Toronto GM History:

Toronto GM History:


General Manager
Appointment
Departure
Brian Burke
2008
Cliff Fletcher (interim)
2008
2008
John Ferguson, Jr.
2003
2008
Pat Quinn
1999
2003
Ken Dryden
1997
1999
Cliff Fletcher
1991
1997
Floyd Smith
1989
1991
Gord Stellick
1988
1989
Gerry McNamara
1982
1988
Punch Imlach & Gerry McNamara
1981
1982
Punch Imlach
1979
1981
Jim Gregory
1969
1979
Punch Imlach deceased
1958
1969
Stafford Smythe (de facto) deceased
1957
1958**
Conn Smythe deceased
1927
1957*
Charles Querrie deceased
1917
1927


1 Charles Querrie, 1917-18 to 1926-27; 2 Conn Smythe, 1927-28 to 1956-57; In 1927 after a falling out with the NY Rangers Conn SMyth bought the Toronto St Pats and renamed then the Toronto Maple leafs. He became GM President and coach od the team in 1927.Smythe served as Managing Director and President of Maple Leaf Gardens Limited and oversaw one of hockey's greatest dynasties when Toronto won five Stanley Cups between 1945 and 1951. He retired in 1961 as one of the greatest architects the league had ever seen-Head coach 1927-1931 3 Hap Day, 1957-58; Day became assistant general manager to Smythe in 1950, and he was responsible for running the team until 1957.He ran the leafs himself in 57-58.-Head coach of the leafs 1940-19504 Punch Imlach, 1958-59 to 1968-69; In 1958 Imlach was a personnel director with the Boston Bruins when he was offered a job by Conn Smythe of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Imlach was originally hired as assistant general manager, which was an interesting title, as the Leafs didn't actually have a general manager for him to assist: all decisions were reviewed by a seven-member "hockey committee". As assistant general manager, Imlach fired Billy Reay and took over as coach early in the 1958-1959 season.As new head coach, he quickly gained a reputation for abusing his players verbally and physically. Although questionable, this tactic seemed to work, as he led the Toronto Maple Leafs to 4 Stanley Cups in 1962, 1963, 1964 and finally in 1967. As general manager, he was adept at plucking players off the waiver wire (as in the case of goalie Terry Sawchuk) and engineering spectacular blockbuster trades (the Andy Bathgate deal in February 1964).Following expansion of the NHL from 6 teams to 12 for the 1967-1968 season, the Leafs struggled and Imlach responded by pulling off another big trade. In February 1968 Frank Mahovlich, Garry Unger, Pete Stemkowski and the rights to then-retired Carl Brewer were sent to the Detroit Red Wings for Paul Henderson, Norm Ullman and Floyd Smith.After an early and embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Boston Bruins in the 1969 playoffs, he was unceremoniously fired by the LeafsHead Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs 1959-1968 5 Jim Gregory, 1969-70 to 1978-79; -built the contending leafs teams of the 1970's.6 Punch Imlach, 1979-80, 1980-81; In 1979 Leafs owner Harold Ballard hired Imlach to try to resuscitate the dying team. Hailed as the Second Coming in Toronto, Imlach's brief two years was the most controversial time in the history of Maple Leaf Gardens. He got rid of a number of popular players, including Lanny McDonald, which caused an enormous rift in the Leafs dressing room and failed to improve the club's on-ice performance. He suffered another heart attack in 1981 and was forced to leave the Leafs entirely.Head Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs 1980-1981 Punch Imlach and Gerry McNammara, 1981-82; 7 Gerry McNammara, 1982-83 to 1987-88; In 1982-83 McNamara was promoted as the Maple Leafs general manager, after co-holding the position in 1981-82 with Punch Imlach. He remained in the role for six years, through the 1987-88 season. During his tenure he became known as one of the toughest negotiators when it came to trades with other teams. In fact, in an unofficial survey of managers, McNamara ranked second only to Montreal's Irving Grundman. 8 Gord Stellick, 1988-89; He is also a former General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. At 30 when he was appointed in 1988, he became the youngest GM in NHL history. 9 Floyd Smith, 1989-90, 1990-91; . First he coached then he went on to become a scout for the team, then chief scout and was the Leafs general manager from 1989 to 1991.
-Head Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs 1979-80 season

10 Cliff Fletcher, 1991-92 to 1996-97; Fletcher moved on to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he was the Chief Operating Officer, president and General Manager from 1991 to 1997.

