The Forgotten Maple Leafs: Jeff Finger – Hockey Writers – History of the Maple Leafs

It's no easy task to remember every player who has ever worn the blue and white of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but that's why you've got this new series that looks back at some of the players who have been forgotten over the years. .

While they may be small pieces of history that make up this storied franchise, they are, however, written in the Maple Leafs past. Whether their tenure was short, or their career with the Maple Leafs overshadowed their time with another franchise, we take a look back at some players who may not be at the top of the list when considering this NHL team.

Related: Forgotten Leaf Leaves – Glenn Anderson

With that, the latest installment of this series will take a look at a defenseman who played 199 career regular season games in the NHL. After spending half of his time with the Maple Leafs, Jeff Finger played his final NHL game as a 30-year-old in 2009-10.

The Finger Becomes a Maple Leaf

Drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the eighth round, 240th overall, in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Finger played two seasons with the Avs after making his NHL debut as a 27-year-old in 2006-07.

After two seasons, Finger became an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Maple Leafs as free agency opened on July 1, 2008. The Maple Leafs general manager at the time, Cliff Fletcher, signed Finger to a four-year contract worth $14-million. . after 94 NHL games with the Avalanche.

The signing would go down as one of that management team's worst decisions two years later.

Green Maple Leaf Dressing

After his two seasons with the Avs, Finger played for the Maple Leafs in 2008-09. He played in 66 games during the regular season and scored six goals and a career-high 23 points in that span.

Although the Maple Leafs didn't sign him because of his offense – which was clear from the start – his point guard never seemed to fit the team. In fact, he had back-to-back scoring seasons in Toronto following two seasons of plus-10 or more with the Avalanche.

Finger played 39 games for the Maple Leafs the following season in 2009–10 and had two goals and 10 points, finishing with a minus-11 average. The Maple Leafs missed the playoffs in both of his seasons with the team and a bad move to Toronto spelled the end of Finger's NHL career.

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He spent the next two seasons with the Maple Leafs' AHL team the Toronto Marlies, appearing in just 54 games over that two-year span before calling it quits.

With that said, Finger still ranks in the top 100 all-time among Maple Leafs defensemen in games played, goals, assists, points and points per game. That doesn't say much about the history of the Maple Leafs defense.

All Finger Work

As for the rest of his NHL career, as mentioned he played two seasons in Colorado, where he had some success on the defensive end. That may have led to the Maple Leafs' decision to sign him to such a large contract entering free agency, but it could be a testament to the team he plays for with the Avalanche.

Related: The Forgotten of the Maple Leafs – Vincent Damphousse

Finger played in 94 games for the Avalanche over parts of two seasons, tallying nine goals and 24 assists over that span. He had a plus-22 rating and got his only taste of NHL playing action with the Avs in his second season in the league. He played just five games into the postseason with two assists to show for it.

As for his career numbers, Finger finished just shy of 200 games, playing in 199 regular season games with 17 goals and 57 points in parts of four seasons with the Avs and Maple Leafs.

Although his career was not very long, his time in Toronto makes him part of the Maple Leafs alumnus forever.

All-Time Offensive Player Rankings (Among Defensemen)

Games Played: 105 (102nd)
Terms: 8 (T-80th)
Site: 25 (T-94th)
Points: 33 (T-92nd)
Points-Per Game: 0.31 (67th)