


Former Toronto Maple Leaf of 16 seasons, Ron Ellis, has died.
He was 79.
The forward was a part of the last Toronto team to win the Stanley Cup in 1967.
This came after he took home a Memorial Cup title in 1964 as a junior hockey player with the Toronto Marlboros.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Ron Ellis,” the Maple Leafs wrote on X. “Ron was one of only five Maple Leafs to skate in more than 1000 games for the club, while also scoring the fifth most goals in team history. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”
“We send our deepest condolences to Ron’s family, his wife Jan, son RJ, daughter-in-law Renata, friends, and former teammates,” NHL Alumni also posted on X. “Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
Ellis went undrafted but joined the Maple Leafs for one game during the 1963-64 season before joining the roster full-time the following season.
Across his career, he played in 1,034 career regular-season games, which ranks fifth on the Maple Leafs’ all-time games played list.
He is also fifth in goals with 332 and is one of only four players in the franchise to have 300 or more goals with Toronto.
Ellis knocked in 20 or more goals in 11 seasons, including 10 straight from 1966-67-1977-78.
He also scored 640 points in his career while wearing the No. 6 jersey from 1968 onward after Hall of Famer Ace Bailey asked the Maple Leafs to un-retire it so Ellis could wear it.
After winning the 1967 Stanley Cup, Ellis went on to become a big part Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series, when he skated alongside Bobby Clarke and Paul Henderson against the Soviet Union.

After his playing career came to a close, Ellis turned to helping his teammates and other players through the NHL Alumni Association.
For all of his work after his playing days, he earned the NHL Alumni Association’s Keith Magnuson Man of the Year Award this year.