11 Ken Dryden, 1997-98, 1998-99; Dryden is perhaps one of the brightest lights in the modern world of hockey, and that is why in 1997 he was invited by the Toronto Maple Leafs to help rebuild the team. In three short years, the new president has managed to transform a mediocre franchise into one of the league's most aggressive and highest-scoring teams.

12 Pat Quinn, 1999-2000 to 2002-03; Leafs GM from 1999 till 02 03
-Head Coach of the Leafs from 1998 till 05-06

13 John Ferguson, 2003-04 -2007-2008-Replaced a mans who built contending teams that had a shot at a cup till he missed the last season after having JFJ hand tie him with some inadequte roster additions.
Then he proceeded to make a number of illogical moves. The key blunder was trading high end prospect and 1st rnd pick Rask for Raycroft.After 3 straigh playoff misses John Ferguson jr was fired.

14 Cliff Fletcher 2007-interm GM.

15 Brian Burke 2008-Present


13 men have held the post.

Honourable Mention to:Assistant GM's

Howie Meeker held the job in the summer during the mid 50's.

Mike Smith -Effectivley was the Leafs GM from 1997 till 1999. He made the trades for Ken Dryden
Doesn't anyone remember when Dryden couldn't find a GM to hire? There were 4 GMs at that time - Dryden, Mike Smith, Bill Watters and Anders Hedberg.

Bill Watters -made some off season signings when he was one of co-gms


* From 1955 to 1957, Smythe turned over most of his authority over day-to-day hockey operations to Hap Day, but remained general manager on paper.[1)** The Leafs did not have an official general manager during the 1957-58 NHL season; Smythe, as chairman of the Silver Seven (a committee overseeing the Leafs' hockey operations), was effectively general manager.

