Leafs at risk of being removed from the Stanley Cup forever

The Toronto Maple Leafs have just 12 years to win a Stanley Cup or they’ll be removed from the trophy entirely.

With the Hockey Hall of Fame announcing earlier today that the band from the 12 teams who won the Cup from 1953-1965 officially being removed, the Leafs and their last Stanley Cup victory in 1967 are next up on the chopping block. The Hall said that the next band, which features teams from 1966-1978, will be removed in 2030. 

The Leafs are the only Original Six team in danger of being removed from the Stanley Cup in the not-too-distant future, with the Canadiens (1993), Rangers (1994), Red Wings (2008), Bruins (2011) and Blackhawks (2015) all in reasonably good shape.

The latest band retired though features some of the most iconic teams and names in NHL history though with six Montreal Canadiens teams, three Maple Leafs teams, two Detroit Red Wings teams and one Chicago Blackhawks teams all being removed. The names of 16 Hall of Famers appear on the band, including Maurice Richard, Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Bernie Geoffrion, Stan Mikita, Jacques Plante and Ted Lindsay.