2020–21 Toronto Maple Leafs season
The 2020–21 Toronto Maple Leafs season was the 104th season for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on November 22, 1917.
| 2020–21 Toronto Maple Leafs | |
|---|---|
North Division champions | |
| Division | 1st North |
| 2020–21 record | 35–14–7 |
| Home record | 18–7–3 |
| Road record | 17–7–4 |
| Goals for | 187 |
| Goals against | 148 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Kyle Dubas |
| Coach | Sheldon Keefe |
| Captain | John Tavares |
| Alternate captains | Mitch Marner Auston Matthews Morgan Rielly |
| Arena | Scotiabank Arena |
| Minor league affiliate(s) | Toronto Marlies (AHL) Newfoundland Growlers (ECHL) |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Auston Matthews (41) |
| Assists | Mitch Marner (47) |
| Points | Mitch Marner (67) |
| Penalty minutes | Zach Bogosian (49) |
| Plus/minus | T. J. Brodie (+23) |
| Wins | Jack Campbell (17) |
| Goals against average | Jack Campbell (2.15) |
Due to the Canada–U.S. border restrictions brought in as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maple Leafs were re-aligned with the other six Canadian franchises into the newly formed North Division. The league's 56-game season was played entirely within the new divisions, meaning that Toronto and the other Canadian teams played an all-Canadian schedule for the 2020–21 regular season as well as the first two rounds of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The team saw tremendous success during the course of the regular season, clinching a playoff berth on April 28 after a 4–1 win against the Montreal Canadiens, one of the first teams in the league to do so. Then on May 8, again versus Montreal, they clinched the North Division with a 3–2 win, which was their first division championship since 2000. Auston Matthews recorded a league high 41 goals, becoming the first player in team history to win the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, and was also named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the league's most outstanding player as voted on by players. Additionally, Mitch Marner and Matthews both finished top five in league scoring (placing fourth and fifth, respectively). The team however disappointed in the playoffs; after going up 3–1 in their First Round series against the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto was defeated in seven games. It was the fifth consecutive year that the Maple Leafs lost in the opening round of the postseason and the fourth consecutive year they were eliminated in the final, winner-take-all game.