Wendel Clark, Frank Mahovlich, Red Kelly and Charlie Conacher will be the next Maple Leafs greats to get statues on Legends Row outside the Air Canada Centre.
The four will join Ted Kennedy, Darryl Sittler, Johnny Bower, Borje Salming, George Armstrong, Syl Apps, Mats Sundin, Dave Keon, Turk Broda and Tim Horton on Legends Row, bringing the total number of statues to 14.
All had their numbers retired at a season-opening ceremony, and were named in the Leafs’ top 100 players of all time: Mahovlich was ninth, Conacher 11th, Kelly 14th and Clark 15th.
Clark joined the Maple Leafs after being drafted first overall in the NHL draft in 1985, the first time in club history the team held the top pick in the draft. He played 13 of tis 15 seasons with the Leafs, and was the team’s 19th captain.
“To be recognized on Legends Row like this, alongside such important players for one of the greatest franchises in the game, will go down as one of the greatest honours of my life and career,” Clark said.
Kelly and Mahovlich were teammates on the Leafs’ last four Stanley Cup championship teams through the 1960s. Kelly was Mahovlich’s centreman when Mahovlich scored 48 goals, a Leaf record until Rick Vaive became the Leafs first 50-goal scorer.
On the 1932 Stanley Cup champions, Conacher was known as The Big Bomber. He was a prolific goal scorer who would go on to lead the NHL in scoring five times. He also served as captain, the second in the team’s history after Hap Day.
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