This clip could actually still apply to today's Leafs as well. ( Granted, the team on the ice now is much better than that dreadful '85 team, although they've accomplished about the same as those awful teams from the 80's just the same Lol )
The January 5, 1985 national Hockey Night in Canada telecast of the Canucks' 4-1 win at Maple Leaf Gardens is the worst game I've ever seen, if not the worst ever played. I wish someone would dig it out of the vaults and post it; Dave Hodge's closing "Thanks for watching" was a classic commentary on the game.
Hodge left after he subtly complained on the air about the CBC refusing to show the end of a hockey game between the Flyers and Canadiens (except for viewers in Quebec) and flipping his pen at the end.
@@Tubewings Unreal that CBC would do that and fire him for reacting...well the way we all did. I understand maybe he should've kept his emotions in check but that decision just showed CBC did not have its finget on the pulse of the nation
But it's not like the Cup ever left Toronto. All you have to do is walk up to the HHOF ticket office & buy a ticket. Get in and boom! You have the cup & the original cup itself. So what incentive do the Leafs have? 0
Same here; I mean, they could go on a run.....but I'm not doing jumping jacks expecting it to happen now either. ( I got Tampa winning that series anyway. I'll trust those guys to win in the playoffs any day )
@@ckendall67 I’m also picking Tampa to win in 7. They’ve got the better goalie and often that’s all it takes. Look at last year. Campbell wasn’t bad against Montreal, but Price was the difference.
@@Devil6CR Yup. Watched them last night at a local bar. Two deserved elbowing penalties opened the flood gates for the Lightning to regain control. Lack of discipline. Disputed goal meant nothing. Listened to a 40 something lady talk about the ''first round curse.'' She's young. She has a lot of pain to come. It's pretty bad when you're now only hoping to escape round one. When the late great Pat Quinn was running the show this was never a worry(two final four appearances;only once not escaping round one). Those were the last great days for the Leafs. I don't think they're going to escape round one---again.
@@SylveonMujigaeOfficial True enough. An older cousin used to tell me about watching that ''last game.'' In the 90s he told me one day he suddenly didn't remember it so well anymore. Yeah,I was only five when it happened. To me,it never really did. lol.
If only they knew in 1985 that the drought would continue for another 39 plus years after… It’s such a shame that what turned from a 20 year drought into a 50 plus year drought…
@@lordhighexecutioner And they took the St. Louis Blues to 7 games! The 1985-86 Toronto Maple Leafs were one win away from playing the Calgary Flames in the Campbell Conference Final. Not bad for a team that finished the season with a 25-48-7 record and only 57 points. Making the playoffs was so much easier in those days, and the Norris Division was pretty lousy. Still, this Leafs team could somehow perform alright in the clutch.
@@mckessa17 Yeah, right! It wasn't until the 1992-1993 season that they finally got a winning record, only to fall in game 7 of the Campbell Conference Finals to none other than Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings!
The funny part to me is that we all remember the Leafs of that era as being a laughing stock, who rarely had any business even being in the playoffs. But when you actually look closely, there was a time there when the Leafs had a really good core of players to build around, and in fact they had a core of good, young forwards that were as good as any in the league, except Edmonton. I'm speaking of when they had Leeman, Clark, Courtnall, Viave and a couple others plus Damphousse on the way. How did they manage to screw that up so badly?
No defencemen (other than Salming and to a lesser extent, Iafrate) and no goaltending (save flashes of brilliance from Wregget and Bester at times) will sink any collection of forwards on any given night. Here we are almost 40 years later with the exact same problem!
I always liked Dan Maloney. I thought he was hard working and knowledgeable but didn't have enough talented and experienced players to work with. At the end of the 1985 season the Leafs finished with their worst record in franchise history. A reporter asked Maloney the foolish question of how it felt after coaching the Leafs to their worst season ever. Maloney's answer was classic. He replied, 'go get hit by a car and tell me how you feel'.
