TLN’s All-Time Greatest Maple Leafs Team: Tim Horton

Tim Horton is easily one of the most recognizable names in Maple Leafs history. It helps of course that his name is plastered on giant signs at 4,500+ coffee shops worldwide, but still pretty impressive nonetheless.

Just a heads up… There’s going to be a few coffee jokes in here. Deal with it.

Horton was born in Cochrane, Ontario in 1930, playing hockey in his hometown and in nearby Timmins. In his late teens, he was discovered and signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Horton would move to the big city and continue his development at St. Michael’s College with the OHA Majors. Graduating to professional hockey in 1949, Horton spent three seasons in the American Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Hornets before breaking in with the Leafs full-time in 1952. Horton would remain with the organization until 1970.

Horton was one the game’s best stay-at-home defencemen, back when such players were actually useful. Standing just 5’10 and weight only 180lbs, Horton was known for his toughness and for hitting like a truck full of coffee cans (filled). And while such style of play doesn’t usually lend itself to big point totals, Horton still ranks 14th all-time in scoring amongst Leafs players – and third amongst all Leafs blueliners – with 518 points.

More impressive than his points totals though (and a big reason why he scored as much as he did), is that Horton appeared in an incredible 1,184 games for Toronto. That’s just four games short of George Armstrong for most games played in a Leafs jersey. Some might disagree, but in my opinion the longevity of a player, and for how long he suited up for his organization, plays a pretty significant factor in making an All-Time team. 

Horton won the Stanley Cup four times with Toronto, in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967. There really isn’t much more to be said about that.

Also, speaking of Horton being crazy tough…