The Toronto Maple Leafs have established themselves as one of hockey’s most storied franchises. With an illustrious past that includes 13 Stanley Cup championships, the Leafs’ legacy is built on a century of passion, determination, and unforgettable moments. The history of the Toronto Maple Leafs stretches back over a century. Founded in 1917, they were known as the Arenas, then the St. Patricks, before settling on the Maple Leafs in 1927.
They were the first NHL team to win a Stanley Cup, beating the Vancouver Millionaires (of the PCHA) in the best-of-five inter-league finals of 1918. Many more Stanley Cups would follow.
Like most original six teams, the basics of the Toronto Maple Leafs and their jerseys have stayed the same over most of their history- a blue and white color palette and a Leaf crest. However, they have tried many different patterns, designs and even occasionally added a new color to the mix.
If you’re a fan, why not get some Toronto Maple Leafs retro jerseys for your collection? There are dozens of Toronto Maple Leafs jerseys that are vintage for you to select from. These personalized Maple Leafs NHL jerseys make excellent gifts for the hockey lover in your life.
Early Years and Name Changes
Toronto St. 1919-20, 1921-22New owners who rescue the team from bankruptcy rename the team the St. Patricks in honor of Toronto's growing Irish population.
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1927Conn Smythe purchases the team in the middle of the 1926-27 season and renames it the Maple Leafs.
Ranking my top 5 nhl jerseys: toronto maple leafs. FELIX … potvin. lol
Evolution of the Jersey Design
1927-30The team's colors change to blue and white, and a white jersey is added for games against teams who also wear blue jerseys. You may be asking yourselves if the team uses Canada's national symbol as its crest why it chose blue as its color instead of red.
1967-70The uniforms are redesigned in time for the Maple Leafs' 1967 Stanley Cup run.
1992-97The Maple Leafs change the stripes on the jersey to reflect those from previous eras.
2000-07The number fonts change to a block font with a silver outline, but the nameplate font remains the same from the previous three seasons. Also, a new "TML" shoulder patch makes its debut.
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2010-11The home and away uniforms undergo a slight redesign.
Leave it to the Reebok Edge release to bastardize the classic Maple Leafs look. It was the only version in their history that did not feature any stripping on the torso or tail. It’s still just the classic blue and white, but a minimalist approach to a jersey that was never overly flashy to begin with. Ditto for the home version of the Edge release.
These jerseys were the debut of the modern Maple Leafs crest, but the sleeve-to-shoulder yoke definitely has a vibe from the 1970s.
Special Edition and Throwback Jerseys
Our Toronto Maple Leafs throwback hockey jerseys honor the team’s iconic past and celebrate the greats who wore the blue and white. Whether you’ve been a diehard fan for decades or are just starting to follow the Leafs, Custom Throwback Jerseys offers vintage Toronto Maple Leafs jerseys that connect you to the team’s historic legacy. At Custom Throwback Jerseys, we offer more than just apparel-we offer a way to celebrate your passion for the Leafs.
2002 Heritage Uniform: In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the team changing its name to the Maple Leafs from the St. Patricks, the Leafs wore replicas of their last St. Pats uniform on March 2, 2002.
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2014 Winter Classic: The Maple Leafs wore replicas of their original blue uniform as they took on the Red Wings at Michigan Stadium, a.k.a. The Big House.
2017 Centennial Classic: The Maple Leafs wore special uniforms as they helped kick off the NHL's 100th year on January 1, 2017.
2017 Next Century Game: The Maple Leafs wore replicas of their 1918-19 Toronto Arenas uniforms as they marked the start of their second century in the NHL. They annihilated the Carolina Hurricanes, 8-1, at what was then known as the Air Canada Center.
2018 Stadium Series: The Maple Leafs wore white from head to toe as they took on the Capitals at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.
2019-23 Heritage Uniform: The Maple Leafs started celebrating St. Patrick's Day in the 2018-19 season by wearing replicas of their 1922-25 St.
Number 14: St. In 2019, the Leafs started to pay homage to the Toronto St. Patricks, the previously named incarnation of the franchise before a sale in 1927, on, well, St. Patrick’s day. The white body is much easier on the eye than the all green jerseys.
2021 Reverse Retro: It's rather difficult to reverse colors when there's only one (besides white) to work with.
2021-25: Canadian pop star and die-hard Maple Leafs fan Justin Bieber designed the Maple Leafs' "Next Gen" alternate uniform, in conjunction with his apparel company Drew House.
2022 Heritage Classic: The Maple Leafs turned it all the way back to their first-ever NHL jersey, those of the 1917-18 Arenas, for the 2022 Heritage Classic in Hamilton; which they lost to the Sabres, 5-2.
The Leafs broke out versions of their original jerseys from 1917 for their Heritage Classic appearance in 2022. There’s not exactly much to write home about, but the darker shade of blue is a nice change of pace. It’s one of those simple but very effective jerseys.
2024-pres. St. Pats: The Maple Leafs offer a new take on an old classic with a new green St.
Notable Jersey Designs
Number 15: St. That’s an aggressive amount of an aggressive shade of green. They may have been an homage to a pervious version of the Maple Leafs franchise, but that doesn’t always equate to a good jersey.
The Leafs have worn versions of this jersey three separate time throughout their history, originally as the road jerseys in the 60s, then returning as alternates in the early and late aughts.
This is the particular version of Leafs jersey that I grew up with, so it holds a special place amongst the sea of blue and white. The silver outlines on the numbers with that wacky font of the nameplates and the stylized deep V of the collar make the jersey stand out even if the striping is rather vanilla. Same goes for the blue versions. They would return to a similar style (minus the white cuffs) during their Reebok Edge 2.0 update.
With the exception of the St. Pats heritage jerseys, this was the first time the Maple Leafs wore a different colored jersey other than blue or white. They’re also reversible with yellow trim on the inside for some reason. It’s a cool concept and anything to change up the pace is a positive.
There’s not much difference between the modern day Leafs jerseys and the typical home and away kits of the past, but the vintage crest and the tightness of the Adidas construction made for a great look.
The Leafs white jerseys are among the cleanest in the league today. While the thick striping across the torso and sleeves is a gimmick that has been done to death in recent years across the NHL, it looks magnificent with the Maple Leaf blue and white and served as a perfectly fine one-off jersey.
The striping pattern isn’t exactly unique or innovative, but the whiteout look (including the pants, socks and helmets) is a fresh, underutilized design in the modern NHL.
The Leafs used a reimagined version of their original jerseys from the 1920s for their first Winter Classic appearance. Much like their Red Wing counterparts, the kits were absolutely spectacular.
Maple Leafs fans are notoriously loyal, and Scotiabank Arena (the former Air Canada Centre) routinely sells out. Devoted fans like these deserve high-quality gear and apparel to show their appreciation for their beloved team.
Evolution of Toronto Maple Leafs Jersey Designs
| Year(s) | Description |
|---|---|
| 1917-1927 | Known as the Arenas and then the St. Patricks before becoming the Maple Leafs. |
| 1927-1930 | Team colors changed to blue and white; white jersey added for games against teams wearing blue. |
| 1967-1970 | Uniforms redesigned for the Maple Leafs' 1967 Stanley Cup run. |
| 1992-1997 | Stripes on the jersey changed to reflect those from previous eras. |
| 2000-2007 | Number fonts changed to a block font with a silver outline; new "TML" shoulder patch debuted. |
| 2010-2011 | Home and away uniforms underwent a slight redesign. |
| 2021-2025 | Justin Bieber designed the "Next Gen" alternate uniform. |