"Maple Leafs Gardens in Toronto often called the Mecca of Hockey and the most famous Hockey building in the world" Are you freaking kidding me ??!!!! To say that without laughing, even in 1985, is remarkable
1984-85: 20-52-8, 48pts, 14pts behind MN for 4th in Norris 1985-86: 25-48-7, 57pts. 3rd worst in the Conference but made the playoffs. NJ had 59pts & PIT 76pts but missed out (blame the playoff format…). Leafs swept the Blackhaws (????) but lost in 7 to the Blues
Well I think the shame has taken over for illusions of grandeur and ego. I wish the Argos were in the NFL and that Toronto got an NBA team sooner because maybe they would have a championship sooner in the city.
This didn’t age well. Half those men would be rolling in their Graves if they could see some how that the Leafs still haven’t won a cup. That drought still continues to this day
Don't forget, the last time the Leafs won the cup, there were only six teams in the league. Now, there are thirty-two teams in the league. That means way more competition. Also, in the late sixties, a team would need to only eight games in the playoffs to get the cup. Now, a team has to win sixteen games in the playoffs. So as you can see, it's even harder now.
It's too late. Pro sports are scripted now. Everything is already planned out. But, in the 80s - 'real' hockey - the Maple Leafs were an inept franchise run by inept owners/ownership - Ballard and then MLSE - who only cared about profits and they knew winning didn't matter - because fan support was among the highest in sports - not just in the NHL. Now, they rely on the same fandom - and profit is still king - the tech duopoly in Canada owns the team now. But, from the 80s - imagine being a fan and not knowing (the future) - that the Laffs would be an inept franchise for 50+ years!
No Stanley cup in under 20 years… if only they knew …
This clip could actually still apply to today's Leafs as well.
( Granted, the team on the ice now is much better than that dreadful '85 team, although they've accomplished about the same as those awful teams from the 80's just the same Lol )
Ain’t that the truth
They should smarten up
That Jimmy Hoffa comment says it all.
@S_67F Leafs are always losers!
I worked at the Gardens as a security supervisor from 1993 until 1999. What memories.❤️
I miss the gardens!
I remember in the eighties, there was this famous joke going around the city. The Leafs are getting a Chinese coach. His name is Win One Soon.
The January 5, 1985 national Hockey Night in Canada telecast of the Canucks' 4-1 win at Maple Leaf Gardens is the worst game I've ever seen, if not the worst ever played. I wish someone would dig it out of the vaults and post it; Dave Hodge's closing "Thanks for watching" was a classic commentary on the game.
I love this trip down memory lane. Great to see legends of sports media interviewed in this piece. And yeah, why was Dave Hodge fired?
Hodge left after he subtly complained on the air about the CBC refusing to show the end of a hockey game between the Flyers and Canadiens (except for viewers in Quebec) and flipping his pen at the end.
@@Tubewings Unreal that CBC would do that and fire him for reacting...well the way we all did. I understand maybe he should've kept his emotions in check but that decision just showed CBC did not have its finget on the pulse of the nation
Its the cbc… typical
Ron Mcloser, I mean Mclean
@@19ninetynineRon Mcsweazal
Harold Ballard’s cultural impact has lasted into 2023!
Some demons cannot be exorcised!
ALL of the Canadian teams are run the same way without Harold's sense of humor. They don't NEED to win to draw unlike the superior American teams.
And to think this is only 18 years after their last cup win in 1967.. its still the last time a cup was won in Leaf land.
But it's not like the Cup ever left Toronto. All you have to do is walk up to the HHOF ticket office & buy a ticket. Get in and boom! You have the cup & the original cup itself. So what incentive do the Leafs have? 0
It's actually worse than that, not only no cup win, but since 1967 they haven't even played in a finals to have a chance at it. ugh....
It’s often no fun being a Leafs fan. I’m ready for more disappointments these playoffs.
Have your kleenex box in hand watching this misery.....1967.
Same here; I mean, they could go on a run.....but I'm not doing jumping jacks expecting it to happen now either.
( I got Tampa winning that series anyway. I'll trust those guys to win in the playoffs any day )
@@ckendall67 I’m also picking Tampa to win in 7. They’ve got the better goalie and often that’s all it takes. Look at last year. Campbell wasn’t bad against Montreal, but Price was the difference.
@@crow_2k11beatsbydre8 how did you find this video? Wow. Psychopath
I'm a 61 year old Leafs' fan who knows the only thing we have left is hope.
