Stamp honours team’s storied history as enduring Canadian icon
For the first time ever, Canada Post has adhered a miniature fabric crest to a stamp to mark the 100th anniversary of the Toronto Maple Leafs, one of the most storied teams in the National Hockey League (NHL).
A Canadian hockey icon, the Maple Leafs is one of only four teams that officially formed the NHL. It is also an Original Six franchise that played in what some consider to be the golden era of hockey. Altogether, the team has more inductees in the players’ category of the Hockey Hall of Fame than any other Original Six team.
“The Toronto Maple Leafs are a part of the fabric that ties this country together with some of the most passionate fans in hockey,” said Canada Post President and CEO Deepak Chopra. “It is therefore an honour to celebrate the incredible legacy of this Original Six team through Canada Post’s iconic stamp program.”
A puck-shaped Toronto Maple Leafs stamp is available in coils of 50.
The commemorative issue, which was unveiled yesterday in Toronto, also includes both a booklet of 10 new silver logo stamps and a coil of 50 puck-shaped stamps in the Maple Leafs’ shade of blue.
SOUVENIR SHEET WITH FABRIC CREST
The fabric crest stamp—available only as a commemorative souvenir sheet—depicts the sweater worn by Maple Leafs captain Ted Kennedy during the 1949-50 NHL season with the Leafs crest in fabric. Kennedy played centre for the Leafs between 1942-43 and 1956-57, captaining the team for eight consecutive seasons. He remains the youngest ever to suit up for the Leafs (he was only 17) and the first, along with teammate Turk Broda, to win five Stanley Cup Championships.
One of three official first-day covers depicts Leafs legend Wendel Clark.
Official first-day covers (OFDCs) of all three stamps are available as a set. A collectible frame features all three OFDCs—two of them bearing signatures from Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour, plus a signed photograph of current top-two defenceman Morgan Rielly. The frame also includes a souvenir sheet featuring the $5 fabric stamp and the domestic-rate stamp depicting the silver logo. Designed by Lionel Gadoury and Dave Hurds, of Context Creative, the issue is available online at canadapost.ca/leafs100 or at post offices today.
“Of course, like all the stamps released this year, we’ve hidden some 2017 features in the Leafs and History of Hockey designs,” wrote Jim Phillips, Canada Post director of stamp services, in the latest issue of Details. “So put your detective skills to the test and find them all, or wait until they’re revealed in a next issue of Details.”