Tip of the Tower
Fansided

Toronto Maple Leafs: Top 5 Coaches of All Time

By David Morassutti

Mar 2, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock (R) talks to his team during a timeout against the Washington Capitals in the third period at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock (R) talks to his team during a timeout against the Washington Capitals in the third period at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Toronto Maple Leafs
Apr 11, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The Toronto Maple Leafs logo on the offices of the Air Canada Centre before the final game of the season against the Montreal Canadiens at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Dick Irvin (1932-1940)

Regular Season 

Games Coached: 427

Record: 216-152-59

Winning Percentage: .575

Playoffs

Games Coached: 66

Record: 33-32-1

Winning Percentage: .508

Irvin was hired by Conn Smythe to coach the Leafs during the 1931-32 season, replacing Art Duncan five games into the season. The Leafs were 0-3-2 with Duncan, but when Irvin took over the Leafs they went 23-15-5, finishing second in the NHL Canadian Division.

More from Toronto Maple Leafs

Led by the scoring line of Busher Jackson, Charlie Conacher and Primeau, captain Hap Day, and Irvin behind the bench, the Leafs would win the Stanley Cup. It would be the team’s first Stanley Cup since 1922, the first with Conn Smythe and the first under the Maple Leafs name.

Irvin would go on to coach the Leafs until 1940, before moving on to lead the Montreal Canadiens for 15 years and winning three more Stanley Cups. He was 39-years old when the Leafs hired him and he led the team to four first-place finishes, although he only won the Cup once during his nine seasons in charge.

Some may argue it is tough to credit someone who coached during the 1930s, where the season lasted 48 games, unlike today where teams play  82 games. Also, the playoffs involve more teams in the NHL today, unlike the days of the original six.

However, when Irvin took over in Montreal, teams started playing 70 games and the Canadiens were still dominant team. Regardless, another point to consider is that when a team plays fewer games in a season, the margin for error is smaller.

Given all this, it is easy to put Irvin in the top five with a Stanley Cup to his name, but it is tough to place him any higher. If he coached the Leafs over a longer schedule in the season, it would be interesting to see how different his time in Toronto could have been.

Next: Coached the Leafs to several franchise records

Home/Toronto Maple Leafs