Two Former Captains To Have Banners Raised

Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour To Be Honoured in Separate Ceremonies

The Toronto Maple Leafs will celebrate the achievements of two of their all-time greats in special ceremonies during the 2008-09 NHL season. Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour, perhaps the two most beloved Toronto Maple Leafs over the course of the past 25 years, will have banners raised to honour their extraordinary contributions to the Original Six franchise. Clark will be saluted in pregame ceremonies prior to the Maple Leafs’ November 22 game against the Chicago Blackhawks, and Gilmour will be recognized January 31 when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit Air Canada Centre.

The respective #17 and #93 banners for Clark and Gilmour will join those of Syl Apps, Ted Kennedy, Walter ‘Turk’ Broda, Johnny Bower, Tim Horton, George Armstrong, Charlie Conacher, Frank Mahovlich, Darryl Sittler, Clarence ‘Hap’ Day, Leonard ‘Red’ Kelly and Borje Salming. The Maple Leafs historically only retire numbers of distinguished players that have died or had their career shortened due to tragic or catastrophic circumstances while being a member of the team. Irvine (Ace) Bailey (#6) and Bill Barilko (# 5) are the two represented in this category, and both have banners in their name at Air Canada Centre.

Beginning in the 1993-94 campaign, the hockey club began a practice in which former Maple Leaf greats were honoured. A special banner, portraying the player’s image and sweater number, is displayed permanently high above centre ice at the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs. With this custom, the former player’s honoured number stays in circulation and is deemed an “Honoured Number”.

Selected first overall by Toronto in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, Wendel Clark is the club’s all-time leader in playoff goals with 34. The former left-winger recorded 260 goals, 181 assists, 441 points, and 1,535 penalty minutes during three stints and 608 games in a Leafs uniform. He was selected to the club’s ‘Top Twenty-Five Players List’ during the team’s 75th Anniversary Season in 2001-02. The native of Kelvington, Saskatchewan earned NHL All Rookie Honours in 1986, and he played in two NHL All-Star Games (1986 and 1999). During the Leafs stirring playoff runs to the 1993 and 1994 conference finals, Clark’s accomplishments included a road hat-trick in Game Six (1993) versus Los Angeles followed by two goals in Game Seven, two goals in Game Seven (1993) versus the Blues in the conference semi-finals, and two goals in both ‘elimination games’ (Game Six and Seven) of the 1994 conference semi-final against the Sharks. The 14th captain in franchise history from 1991 to 1994 announced his retirement as a player June 29, 2000.

Doug Gilmour joined the Blue and White from the Flames as the central figure in the largest swap of players in the history of the league on January 2, 1992. He became a two-way force and a Hart Trophy (most valuable player) candidate while capturing the Frank J. Selke Trophy (top defensive forward) for the resurgent Maple Leafs in 1992-93. His outstanding achievements with Toronto include; establishing the team’s career playoff points (77) and assists (60) records in just 52 games, setting the team’s single season records for points (127) and assists (95) in 1992-93 and collecting a club record six assists in one regular season game. The native of Kingston, Ontario succeeded Clark as team captain for three years starting in 1994 and he played in 392 games for Toronto and earned 452 points (131 goals and 321 assists) from 1992 to 1997. He represented the Leafs in the 1993 and 1994 NHL All-Star Games, and his performance earned him a spot also on the team’s ‘Top Twenty-Five Players List’ seven years ago. He announced his retirement September 8, 2003, six months after rejoining the Leafs at the NHL trade deadline.

Source: Maple Leafs Official Website