The St. John's Maple Leafs were a minor ice hockey team in the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
. They played in
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.
The city spans and is the easternmost city in North Ameri ...
, Canada, at
Memorial Stadium from 1991 to 2001, and at
Mile One Stadium
Mary Brown's Centre (formerly Mile One Centre) is an indoor arena and entertainment venue located in downtown St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The arena opened in May 2001, replacing Memorial Stadium. At full capacity the arena can ...
from 2001 to 2005. The team was also colloquially known as the "Baby Leafs" after their parent NHL team, the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Divi ...
.
While the AHL had a strong presence in Atlantic Canada in the 1980s and 1990s, largely due to the desire of several
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
Canadian franchises to continue to pay players sent down to the minors in Canadian dollars, by 2004, St. John's was the last remaining team in the region prior to its relocation to Ontario.
History
The Leafs' AHL franchise was established in
Moncton
Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the Maritime Provinces. The city has earned the nickname "Hub City" because o ...
,
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic Canad ...
, in 1978 as the
New Brunswick Hawks
The New Brunswick Hawks were a professional ice hockey team based in Moncton, New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. ...
, where they played until 1982. The franchise had stops in
St. Catharines, Ontario, as the
St. Catharines Saints (1982–1986) and
Newmarket, Ontario
Newmarket ( 2021 population: 87,942) is a town and regional seat of the Regional Municipality of York in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is part of Greater Toronto in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The name stems from ...
, as the
Newmarket Saints
The Newmarket Saints were a minor league hockey team in Newmarket, Ontario. It played in the American Hockey League from 1986 to 1991 as the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Ray Twinney Complex.
After the 1985–86 season, the Toronto ...
(1986–1991). The St. John's Maple Leafs were established in 1991 when the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Divi ...
moved its AHL farm team to St. John's, becoming the first professional ice hockey team in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The team initially played their home games at
Memorial Stadium. The St. John's Maple Leafs played their inaugural game on May 8, 1991, in front of a sold-out crowd, where they defeated the
Fredericton Canadiens
The Fredericton Canadiens, or the 'Baby Habs' were a professional ice hockey team in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The Canadiens played their home games at the Aitken Centre. They were a member of the American Hockey League from 1990 to 1999, and w ...
5–3. The team made it to the
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars.
The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its cur ...
finals in their inaugural season, losing a seven game series to the
Adirondack Red Wings
The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, United States at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the Nati ...
four-games-to-three. The Leafs were crowned division champions for the 1992–93 and 1996–97 seasons, and won the regular season title during the 1993–94 AHL season.
In 1993, municipal workers for the City of St. John's voted to strike including the city staff operating the St. John's Memorial Stadium. Prior a game in February, the Maple Leafs team arrived at the stadium on a bus, where they were met by a picket line of strikers who then surrounded the bus and began rocking it with the team and personnel on board. Local police were able to intervene, allowing the bus and Maple Leafs to escape unharmed. Following the incident, the Leafs took an extended road trip and the Toronto Maple Leafs threatened to pull the team out of the province. They remained at Memorial Stadium for ten seasons until moving to the newly built
Mile One Centre
Mary Brown's Centre (formerly Mile One Centre) is an indoor arena and entertainment venue located in downtown St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The arena opened in May 2001, replacing Memorial Stadium. At full capacity the arena ca ...
in downtown St. John's in 2001.

The Maple Leafs were a successful team throughout their time in St. John's and made multiple appearances in the AHL
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars.
The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its cur ...
playoffs (missing the playoffs in 2000, 2003, and 2004). On April 29, 2005, the Maple Leafs played their final game, losing 4–0 to the
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and a member of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre, the home arena of its parent club, Winnipeg Jets o ...
in game five of the division semifinal round of the
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...
at the
MTS Centre
Canada Life Centre (formerly MTS Centre and Bell MTS Place) is an indoor arena in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. The arena is the home of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
T ...
in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
, Manitoba. The Leafs' final home game was a 6–1 victory in game two of the semifinals.
Their 2005 playoff loss marked the end of 34 consecutive seasons of the AHL's presence in Atlantic Canada, which began in 1971 with the
Nova Scotia Voyageurs
The Nova Scotia Voyageurs were a professional ice hockey team, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. They played in the American Hockey League, from 1971 to 1984. Originally chartered as the Houston Apollos of the Central Hockey League, the org ...
in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. By 2005, the nearest opponent of the St. John's Maple Leafs were the
Portland Pirates
The Portland Pirates were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). Their home arena was the Cross Insurance Arena in downtown Portland, Maine. The franchise was previously known as the Baltimore Skipjacks fr ...
at a distance of . In an effort to reduce travel costs, the parent club, ultimately decided to relocate the team to Toronto for the 2005–06 season, where it became known as the
Toronto Marlies
The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The Marlies is owned by Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, a ...
