Gary Leeman

Gary Spencer Leeman (born February 19, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player in the NHL. He is best known for being the second Toronto Maple Leaf player ever to score 50 goals or more in a single NHL season (Rick Vaive being the first in 1981-82).

Gary Leeman
Born (1964-02-19) February 19, 1964
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Right
Played for Toronto Maple Leafs
Calgary Flames
Montreal Canadiens
Vancouver Canucks
St. Louis Blues
NHL Draft 24th overall, 1982
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career 19831999

Playing career

As a youth, Leeman played in the 1977 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Wexford, Toronto.[1]

Leeman played for the Notre Dame Hounds Junior A team in Wilcox, Saskatchewan and was a standout defenceman for two seasons with the WHL's Regina Pats, where he was voted the league's Top Defenceman and a First Team All-Star.

Leeman was drafted 24th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft as a defenceman, and returned to junior for a season, where he scored 86 points in 63 games.

He also represented Canada at the World Junior Championships twice, in Leningrad and in Sweden.

Leeman converted to a winger in the NHL.[2] He was best known as a speedy, gritty scoring machine and had a 50-goal season to his credit for the Maple Leafs. He formed the "Hound Line" along with Wendel Clark and Russ Courtnall while helping the Leafs come within a game of the semi-finals. Starting in 1986–87, Leeman was a top goal scorer with Toronto and had four straight 20 goal seasons.

After nearly nine seasons in Toronto, Leeman needed a change of scenery and was the key player sent to the Calgary Flames in the January 2, 1992 blockbuster trade that brought Doug Gilmour to Toronto. To date, the ten-player deal is the largest in NHL history and, looking back, is seen as lopsided in favour of Toronto.[3][4]

As well as the Leafs and Flames, Leeman also played for the Montreal Canadiens (was traded on January 28, 1993 from the Flames to the Canadiens in exchange for Brian Skrudland), Vancouver Canucks and the St. Louis Blues. He won a Stanley Cup in Montreal in 1993. He played 667 regular season games in the NHL, scoring 199 goals and 267 assists for 466 points.

Leeman finished his career in Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga for the Hannover Scorpions. He retired in 1999.

Awards and achievements

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1981–82Regina PatsWHL7219416011232240
1982–83Regina PatsWHL632462868851564
1982–83Toronto Maple LeafsNHL20000
1983–84Toronto Maple LeafsNHL52481231
1984–85St. Catharines SaintsAHL722411
1984–85Toronto Maple LeafsNHL535263172
1985–86St. Catharines SaintsAHL251513286
1985–86Toronto Maple LeafsNHL53923322010210122
1986–87Toronto Maple LeafsNHL8021315266501114
1987–88Toronto Maple LeafsNHL803031616222022
1988–89Toronto Maple LeafsNHL6132437566
1989–90Toronto Maple LeafsNHL8051449563533616
1990–91Toronto Maple LeafsNHL5217122939
1991–92Toronto Maple LeafsNHL347132044
1991–92Calgary FlamesNHL2927927
1992–93Calgary FlamesNHL30951410
1992–93Montreal CanadiensNHL206121814111232
1993–94Fredericton CanadiensAHL231882616
1993–94Montreal CanadiensNHL31411151710000
1994–95Vancouver CanucksNHL102020
1995–96HC GherdëinaITA207121959724612
1996–97Utah GrizzliesIHL156172040334
1996–97Worcester IceCatsAHL24971621
1996–97St. Louis BluesNHL20110
1997–98Hannover ScorpionsDEL3611344512934714
1998–99EHC Biel-BienneCHE II8741110
1998–99HC SierreCHE II12130
1998–99Hannover ScorpionsDEL1023531420212
NHL totals 667 199 267 466 531 36 8 16 24 36

International

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
1983 Canada WJC 7 1 2 3 2
1984 Canada WJC 7 3 8 11 10
Junior totals 14 4 10 14 12

References

  1. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved 2019-01-13.
  2. "Flames, Toronto swap 10 players". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. January 3, 1992. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  3. Wilson, Kent (February 8, 2011). "WORST TRADES IN FLAMES HISTORY". Retrieved 12 August 2013.
  4. Selley, Chris (April 4, 2008). "On second thought..." Maclean's. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
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