Goalie known for most brutal loss in Toronto Maple Leafs history back with team

A former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie known for his loss in what remains among the most (if not the most) brutal playoff losses in team history is now back with the team.

The Leafs announced on Friday that veteran goaltender James Reimer had been taken on for a professional tryout deal, or PTO.

Reimer, who minded the crease for the Buds from 2010 to 2016, held a respectable record of 85-76-23, a goals against average of 2.84, and a perfectly acceptable save percentage of .914  across 207 appearances between the pipes in blue and white.

However, it was Reimer's seven appearances in a heartbreaking 2013 first-round playoff series between the Leafs and Bruins that cemented the goalie's legacy among fans.

In a collapse that still gives seasoned fans a thousand-yard stare a dozen years later, the Leafs were up 4-1 in the third period of a decisive game seven in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, but would ultimately lose the game and series 5-4 in overtime.

It's a series that one could argue set the Leafs on 'curse' trajectory, with a soul-crushing finale that teammate Joffrey Lupul famously stated "will haunt me until the day I die."

It was the only playoff series Reimer would play in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey.

Reimer would go on to split goaltending duties with Jonathan Bernier the following three seasons, with the latter essentially taking over as the team's starting goalie.

In 2016, Reimer was dealt to the San Jose Sharks, and has bounced around the league ever since, across seven teams in a 15-season career.

Reimer played just two dozen games in the 2024-2025 season, and, with a save percentage tracking under .900, a PTO seems like his last chance to land a contract with the clocks ticking down to the regular season.