1971–72 Toronto Maple Leafs season

The 1971–72 Toronto Maple Leafs season was Toronto's 55th season of operation in the National Hockey League (NHL). It was also the 40th anniversary season of the opening of Maple Leaf Gardens. The Maple Leafs finished fourth, and qualified for the playoffs for the second year in a row, losing in the first round to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.

Offseason In June, team president Stafford Smythe and vice-president Harold Ballard were arrested for theft and fraud involving funds of Maple Leaf Gardens. They were charged jointly on the theft of $146,000 of funds and securities and Smythe was further charged for defrauding Maple Leaf Gardens of $249,000.

Regular season On October 13, just after the start of the season, Smythe died of complications from a bleeding ulcer. The Leaf's home opener, scheduled for that night was postponed, only the second postponement in Maple Leaf Gardens history.

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

|1||W||October 8, 1971||3–2 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) ||1–0–0

|2||T||October 10, 1971||3–3 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals (1971–72) ||1–0–1

|3||L||October 16, 1971||3–5 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1971–72) ||1–1–1

|4||T||October 17, 1971||2–2 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1971–72) ||1–1–2

|5||L||October 20, 1971||2–7 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) ||1–2–2

|6||L||October 22, 1971||2–5 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1971–72) ||1–3–2

|7||W||October 23, 1971||5–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) ||2–3–2

|8||T||October 27, 1971||0–0 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) ||2–3–3

|9||T||October 30, 1971||1–1 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1971–72) ||2–3–4

|10||T||October 31, 1971||3–3 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1971–72) ||2–3–5

|11||W||November 1, 1971||6–1 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1971–72) ||3–3–5

|12||L||November 3, 1971||1–2 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1971–72) ||3–4–5

|13||W||November 6, 1971||3–2 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) ||4–4–5

|14||L||November 7, 1971||1–8 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals (1971–72) ||4–5–5

|15||L||November 10, 1971||2–5 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) ||4–6–5

|16||T||November 13, 1971||2–2 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) ||4–6–6

|17||T||November 14, 1971||3–3 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) ||4–6–7

|18||W||November 17, 1971||5–1 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) ||5–6–7

|19||W||November 20, 1971||5–1 || align="left"| California Golden Seals (1971–72) ||6–6–7

|20||W||November 21, 1971||4–3 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) ||7–6–7

|21||W||November 24, 1971||2–1 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) ||8–6–7

|22||T||November 27, 1971||3–3 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) ||8–6–8

|23||L||November 28, 1971||1–4 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) ||8–7–8

|24||W||December 1, 1971||4–2 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1971–72) ||9–7–8

|25||L||December 4, 1971||3–5 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1971–72) ||9–8–8

|26||W||December 8, 1971||3–1 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1971–72) ||10–8–8

|27||L||December 11, 1971||1–3 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) ||10–9–8

|28||W||December 12, 1971||4–2 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) ||11–9–8

|29||W||December 14, 1971||4–2 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1971–72) ||12–9–8

|30||W||December 15, 1971||3–2 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) ||13–9–8

|31||W||December 18, 1971||8–1 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) ||14–9–8

|32||W||December 19, 1971||4–0 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) ||15–9–8

|33||L||December 22, 1971||2–4 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) ||15–10–8

|34||W||December 25, 1971||5–3 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1971–72) ||16–10–8

|35||L||December 26, 1971||1–3 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1971–72) ||16–11–8

|36||W||December 28, 1971||4–2 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) ||17–11–8

|37||L||December 29, 1971||3–6 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1971–72) ||17–12–8

|38||W||January 1, 1972||5–2 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) ||18–12–8

|39||L||January 5, 1972||0–2 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1971–72) ||18–13–8

|40||T||January 8, 1972||2–2 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) ||18–13–9

|41||W||January 9, 1972||2–1 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) ||19–13–9

|42||T||January 12, 1972||1–1 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) ||19–13–10

|43||W||January 15, 1972||4–3 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1971–72) ||20–13–10

|44||L||January 16, 1972||3–4 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1971–72) ||20–14–10

|45||L||January 19, 1972||0–1 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) ||20–15–10

|46||L||January 22, 1972||1–4 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1971–72) ||20–16–10

|47||L||January 23, 1972||0–4 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) ||20–17–10

|48||L||January 26, 1972||3–5 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) ||20–18–10

|49||L||January 28, 1972||0–3 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals (1971–72) ||20–19–10

|50||L||January 29, 1972||2–5 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) ||20–20–10

|51||L||February 1, 1972||0–4 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1971–72) ||20–21–10

|52||W||February 2, 1972||3–2 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1971–72) ||21–21–10

|53||L||February 5, 1972||1–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) ||21–22–10

|54||T||February 6, 1972||2–2 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1971–72) ||21–22–11

|55||W||February 8, 1972||2–1 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1971–72) ||22–22–11

|56||L||February 9, 1972||1–4 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) ||22–23–11

|57||W||February 12, 1972||3–0 || align="left"| California Golden Seals (1971–72) ||23–23–11

|58||L||February 13, 1972||1–3 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) ||23–24–11

|59||L||February 16, 1972||2–4 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) ||23–25–11