The first GM in franchise history Querrie won two Stanley Cups with the team, in 1917–18 and again in 1921–22.he team was known as the "St. Patrick's." But in 1919, Querrie saw his team post the worst record in franchise history, finishing with a .278 winning percentage. The dismal result was not entirely his fault since he had to sell off most of his star players to fight a legal battle with Toronto Blueshirts owner Eddie Livingston.- 127-133-10 (.488) 2 cups 1918 and again in 1921–22
Conn Smythe - 1927-57
- 774-617-274 (.556) - 7 Stanley Cups (32, 42, 45, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951)
- An avid horse owner, his biggest coup as a GM might have started on the track. In the fall of 1930, he bet a bundle of money on his 100-1 underdog, Rare Jewel, at Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack. His horse won the race, and he used the winnings to help buy star defenceman King Clancy from the cash-strapped Ottawa Senators. Two years later, Clancy and the Leafs won the Stanley Cup, Smythe's first as a GM.
Hap Day - 1955-57
- 45-67-28 (.402) - No Stanley Cups
- Though Conn Smythe was the GM on paper between 1955-57, Hap Day was the one doing most of the work. Though he won seven Stanley Cups with the Leafs - one as a player, five as a coach and another as an assistant GM - he didn't last long in the position, and his tenure is punctuated by the manner in which he left. After a lacklustre couple of seasons, Day, who was a partner in Smythe's sand and gravel business, was publicly criticized by Smythe, inciting the future hall-of-famer to resign his post.
Punch Imlach - 1958-69, 1979-81
- 433-359-159 (.547) - 4 Stanley Cups (1962, 1963, 1964, 1967)
- Imlach's tenure with the Leafs created many strong emotions among fans and players alike, both good and not-so-good. But here's something you might not know about his GM prowess: in the 1974 draft, while with the Buffalo Sabres, Imlach selected a little-known centre from Japan's Tokyo Katanas named Taro Tsujimoto - little-known, because he didn't exist. Imlach made him up because he was bored. It took weeks for the NHL to realize it was a hoax, and now official records call the selection an "invalid claim."
Jim Gregory - 1969-79
- 334W-324L-130T (.508)- No Stanley Cups
- An example of what Gregory had to deal with in the Ballard Era: everybody and their mother knew in 1978 that the Leafs' owner wanted a tough guy for the team. Actually, he wanted Dan Maloney. So, Gregory made the obligatory call to Detroit GM Ted Lindsay about Maloney, and the Leafs got what Ballard wanted. They also gave up two first-round picks plus solid winger Errol Thompson in the process. Even though Gregory was working on a shoestring budget, his Leafs still managed to make the playoffs in eight of the 10 seasons he was GM and memorably upset the dynasty-bound New York Islanders in the quarter-finals of the 1978 playoffs.
Gerry McNamara - 1981-1988
- 166W-302L-67T (.355)- No Stanley Cups
- McNamara is best remembered for what he did as a scout for the club. In December 1972, he travelled to Sweden so he could take a look at a goaltender. What he saw was a playmaking, speedy 21-year old defenceman named Börje Salming. He recommended signing the Swedish defenceman, who became one of the most beloved Leafs of all time and essentially paved the way for the European invasion of the NHL. He was also the gm who drafted leaf legend Wendel Clark. But as a GM? He's saddled with the worst winning percentage in Leaf history.
Gord Stellick - 1988-89 - 28-46-6 (.378)- No Stanley Cups
- Stellick is still the youngest GM ever appointed in NHL history. He was hired at the age of 30 but only lasted one season under Ballard before resigning, citing too much interference by the owner. An example: Ballard insisted on a coach who didn't want the job. Leaf great George "Chief" Armstrong, who Stellick hired as a scout, told anyone who would listen that he didn't want the coaching job after John Brophy was fired. He got it anyway and lasted the rest of the season even though he didn't like the job at all. When Stellick wanted another coach for the new season, Ballard refused, and that helped Stellick decide to leave for the Rangers.
Floyd Smith - 1989-1991
- 61W-84L-15T (.421)- No Stanley Cups
- Lasted twice as long as Gord Stellick. In Smith's first season as GM, the Leafs made the playoffs, which was memorable for all the wrong reasons thanks to a Sergio Momesso shot from centre ice that beat Leaf goalie Alan Bester. Next season, with all of Smith's deals, the Leafs dressed 48 players and Smith gave away next year's first round pick to New Jersey in return for Tom Kurvers. The pick turned into Scott Niedermeyer. During Smith's tenure, Harold Ballard passed away, and a bitter fight emerged over control of the team. This fight ultimately paved the way for Smith's dismissal and the arrival of Cliff Fletcher.
Cliff Fletcher - 1991-1997, 2008
- 226W-219L-58T-8OT (.508) - No Stanley Cups
- Widely regarded as the man responsible for turning the club around after the dark days of the 1980s and best remembered for what Leaf fans now call "The Trade." On Jan. 2, 1992, Fletcher sent Gary Leeman, Michel Petit, Alexander Godynyuk, Craig Berube and Jeff Reese to Calgary for Jamie Macoun, Rick Wamsley, Kent Manderville, Ric Nattress and Doug Gilmour. All five players, especially Gilmour, became essential to the Leaf resurgence of the early 1990s. The 10-player swap remains one of the most lopsided deals in league history.
Ken Dryden - 1997-1999 - 75W-73L-16T (.507)- No Stanley Cups
- Though the GM on paper, Dryden gave a lot of managerial duties to assistant GM Mike Smith while he took care of his responsibilities as president. But he did have a bit of a hand in one deal if reports are accurate. Legend has it that before the 1998-99 season, Dryden was in a convenience store in the west end of Toronto getting some ice cream when he ran into player agent Don Meehan. The two chatted for a while, and Dryden walked out of the store thinking he had a chance to add a major piece to his roster puzzle: Curtis Joseph. The netminder signed with the Leafs later that summer, and that season he led them to an appearance in the conference final.
Pat Quinn - 1999-2003
- 169W-109L-35T-15OT (.608) - No Stanley Cups
- Quinn has the best record of any Leaf GM. While he held the managing spot for the team, the Leafs made the playoffs every year and only failed to make it out of the first round once, in 2003. But they never made it to the Cup finals, losing out in 1999 while he was a coach and again in 2002 when he was coaching and managing the team. His most notable acquisitions include fan-favorites Gary Roberts and Darcy Tucker, plus Alexander Mogilny and Eddie Belfour, among others.
John Ferguson Jr. - 2003-08
- 145W-110L-10T-30OT (.569) - No Stanley Cups
- Every single facet of his tenure has been scrutinized backwards and forwards, but here's something that might surprise you: through all the pressure, controversy and ridicule thrown at him, JFJ still managed to post the second-best record as a general manager in Leaf history, behind Pat Quinn.

Brian Burke - 2008-Present