Grittiest Leafs player all-time

[Myopic]

There’s gritty players who could play, like Clark, Tucker, Yuskevich and Roberts.

Then, there’s a whole other category of just plain old goons, which my profile name is a tribute towards.

Off the top of my head, here’s the more pure goons I can remember:

Tie Domi (although he could play a bit)
John Kordic
Brian Curran
Bob Halkidis
Warren Rychel
Ken Baumgartner
Colton Orr
Kyle McLaren

John Brophy?...haha

 

[Nineteen67]

Eddie Shack... could play a little hockey too!

Tim Horton... solid defense man, he could kill you with his bear hug too!

I was thinking about Tim. He might be the strongest player ever

 

[Myopic]

Dave Semenko

 

[67Cup]

You sure Hollett was considered a tough guy? Not arguing just inquiring as nothing I recall reading indicated that. He was a fast player who was the first dman to score 20 goals in a season [in 50 games] and he didn't get a lot of PIMs.

Hollett was before my time so I am going by written accounts. You are right that he was certainly a gifted offensive Dman, in fact, the top scoring Dman of all time when he retired. (Though his biggest offensive years were during the talent diluted seasons of the war years.). Interestingly, he began his career as a Leaf but Conn Smythe disposed of him to Boston. He later called that move the worst mistake he ever made. But yes, I understand he was considered a tough guy in his time. Some of those penalty totals are reasonably high for the short seasons of that era.

 

[Goonface2k14]

John Brophy?...haha

Oh yeah, loved Brophy, what a character. I always remember the time his head was bleeding by getting hit by something from the stands. Can’t remember the exact context, just the feeling that he was a tough a$$ coach.

 

[rimshot]

Bobby Baun

So you think scoring the SC winning goal on a broken ankle was gritty? Well, in my day....

 

[Damisoph]

Legend has it that Al Iafrate showed up one day with a long leather jacket, and buck naked underneath. If that's not gritty, I don't know what is.

 

[saltming]

John Brophy?...haha

Hahaha very much like torts and Roy there

 

[saltming]

Legend has it that Al Iafrate showed up one day with a long leather jacket, and buck naked underneath. If that's not gritty, I don't know what is.

Hmm I would give that a creepy rating haha

 

[Obliviate]

Svehla. Tough as nails.

 

[Thissiteisgarbage]

Daryl Sitter was highly skilled and never backed down from a fight.

 

[saltming]

Daryl Sitter was highly skilled and never backed down from a fight.

Players back then had to be gritty no matter what.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Tucker and Domi are obvious ones.

Yushkevich is the one that really sticks out in my mind though.

 

[MyLoveIsBlue]

Tim Horton, true grit!

 

[hector morrison]

Gritty! Well everyones definition tends to vary...so from Baun and Shack to Komarov and Kadri. Lots of players in between...I guess Tucker stands out the most for me as a Gritty player.

 

[Iapyi]

Hollett was before my time so I am going by written accounts. You are right that he was certainly a gifted offensive Dman, in fact, the top scoring Dman of all time when he retired. (Though his biggest offensive years were during the talent diluted seasons of the war years.). Interestingly, he began his career as a Leaf but Conn Smythe disposed of him to Boston. He later called that move the worst mistake he ever made. But yes, I understand he was considered a tough guy in his time. Some of those penalty totals are reasonably high for the short seasons of that era.

I sure he was pretty tough, he has been blackballed from the HHOF because he dared to stand up to the powers to be at the time and I'm sure this attitude parlayed into his playing style as well. Also a note on the PIM's is that, as we both probably know, they do not necessarily relay to high PIM equal toughness.

Players back then had to stand up for themselves. Being tough meant fighting when you had to.

 

[GoonieFace]

Kent Manderville

 

[frog]

Matt Martin

 

[Craig Button]

Robert Svehla

 

[67Cup]

Agreed about penalty minutes not simply equaling toughness. After all, I am suggesting that a Lady Byng winner might be a candidate for grittiest Leaf ever. Another thing about Hollet was that he was something of a utility man, shifting to forward when needed. I don’t know if or how that affected his offensive stats. But he was certainly fast, as you know, hence the nickname, “Flash.”

The league invited the seven players with the fastest reputations to a race in Maple Leaf Gardens. Sure enough, Flash was fast, finishing third in the event. The winner? None other than Syl Apps!

 

[Hunter368]

Clark & Tucker, loved both

 

[saltming]

courage and resolve; strength of character.

Using that definition I think all the players mentioned so far have it. I'm not looking for fighters alone though they are gritty. I'm thinking of those mainstay types. Stumpy Thomas, Horton and guys that would just be hell to play against.
I would also nominate Dave Keon and his predecessor George Armstrong

 

[Dayjobdave]

So you think scoring the SC winning goal on a broken ankle was gritty? Well, in my day....

The shot was uphill my friend...

 

[moon111]

Mike Foligno, Al Secord, Rob Ramage, Shane Corson, Owen Nolan, Bob 'broken foot' Baun, Tie Domi, Felix Potvin, Todd Gill (Only to pay tribute to Down Goes Brown)

 

[rimshot]

The shot was uphill my friend...

Both ways!!