On This Day March 16th.

March 16: On this day in 1952, The Toronto Maple Leafs became the first team in NHL history to record 750 wins in a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers.

March 16: On this day in 1957, the Leafs set a team record for most goals in one game as they white-washed Gump Worsley and the New York Rangers 14-1 at Maple Leaf Gardens. Sid Smith and Brian Cullen each recorded hat tricks. The Leafs racked up a total of 37 individual scoring points. Only a couple of Leaf players, namely goalie Ed Chadwick and defenseman Jim Thomson failed to make the scoring sheet. Ironically, the Leafs would finish the season with a record of 21-34-15 and miss the playoffs while the Rangers finished ahead of the Leafs and did qualify for the playoffs.

March 16: On this day in 1957, No. 9 Ted "Teeder" Kennedy played his last game for the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 15 seasons with the Maple Leafs, Kennedy's Hall of Fame career was marked by 694 GP, 231 goals (10th all-time among Leafs), 328 assists (8th), and 559 points (9th). He captained the team for eight seasons and led the team during three of the five championship seasons he played making him the first player in NHL history to win that many Cups. He won the Leafs' final Hart Trophy in 1955 beating out a bevy of legends and was the recipient of a specially created team MVP award, the J.P. Bickell Trophy, because of Conn Smythe's frustration with the lack of recognition for his talents.

On This Day January 24th.

Gus Mortson

Jim Thomson
"The Gold Dust Twins"

January 24:  On this day in 1925, Gus Mortson was born in New Liskeard, Ontario. Mortson played 6 seasons with the Leafs between 1946 and 1952 when he was teamed on defense with Jim Thomson. Toronto Maple Leafs opened the 1946-1947 season with the twin rookie Dmen and as partners, they were nicknamed the "Gold Dust Twins." Seemingly too inexperienced to keep pace -- proceeded to win three straight Cups and four in five years. They played a rock hard style that often left cuts and bruises on any enemy who dared to enter their zone. Thomson especially was positionally perfect and a thinking man's defensive rearguard. Mortson was more of a rusher of the two, while Thomson quietly went about his work. The pairing proved to be as valuable as it was impenetrable. Mortson led the league in penalty minutes, as he would a total of four times in his NHL career. Mortson won 4 Stanley Cups in his 6 seasons as a Leaf. He was traded to Chicago in September, 1952.

On This Day January 9th.

Harry "Hap" Holmes

January 9:  On this day in 1918, goaltender Harry "Hap" Holmes played his first game as a member of the Toronto Arenas, on loan to Toronto from Seattle. Toronto defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6-4. Holmes played in all of Toronto's remaining games that season and posted a record of 10-6-0. He played two games the following season with Toronto before being reclaimed by Seattle. Harry Holmes backstopped the Arenas to the first Stanley Cup victory in NHL history in 1918. He was posthumously elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972. 

Jim Stewart Hunter Morrison

January 9:  On this day in 1952, the Leafs acquired defenseman Jim Morrison from Boston, sending Fleming MacKell to the Bruins. Morrison was with the Leafs from 1952 through 1958, a rather dark period in Leaf history when the Leafs won only 2 playoff games in 7 years. Although Morrison played 399 regular season games with the Leafs, his playoff contribution for Toronto was just 1 assist in 16 games. His partners on the blueline during that time included Fern Flamen, Jim Thomson, and Tim Horton. Jim Morrison recently retired from the Boston Bruins scouting staff following eighteen years of service.

Bruce Allan Boudreau

January 9:  On this day in 1955, Bruce Boudreau was born in Toronto, Ontario. Boudreau played 134 games for the Leafs between 1976-77 and 1981-82 exclusively as a farmhand or injury replacement. That may explain why he wore a team record six different sweater numbers with the Leafs (#12, 19, 35, 11, 17, 28) in that period of time. As a Leaf, Boudreau contributed 27 goals and 42 assists as well as 2 playoff goals. He was named head coach of the Washington Capitals in 2007.