Who is Toronto Maple Leafs mascot Carlton The Bear?

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a Canadian NHL team based in Toronto, Ontario, and are part of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They are one of the NHL’s "Original Six" teams. The franchise was founded in 1917 as the Toronto Arenas, became the Toronto St. Patricks in 1919, and was renamed the Maple Leafs in 1927. They moved from Maple Leaf Gardens to the Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena) in 1999.

The Maple Leafs have won 13 Stanley Cup championships, second to the Montreal Canadiens’ 24 titles, as of May 2025. Their last championship was in 1967, and their title drought is the longest in the NHL. The team is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and is chaired by Larry Tanenbaum. With an estimated worth of US$1.3 billion, they are the NHL’s most valuable franchise and were ranked the 37th most valuable sports team in the world by Forbes in 2015.

Toronto Maple Leafs mascot Carlton the Bear

Carlton the Bear is the official mascot of the Toronto Maple Leafs, as per The Athletic. He was introduced by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1995. Before Carlton, the Leafs had an unofficial mascot — a dog named T.C. Puck owned by Harold Ballard in the 1980s.

After Ballard’s death, the Leafs wanted a new way to connect with fans, especially children. Bob Stellick and his team created a big, cuddly mascot to appear at community events. The name “Carlton” came from Carlton Street, where Maple Leaf Gardens stood. Carlton debuted at an offseason event and later at the Gardens in the fall of 1995.

At first, Carlton was not meant to appear at games often, since management feared fans might not like a mascot. He mainly greeted kids in cheaper seats and stayed away from executives like Steve Stavro. Over time, Carlton became more accepted and active. He even used a scissor lift to energize crowds during the playoffs. Carlton quietly grew into a beloved figure and celebrated his 25th anniversary in 2020.

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Toronto Maple Leafs mascot Carlton the Bear's funny incidents

Carlton the Bear once appeared in a video that mocked New Jersey by showing it as a barren, scary place. This upset the mayor of Newark, who wrote an angry letter to the Leafs in 2001. Carlton was also spotted spending a lot of time chatting with usherettes during a game, which The Canadian Press jokingly noted wasn’t helping the atmosphere in the arena, as per The Athletic.

When defenseman Dmitry Yushkevich was traded in 2002, he humorously said Carlton was "the most honest person" in the Leafs organization because "he never says anything." Carlton also had many old mascot heads stored by his first performer, Mike Ferriman, who kept them all in his closet like a Game of Thrones display, as per The Athletic.

In March 2017, Carlton the Bear got caught up in a funny "Royal Rumble" at a Raptors game. During an intermission, The Raptor faced off against mascots from the Timberwolves and Pacers. Carlton helped by handing The Raptor a plastic chair, which The Raptor used to win the fight, while Carlton celebrated with fist pumps, as per Yahoo Sports.

Later that night, Carlton and The Raptor made peace and posed for a friendly photo. That weekend, Carlton also wore a St. Pats jersey at a Leafs game and air-balled a 3-pointer during Raptors warmups, walking away embarrassed.