Editing Toronto Maple Leafs (section)

=== Rivalries ===
{{Quote box|align=right|width=20%|quote="[[Canadiens–Maple Leafs rivalry|Montreal–Toronto]] was the traditional rivalry, [[Maple Leafs–Red Wings rivalry|Detroit–Toronto]] was the bitter rivalry."|source=– [[Bob Nevin]]<ref name=DetRiv>{{cite book|title=100 Things Red Wings Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die|year=2014|last=Allen|first=Kevin|publisher=Triumph Books|pages=212–215|isbn=978-1-62368-982-7}}</ref>
}}
During the 25 years of the [[Original Six]] era (1942–67), teams played each other 14 times during the regular season, and with only four teams continuing into the playoffs, rivalries were intense. The Maple Leafs established several rivalries with other teams that played in this era, including the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and the Montreal Canadiens.<ref>{{cite book|title=Twenty Greatest Hockey Goals|last=Zweig|first=Eric|page=[https://archive.org/details/twentygreatestho0000zwei/page/61 61]|year=2010|publisher=Dundurn Press|isbn=978-1-55488-789-7|url=https://archive.org/details/twentygreatestho0000zwei/page/61}}</ref> In addition to the aforementioned teams, the Maple Leafs have also developed a rivalry with the Ottawa Senators,<ref name=OttSenR>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/maple-leafs-senators-rivalry-really-one-sided/|title=Maple Leafs-Senators rivalry really one-sided|work=Sportsnet|publisher=Rogers Digital Media|date=April 7, 2015|access-date=July 14, 2017|last=Willis|first=Jonathan|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322183608/http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/maple-leafs-senators-rivalry-really-one-sided/|archive-date=March 22, 2016}}</ref> as well as a minor geographic rivalry with the [[Buffalo Sabres]] called the [[National Hockey League rivalries#Battle of the QEW: Buffalo Sabres vs. Toronto Maple Leafs|Battle of the QEW]] after the [[Queen Elizabeth Way]] (QEW), the freeway that links Buffalo with Toronto along the western edge of [[Lake Ontario]] within the [[Golden Horseshoe]].

==== Boston Bruins ====
{{Main|Bruins–Maple Leafs rivalry}}
[[File:Colton Orr and Shawn Thornton fight.jpg|thumb|Maple Leafs' [[Colton Orr]] fights with Bruins' [[Shawn Thornton]] during a game, October 2011.]]
Both teams are Original Six teams, with their first game played in Boston's inaugural season on December 3, 1924. In the match-up, the [[Toronto St. Patricks|St. Patricks]] earned a 5–3 victory against the Bruins at [[Mutual Street Arena]]. The Maple Leafs played their first Stanley Cup playoff series against the Bruins in [[1933 Stanley Cup playoffs|1933]], winning the series 3–2. From 1933 to 2019, the two teams played in 16 postseason series against one another, including one Stanley Cup Finals.

