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The Toronto Maple Leafs jersey has changed 10 times in it's history while the famous Leaf crest was re-designed 4 times.
*Toronto Blue Shirts (NHA) 1912/13-1916/17
Toronto Arenas 1917/18-1918/19
Toronto St Patricks 1919/20-1926/27
Tornto Maple Leafs 1926/27-Present
*The Maple Leafs connection to the NHA Blue Shirts is not officially recognized
PRIOR TO THE INCEPTION OF THE MAPLE LEAFS
*Once known as the Blueshirts, Shamrocks, Marlboros, Arenas and the St. Patricks, Toronto’s premier hockey franchise became known as the Maple Leafs after a group headed by Mr. Conn Smythe purchased the team on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1927. Taking over a club that earned Stanley Cup championships in 1918 (Toronto Arenas) and 1922 (Toronto St. Pat’s), Smythe soon started laying the foundation that evolved into the current appearance of the storied Toronto Maple Leafs.
Now in charge of Toronto’s National Hockey League entry, Smythe’s patriotic pride led him to decide on a Maple Leaf as the team’s namesake and crest. The Maple Leaf was a proud national symbol to Smythe due to his military career. It is also said that he admired the team name of the East Toronto Maple Leaves whom he scouted regularly. The uniform colours remained green and white for a year after he purchased the team out of respect for the previous organization. He then changed the colours to blue and white, likely due to his long time involvement with the Unversity of Toronto Blues hockey team who have the same colours. Past Public Relations Director, Stan Obodiac was fond of saying the blue represented the blue of the Canadian sky and the white represented the white of the Canadian snow.
1928-33
The Leafs’ second uniform consisted of a blue home jersey with a series of thin-wide-thin striped bands on the arms, leggings and shoulders, and a 47-point Maple Leaf on the chest with the words "Toronto Maple Leafs" on the crest. The Leafs road uniform of the time was white with three stripes of equal width on the top of the chest and on the back, three stripes on the waist, three stripes on the stockings and the same 48-point Maple Leaf on the chest.
1933-34
Same design, excepting that the thin-wide-thin stripes on the neck and shoulders were replaced with three thin stripes of equal width.
1934-37
The basic design of the Leaf uniform for the next four decades was established just prior to the Ace Bailey Benefit Game. The leggings remained the same - three sets of triple stripes - but the jersey itself consisted of two stripes of equal width on the arms and on the waist. There were no stripes on the shoulder, just a simple white band around the collar. The maple leaf crest remained unchanged. The road uniform was similar, with blue stripes and collar.
1937-67
The home uniform remained virtually unchanged during these years except for some subtle alterations to the Maple Leaf crest. The appearance of veins on the Leaf and the word ``Toronto’’ curving downwards appeared in 1937. A 35-point Leaf crest was introduced in 1942. In 1947, the words ``Toronto Maple Leafs’’ appeared in red, but the innovation was largely ceremonial and only lasted one semester. The first appearance of the captains’ ``C’’ and the alternate captains’ ``A’’ appeared during the 1946-47 season. Other modifications included highlighting the Leaf crest with a white border (or blue border) and variations to the veins of the Leaf. In 1958, the neck was outfitted with a six-eyelet lace and tie, and this remained a feature of the Leaf uniform until 1973. In 1958, a major alteration was made to the Leafs’ road uniform when a solid blue yoke was added to the shoulder, extending from the neck to just above the stripe on the arm. In 1961, when the Leafs began to put numbers on the sleeves of the jersey, this stripe was tapered back to the top of the arm.
1967-70
The first major modification in four decades was made to both the Leafs’ home and road uniform prior to the start of the 1967 playoffs. The standard 35-point Leaf crest was replaced with a solid 11-point Maple Leaf - similar to the Maple Leaf displayed on the new Canadian flag - in celebration of Canada’s centennial year. ``Toronto’’ still curved slightly downward. The two stripes on the arm and waist were replaced with one set of thin-wide-thin stripes, not unlike those on the Leaf uniform of 1928. The road uniform still retained the solid blue yolk on the shoulders.
1970-92
Another distinctive change was made to the Leafs uniform prior to the start of the 1970-71 season, when the NHL introduced legislation requiring the home team to wear white uniforms at home. The crest remained unchanged except the word ``Toronto’’ which was now straight across the crest, parallel to the words ``Maple Leafs’’. The arm stripes on both home and away uniforms was discontinued, replaced with a solid yolk extending from the neck to the wrist. A solid stripe on the waist, three solid stripes on the stockings and a miniature Leaf crest on the shoulders completed the new uniform design.
In 1975, the Leafs went to the v-necked collar for the first time for the 1972-73 season, but went back to the tie down collar for 1973-74 to 1975-76. In 1976-77, the collar went back to the V-neck shape. In 1975, the leggings were altered to have two stripes instead of three. In 1977, names appeared on the back of the road uniform and by 1979, on the back of the home jersey as well. Ceremonial patches, such as those celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Gardens, commemorating the Heart and Stroke fund, and dedications to King Clancy and Harold Ballard were common features in the past decade.
