Leafs All-Time Team Vote: #1 Defenseman

[Lauro]

Lol, Sundin as first-line centre? Didn't know Leafs history was that bad.

Horton/Salming in this one. Glad Phaneuf or Rielly are no choices, because we all know one of them would have won on this board ^^

 

[Mr Hockey*]

i believe Gardiner would get votes Reimer also

 

[therealkoho]

all of this was before my time. It's cool reading about it though.

thank-you much appreciated

 

[Mess]

Timmy Horton was the best Dman that ever played for the Leafs.

Borje was fantastic and him and Horton would form the top pairing.

 

[Mad Brills*]

Kaberle should be #3.....

 

[Rare Jewel]

Lol, Sundin as first-line centre? Didn't know Leafs history was that bad.

Horton/Salming in this one. Glad Phaneuf or Rielly are no choices, because we all know one of them would have won on this board ^^

More people have seen him, so that will help. But any of Keon, Apps, Sittler, Kennedy had a claim to that spot. The depth for that spot is quite good.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Gotta say that our depth of great defensemen isn't all that impressive considering our history.

Went with Horton, Salming second.

 

[Once]

Clancy = GOAT during his time.

Watched a lot of oldies when I was young and gravitated towards Clancy. Correct me if i'm wrong but before he retired he was the highest goal scoring defensemen ever around '35-'36 years. Vital piece to the 1932 cup victory as well. Played goalie too

Assumed Salming would top the list, but showing Clancy some love.

edit: Bobby Baun gets honourable mention for broken ankle and winning the '64 cup.

 

[Sundinisagod]

I started watching hockey when Salming was still playing, I think about the middle (or slightly past his peak) of his career. That guy was amazing at thwarting breakaways with his diving poke check, rarely needed to even take a penalty let alone penalty shot. Just a great 2-way defender. Interesting that he was basically in the mold of today's top defenders.

 

[rimshot]

Horton had to apologize to the people of Montreal for disrupting traffic by picking up a 400 pound concrete flower pot and depositing it in the middle of the street. He rarely fought because his strength was legendary and few were stupid enough to tempt fate.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Surely no one from my generation. I'll leave you older guys to decide between Salming and Horton.

 

[Cor]

Salming by a mile.

Kaberle should be on here.

Heck, I would argue McCabe as well. For 3 seasons, he was one of the top NHL D, let alone Leafs. I remember his 63 point season. Just total dominance at both ends of the ice.

He may not make the top 6, but he should 100% be in the voting.

 

[Cor]

Lol, Sundin as first-line centre? Didn't know Leafs history was that bad.

Horton/Salming in this one. Glad Phaneuf or Rielly are no choices, because we all know one of them would have won on this board ^^

Yeah, the Leafs all-time points leaders and Hall of Famer sure is a bad player to have as an Alumni #1 C

Give your head a shake

 

[Clark4Ever]

Surely no one from my generation. I'll leave you older guys to decide between Salming and Horton.

Salming and Horton were entirely different eras. Some us remember watching Salming as kids, but I don't think there are many on this board that watched Horton.

 

[nsleaf]

Giving that the OP specifically stated best Leaf of ALL TIME:
IMHO Salming and Sundin were the best Leafs of the "losing" era(last 50 years) and Horton and Apps were the best Leafs of the "winning" era(first 50 years).
So to me winning is what it is all about, I'll go with Tim and Syl regardless of individual stats.

 

[saltming]

Salming by a mile.

Kaberle should be on here.

Heck, I would argue McCabe as well. For 3 seasons, he was one of the top NHL D, let alone Leafs. I remember his 63 point season. Just total dominance at both ends of the ice.

He may not make the top 6, but he should 100% be in the voting.

For me McCabe couldn't defend once they caught on to his can opener move. He was constantly exposed after that.

 

[Cor]

For me McCabe couldn't defend once they caught on to his can opener move. He was constantly exposed after that.

That was like, his final 2 seasons.

 

[saltming]

That was like, his final 2 seasons.

Really? I thought it happened while he was still with the leafs?

 

[Cor]

Really? I thought it happened while he was still with the leafs?

That is what I meant. Final 2 as a Leaf.

