1979–80_Toronto_Maple_Leafs_season

1979–80 Toronto Maple Leafs season

1979–80 Toronto Maple Leafs season

NHL hockey team season


The 1979–80 Toronto Maple Leafs season was the 63rd season of the franchise, 53rd season as the Maple Leafs. In July 1979, Leafs owner Harold Ballard brought back Punch Imlach, a longtime friend, as general manager. Imlach traded Lanny McDonald to undermine team captain Darryl Sittler's influence on the team.[1] The McDonald trade sent the Leafs into a downward spiral. They finished five games under .500 and only made the playoffs due to the presence of the Quebec Nordiques, a refugee from the WHA, in the Adams Division.

Quick Facts Toronto Maple Leafs, Division ...

Offseason

NHL draft

More information Round, Pick ...

Regular season

The 1979–80 season marked the dismantling of a promising hockey team. The Maple Leafs had stars such as Darryl Sittler, Mike Palmateer, Lanny McDonald, Tiger Williams, Borje Salming and Ian Turnbull. In previous years, the Leafs were always one of the top teams in the league but could not beat the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs. Leafs' owner Harold Ballard fired General Manager Jim Gregory and Head Coach Roger Neilson.[2] After unsuccessfully attempting to hire both former Boston Bruins head coach Don Cherry (who became head coach of the Colorado Rockies) and former Montreal Canadiens head coach Scotty Bowman (who became head coach and general manager of the Buffalo Sabres), Ballard brought back Punch Imlach, who had been the Leafs' coach and general manager when they last won the Stanley Cup in 1967, to be the team's new GM. Imlach subsequently hired Floyd Smith, a former Leaf player who had previously coached for Imlach when he was GM of the Sabres, to be the Leafs' new head coach.

By November 1979, tensions between Imlach and Sittler mounted as Sittler publicly aired his grievances. An article was featured in the Globe and Mail by James Christie, titled Darryl Sittler drops the Gloves.[3] Sittler was unhappy that Imlach publicly criticized him and Mike Palmateer. Another point of tension for Sittler was the fact that Imlach placed Lanny McDonald and Ian Turnbull on waivers.

On December 13, 1979, Imlach announced that Carl Brewer was making another comeback in the NHL.[4] Brewer would play for the New Brunswick Hawks, the Maple Leafs' American Hockey League affiliate. In Brewer's first game in Moncton, New Brunswick, King Clancy and Johnny Bower showed up to watch him play.[2]

Brewer returned to the Maple Leafs on December 26, 1979, for the Maple Leafs game against the Washington Capitals. Many players on the Leafs felt that Brewer was a spy for Imlach.[2] In Brewer's first game, many of his teammates were openly hostile to him. Brewer's defense partner was Borje Salming, and Salming refused to pass Brewer the puck.[5] During the season, Brewer would only play in twenty contests.

Season standings

More information GP, W ...

[6]Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Record vs. opponents

More information Adams Division record vs. opponents, NHL records ...

Schedule and results

More information Game, Date ...

Transactions

Player statistics

Regular season

Scoring
More information Player, Pos ...
Goaltending
More information Player, MIN ...

Playoffs

Scoring
More information Player, Pos ...
Goaltending
More information Player, MIN ...

[9]

Note:
Pos = Position; GPI = Games played in; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes; +/- = Plus/minus; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
Min, TOI = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T,T/OT = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;

Playoffs

More information Date, Opponent ...

[10]

Transactions

The Maple Leafs have been involved in the following transactions during the 1979-80 season.

Trades

August 22, 1979 To Edmonton Oilers
6th round pick in 1981 - Steve Smith
To Toronto Maple Leafs
Reg Thomas
December 13, 1979 To Quebec Nordiques
Reg Thomas
To Toronto Maple Leafs
Dave Farrish
Terry Martin
December 24, 1979 To Hartford Whalers
Pat Boutette
To Toronto Maple Leafs
Bob Stephenson
December 29, 1979 To Colorado Rockies
Lanny McDonald
Joel Quenneville
To Toronto Maple Leafs
Pat Hickey
Wilf Paiement
January 10, 1980 To Chicago Black Hawks
Dave Hutchison
To Toronto Maple Leafs
Pat Ribble
February 10, 1980 To Vancouver Canucks
Cash
To Toronto Maple Leafs
Curt Ridley
February 16, 1980 To Washington Capitals
Pat Ribble
To Toronto Maple Leafs
Mike Kaszycki
February 18, 1980 To Vancouver Canucks
Tiger Williams
Jerry Butler
To Toronto Maple Leafs
Rick Vaive
Bill Derlago
March 3, 1980 To Colorado Rockies
Walt McKechnie
To Toronto Maple Leafs
3rd round pick in 1980 - Fred Boimistruck
June 10, 1980 To Calgary Flames
2nd round pick in 1980 - Kevin LaVallee
To Toronto Maple Leafs
David Shand
3rd round pick in 1980 - Torrie Robertson
June 11, 1980 To Washington Capitals
Mike Palmateer
3rd round pick in 1980 - Torrie Robertson
To Toronto Maple Leafs
Tim Coulis
Robert Picard
2nd round pick in 1980 - Bob McGill

Waivers

February 10, 1980 From Los Angeles Kings
Richard Mulhern

Free agents

PlayerFormer Team
Daryl MaggsCincinnati Stingers (WHA)
Carl BrewerToronto Toros (WHA)
Jiri CrhaHC Pardubice (Czech.)
Larry CarriereBuffalo Sabres
PlayerNew Team
Greg HubickVancouver Canucks
Roy SommerEdmonton Oilers

Awards and records

Farm teams

The Maple Leafs were affiliated with the New Brunswick Hawks of the American Hockey League.


References

Notes

  1. "Lanny McDonald trade has Sittler in tears," Jim Kernaghan, Toronto Star, December 29, 1979, p. 1.
  2. Foster, p. 103
  3. Foster, p. 102.
  4. Foster, p. 101.
  5. Foster, p. 104.
  6. Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 152. ISBN 9781894801225.
  7. "All-Time NHL Results". NHL.com. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  8. "1979-80 Toronto Maple Leafs Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com". hockey-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  9. NHL Official Guide and Record Book 2006, p. 222.

Bibliography

  • The Power of Two: Carl Brewer's Battle with Hockey's Power Brokers, Susan Foster with notes by Carl Brewer, Fenn Publishing Company Ltd., Bolton, Ontario, 2006, ISBN 978-1-55168-313-3 (paperback).
  • National Hockey League Official Guide and Record Book 2006, Dan Diamond & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-920445-98-5.

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