The rivalry has since been renewed from the [[2013 Stanley Cup playoffs]] which saw the Bruins rally from a 4–1 third-period deficit to defeat the Maple Leafs in overtime, 5–4, and advance to the second round.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bruins rally from 4-1 deficit to eliminate Leafs in Game 7 |url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=423101 |publisher=The Sports Network |access-date=April 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607143115/https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=423101 |archive-date=June 7, 2013 |date=May 14, 2013}}</ref> In the [[2018 Stanley Cup playoffs|2018]], [[2019 Stanley Cup playoffs|2019]], and [[2024 Stanley Cup playoffs]], the Bruins would again defeat the Maple Leafs in seven games in all three of those years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-boston-bruins-game-7-recap/c-298256440|title=Bruins advance with Game 7 win against Maple Leafs|last=Kalman|first=Matt|publisher=National Hockey League|date=April 25, 2018|access-date=April 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426213825/https://www.nhl.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-boston-bruins-game-7-recap/c-298256440|archive-date=April 26, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-boston-bruins-game-7-recap/c-306981924|title=Bruins win Game 7, eliminate Maple Leafs|last=Kalman|first=Matt|publisher=National Hockey League|date=April 23, 2019|access-date=April 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424015828/https://www.nhl.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-boston-bruins-game-7-recap/c-306981924|archive-date=April 24, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Buffalo Sabres ====
The rivalry between the [[Buffalo Sabres]] and Toronto Maple Leafs is due to the 100-mile (160 km) distance between their home arenas ([[KeyBank Center]] and [[Scotiabank Arena]] respectively). The Sabres won 70 of 103 all-time home games against the Maple Leafs from their inception in 1970–71 until 2015–16 (the last season before Toronto drafted [[Auston Matthews]]), despite the always large contingency of Toronto fans at those games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Augello |first=Michael |title=Sabres – Maple Leafs Rivalry Percolates After Shutout Loss |url=https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-maple-leafs-rivalry-percolates-after-shutout-loss- |access-date=March 16, 2025 |website=The Hockey News}}</ref> Since the [[1998–99 NHL season|1998–99]] season, both teams have played in the Northeast Division, now the Atlantic Division. Buffalo won the [[1999 Stanley Cup playoffs|1999 Eastern Conference finals]] against Toronto in five games, the only playoff series between the two teams. During the [[2018–19 NHL season|2018–19 season]], Toronto swept Buffalo in the season series for the first time ever. Buffalo previously swept a season series with Toronto in [[1979–80 NHL season|1979–80]], [[1987–88 NHL season|1987–88]], and [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92]]. Due in part to the number of Leafs fans living near or in [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]], and in part to Buffalo's relative proximity to Toronto and the rest of Ontario, Maple Leafs–Sabres games at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo typically hold near 80 percent of Leafs fans, making it the largest away crowd of the NHL.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kloke |first=Joshua |date=November 3, 2016 |title=Maple Leafs and Sabres on the verge of renewing rivalry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/24711/2016/11/03/maple-leafs-and-sabres-on-the-verge-of-renewing-rivalry/ |access-date=March 16, 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==== Detroit Red Wings ====
{{Main|Maple Leafs–Red Wings rivalry}}
[[File:2014 NHL Winter Classic before puck drop.jpg|thumb|alt=A view of the 2014 Winter Classic ice hockey game from the stands of Michigan Stadium.|The Red Wings hosted the Maple Leafs at the [[2014 NHL Winter Classic]] in [[Michigan Stadium]] in [[Ann Arbor]].]]
The Detroit Red Wings and the Maple Leafs are both Original Six teams, playing their first game together in [[1927–28 NHL season|1927]]. From [[1928–29 NHL season|1929]] to [[1992–93 NHL season|1993]], the teams met each other in the 16 playoff series, as well as seven [[Stanley Cup Finals]]. Meeting one another a combined 23 times in the postseason, they have played each other in more playoff series than any other two teams in NHL history except for the [[Bruins–Canadiens rivalry|Bruins and Canadiens]] who have played a total of 34 playoff series against each other.<ref>{{cite web|title=Canadiens, Bruins are NHL's longest playoff rivalry|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=559790|date=April 15, 2011|access-date=April 15, 2011|first=John|last=Kreiser|publisher=National Hockey League|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110416120734/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=559790|archive-date=April 16, 2011}}</ref> Overlapping fanbases, particularly in markets such as [[Windsor, Ontario]], and the surrounding [[Essex County, Ontario|Essex County]], have added to the rivalry.<ref name="WINRiv" />

The rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and the Maple Leafs was at its height during the Original Six era.<ref name="DetRiv" /> The Leafs and Red Wings met in the playoffs six times during the 1940s, including four Stanley Cup finals. The Leafs beat the Red Wings in five of their six meetings.{{sfn|LeafsPR|2016|p=399–401}} In the 1950s, the Leafs and Red Wings met one another in six Stanley Cup semifinals; the Red Wings beat the Leafs in five of their six meetings.{{sfn|LeafsPR|2016|p=401–403}} From 1961 to 1967, the two teams met one another in three playoff series, including two Stanley Cup finals.{{sfn|LeafsPR|2016|p=404–406}} Within those 25 years, the Leafs and Red Wings played a total of 15 playoff series including six Cup Finals; the Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings in all six Cup Finals.{{sfn|LeafsPR|2016|p=418}}

The teams have only met three times in the playoffs since the Original Six era, with their last meeting in [[1993 Stanley Cup playoffs|1993]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thescore.com/news/1196604|last=Vaswani|first=Navin|title=Remembering '93, when the Maple Leafs stunned the Red Wings|work=The Score|date=December 31, 2016|publisher=Score Media Ventures}}</ref> After the Leafs moved to the Eastern Conference in [[1998–99 NHL season|1998]], they faced each other less often, and the rivalry began to stagnate. The rivalry became intradivisional once again in [[2013–14 NHL season|2013]] when Detroit was moved to the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference as part of a realignment.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=604852 | title=Governors adopt radical four-conference realignment plan | date=December 5, 2011 | first=Dan | last=Rosen | publisher=National Hockey League | access-date=December 5, 2011 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111206210510/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=604852 | archive-date=December 6, 2011 | df=mdy-all}}</ref> Due in part to the number of Leafs fans living near [[Detroit]] and in [[Michigan]], and in part to Detroit's relative proximity to Toronto and Ontario, Maple Leafs–Red Wings games at the [[Little Caesars Arena]] in Detroit typically hold at least 40 percent of Leafs fans.