.
Equipment manager
Shannon (Shaq) Coady was the original stick boy for the St. John's Maple Leafs, after winning a local contest at the age of 14. Coady became the team's equipment manager, and he remained in that role until the team's relocation to Toronto. Coady went on to work for the
St. John's Fog Devils of the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The l ...
, and the American Hockey League's
St. John's IceCaps
The St. John's IceCaps were a professional ice hockey team based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. They were members of the North Division of the Eastern Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team was originally aff ...
. Coady was a well-known figure in NL, due to his work with the province's professional sports teams. Coady died on March 24, 2021, prompting tributes from NHL players and personnel, who had worked with Coady.
Mascot

The St. John's Maple Leafs' team mascot was a puffin named "Buddy." Buddy wore a Maple Leafs home jersey with the number 92 to commemorate the year he was introduced. The puffin design was selected from a fan contest to create a mascot for the Leafs' second season. Buddy remained the mascot until the team's departure in 2005. Buddy was reintroduced as the mascot for the
St. John's IceCaps
The St. John's IceCaps were a professional ice hockey team based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. They were members of the North Division of the Eastern Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team was originally aff ...
wearing an IceCaps home jersey with his familiar number of 92. Buddy also served as the mascot for the
Newfoundland Growlers
The Newfoundland Growlers are a professional minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The team began play in the 2018–19 ECHL season and have home games at Mary Brown's Centre. They are members ...
of the
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
Th ...
. Chris Abbott, the man in the costume, died in St. John's on February 1, 2022.
Media
St. John's Maple Leafs games were broadcast by
VOCM news radio, (and by
CJYQ
CJYQ is an AM radio station broadcasting at 930 kHz in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Owned by Stingray Group and airing a country format, the station is currently branded as ''New Country 930''.
History
The station was launched ...
in later seasons) and on local television by
Cable Atlantic
Cable Atlantic was a cable television provider serving much of the population of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The company's primary owner throughout its history was Danny Williams, although ownership was shared with other in ...
, which was acquired by
Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications Inc. is a Telecommunications in Canada, Canadian communications and media company operating primarily in the fields of mobile phone operator, wireless communications, cable television, telephony and Internet access, Intern ...
in 2001. Brian Rogers was the long-time voice of the St. John's Maple Leafs, after taking over the role from George MacClaren
in 1994.
Affiliates
*
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Divi ...
(NHL, 1991–2005)
*
Greensboro Generals
The Greensboro Generals were an East Coast Hockey League team based in Greensboro, North Carolina, and played at the Greensboro Coliseum from 1999 to 2004. The name was originally used by the Greensboro Generals in the Eastern Hockey League.
...
(
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
Th ...
, 2002–03 season)
*
Pensacola Ice Pilots
The Pensacola Ice Pilots were a professional ice hockey team located in Pensacola, Florida. The team was previously affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders (2006–07), and the Chicago Blackhawks. They h ...
(
ECHL
The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).
Th ...
, 2004–05 season)
Coaches

*
Marc Crawford
Marc Joseph John Crawford (born February 13, 1961) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He most recently was the assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Crawford won the Stanley C ...
(1991–1994)
*
Tom Watt Thomas Watt may refer to:
*Thomas Watt (politician), South African politician
*Tom Watt (ice hockey), Canadian ice hockey scout and coach
*Tom Watt (actor), English actor, writer and broadcaster
* Tommy Watt, Scottish jazz bandleader
*Thomas Watt, p ...
(1994–1995)
*
Mike Foligno (1995–1996)
*
Mark Hunter (1996–1997)
*
Al MacAdam
Reginald Alan MacAdam (born March 16, 1952) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1973 and 1985, and was twice selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game. He is best kn ...
(1997–2000)
*
Lou Crawford (2000–2003)
*
Doug Shedden (2003–2005)
Notable alumni
*
Kevyn Adams
Kevyn William Adams (born October 8, 1974) is an American former professional ice hockey center and current general manager of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. During his career, Adams played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus ...
*
Jean-Sebastien Aubin
*
Patrik Augusta
*
Don Beaupre
Donald William Beaupre (born September 19, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 17 seasons with the Minnesota North Stars, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, and Toro ...
