Maple Leafs or Maple Leaves?

Today we venture into the world of professional sports. This one has always perplexed me. Growing up in the Northeast, I was, and continue to be, a huge hockey fan. Even after I emigrated to the desert Southwest a long time ago, I never lost my love for the game.

I grew up in an area of New York not terribly far from Toronto. As a result, I was exposed quite heavily not only to the Buffalo Sabres (my favorite team), but also to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"Hmmmm," I thought. "How could a major professional sports team be so grammatically incorrect?" I had always been taught throughout my elementary education that the plural of "leaf" is "leaves." Remember? In second or third grade you'd study all the components of "leaves," not "leafs." I mean, come on, the plural of "elf" is "elves." Santa doesn't get all those toys made with the help of a bunch of "elfs." What's going on here?

That being said, shouldn't they be the Toronto Maple Leaves? It doesn't look right to me, either. I guess grammar has no place in professional sports. Oh well. . .