In Toronto history, Matthews’ season is remarkable
You have almost have to stop yourself, get your emotions in check, gain some perspective to understand exactly what we’re seeing with Auston Matthews this National Hockey League season.
Truth is, we’ve never seen anything like this before. Not up close. Not here in Toronto.
Seventy goals is a number that seems surreal. Especially when the most Darryl Sittler scored in a season was
45.
Or the most Mats Sundin scored in Toronto was
41. Doug Gilmour and Dave Keon, truly the greatest of Maple Leaf centres, were more traditional, setting up players rather than scoring themselves.
These are the giants of Maple Leafs past. Their numbers being trampled on now by Matthews.
But it got me thinking, bigger picture, where does Matthews’ season rank among the greatest in Toronto sports history post-1960?
1. Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors, 2019
With load management, Leonard only played 60 regular season games for the Raptors and they won 42 of them. But it all mattered at playoff time, Leonard’s brilliance, Leonard’s dominance, Leonard’s will to win.
He made the famous fadeaway shot to knock out Philadelphia in Round 2 of the NBA playoffs but seems forgotten, sort of, is that he scored 41 in that game that eliminated the Sixers.
In Game 3 against Milwaukee, next round, Leonard dragged an injured body through double overtime, playing 52 minutes and scoring 36 points. If the Raptors lose that night, there is no championship to ever talk about and celebrate. And in the Finals against Golden State, Kawhi scored 34 points in Game 2, 30 in Game 3, 36 in Game 4 thus taking home the playoff MVP.
It was only one season in Toronto for Kawhi, but the season should be cherished forever.
2. Doug Gilmour, Toronto Maple Leafs, 1993
There was something about Gilmour that made you want to cheer for him.
He was an underdog in size, in shooting ability, in speed, even. But he had the unique talent to carry a team and make everyone around him better. In the 1992-93 season, Gilmour scored a career high 127 points and then followed it up with 35 playoff points in 21 games. No Leaf had ever scored more than 21 points in any playoff season or frankly played any better than Gilmour in ’93. The Leafs should have played for the Stanley Cup that year.
3. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs, 2024
This season isn’t over yet. The playoffs have not begun. But what Matthews has done in a spectacular regular season is stunning. The 69 goals he has heading into the final two games of the season trounce his own previous 60-goal season and Hart Trophy year — and really, trounce any goal scorer in Leafs history. This season, Matthews will win the
Rocket Richard Trophy and is a candidate for the Hart, the Selke and the Lady Byng. And still, the real judgment of this season will begin next week. But the opening act ... wow.
4. Roger Clemens, Toronto Blue Jays, 1997
Clemens was an unlikely free agent signing by the Blue Jays in one of the down periods for the franchise. But no matter what kind of syringes he became familiar with in his time in Toronto, he wound up as the Blue Jays’ first Triple Crown winner, leading the American League in wins, earned run average, strikeouts and several other categories.
He ended up with a 21-7 record, a 2.05 ERA and 292 strikeouts.
He also led AL pitchers in complete games, shutouts and WAR.
He won his first of two consecutive Cy Young Awards in Toronto with a rather ordinary Jays team.
5. Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays, 2015
Everybody remembers the bat flip. That was an emotional moment in time. In that 2015 season, though, Bautista hit 40 home runs, knocked in 114, and seemed central to almost everything that this great team accomplished. The Jays should have got to the World Series that year. Should have is a Toronto thing. There’s a lot of almost in the history of Toronto sports.
In Game 6 against the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series, Bautista ended his special season with two home runs and one throw from the outfield he’d like to have back. Honourable mentions: Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs, 2022; Doug Flutie, Argonauts, 1997; Darryl Sittler, Maple Leafs, 1977; Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC, 2017; George Bell, Blue Jays, 1987; Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays 2015; Ed Belfour, Maple Leafs, 2004; Roberto Alomar, Blue Jays, 1992 and 1993; Jozy Altidore, Toronto FC, 2017; Pinball Clemons, Argos, 1990; Vince Carter, Raptors, 2001; Roy Halladay, Blue Jays, 2003; Carlos Delgado, Blue Jays, 2003; Chad Owens, Argos, 2012; Terry Greer, Argos, 1983; Robbie Ray, Blue Jays, 2021; Borje Salming, Maple Leafs, 1977; Frank Mahovlich, Maple Leafs, 1961. Joe Carter, Blue Jays, 1993.