1992 To 2008
During selected games of the 1991-92 season, the Leafs wore an ``Original Six’’ styled uniform, similar in design to the classic jerseys of the 1940’s. The fans greeted the ``old style’’ design enthusiastically and with that in mind, the first design changes to the Leafs uniform in 22 years occurred in 1992-93. The uniform is a mixture of the old - triple stripes on the legs, two stripes on the arm and waist with the solid shoulder and arm stripe being discontinued - and the new, with the distinctive 11-point Leaf crest remaining. The shoulder patch features an old-styled Leaf, much like the one featured on the ``Original Six’’ uniform. Honoured sweater numbers were commemorated by special shoulder patches on two current Leaf jerseys beginning in 1993-94. In 1997-98, the numerals and letters on the back of the sweater were modified to match the exact letters of the Maple Leaf logo. A mesh-style under-arm was also incorporated. In 1998-99, in commemoration of the final National Hockey League action at the venerable Maple Leaf Gardens, a special jersey was worn for five home games and five road games. It featured a 35-point Leaf crest on the front and solid blue yolking along the shoulders. The jersey also incorporated the six-eyelet lace and tie which was a feature of the Leaf uniform from 1958 to 1973. Beginning in the 2000-01 season, the Maple Leafs altered the jersey with a new Varsity Block number design and a stylized TML logo as a shoulder patch.
The Evolution of the Maple Leaf:
The list of those lucky or talented enough to have worn the Leafs blue and white is smaller than you might think.
Some 700 men have proudly worn the sweater since the team was renamed the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1927.
By the time Conn Smythe and his partners assumed control of the team, the Toronto franchise had already won Stanley Cups as the Toronto Arenas in 1918 and the Toronto St. Pats in 1922.
Earlier in its history, the team had been known as the Blueshirts, Shamrocks and Marlboros. Smythe did not immediately change the team’s colours, he kept the green and white hues of the St. Pats for a year.
An ardent patriot, Smythe switched the club’s name to the Toronto Maple Leafs - commemorating a Canadian World War I Regiment - and the colours to blue and white, likely because of his affection for the University of Toronto Blues. Stan Obodiac, the Leafs’ iconic public relations director, used to say the blue represented a Canadian sky while the white symbolized Canadian winter.
The famous 47-point Maple Leafs logo on the blue and white jersey debuted in 1928. The darker colour was reserved for home games with thin-wide-thin bands on the arms, legs and shoulders. White was for the road with three stripes of equal width on top of the chest and the back, three stripes on the waist and three stripes on the stockings.
Nineteen-thirty-four brought a new design for the uniforms that would last, with some minor modifications, for 40 years.
The change came just prior to the Ace Bailey Benefit Game in February of 1934. Bailey, a talented Leafs forward, suffered a career-ending head injury when attacked by Boston Bruins badman Eddie Shore. The Leafs unveiled a jersey with two stripes of equal width on the arms and chest. The blue uniform was similar, white with blue stripes and a collar.
Included in the minor changes were subtle changes to the Leafs’ crest. Veins were added to the Leaf. In 1937, the word ‘Toronto’ was curved downwards. The logo was simplified and the number of points on the crest was trimmed by 12 to 35 in 1942.
The colour of the words ‘Toronto Maple Leafs’ were switched to red for one year in 1947.
In 1967, the Leafs showcased their first major modification in two generations. The changes came just prior to the playoffs and were heavily influenced by the brand new 11-point Canadian flag. The Leafs new logo also featured 11 points. The downward slope of the word Toronto was scaled back. The two stripes on the arm and waist were replaced with one set of thin-wide-thin stripes.
In 1970, the Leafs introduced a distinctive change that would give the team a fresh look that lasted 21 years. Uniforms were standardized, home whites and blue on the road. The word ‘Toronto’ was run straight across the crest. The arm stripes were scrapped and a solid yolk extended from the neck to the wrist. A Leaf crest, without the lettering, was installed on both shoulders.
More tinkering followed. The socks were altered to have two stripes instead of three. Player names made their first appearance on road jerseys in 1977. Two years later, home jerseys bearing the players names made their debut.
The final redesign of the uniform came in 1992. The Leafs wore an Original Six jersey, similar to their 1940s edition. Feedback was positive so the Leafs moved to make their first changes in two decades. The uniform blended the old triple stripes on the legs with two stripes on the arm and the waist. The shoulder-to-wrist yolk was dropped.
The 11-point Leaf remained and shoulder patches featuring an old-styled Leaf were introduced.
In 1997, the numbers and letters on the back of the sweater were modified to match the exact letters of the Maple Leaf logo.
