1952–53 Toronto Maple Leafs season

The 1952–53 Toronto Maple Leafs season was Toronto's 36th season in the NHL. The Maple Leafs finished 5th in the league and missed the playoffs.
==Off-season==
==Regular Season==
The Toronto Maple Leafs had the first English game broadcast on November 1, 1952 versus the Boston Bruins with Foster Hewitt calling the action. Conn Smythe, the Leaf's managing director, sold the Leaf's television rights for a paltry $100 a game.
On January 1, 1953, Boston's Dave Creighton scored two goals versus Toronto but then broke his leg in a tussle with Fern Flaman. Creighton missed 25 games and George Sullivan was recalled from the minors. During the same game, in a fight with Milt Schmidt, Leafs captain Ted Kennedy fell and suffered a broken collarbone and torn shoulder ligaments. Kennedy would miss the remainder of the season and the Leafs would miss out on a playoff berth by 2 points.
The Maple Leafs had a mediocre performance in the last half of February followed by a five game losing streak to start March. Boston and the Chicago Black Hawks both played well down the stretch and a Bruins 2-1 victory over the Black Hawks on March 8, 1953 was critical for Boston. Despite Toronto winning their last four games of the season, including beating the Bruins on closing night, the Maple Leafs missed the last playoff spot by 2 points. Much of this was attributed to the absence of Ted Kennedy since the New Years Day game against Boston when he was injured.
===Final Standings===
===Game Log===
Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results 	Regular Season Results
No. 	R 	Date 	Score 	Opponent 	Record
1 	L 	October 11, 1952 	2–6 	Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53) 	0–1–0
2 	T 	October 12, 1952 	4–4 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	0–1–1
3 	L 	October 16, 1952 	1–2 	@ Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	0–2–1
4 	W 	October 18, 1952 	4–3 	New York Rangers (1952–53) 	1–2–1
5 	W 	October 19, 1952 	3–2 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53)	2–2–1
6 	W 	October 22, 1952 	5–4 	Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	3–2–1
7 	L 	October 25, 1952 	0–4 	Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	3–3–1
8 	W 	October 29, 1952 	7–5 	Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	4–3–1
9 	W 	November 1, 1952 	3–2 	Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	5–3–1
10 	W 	November 2, 1952 	4–2 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	6–3–1
11 	W 	November 5, 1952 	4–1 	New York Rangers (1952–53) 	7–3–1
12 	L 	November 6, 1952 	1–3 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	7–4–1
13 	T 	November 8, 1952 	3–3 	Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	7–4–2
14 	L 	November 11, 1952 	0–4 	@ Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	7–5–2
15 	W 	November 13, 1952 	3–1 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	8–5–2
16 	L 	November 15, 1952 	1–3 	Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53) 	8–6–2
17 	W 	November 16, 1952 	6–3 	@ New York Rangers (1952–53) 	9–6–2
18 	L 	November 19, 1952 	1–2 	Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	9–7–2
19 	T 	November 22, 1952 	2–2 	Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	9–7–3
20 	L 	November 23, 1952 	5–6 	@ Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	9–8–3
21 	L 	November 26, 1952 	2–4 	@ New York Rangers (1952–53) 	9–9–3
22 	T 	November 27, 1952 	3–3 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53)	9–9–4
23 	L 	November 29, 1952 	1–3 	Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	9–10–4
24 	L 	November 30, 1952 	1–4 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	9–11–4
25 	W 	December 4, 1952 	2–1 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	10–11–4
26 	T 	December 6, 1952 	2–2 	New York Rangers (1952–53) 	10–11–5
27 	W 	December 7, 1952 	2–0 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53)	11–11–5
28 	L 	December 10, 1952 	1–2 	Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	11–12–5
29 	L 	December 13, 1952 	1–3 	Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	11–13–5
30 	T 	December 14, 1952 	2–2 	@ New York Rangers (1952–53) 	11–13–6
31 	T 	December 18, 1952 	1–1 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	11–13–7
32 	W 	December 20, 1952 	4–1 	Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53) 	12–13–7
33 	L 	December 21, 1952 	2–4 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53)	12–14–7
34 	W 	December 24, 1952 	2–0 	Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	13–14–7
35 	W 	December 27, 1952 	3–0 	Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	14–14–7
36 	T 	December 31, 1952 	3–3 	@ New York Rangers (1952–53) 	14–14–8
37 	L 	January 1, 1953 	1–5 	@ Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	14–15–8
38 	T 	January 3, 1953 	1–1 	Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53) 	14–15–9
39 	W 	January 10, 1953 	3–1 	Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	15–15–9