==== Montreal Canadiens ====
{{Main|Canadiens–Maple Leafs rivalry}}
The rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and the Maple Leafs is the oldest in the NHL, featuring two clubs that were active since the inaugural NHL season in 1917.<ref name=RivCBC>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/canadiens-maple-leafs-nhl-rivalries-1.3960275|title=NHL 100: Canadiens-Maple Leafs among heated rivalries|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=July 14, 2017|date=January 31, 2017|last=Clipperton|first=Joshua|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420200815/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/canadiens-maple-leafs-nhl-rivalries-1.3960275|archive-date=April 20, 2017}}</ref> In the early 20th century, the rivalry was an embodiment of a larger [[Two Solitudes (Canadian society)|culture war]] between [[English Canada]] and [[French Canada]].<ref name=RivNAP>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canadiens-versus-leafs-two-rivals-meet-again-but-theyve-changed/wcm/10396669-554f-42a1-b45e-99e84ec294a3|title=Canadiens versus Leafs: Two rivals meet again, but they've changed|date=April 6, 2012|access-date=July 14, 2017|work=National Post |last=O'Connor|first=Joe}}</ref> The Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups, while the Maple Leafs have won 13, ranking them first and second for most Cup wins, respectively.<ref name="RivCBC" />

[[File:HabsvLeafs2.JPG|thumb|left|A game between the Canadiens and Maple Leafs in March 1938]]
The height of the rivalry was during the 1960s when the Canadiens and Leafs combined to win all but one Cup. The two clubs had 15 playoff meetings. However, the rivalry has waned with the two having not met in the postseason from [[1979 Stanley Cup playoffs|1979]] to [[2021 Stanley Cup playoffs|2021]].<ref name="RivCBC" /> It also suffered when Montreal and Toronto were placed in opposite conferences in [[1981–82 NHL season|1981]], with the Leafs in the Clarence Campbell/Western Conference and the Canadiens in the Prince of Wales/Eastern Conference. The rivalry became intradivisional once again in [[1998–99 NHL season|1998]] when the Leafs were moved into the Eastern Conference's [[Northeast Division (NHL)|Northeast Division]].<ref name="1998Realignment">{{cite news|title=Leafs get wish to play Habs more|last=Shoalts|first=David|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=December 3, 1997|page=S1}}</ref>

The rivalry's cultural imprint may be seen in literature and art. The rivalry from the perspective of the Canadiens fan is captured in the popular Canadian short story ''[[The Hockey Sweater]]'' by [[Roch Carrier]]. Originally published in French as "''Une abominable feuille d'érable sur la glace''" ("An abominable maple leaf on the ice"), it referred to the Maple Leafs sweater a mother forced her son to wear.<ref name="RivNAP" /> The son is presumably based on [[Self-insertion|Carrier himself]] when he was young.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://globalnews.ca/news/3146716/carriers-the-hockey-sweater-still-captivates-70-years-after-winter-of-1946/|title=Carrier's 'The Hockey Sweater' still captivates, 70 years after winter of 1946|last=Lowrie|first=Morgan|work=Global News|publisher=Corus Entertainment |date=December 24, 2016|access-date=July 14, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129080008/http://globalnews.ca/news/3146716/carriers-the-hockey-sweater-still-captivates-70-years-after-winter-of-1946/|archive-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> This rivalry is also evident in Toronto's {{stl|TTC|College}} [[Toronto subway|subway station]], which displays murals depicting the two teams, one on each platform (the Leafs mural being on the southbound platform), given that when the murals were installed in 1984, the station was the closest to the Leafs' then-home of [[Maple Leaf Gardens]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Charles Pachter: Canada's Artist|last=Wise|first=Leonard|year=2017|publisher=Dundurn|isbn=978-1-4597-3875-1}}</ref> Due in part to the number of Leafs fans living near or in [[Montreal]], and in part to Montreal's relative proximity to Toronto and the rest of Ontario, Maple Leafs–Canadiens games at the [[Bell Centre]] in Montreal typically hold a high amount of Leafs fans.

==== Ottawa Senators ====
{{Main|Battle of Ontario}}
The modern Ottawa Senators entered the NHL in [[1992–93 NHL season|1992]], but the rivalry between the two teams did not begin to emerge until the late 1990s. From 1992 to [[1997–98 NHL season|1998]], Ottawa and Toronto played in different conferences (Prince of Wales / Eastern and Clarence Campbell / Western respectively), which meant they rarely played each other. However, before the [[1998–99 NHL season|1998–99 season]], the conferences and divisions were realigned, with Toronto moved to the Eastern Conference's Northeast Division with Ottawa.<ref name="1998Realignment" /> From [[2000 Stanley Cup playoffs|2000]] to [[2004 Stanley Cup playoffs|2004]], the teams played four postseason series; the Leafs won all four playoff series.<ref name="OttSenR" /> Due in part to the number of Leafs fans living near or in [[Ottawa]], and in part to Ottawa's relative proximity to Toronto, Maple Leafs–Senators games at the [[Canadian Tire Centre]] in Ottawa typically hold at least 70 percent of Leafs fans.<ref name="CTCF3" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/senators-try-to-shut-leafs-fans-out-of-scotiabank-place-1.1156502|title=Senators try to shut Leafs fans out of Scotiabank Place|date=February 14, 2013|work=CTVNews.ca|publisher=[[Bell Media]]|access-date=July 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803213016/http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/senators-try-to-shut-leafs-fans-out-of-scotiabank-place-1.1156502|archive-date=August 3, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=2172427&type=story|title=Part II -- Top rivalries|date=September 29, 2005|access-date=July 14, 2017|work=ESPN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803211736/http://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=2172427&type=story|archive-date=August 3, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>