However, even then, his production was great. 80 points in 136 games.

Sad that most just remember his own goal. Guy was one of the top D in the game at his peak.

 

[LV*]

That is what I meant. Final 2 as a Leaf.

However, even then, his production was great. 80 points in 136 games.

Sad that most just remember his own goal. Guy was one of the top D in the game at his peak.

One of my fav Leafs of all time. Pretty sure I put him at 3 or 4 in that thread on the main board.

Who remembers Mohawk McCabe?

 

[masarume]

Voted for Salming but surprised Kaberle isn't on this list.
I also appreciated the games of Dmitri Yushkevich (sp) and Robert Svehla (sp).
Not sure if they would qualify.

 

[Leaf Lander]

I've seen Tim Horton, Allan Stanley, Marcel Pronovost, Bobby Baun and Carl Brewer.

Pronovost had a couple of very good years in Toronto and his name has become intertwined with the 60's Leafs and cups. he also had a couple of so so end of the career years, still good but not outstanding. His Hof selection has more to do with his career in Detroit then his time in Toronto

Stanley was a big solid stay at home journeymen type with a good first pass and average skating ability and could always be depended on when holding a lead, but that duty usually went to Horton and Baun. While Stanley no doubt had his best years in Toronto, I don't think I'd have him in a Leafs all-time top 7

Pronovost and Stanley were good players on a very hard working team mostly romantic choices more or less, because of the cups!

Tim Horton was a tough as nails bull terrier, a fearless shot blocker, excellent skater, wholly consistent night in and night out and is 2nd all time leading points getter for Leafs Dmen, passed only by Borje Salming

Hard to pick between Timmy and Borje, because Salming did all the same stuff and just as good or better, he like Horton had the heart of a lion....he fought about as frequently as Horton although neither man is known as a fighter and funny enough both fought Dave Shultz! Salming's first ever fight was with Schultz in Oct of 73 and Horton's last fight Jan of 74, both were draws.

There's a special place in my heart for Horton because of the 4 cups, but Salming played in a different time and a much different game. The original six was very buttoned down and defensive, but by the the first expansion the Bobby Orr effect had opened the game up and by the time 73 rolled around the game had been influenced by the Russians with a good dose of brawling a la the B's and the Flyers. Both games were tough, but 70's hockey was just as crazy as it got, full on wild west stuff, a wide open skating game with freewheeling wingers and Dmen and of course the dirtiest of dirt. The referees let all kinds of stuff go and only blew the whistle when the game looked like it was getting out of hand or you hooked or tripped a guy who was blowing past you, so I would say a harder game to play altogether.

...and thats why Borje gets my vote and he's the only one in my all time top 7 w/o a cup

my all time leafs top 7

Horton - Salming

Brewer - Clancy

Flaman - Stanowski

Thomson

Hap Day is interchangeable with the bottom 3

Flanman hardly played for the leafs

Pick rushing dman bill barilko 5 yrs
Or bobby baun perhaos even the human high light machine
al iafrate

 

[Barilko14]

These threads are pretty comical. There is no way current generation fans can properly compare players from the 40s/50s/60s with today's players. The game has changed and evolved in so many ways, it's impossible to compare.

Also, the majority of posters can't even admit to a bias for more current players.

Also, Svehla as an option??? He played 1 season for the Leafs.

 

[saltming]

That is what I meant. Final 2 as a Leaf.

However, even then, his production was great. 80 points in 136 games.

Sad that most just remember his own goal. Guy was one of the top D in the game at his peak.

His shot was rediculous.
His own goal really affected him so bad too. He really laments it as the worst thing in his career.

 

[therealkoho]

Horton had to apologize to the people of Montreal for disrupting traffic by picking up a 400 pound concrete flower pot and depositing it in the middle of the street. He rarely fought because his strength was legendary and few were stupid enough to tempt fate.

Tim Horton didn't fight because it just wasn't in him to do so, even when someone took a swing at him he would usually just bear hug a body slam the opponent. He was more the mild mannered Clark Kent then he was the swashbuckling Superman, that said he definitely had superman's strength, He played the game as it was supposed to be played physically but with a great deal of calm and was usually the most level headed man on the ice, it was off the ice that he would let it out.