Hot Rods and Hockey Sticks; What Do the Toronto Maple Leafs Drive?

I heard most of them were getting really good at driving Golf carts.... (just kidding).

When we think about well paid hockey players we tend to think that, for the most part, they are a bunch of multi-millionaire prima donnas who do little more with their spare time than sit around watching 1,000 inch big screen TVs and driving around downtown Toronto in Lamborghinis and Porches.

The odd thing is, it may actually be quite the opposite.

According to an article I stumbled across on Wheels.ca, the Toronto Maple Leafs parking lot really doesn't look like what you'd think.

Aside from the obvious environmental issues with driving say a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, I would like to think that if I was being paid in excess of $2-3 million a year to play the game that I love, I would likely drive something a little flashier than a Volkswagen Jetta.

That being said, here are a few examples of the wheels that carry our beloved Toronto Maple Leafs around when they aren't flying around the ice

Thanks go out to Mark Zwolinski of Wheels.ca for compiling such a good list and providing us Leafs fans with a bit of a distraction!

Jean-Sebastien Giguere

Giguere is, as one would expect, not the flashiest when it comes to what he drives.

More sense than sensation, JSG knows that with his salary he could easily drive any vehicle he wanted to, but instead opted for a more environmentally friendly set of wheels; the Lexus RX 400 hybrid SUV.

Francois Beauchemin

Francois Beauchemin is not one who would come to mind when you think common sense. When it comes to playing defense, he has a bit of a penchant for giving the puck away at the most inopportune times.

When it comes to his ride however, 'Beauch' opts for a more sensible alternative to the flashy joy riding type of vehicle and is quite happy trucking around in a Toyota Tundra.

In keeping with his periodic flashes of brilliance on the ice though, he did get the chrome edition so while a little more down to earth, it does bring a bit of flair.

Dion Phaneuf

Toronto Maple Leafs Captain Dion Phaneuf may have the largest collection of cars on the team, including a Maserati Gran Turismo (pictured above).

While he's definitely a collector, he won't reveal just how large of a collection he has and is more commonly seen in an SUV.

“I like cars,” says Phaneuf  “I’ve got a few. I like taking care of them actually. I like detailing them.”

In keeping with his gritty style of play, he is a big fan of old American Muscle cars as well.

Kris Versteeg

Kris Versteeg's Audi A8 is probably one of the more flashy sets of wheels you'll find in the Toronto Maple Leafs players parking lot.

Versteeg tried on several sets of tires, including the Porshe 911, before settling on the Audi,

“Last year, I drove a few cars to see what I would like," he says. "But after handling the Audi, that became my dream car.”

Phil Kessel

The Edsel

You will likely have to be older than 30 to get this particular joke.

Phil Kessel is a heck of a hockey player, but if there was one player in the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs who has so far not lived up to the hype, it would be him.

I know that I'm being a little unfair.

The truth is, I have no idea what Kessel drives but just the thought of doing this made me laugh.

The story goes, as an attempt to diversify the Ford line up, Henry Ford's son, Edsel, created this car and despite all the hype and build up surrounding it, well, the car just plain didn't live up to the hype and only saw two years of production.

It remains to this day, more than 50 years later, arguably the biggest failure in automotive history.