Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares is one of the notable names who hail from the highest NHL player-producing area.
According to a study published by NumberBarn, the Toronto Metro region has produced the most NHLers of all time. The data ranks these regions based on telephone area codes, with the 416 code yielding 502 players all-time.
But when factoring in other Ontario-based area codes like 905 and even 519, the number grows. The 519 area code, which covers Ontario cities like London, Kitchener, and Windsor, yields the second-most all-time players with 359.
The 905 code, which includes cities like Mississauga, Brampton, and Hamilton, has produced 309 NHLers. However, the 905 code leads the way among active NHLers with 52. Among those 52, Maple Leafs star John Tavares, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, and Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos lead the way.
Of course, the Toronto area is not the only area producing a high number of NHLers. The second-highest NHL player-producing region (to Maple Leafs fans’ chagrin) is Saskatchewan. All-time, the Prairie Province has produced 359 players, including Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe.
It’s interesting to note that no American area codes cracked the top of the all-time list. The only American area to make the current list of NHLers is the 952 code belonging to the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. Current NHLers, including New York Islanders captain Anders Lee and Vancouver Canucks star Brock Boeser, hail from that region.
Current Maple Leafs Players Hailing from Toronto
The Toronto Maple Leafs have several current players hailing from the Toronto region. Firstly, Tavares is from Mississauga, an area to the west of the main Toronto area and considered part of the broader Toronto metro region.
Another Toronto-area player on the Maple Leafs’ current roster is Chris Tanev. His bio lists him as hailing from Toronto, and likely from the 416 area code.
Beyond Tanev, other Ontario-based Maple Leafs include center Scott Laughton from Oakville, forward Steven Lorentz from Kitchener, and rookie Easton Cowan from Mount Brydges.
Tavares and Lorentz have been open about the Maple Leafs being their favorite childhood teams. In fact, Tavares’ escape from Long Island in 2018 was a highly public “homecoming”.
Interestingly, Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is American, originally born in California but raised in Arizona.
Montreal Tops Toronto in Crucial Category
Toronto’s biggest NHL rival, Montreal, tops the NumberBarn’s study in one crucial category: Goalie wins.
Montreal-based goalies top the list with 4,575 wins to Toronto-based netminders with 3,576. It’s no surprise to see Montreal-area goalies top the list. Legends like Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur lead the way.
While the Maple Leafs have had some great goalies in team history, not all of them have hailed from Toronto. For instance, Terry Sawchuk is among the Maple Leafs’ all-time greats, though he was from Winnipeg.
Another former Maple Leafs great, Curtis Joseph, isn’t technically from Toronto. Joseph hails from Richmond Hill, the same city that produced Connor McDavid. That’s why NHL rumors purport that McDavid joining the Maple Leafs would be a “homecoming”, as well.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Maple Leafs’ former captain hails from NHL player hotbed appeared first on Heavy Sports.