Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club) is a professional ice hockey franchise based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team is one of the "Original Six" league members. As of 2012 they were owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Ltd. and are represented by chairman Larry Tanenbaum. Their general manager is Brian Burke. Their head coach is Randy Carlyle. In 1999 they moved to Air Canada Centre, which replaced Maple Leaf Gardens, their home since 1931.

The franchise was founded in 1917, operating simply as Toronto and known today as the Toronto Arenas, as it was operated by the Toronto Arena Company, owners of the Arena Gardens arena. In 1919, the NHL transferred the franchise to new owners who christened the team the Toronto St. Patricks. The franchise was sold in 1926 and was renamed the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club. The team colours are blue and white.

As of 2011 the Maple Leafs had won thirteen Stanley Cup championships, second only to the twenty-four championships of their primary rival, the Montreal Canadiens. They won their last championship in 1967. The 45-year drought between championships is currently the NHL's longest. They are the only "Original Six" team which has not won the Stanley Cup championship since.

With an estimated worth of US$521 million in 2011, the Leafs are the NHL's most valuable franchise, followed by the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens, respectively.

Read more about Toronto Maple Leafs:  Logo, Uniform and Mascot, Rivalries, In Popular Culture, Fan Base, Season-by-season Record

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