NHL: The best captain in each team’s history (Updated 2023)

Best NHL captain from each franchise: Toronto Maple Leafs – George Armstrong

21 seasons. Yes, it’s true, that is how many seasons right winger George Armstrong spent with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was a popular name for the organization in the 50s and dominated in the 60s. He went to the NHL All-Star Game seven times and once he became captain in 1957, the rest is that of legend.

Armstrong helped put the Maple Leafs on the map as he won four Stanley Cup championships in the 60s and let his work ethics speak for itself. He was all about being the first person at practice and the last one leaving to always be overprepared for games. It was one of the biggest attributes that even decades later, everyone speaks so highly of since he was a captain that preached this to his teammates and lived it through his actions.

Not only was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame but also into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. He owns many franchise records with the Maple Leafs from most games played, most career assists, and most points of his positional group.

Armstrong took much pride in being correlated to the Maple Leafs as he would enjoy many years in various coaching roles as a coach in their farm system but preferred being a team scout. He wanted to ensure that the Maple Leafs had a continuous stream of new, young talent to bring them back into the postseason spotlight.