40 	L 	January 11, 1953 	2–5 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	15–16–9
41 	W 	January 14, 1953 	3–0 	Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53) 	16–16–9
42 	W 	January 17, 1953 	1–0 	New York Rangers (1952–53) 	17–16–9
43 	L 	January 18, 1953 	1–2 	@ Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	17–17–9
44 	L 	January 21, 1953 	0–1 	Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	17–18–9
45 	L 	January 22, 1953 	1–4 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	17–19–9
46 	W 	January 24, 1953 	2–0 	Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	18–19–9
47 	W 	January 25, 1953 	4–3 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53)	19–19–9
48 	T 	January 29, 1953 	2–2 	@ Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	19–19–10
49 	W 	January 31, 1953 	4–0 	New York Rangers (1952–53) 	20–19–10
50 	L 	February 1, 1953 	1–5 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	20–20–10
51 	L 	February 5, 1953 	0–2 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	20–21–10
52 	L 	February 7, 1953 	2–4 	Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53) 	20–22–10
53 	L 	February 8, 1953 	2–4 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53)	20–23–10
54 	T 	February 14, 1953 	2–2 	Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	20–23–11
55 	W 	February 15, 1953 	2–1 	@ New York Rangers (1952–53) 	21–23–11
56 	W 	February 18, 1953 	2–0 	Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	22–23–11
57 	T 	February 21, 1953 	2–2 	Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	22–23–12
58 	L 	February 25, 1953 	1–2 	Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	22–24–12
59 	L 	February 26, 1953 	1–4 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	22–25–12
60 	W 	February 28, 1953 	3–0 	New York Rangers (1952–53) 	23–25–12
61 	L 	March 1, 1953 	2–4 	@ New York Rangers (1952–53) 	23–26–12
62 	L 	March 5, 1953 	1–3 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53)	23–27–12
63 	L 	March 7, 1953 	0–3 	Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	23–28–12
64 	L 	March 8, 1953 	1–3 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1952–53) 	23–29–12
65 	L 	March 14, 1953 	1–3 	Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	23–30–12
66 	T 	March 15, 1953 	1–1 	@ New York Rangers (1952–53) 	23–30–13
67 	W 	March 18, 1953 	4–3 	Chicago Black Hawks (1952–53) 	24–30–13
68 	W 	March 19, 1953 	4–1 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1952–53) 	25–30–13
69 	W 	March 21, 1953 	5–0 	New York Rangers (1952–53) 	26–30–13
70 	W 	March 22, 1953 	3–1 	@ Boston Bruins (1952–53) 	27–30–13
Note: The November 1st game was the first ever English broadcast on television in Canada.
==Playoffs==
The Maple Leafs did not qualify for the post season.
==Player Stats==
===Regular Season===
;Scoring
Player 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
Sid Smith 	70	20	19	39 	6
Ted Kennedy 	43	14	23	37 	42
Gord Hannigan 	65	17	18	35 	51
Ron Stewart 	70	13	22	35 	29
Bob Hassard 	70	8 	23	31 	14
Tod Sloan 	70	15	10	25 	76
George Armstrong	52	14	11	25 	54
Harry Watson 	63	16	8 	24 	8
Max Bentley 	36	12	11	23 	16
Jimmy Thomson 	69	0 	22	22 	73
Eric Nesterenko 	35	10	6 	16 	27
Tim Horton 	70	2 	14	16 	85
Leo Boivin 	70	2 	13	15 	97
Rudy Migay 	40	5 	4 	9 	22
Jim Morrison 	56	1 	8 	9 	36
Fern Flaman 	66	2 	6 	8 	110
Phil Maloney 	29	2 	6 	8 	2
Howie Meeker 	25	1 	7 	8 	26
Danny Lewicki 	4 	1 	3 	4 	2
Bob Solinger 	18	1 	1 	2 	2
Parker MacDonald	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
Willie Marshall 	2 	0 	0 	0 	0
Wally Maxwell 	2 	0 	0 	0 	0
Dave Reid 	2 	0 	0 	0 	0
Frank Sullivan 	5 	0 	0 	0 	2
Hugh Bolton 	9 	0 	0 	0 	10
Ray Timgren 	12	0 	0 	0 	4
Harry Lumley 	70	0 	0 	0 	18
;Goaltending
Player 	MIN 	GP	W 	L 	T 	GA 	GAA 	SA	SV	SV%	SO
Harry Lumley	4200	70	27	30	13	167	2.39	 	 	 	10
Team: 	4200	70	27	30	13	167	2.39	 	 	 	10
==Farm Teams==
===Junior===
*Kirkland Lake
*Ottawa St Patricks
*Saskatoon Wesleys
*St. Michaels College Majors
*Toronto Marlboros
*Winnipeg Monarchs
==Awards and Records==
*Calder Memorial Trophy: Gord Hannigan, Runner-up
==Transactions==
==Gallery==
52-53NHLTorontoGameAd.jpg|Opening Game
52-53NHLTorPlayersClocks.jpg|Clocks keep track of playing time at Maple Leaf Gardens.
==Video==
Highlights of the December 21, 1952 game between the Bruins and the Habs. This was the third game of a tryout for Jean Beliveau (who wears #12) and he scores twice in Montreal's 4-3 win. A first period fight between Jack McIntyre and Bernie Geoffrion (in response to McIntyre breaking Billy Reay's cheek), a dust-up between Milt Schmidt and Maurice Richard as well as goals by Dave Creighton and Beliveau are shown. The end has highlights of the December 7, 1952 Toronto Maple Leafs versus Chicago Blackhawks game including a goal by George Armstrong.
NHL 52-53 First Beliveau's game for Habs
==See Also==
*1952–53 NHL season
==References==
* 
Toronto Maple Leafs season, 1952–53
Toronto Maple Leafs season, 1952–53
category:Toronto Maple Leafs seasons