In a city that remembers its hockey heroes like family, Wilf Paiement is something of a forgotten name. For a brief window in the early ’80s, Paiement was one of the most productive players on the Toronto Maple Leafs. His 40-goal, 97-point season in 1980–81 remains one of the best by a right winger in franchise history—even if it doesn’t come up much in barroom Maple Leafs debates.
Paiement Was Part of a Maple Leafs Trade That Shook the Room
Paiement’s road to Toronto wasn’t paved with applause. On December 29, 1979, the Maple Leafs traded fan favourite Lanny McDonald and Joel Quenneville to the Colorado Rockies for Paiement and Pat Hickey. It was all part of the Harold Ballard fiasco seasons.
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McDonald wasn’t just a scorer—he was the emotional heartbeat of the team, and fans didn’t take his departure lightly. That made things complicated for Paiement from the start. Fair or not, he was stepping into a locker room—and a city—that wasn’t ready to embrace him.
Paiement Had a Quick Start in Blue and White
Despite the baggage that came with the trade, Paiement made his mark right away. He notched 20 goals and 48 points in 41 games to finish the 1979–80 season. He was tough, skilled, and able to create his own offence—the kind of forward who could hold his own in the corners but still beat a goalie clean.
(Photo Credit: 1975-76 Kansas City Scouts Media Guide).
There was little he could do to erase the sting of losing McDonald, but it gave fans a glimpse of what Paiement could bring. Nothing he did was anything but added value; he just wasn’t McDonald.
The Peak of Paiement’s Powers Ended in a 40-Goal Season.
The following season, everything clicked. In 1980–81, Paiement exploded for 40 goals and 97 points in 77 games. That’s the kind of season that gets remembered—or at least it should. He wasn’t padding stats, either—he was shouldering a significant portion of the offensive load on a team that didn’t have much margin for error.
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Paiement played with an edge. He was never afraid to get involved physically, and that blend of scoring and snarl made him a player you noticed every night—even if the team around him wasn’t built to go deep in the playoffs.
A Short Time in Blue & White, and a Quick Goodbye for Paiement
In 1981–82, Paiement’s numbers dipped. He finished with 18 goals and 58 points in 69 games—still productive, but not quite the same impact. With the Maple Leafs heading in a new direction, they dealt him to the Quebec Nordiques.
Paiement went on to have stints with the Nordiques, New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, and Pittsburgh Penguins before retiring in 1988. His days in Toronto ended as quickly as they began—just under 200 games in total—but that one great season still stands out.
Why Don’t We Talk About Paiement Much in Toronto?
Why does a player with one of the best offensive seasons in team history rarely get mentioned? It’s a mix of timing and circumstance. The Maple Leafs didn’t draft him, and he didn’t stay long. Perhaps the most telling reason is that he came in under difficult circumstances.
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The team itself was in the middle of one of its more chaotic decades, with front office drama often overshadowing what happened on the ice. But strip all that away, and the numbers don’t lie. Paiement was a difference-maker. For a while, he was one of the best forwards in the NHL, and he was doing it in a Maple Leafs jersey, while wearing #99.
Paiement Gave Maple Leafs Fans a Season Worth Remembering During a Time They Wanted to Forget.
Wilf Paiement may never get his name raised to the Maple Leafs’ rafters, but his 1980–81 season deserves a spot among the great Maple Leafs performances. Not every contribution has to last a decade to matter. For a few years, Paiement brought size, scoring, skill, and excitement to Toronto’s lineup, which needed it badly.
That 40-goal season? It still stands as one of the best from a right winger the franchise has ever seen. Sometimes the history books forget a name. But that doesn’t mean Maple Leafs fans have to. Paiement was one of those players who should get a bit more appreciation in Toronto.
[Note: I’d like to thank Brent Bradford (PhD) for his help co-authoring this post. His profile can be found at www.linkedin.com/in/brent-bradford-phd-3a10022a9]
