Tip of the Tower
Fansided

Toronto Maple Leafs: Salute to the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day

By David Morassutti

Jan 23, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Statues of former Toronto Maple Leafs players Mats Sundin and Tim Horton and Borje Salming and Darryl Sittler and Ted Kennedy and Syl Apps and Dave Keon and George Armstrong and Johnny Bower and Turk Broda enshrined outside on Legends Row before the game against the Calgary Flames at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Statues of former Toronto Maple Leafs players Mats Sundin and Tim Horton and Borje Salming and Darryl Sittler and Ted Kennedy and Syl Apps and Dave Keon and George Armstrong and Johnny Bower and Turk Broda enshrined outside on Legends Row before the game against the Calgary Flames at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

With the Toronto Maple Leafs honouring the Toronto St Pats with throwback jerseys Saturday night, we pay tribute to members of the Leafs with ties to the Irish.

For years NHL teams honoured St. Patrick’s day with special apparel, but this season the Toronto Maple Leafs are taking it one step further. In their centennial season the team is wearing their Toronto St. Pats jerseys for the first time since their 75th anniversary year in 2001-02.

The jerseys are a great reminder of the Leafs Irish roots, which was a big part of the new wave of immigrants that came to the city of Toronto. Below are some famous members of the Leafs organization that had Irish roots.

Conn Smythe

More from Tip of the Tower

Smythe’s Irish origins come from his father, Albert Smythe, who was born in Gracehill, Northern Ireland before moving to Toronto. The former owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs was responsible for changing the name of the team from the Toronto St. Pats to the Leafs.

It is interesting to see considering the St. Pats got their name for the high number of Irish people that immigrated to Toronto.

However, Smythe’s connection to the army was a major reason why the name was changed.  He chose the name Maple Leafs because the grand majority of Canadian military regiments in World War I wore a maple leaf badge.

King Clancy

Clancy was a big-time acquisition for Conn Smythe from the Ottawa Senators in 1930. He would go on to win three Stanley Cups as a player (one with Toronto) and three more as a coach with the Leafs. He retired as the top scoring defencemen in the league in 1937 despite his small 5-foot-7, 150 pound frame. In 286 games with the Leafs, Clancy had 52 goals and 78 assists for 130 points. In 35 playoff games Clancy had six goals and six assists for 12 points.

A great St. Patrick’s Day memory from Clancy came in 1934 when he was honoured by the team with King Clancy Night. He was treated to a king’s type of celebration with a crown and everything. The coolest part was that he was allowed to wear a green Maple Leafs jersey with a shamrock.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Feb 21, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Former Toronto Maple Leafs player Ron Ellis (6) during a pre-game ceremony honoring alumni players as Red Kelly (4) and Wendel Clark (17) and Rick Vaive (22) applaud before the start of the game against the Winnipeg Jets at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs beat the Jets 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Red Kelly

Kelly would never had worn a Maple Leafs jersey had it not been for Punch Imlach being persistent. He was famously known from changing positions from defence to center because Imlach wanted Kelly to match up with Jean Beliveau.

In 470 games with the Leafs, Kelly had 119 goals and 232 assists for 351 points. In 70 postseason games, Kelly had 17 goals and 38 assists for 55 points. He would win four Stanley Cups as a part of the Leafs dynasty in the 1960s, including the last one in 1967.

Pat Quinn

Quinn was notorious for his Irish roots. He was a tough nosed defenceman famous for his hit on Bobby Orr and was never afraid to throw down the gloves. He even showcased a nice black eye after being hit in the face by a puck. He was the last Leafs coach to lead them to a playoff win and the last one to get them to the conference finals. He ranks second in wins among Leafs coaches with 300 and third in playoff wins with 41.

He earned his call to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016 two years after he passed away. When the Leafs paid tribute to Quinn they did it to an Irish song called “The Parting Glass” by the High Kings, which should speak to how much he cared about his Irish heritage.

Pat Burns

While Quinn held the reputation for being one of the toughest guys behind the Leafs bench, Burns was definitely not a guy you would want to mess with either. The former police officer was a big part of the Leafs teams in the early 1990s, including a Jack Adams trophy win in 1993. He gave the Leafs their best chance to win the Stanley Cup in 1993 and 1994, but lost in the conference finals both times.

He was remembered as one of those coaches that made it clear who was in charge. He won his only Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003 to round out a hall of fame career. He would lose his battle to cancer in 2010 and left a lasting impact on hockey.

Honourable Mention: Owen Nolan 

Played two seasons with the Leafs after they traded Brad Boyes and a first round pick in 2013. Injuries took a toll on his time in Toronto playing 17 games in 2002-03 and 65 in 2003-04. He was one of six Irish born players to play in the NHL.

Next: Who Threatens the Leafs' Playoff Chances?

In honour of St. Patrick’s Day, who is your favourite Irish born Toronto Maple Leafs player? Let us know in the comments below.

Home/Toronto Maple Leafs