rangers. The 1930s Maple Leafs were led by the “Kid Line” of Busher Jackson, Joe Primeau and Charlie Conacher.
The next Maple Leafs championship was in 1941-42, when they defeated the Detroit Red Wings in a tough 7-game series. Center Syl Apps won the Lady Byng Trophy that season and led the way in the Finals.
The Maple Leafs won two consecutive Stanley Cups in 1944-45 and 1946-47. The 1944-45 win was against the Red Wings, while the 1946-47 championship was versus the Montreal Canadiens. Legendary coach Hap Day guided the team during this era.
Maple Leafs Dynasty in the 1940s-50s
After World War II ended, the Maple Leafs emerged as the NHL’s marquee franchise in the late 1940s. From 1947 to 1951, Toronto appeared in 5 straight Stanley Cup finals, winning 3 of them consecutively from 1947-1949.
Hall of Fame goalie Turk Broda backstopped the Maple Leafs during this dynastic run. Forwards like Ted Kennedy, Max Bentley and Sid Smith provided the offense that led Toronto to more Cup wins in 1948-49 against Detroit and 1950-51 versus Montreal.
After some rebuilding years in the 1950s, the Maple Leafs acquired stars like Frank Mahovlich, Dave Keon and Tim Horton and were back in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1960-61. However, they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks that year.
The Maple Leafs’ Last Stanley Cups
In the 1962 playoffs, the Maple Leafs met the Montreal Canadiens in the Finals. Toronto defeated their long-time rivals in 6 games to capture their first Stanley Cup in 11 years. Dave Keon won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after scoring 8 goals in the postseason.
The following year, the Maple Leafs and Canadiens met again for the Cup. This time, Toronto swept Montreal 4-1 in the Finals with goalie Johnny Bower allowing just 9 goals against the powerful Habs offense. Left winger Eddie Shack was a key contributor with 5 goals and 10 points.
In 1964, Toronto won its third consecutive championship by beating the Red Wings in 7 games. Winger Bob Pulford led the way with 9 goals in the playoffs.
The Maple Leafs’ most recent Stanley Cup came in 1966-67, when they defeated Montreal in 6 games. The hero of that Finals series was veteran goalie Johnny Bower, who outplayed his counterpart Rogie Vachon. Forward Jim Pappin led Toronto in scoring with 7 goals as the Leafs won their 13th Cup.
Years Between Stanley Cups
| First Cup Win | Last Cup Win | Years Between |
|---|---|---|
| 1917-18 | 1921-22 | 4 |
| 1921-22 | 1931-32 | 10 |
| 1931-32 | 1941-42 | 10 |
| 1941-42 | 1944-45 | 3 |
| 1944-45 | 1946-47 | 2 |
| 1946-47 | 1947-48 | 1 |
| 1947-48 | 1948-49 | 1 |
| 1948-49 | 1950-51 | 2 |
| 1950-51 | 1961-62 | 11 |
| 1961-62 | 1962-63 | 1 |
| 1962-63 | 1963-64 | 1 |
| 1963-64 | 1966-67 | 3 |
As shown in the table above, the longest gap between Stanley Cups for Toronto was 11 years between 1950-51 and 1961-62. During the Maple Leafs dynasty from 1962 to 1967, they never went more than a year between championships.
Playoff Droughts Since 1967
Since winning their last Cup in 1966-67, the Maple Leafs’ championship drought has continued to grow as the years pile up:
- As of 1968-69, the Leafs had not won in 2 seasons
- As of 1970-71, the drought reached 4 seasons
- In 1979-80, Toronto’s dry spell hit 13 seasons
- By 1989-90, the Leafs had not won in 23 seasons
- By 1999-2000, the drought extended to 33 seasons
- As of 2022-23, the Maple Leafs have now gone 55 seasons without lifting the Stanley Cup
The late 1960s into the 1970s was a particularly painful stretch for Toronto, as they missed the playoffs 8 times in 9 seasons between 1969 and 1978.
Since then, the Maple Leafs have had some deep playoff runs, reaching the Conference Finals in 1978, 1993, 1994 and 2002. But they have been unable to return to the Stanley Cup Finals since their 1967 win.
Notable Playoff Losses Since 1967
Here are some of the most heartbreaking playoff losses for the Maple Leafs since their last Cup victory in 1966-67:
- 1978 – Lost to Montreal 4-3 in Semifinals – The Leafs had a 3-2 series lead before the Canadiens rallied to win Game 6 in overtime and Game 7 by 2 goals.
- 1993 – Lost to Los Angeles 4-3 in Conference Finals – Toronto was up 3-2 in the series but lost Game 6 on a late goal by Wayne Gretzky and fell 5-4 in Game 7.
- 1994 – Lost to Vancouver 4-3 in Conference Finals – After a dramatic OT win in Game 5, the Leafs could not close out the series and lost Game 6 in OT and Game 7 in a blowout.
- 2001 – Lost to New Jersey 4-3 in Conference Semifinals – Toronto was 10 minutes away from reaching the Conference Finals for the first time since 1994, but New Jersey scored 3 goals in the 3rd period to win Game 6 and blew them out 7-1 in Game 7.
- 2013 – Lost to Boston 4-3 in First Round – The Leafs had a 4-1 lead late in Game 7 before a shocking collapse led to an OT loss. It is considered one of the biggest meltdowns in playoff history.
As the decades have passed, the Maple Leafs have continued to build strong regular season teams. But once the playoffs hit, something seems to hold them back from getting over the hump. The pressure and long title drought often gets mentioned as a factor when Toronto suffers their next postseason letdown.
Fan Frustration Grows
As the Maple Leafs’ Stanley Cup drought continues to lengthen, fan frustration has steadily grown. Despite having plenty of star players suit up for the blue and white, Toronto has been unable to build a championship contender since the 1960s.
There have been many contributing factors to the lack of playoff success:
- Questionable trades and roster moves
- Inability to find an elite goalie
- Lack of scoring depth
- Poor defense and goaltending
- Coaching and management issues
- Mental fragility in high pressure games
All of this has led to a lot of anger and impatience from one of the largest and most passionate fan bases in the NHL. Maple Leafs fans are desperate to see their team return to glory after more than half a century without a Cup victory.
Many fans wonder if they will ever get to experience the joy of seeing the Leafs win it all again. For generations of Toronto supporters, the team’s 1967 championship is something that only older relatives can actually remember watching live.
Hope Remains Despite Frustrations
While the frustration has hit a boiling point at times, Maple Leafs fans are eternally optimistic that their Stanley Cup fortunes could change quickly. There is hope that the current roster led by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander will develop into a championship nucleus.
The Leafs also have plenty of young talent percolating in their minor league system. Core pieces like Morgan Rielly and John Tavares provide leadership, skill and experience to complement the youth.
Many look at the progress made by previous sad-sack franchises like Chicago and St. Louis, who both broke through after 49-year Cup droughts, as a blueprint for Toronto’s potential renaissance. But the Leafs still have work left to do before ending professional sport’s longest active title drought.
Conclusion
The storied history of the Toronto Maple Leafs has been filled with 13 Stanley Cup championships and legendary players. But their last NHL title came in 1967, which has now stretched into a miserable 54-season drought.
Generations of Leafs fans have never seen a championship parade wind through the streets of Toronto. Many great teams and players have fallen short in the playoffs since the 1967 win over Montreal.
The Maple Leafs’ lack of playoff success and inability to just reach the Finals has been puzzling and frustrating. But with a currently talented roster in place, fans continue to hope that the day to celebrate another Stanley Cup win will finally come in the near future.