Abandon all hope as a leafs fan.
@@Devil6CR Yup. Watched them last night at a local bar. Two deserved elbowing penalties opened the flood gates for the Lightning to regain control. Lack of discipline. Disputed goal meant nothing. Listened to a 40 something lady talk about the ''first round curse.'' She's young. She has a lot of pain to come. It's pretty bad when you're now only hoping to escape round one. When the late great Pat Quinn was running the show this was never a worry(two final four appearances;only once not escaping round one). Those were the last great days for the Leafs. I don't think they're going to escape round one---again.
Wait a second… You were barely around when the Maple Leafs won their most recent Stanley Cup.
@@SylveonMujigaeOfficial True enough. An older cousin used to tell me about watching that ''last game.'' In the 90s he told me one day he suddenly didn't remember it so well anymore. Yeah,I was only five when it happened. To me,it never really did. lol.
Yeah " No Hope "
2 words: Harold Ballard
the Ontario Teachers' Union ran the team far worse than Ballard ever was.
If only they knew in 1985 that the drought would continue for another 39 plus years after… It’s such a shame that what turned from a 20 year drought into a 50 plus year drought…
The video quality on this is amazing
Right. That’s the first thing I thought of. Haha.
Real funny.😠
Harold Ballard is what is wrong with the Leafs.
Ballard set this franchise back to the Stone Age
The Laffs had a 20W-52L-8T season back in 1984-1985...worst record in franchise history!
Hey, that's still better than the inaugural Ottawa Senator's season where they went 10W-70L
@StuMarston They won a playoff round that year (this is 1985-86, this one... they started 1-12! )
@@lordhighexecutioner And they took the St. Louis Blues to 7 games! The 1985-86 Toronto Maple Leafs were one win away from playing the Calgary Flames in the Campbell Conference Final. Not bad for a team that finished the season with a 25-48-7 record and only 57 points.
Making the playoffs was so much easier in those days, and the Norris Division was pretty lousy. Still, this Leafs team could somehow perform alright in the clutch.
I believe the Leafs drafted Wendel Clark in 85, things started to improve a bit.
@@mckessa17 Yeah, right! It wasn't until the 1992-1993 season that they finally got a winning record, only to fall in game 7 of the Campbell Conference Finals to none other than Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings!
The more things change......
I wrote something today ✍ half-way through ...to write, can be exhausting, on many levels (spiritual/mental/physical) when you go deep, it's tiring 😴
The funny part to me is that we all remember the Leafs of that era as being a laughing stock, who rarely had any business even being in the playoffs. But when you actually look closely, there was a time there when the Leafs had a really good core of players to build around, and in fact they had a core of good, young forwards that were as good as any in the league, except Edmonton. I'm speaking of when they had Leeman, Clark, Courtnall, Viave and a couple others plus Damphousse on the way. How did they manage to screw that up so badly?
No defencemen (other than Salming and to a lesser extent, Iafrate) and no goaltending (save flashes of brilliance from Wregget and Bester at times) will sink any collection of forwards on any given night. Here we are almost 40 years later with the exact same problem!
I always liked Dan Maloney. I thought he was hard working and knowledgeable but didn't have enough talented and experienced players to work with. At the end of the 1985 season the Leafs finished with their worst record in franchise history. A reporter asked Maloney the foolish question of how it felt after coaching the Leafs to their worst season ever. Maloney's answer was classic. He replied, 'go get hit by a car and tell me how you feel'.
"Maple Leafs Gardens in Toronto often called the Mecca of Hockey and the most famous Hockey building in the world"
Are you freaking kidding me ??!!!!
To say that without laughing, even in 1985, is remarkable
Forum de Montréal was THE mecca.
Huh? Toronto the most populated hockey city. Obviously the most fans live in the GTA
@@mathewlee5712 Tell me, where is the Hockey Hall of Fame? Oh yeah, it's in Toronto
Toronto and Montreal are like the churches of hockey.
And nearly 40 years later......
Ballard WHA and the league expansions and the players in and outside of Toronto
The Leafs would become pretty good in 1992 1993, but it didn't last and no Cup.
