The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the oldest and most iconic franchises in the NHL. The team's history speaks for itself. Many consider the Leafs to be to hockey what the Boston Celtics are to basketball or the New York Yankees are to baseball.
And while the Maple Leafs are one of the most successful franchises in the NHL, the team is in the midst of a near-six decade championship drought.
If the Leafs have their way, that drought will end in 2025. But as we wait to see what Toronto will accomplish in the playoffs this year, let's take a look back at past success.
How Many Stanley Cups Have the Toronto Maple Leafs Won?
The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the Stanley Cup 13 times in franchise history. Toronto's first championship came in 1918 and its most recent came in 1967. The Maple Leafs have a 13–9 (59.1%) record in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Full List of Toronto's Stanley Cup Championships
Toronto Maple Leafs History of Winning
The Maple Leafs were founded in 1917 as one of the original teams in the NHL, but the team was known as the Toronto Arenas. In 1918 Toronto won its first Stanley Cup. At this point, with professional hockey in its infancy, the game was still evolving. This early victory put the Arenas at the forefront of Canadian hockey.
After a brief change in ownership and a name change from the Arenas to the Toronto St. Patricks, the franchise won its second Stanley Cup in 1922. Five years later the team was purchased by Conn Smythe. One of Smythe's first acts as owner was to change the name to the Maple Leafs, a name which is now synonymous with professional hockey worldwide.
Under Smythe's leadership, Toronto became one of the best franchises in the NHL. In 1931 he moved the team into the Maple Leaf Gardens, which became one of the most iconic arenas in hockey over the next 68 years.
In 1932 the Maple Leafs won their first Stanley Cup with their iconic name. Toronto would make the Stanley Cup Finals in six of the next eight years, but come up short each time. Still, the team was carving out a lofty set of expectations internally and externally.
Then the franchise dominated the 1940s.
The Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1940, '42, '45, '47, '48, '49 and 1951.
That 1942 team and championship is particularly historic. The Maple Leafs were down 3–0 against the Detroit Red Wings before surging back to win four-straight games to win the Cup. They remain the only NHL team to come back from a 3–0 Stanley Cup Finals deficit.
In this era the team was led by the likes of Syl Apps and Turk Broda, who both enlisted in the Canadian army during World War II, only to return and win more championships with Toronto.
After a bit of a lull throughout most of the 1950s, the team was back in championship contention under the controversial GM and head coach Punch Imlach in the 1960s.
The Maple Leafs hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1962, '63, '64 and '67, wrapping up the franchise's second dynasty. Eleven players were members of all four title teams.
The 1967 Maple Leafs were the underdogs in the Finals, but rallied to defeat the favored Montreal Canadiens in six games. On May 2, 1967 the series concluded with the Leafs celebrating.
Nearly 60 years later, it remains the most recent Stanley Cup win for the storied franchise.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup History: Championships, Records & More.