Special jerseys were introduced to commemorate the 1998-1999 season, the club’s last at Maple Leaf Gardens. The club wore the jerseys five times at home and five times on the road. The jersey featured a 35-point Leaf crest.
In 2000, the Leafs altered the jersey with new Varsity Block number design and a stylized TML logo as a shoulder patch.
The uniform has been worn by 11 Stanley Cup winning teams. The A-Z listing of one-time Leafs includes greats and nothings-of-the kind have worn it, from Doug Acomb who played two games for the 69-70 Leafs to Peter Zezel.
Thirty nine men who wore the blue and white would later be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame and two uniforms, Bill Barilko’s number 5 and the 6 worn by Ace Bailey are permanently retired.,
Nine more unretired numbers of distinction are considered honoured numbers. Number 1 was worn by Turk Broda and Johnny Bower. Hap Day and Red Kelly wore 4. The number 7 was worn by King Clancy and Tim Horton. The number nine adorned the back of Ted Kennedy and Charlie Conacher. Also included were Borje Salming’s 21 and 27, worn by Frank Mahovlich and Darryl Sittler.
The latest incarnation of the Maple Leafs sweater is debuted Wednesday. Every team in the NHL is moving over to a more streamlined, engineered to sweep heat away from the player and present a more streamlined profile. Look for a tighter, though no more restrictive jersey with minimal changes except, perhaps, to the lines at the bottom of the uniform. Tune in to Leafs TV's Leafs Today Wednesday at 3 p.m. to watch the unveiling live.
1927-1928
The first Leaf jersey wasn't very impressive, it was a simple plain white jersey, but it did sport the soon to be famous, 47-point maple leaf crest as the jersey's centerpiece.
1928-1934
The Leaf's first official "Home" jersey was introduced in 1928 and it was blue with a series of thick and thin white horizontal stripes around the sleaves and waist. It's centerpiece was what is the now original and famous 47-point maple leaf crest.
1934-58
The first major change came in 1934. The excessive horizontal striping was now replaced by two thin stripes on both the sleeves and waist and in 1942 the original 47-point leaf was changed to a 35-point leaf.
1958-1967
In 1958, with Six Stanley Cups to its credit, the Leaf's white road jersey was altered to include a solid blue yolking on the shoulder and a six-eyelet lace and tie at the neck was also added. The home jersey remained the same until 1967.
1967-1970
A True Leaf at heart is also a True Canadian at heart! So, it was no surprise that on Canada's 100th year of greatness, the Leaf's commemorated both their home and road jerseys with an 11-point maple leaf; one very similar to the newly introduced leaf on Canada's official flag.
The thin horizontal stripes were also replaced a single set of the old thin-thick-thin stripes (1928) on both the arms and waist. These changes were just prior to the 1967 playoffs and fittingly "Canada's Team" took home the Lord Stanley Mug once again, their 11th in 40 years!
1970-1992
In 1970, the year the Leaf jersey was completely redesigned, White officialy became the "Home" colour. An extention of the blue yolk from the neck to the wrist replaced the arm striping and the thin-thick-thin waist striping was replaced by a thick single stripe. They didn't stop there either, as minature leaves were also to the shoulders to complete the new design.
1992-1997
Once again, in 1992, the Leaf was completely re-designed into a combined mixture of both old and new. The two thin stripes on the arms and waist (1934) were brought back and the six-eyelet lace and tie at the neck was removed. The solid blue yolk from neck to wrist was replaced with a solid white yolk that fell past the shoulders and the old 35-point Leaf (1942) replaced the minature leaves on the shoulders. The only things that did not change were the jersey color and the leaf 11-point maple leaf crest!
1997- Present
The current Leaf jersey brought a few changes. The lettering of the numbers and player names were harmonized to match the same font as the lettering on the Leaf crest, and an silver trim outline was added to the edge of the numbers for readability. Also, their new stylized "TML" logo replaced the minature leaves on the shoulders.
The material however, changed completely. The new jersey is now composed of a durable mesh allowing for improved breathability and a more comfortable feel.
1998 - Present
The Leaf's introduced a "Heritage" third jersey in 1998. The jersey featured the 35-point Leaf crest from 1942 on the front and solid blue yolking along the shoulders and the six-eyelet lace and tie at the neck, both the from 1958 revision. The jersey was in commemoration of the final National Hockey League season at the venerable Maple Leaf Gardens and this special jersey was to be worn for five home games and five road games, all against Original 6 teams.
This "Heritage" jersey is now the team's third "Alternate" jersey which they still tend to dawn for games against the original 6 teams: Montreal, Detroit, Boston, Chicago and the NY Rangers
1998 Memorial
Also in 1998, Tom Pedricks of Ryan & Deslauries designed the "Memories and Dreams" patch, which was another tribute to Maple Leafs Gardens and was worn on the team's regular home and away jerseys, as well as the heritage (now their alternate) jersey.
