They are just hours away from each other and divisional rivals at that, but throughout the years the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings have also dealt with each other when it comes to trading players.
While it’s been a while since the two teams have engaged in talks – Mar. 1998 to be exact – there have been a number of moves prior to that date.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the five most recent moves between the Leafs and Wings.
Poni Up
The last time these rivals swapped players came back on Mar. 24, 1998 when the Leafs traded away defenceman Jamie Macoun in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Recent Swaps With the Stars
Macoun played 466 games over seven seasons for the Leafs, collecting 13 goals and 101 points over that span. He enjoyed four playoff seasons in Toronto, but never won a Cup with the team.
Instead, he joined the Red Wings and played 76 games for the team over two seasons and tallied a goal and 11 points – winning a Stanley Cup with them in 1997-98. He finished his NHL career the following year in Detroit as a member of the Wings.
As for the pick, the Leafs used it to take Alexei Ponikarovsky with the 87th overall pick in 1998. He went on to play 477 regular season games for the Leafs over parts of nine seasons. Over that time, he collected 114 goals and 257 points for the blue and white. He had a number of stints with other teams following his stay in Toronto, but finished his career in 2012-13.
Trading the Third Musketeer, Larry
Before the Macoun deal, it was a trade back on Mar. 18, 1997, that had these two teams at the table. The Leafs acquire future considerations for defenceman Larry Murphy who went the other way.
While stories still swirl about whether or not Murphy asked to be traded from the Leafs, the defenceman denies these reports.
“I was excited every time I stepped out on Maple Leafs Gardens with the leaf on. I always believed this was a day of a new beginning for this team,” he said in a piece on Sportsnet. “I never thought things were hopeless. That’s what keeps you going, the promise of tomorrow.”
Murphy played 151 games for the Leafs over parts of two seasons and collected 19 goals and 100 points over that span. After joining the Red Wings, he tallied 171 points in 312 regular season games and helped the team to consecutive Stanley Cups in his first two seasons with the Wings.
He retired as a member of the Wings following the 2000-01 season and was named to the Hall of Fame in 2004.
Second Time’s A Charm?
Just under two months after acquiring Gord Kruppke from the Red Wings (which we will talk about shortly), the Leafs acquired Kruppke in a trade with the Wings that saw the Leafs give up future considerations on Apr. 7, 1995.
Kruppke didn’t play a game for the Leafs following the deal.
Nothing Changed for Kruppke
On Feb. 17, 1995, the Leafs acquired Kruppke for the first time in exchange for Chris Govedaris.
Like the second deal that brought the defenceman to Toronto, Kruppke didn’t play a single game for the Leafs – having played just 23 over three seasons for the Red Wings.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Recent Business With the Blue Jackets
Govedaris, who had four points in 12 games with the Leafs in 1993-94, also didn’t play any games with his new club and finished his career following the trade.
Living in a Marsh
The fifth most recent deal between the two clubs took place on Jun. 10, 1992, when the Leafs traded future considerations to acquire Brad Marsh.
While he didn’t play any games for the Leafs following this deal, Marsh did have a prior stint with the blue and white from 1988 to 1991. During that span, he played 181 regular season games for the Leafs and tallied 30 points for the club.
Believe it or not, the Leafs traded Marsh to the Red Wings back on Feb. 4, 1991.
While most of these deals were relatively insignificant, were there any clear-cut winners when it comes to the most recent deals between the Leafs and Red Wings? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below or stay tuned next time for the most recent deals between the Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers.
