20 THE GREATEST TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS CARDS

A Stanley Cup drought that’s lasted more than half a century has done nothing to dim the passion for hockey’s most widely collected team. As the Buds ready their challenge for the 2020 title, here’s a look at the 20 cards that best represent the hobby history of this legendary franchise. 1951-52 PARKHURST 1 #52 THE WINNING GOAL

Hockey cards do a great job of highlighting our heroes, but they rarely capture the game’s most memorable moments. This single is the ultimate exception and, as a result, a standout in hockey’s most important, and most coveted, vintage set. Bill Barilko – who didn’t earn his own card in the series – is shown beating Montreal’s Gerry McNeil with the Stanley Cup-clincher at 2:53 of overtime to give the Leafs a 3-2 win over the Canadiens in Game 5 of the 1951 Final at Maple Leaf Gardens. It was a thrilling, and fitting, end to the only Final in Stanley Cup history in which every game ended in overtime, and secured a then-record ninth title for Toronto. Tragically, Barilko, didn’t live to see the card. The 24-year-old defenseman perished that summer in a plane crash, cutting short a promising career and adding extra poignance to an already memorable single.

1961-62 PARKHURST 2 #5 DAVE KEON RC

Heading into the franchise’s centennial season in 2017, an expert group was gathered to determine the greatest player in Maple Leafs history. No one was surprised when this four-time Stanley Cup winner was given top honors. Standing just 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, Keon was the heart and soul of the Leafs during their greatest era. Though never an elite scorer, he was an effortless skater and relentless 200-foot player, leading by example and forcing his teammates to match his intensity and commitment. He’s the only Leaf ever to have won the Conn Smythe trophy (1967), and did so despite having half as many points as leading scorer Jim Pappin – a testament to the different ways he found to lead the team. Little wonder then that this card remains so iconic, even to generations that have only seen clips of Keon on YouTube, or have heard the legends passed down from their grandparents.

1952-53 3 PARKHURST #58 TIM HORTON RC

Alright, so the artwork on this card is maybe half a step above the infamous “restored” Ecce Homo fresco by Elias Garcia Martinez, but this spot on the list was earned by significance, not style. Horton’s cardboard debut captures the beginning of one of the most famous names in hockey. Gordie Howe called him the strongest man in the game and his teammates fed off that, knowing the rock steady defender always had their backs. His presence was key to the team’s four Stanley Cups in the 1960s, particularly the first in 1962 when he led the Leafs in scoring with three goals and 16 points in 12 games, setting a record for most points by a defenseman in one playoff year.

2016-17 THE CUP 4 #180 AUSTON MATTHEWS RC

Matthews’s key RC is both the newest single on the list and the most valuable, aided by a print run of just 99 copies, an on-card signature, a generous patch swatch, and massive demand from the team’s legion of fans. Not surprisingly, you rarely see it trade hands. After all, the 22-year-old is just now scratching at the potential that made him the top pick in the 2016 draft. With 47 goals in 70 games this season, Matthews was on track to become the first Leaf to score 50 since Dave Andreychuk in 1994 before the pandemic put an early end to his quest. No worries, though. His best is yet to come, which is why holding onto this card (along with his other key RCs) is the smart play.

1970-71 O-PEECHEE 5 #218 DARRYL SITTLER RC

For a generation of Leafs fans, no star shined brighter than Sittler. Drafted eighth overall in 1970, and named captain of the Leafs just five years later, the diligent, two-way center led the team in scoring eight consecutive seasons. He’ll always be remembered for the single greatest game of the modern era, a six-goal, 10-point effort against the Boston Bruins in 1976, the same year he became the first Leaf to post a 100-point season. He retired as Toronto’s all-time leader in goals (389) and points (916), ensuring that this card will remain among the most popular issued that decade. It helps, too, that this is one of the most attractive designs of the era, with bright lights shining in the background and a straightforward display of player info along the bottom.

1936-37 6 O-PEE-CHEE V304D #101 SYL APPS RC

1936 was a pretty good year for Apps. He captained McMaster University to a Canadian intercollegiate football championship, finished sixth at the Berlin Olympics in the pole vault, and made his NHL debut for the Maple Leafs, where he promptly led the league with 29 assists and became the first recipient of the Calder trophy. He also appeared on his first hockey card in the legendary V304D set that incorporated black-and-white photos and a pop-out, die-cut design that was beloved by kids of the time but ensured that few survived intact. Only one to date has been graded as high as Near Mint by a third-party company.

1963-64 7 PARKHURST #76 TIM HORTON

Horton’s legacy with the Leafs – and really, with all Canadian hockey fans – looms so large that he could have been represented several more times on this list. Eighteen seasons in Toronto, and the ubiquitous donut chain that bears his name, ensure that his vintage cards are held dear by the Leafs faithful. Among those, his two stunning singles from the ‘63-64 Parkie series, each featuring the burly defender in front of the Canadian Red Ensign, are especially memorable. This one, which features a full body shot, allows the blue and white of his sweater to pop against that background, making for one of the most beautiful singles ever.

1932-33 O’KEEFE 8 MAPLE LEAFS #10 JOE PRIMEAU

It’s no surprise that the first known set devoted to a single NHL team featured the Leafs. Their popularity made them an obvious marketing partner for the Toronto-based O’Keefe Brewing Company, which produced these 16-sided pieces as collectible beer coasters. Whether they’re called cards or coasters, collectors love them. That’s especially true for this single of Primeau which appeared the year before his officially recognized RCs. The center for the legendary Kid Line led the league in assists in three of his seven seasons, and keyed Toronto’s 1932 championship. He returned to the team as coach in 1950, and promptly returned them to another title, securing his legacy as one of the greatest Leafs ever.