Wish they had it back in 1993
Instead of the Fagadiens
This was the real reason why Hodge and McFarlane were fired. In Dave's case, the CBC spent the next year looking for an excuse to get rid of him.
39 years later and we’re still asking😳🤦🏻
1:35 It’s going to get even sadder 😂
Nothing like mono audio
Maple Leaf Gardens is now Loblaws.
This was the year they drafted Clark.
20 years and the fans are freaking? Lol. Try 55
It's a Loblaws on the bottom, and then a University Hockey Rink on the top for Toronto Metropolitan University
This video shows the Leafs are timeless.
all the cups leafs won were basically mens beer league tourneys lol
they are still asking that question today
2023 and it's still relevant.
They won a playoff round that year!
1984-85: 20-52-8, 48pts, 14pts behind MN for 4th in Norris
1985-86: 25-48-7, 57pts. 3rd worst in the Conference but made the playoffs. NJ had 59pts & PIT 76pts but missed out (blame the playoff format…). Leafs swept the Blackhaws (????) but lost in 7 to the Blues
Another miserable G7 OT loss to the Bruins. 😭😭😭... I'm talking about the 2024 version of the failure.
What was wrong with the 1985 Maple Leafs? Well, not quite everything. They tanked to draft Wendell Clark.
Well I think the shame has taken over for illusions of grandeur and ego. I wish the Argos were in the NFL and that Toronto got an NBA team sooner because maybe they would have a championship sooner in the city.
This helped the Leafs get Wendel Clark.
The eternal catnip!
The Leafs would go on to a 20-52 season :/
WOW
This didn’t age well. Half those men would be rolling in their Graves if they could see some how that the Leafs still haven’t won a cup. That drought still continues to this day
Could we see the Stanley Cup drought extend to 56 years in 2023? Sorry Leaf’s fan….
Well if the Red Sox and Cubs waited over a century then I suppose there is always hope, lol
Is this a 1985 look at 'what's wrong with the Maple Leafs'.... or a 1985 look at 'what's wrong with western civilization'?
As a Habs fan, I must remind all the Leafs fans out there: you have not learned a damn thing!
What do you mean?
Are you enjoying your playoff run this year?
@@awesomematthews1238 Are you? 🙃
@@lzeb4730 Look up a UA-camr called "Urinating Tree" & his history of the Leafs. May explain things. 🤔
@@MrUndersolo I'm very familiar with him. With that being said, this year's results are not the same as years past.
1985...........Here we are in 2024......same old.......same old. lol.
56 years and counting! Absolute joke of a franchise! Leafs suck!
Don't forget, the last time the Leafs won the cup, there were only six teams in the league. Now, there are thirty-two teams in the league. That means way more competition. Also, in the late sixties, a team would need to only eight games in the playoffs to get the cup. Now, a team has to win sixteen games in the playoffs. So as you can see, it's even harder now.
There were 8 teams in the 1930s, but a lot of those teams don’t exist anymore.
I'm sorry, but MLG was not the most famous hockey building in the history of the world. A close second, yes. But the most famous was in Montreal.
It's too late. Pro sports are scripted now. Everything is already planned out. But, in the 80s - 'real' hockey - the Maple Leafs were an inept franchise run by inept owners/ownership - Ballard and then MLSE - who only cared about profits and they knew winning didn't matter - because fan support was among the highest in sports - not just in the NHL. Now, they rely on the same fandom - and profit is still king - the tech duopoly in Canada owns the team now. But, from the 80s - imagine being a fan and not knowing (the future) - that the Laffs would be an inept franchise for 50+ years!
Who’s watching this after game 7 against the Bruins in 2024. 😂
Me
I just looked up a lot of these sport reporters. Most are dead. Long careers,I'm sure happy lives, etc. No cup.
Probably spent all those years covering the Leafs and never once saw them make the Cup Final or even win.
@ckendall67 They were all 40 years old and up. They have seen them win the Cup.
I love the reporter who said that waiting for the Leafs to win a Cup is like 'leaving a porch light on for Jimmy Hoffa'!
Pro sports "WORST" franchise ever the laffs......1967.
Hey! That's Toronto Make-Me-Laffs! ;)
There are worse franchises.
Ha ha ha😠
Laffs my ass