*
Lonny Bohonos
*
Sebastien Centomo
*
Rich Chernomaz
Richard Chernomaz (born September 1, 1963) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and executive as well as former ice hockey right winger. He was most recently the head coach of the VIU Mariners Hockey team in the BCIHL.
He played 51 National Hockey Lea ...
*
Marcel Cousineau
*
Marc Crawford
Marc Joseph John Crawford (born February 13, 1961) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He most recently was the assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Crawford won the Stanley C ...
*
Nathan Dempsey
*
Kelly Fairchild
*
Brad Leeb
Bradley Leeb (born August 27, 1979) is a retired Cree First Nations Canadian ice hockey player. He played 5 games in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs, and spent the bulk of his professional career in the minor American Hock ...
*
David Ling
David Gregory Ling (born January 9, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. Ling was selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the 7th round (179th overall) of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing career Junior
Ling played with th ...
*
Donald MacLean
*
Ken McRae
Kenneth Duncan McRae (born April 23, 1968) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. McRae is the former head coach of the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. McRae is also a former right wing who played 137 game ...
*
Mike Minard
Michael Edward Roger Minard (born November 1, 1976) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in one National Hockey League game for the Edmonton Oilers during the 1999–00 season.
Playing career
Minard played with the ...
*
Yanic Perreault
Yanic Jacques Perreault (born April 4, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played thirteen seasons in the National Hockey League.
Playing career
As a youth, he played in the 1983 and 1984 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hoc ...
*
Felix Potvin
Felix may refer to:
* Felix (name), people and fictional characters with the name
Places
* Arabia Felix is the ancient Latin name of Yemen
* Felix, Spain, a municipality of the province Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, ...
*
Joel Quenneville
Joel Norman Quenneville (born September 15, 1958) is a Canadian– American ice hockey coach and former player in the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Coach Q", he is second in NHL coaching wins at 969 behind Scotty Bowman. Quenneville a ...
*
Chris Snell
*
Shawn Thornton
*
Jimmy Waite
James Dean Waite (born April 15, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former goaltender. He currently serves as the goaltending coach for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Playing career
Waite was born in Sherbrooke, Quebec. As a youth, he ...
*
Kyle Wellwood
*
Brian Wiseman
*
Bob Wren
Season-by-season results
Regular season
Playoffs
Team Records
Single Season
:Goals: 53 -
Patrik Augusta (1993–94)
:Assists: 74 -
Chris Snell (1993–94)
:Points: 110 -
Rich Chernomaz
Richard Chernomaz (born September 1, 1963) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and executive as well as former ice hockey right winger. He was most recently the head coach of the VIU Mariners Hockey team in the BCIHL.
He played 51 National Hockey Lea ...
(1993–94)
:Penalty minutes: 354 -
Shawn Thornton (1998–99)
:GAA (min 25 games): 2.42 -
Mike Minard
Michael Edward Roger Minard (born November 1, 1976) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in one National Hockey League game for the Edmonton Oilers during the 1999–00 season.
Playing career
Minard played with the ...
(2000–01)
:SV% (min 25 games): .926 -
Sebastien Centomo (2001–02)
:Shutouts: 6 -
Jimmy Waite
James Dean Waite (born April 15, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former goaltender. He currently serves as the goaltending coach for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Playing career
Waite was born in Sherbrooke, Quebec. As a youth, he ...
(1999–2000)
Career
:Games: 508 -
Nathan Dempsey
:Goals: 132 -
Yanic Perreault
Yanic Jacques Perreault (born April 4, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played thirteen seasons in the National Hockey League.
Playing career
As a youth, he played in the 1983 and 1984 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hoc ...
:Assists: 196 - Nathan Dempsey
:Points: 276 - Yanic Perreault
:Penalty minutes: 1215 - Shawn Thornton
:Goaltending wins: 80 -
Marcel Cousineau
:Shutouts: 7 - Jimmy Waite
References
See also
*
List of ice hockey teams in Newfoundland and Labrador
The following is a list of ice hockey teams in Newfoundland and Labrador, past and present. It includes the league(s) they play for, and championships won.
Minor professional
American Hockey League
ECHL
Junior
Quebec Major Junior Hockey Leag ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint John's Maple Leafs
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Toronto Maple Leafs minor league affiliates
Ice hockey clubs established in 1991
Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2005
1991 establishments in Newfoundland and Labrador
2005 disestablishments in Newfoundland and Labrador