|60||W||February 19, 1972||4–1 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1971–72) ||24–25–11

|61||L||February 20, 1972||1–3 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72) ||24–26–11

|62||L||February 22, 1972||4–5 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1971–72) ||24–27–11

|63||W||February 23, 1972||2–0 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72) ||25–27–11

|64||W||February 26, 1972||7–1 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) ||26–27–11

|65||W||March 1, 1972||3–1 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1971–72) ||27–27–11

|66||W||March 4, 1972||3–2 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) ||28–27–11

|67||W||March 8, 1972||5–1 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1971–72) ||29–27–11

|68||W||March 11, 1972||2–1 || align="left"| California Golden Seals (1971–72) ||30–27–11

|69||T||March 12, 1972||2–2 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1971–72) ||30–27–12

|70||L||March 15, 1972||2–5 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) ||30–28–12

|71||T||March 18, 1972||2–2 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72) ||30–28–13

|72||L||March 19, 1972||3–5 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1971–72) ||30–29–13

|73||T||March 22, 1972||3–3 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1971–72) ||30–29–14

|74||L||March 24, 1972||3–5 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1971–72) ||30–30–14

|75||W||March 25, 1972||4–0 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1971–72) ||31–30–14

|76||W||March 29, 1972||4–1 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1971–72) ||32–30–14

|77||W||April 1, 1972||2–1 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1971–72) ||33–30–14

|78||L||April 2, 1972||4–6 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1971–72) ||33–31–14

Legend:

Playoffs

Player statistics

Regular season Scoring Player GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG 77 23 50 73 268901 73 38 19 57 32141215 72 18 30 48 41225 78 23 24 47 177407 66 19 17 36 104-4500 76 5 31 36 271200 74 15 17 32 44-4104 78 14 17 31 472212 50 4 19 23 5610102 52 9 12 21 16-12201 72 4 17 21 587201 61 10 7 17 39-1202 77 7 10 17 45100 38 8 8 16 4-1200 50 2 14 16 02100 67 1 14 15 1243000 74 2 12 14 1018000 61 2 8 10 4411001 18 3 4 7 13-3001 36 1 5 6 652000 46 1 4 5 44-2000 47 0 1 1 60000 3 0 0 0 00000 2 0 0 0 00000 34 0 0 0 20000 Goaltending PlayerMINGPW LTGAGAA SO 2715 47 17 18 9 116 2.56 3 1965 34 16 13 5 86 2.63 2 Team: 4680 78 33 31 14 202 2.59 5

Playoffs Scoring Player GP G A Pts PIM PPG SHG GWG 5 2 3 5 0000 5 1 3 4 2000 5 3 0 3 2210 5 1 2 3 6000 5 1 1 2 4100 5 1 0 1 10001 4 1 0 1 16000 5 0 1 1 0000 5 0 0 0 4000 5 0 0 0 0000 5 0 0 0 25000 2 0 0 0 2000 5 0 0 0 7000 5 0 0 0 0000 1 0 0 0 0000 5 0 0 0 0000 4 0 0 0 0000 5 0 0 0 8000 1 0 0 0 0000 5 0 0 0 4000 3 0 0 0 2000 Goaltending PlayerMINGPW LGAGAA SO 243 4 1 3 13 3.21 0 60 1 0 1 5 5.00 0 Team: 303 5 1 4 18 3.56 0

Transactions The Maple Leafs have been involved in the following transactions during the 1971–72 season.

Trades August 20, 1971To Detroit Red WingsBrian ConacherTo Toronto Maple LeafsCash August 30, 1971To Montreal CanadiensCashTo Toronto Maple LeafsTerry Clancy September 27, 1971To Vancouver CanucksDoug BrindleyTo Toronto Maple LeafsAndre Hinse February 20, 1972To New York RangersJim DoreyTo Toronto Maple LeafsPierre Jarry

Intra-league draft June 5, 1972From Montreal CanadiensLarry Pleau June 5, 1972To Montreal CanadiensBrad Selwood June 5, 1972To Vancouver CanucksGerry O'Flaherty

Expansion draft June 6, 1972To Atlanta FlamesBilly MacMillan June 6, 1972To New York IslandersBrian Marchinko June 6, 1972To New York IslandersBrian Spencer

Reverse draft June 8, 1972To California Golden SealsMarv Edwards

Free agents Player Former team Lyle Moffat Undrafted Free Agent Joe Lundrigan Undrafted Free Agent Gord McRae Undrafted Free Agent

Draft picks Toronto's draft picks at the 1971 NHL amateur draft held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)222 Rick Kehoe Hamilton Red Wings (OHA)223 Dave Fortier St. Catharines Black Hawks (OHA)330 Ralph Hopiavuori Toronto Marlboros (OHA)337 Gavin Kirk Toronto Marlboros (OHA)451 Rick Cunningham Peterborough Petes (OHA)565 Bob Sykes Sudbury Wolves (NOHA)679 Mike Ruest Cornwall Royals (QMJHL)793 Dale Smedsmo Bemidji State University (WCHA)798 Steve Johnson Verdun Maple Leafs (QMJHL)8107 Bob Burns Royal Military College (CIAU)

See also 1971–72 NHL season

References