80-740: The George Richardson Memorial Trophy was presented annually from 1932 until 1971, by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association . It represented the Eastern Canada junior hockey championship, and a berth in the Memorial Cup final versus the Abbott Cup champion from Western Canada . The George Richardson Memorial Trophy was retired in 1971, when the Memorial Cup became a round-robin series between
160-579: A Loblaws supermarket occupying retail space on the lower floors and an arena for Toronto Metropolitan University , known as Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens , occupying the top level. The Toronto Maple Leafs had been playing in the Arena Gardens on Mutual Street. It was built in 1912 and held 7,500 spectators for hockey. By 1930, the Leafs managing director Conn Smythe decided the "Arena"
240-490: A $ 20 million loan that had been made to Ballard in 1980 by Molson . In return, he was given an option to buy Gardens shares from Ballard's estate. Molson also agreed to sell its stake in Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. to Stavro. That deal closed in 1994, and shortly after, Stavro bought Ballard's shares from the estate for $ 34 a share or $ 75 million. The purchase was the subject of a securities commission review and
320-486: A Leafs jersey along with numerous former Maple Leaf Players dating back to 1931 when the arena opened up, a banner was brought into the ice commemorating the 13 Stanley Cups the Maple Leafs won since the arena did not have championship banners hanging at the time. Nirvana played a show on their In Utero Tour on November 4, 1993. Oasis was the final musical artist to play at the venue on April 29, 2000. The Gardens
400-422: A World Architecture News Retail and Leisure Interiors Award in the "Retail outlets over 200 square metres (2,200 sq ft)" category. On November 29, 2011, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU; then Ryerson University) announced that Peter Gilgan, Founder and chief executive officer, Mattamy Homes Ltd., contributed a donation of $ 15 million to the university. In honour of Gilgan, the new athletic complex
480-719: A clear definition of responsibilities was never established, and the CAHA's authority over amateur hockey in Canada and its membership within the International Ice Hockey Federation were questioned. In 1994, CAHA president Murray Costello and Hockey Canada president Bill Hay , negotiated a merger between the two organizations. Originally called the Canadian Hockey Association, it has operated as Hockey Canada since 1998. Combining
560-549: A concert in support of the charity ONEXONE. It was the first concert at Maple Leaf Gardens in 8 years. The arena was used on May 8, 2009, for the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association's convention tradeshow. Also in 2009, the arena was used as the venue for the first season of Battle of the Blades , a CBC -produced reality competition pairing former NHL hockey players with professional figure skaters in
640-404: A fitness facility, studios, high-performance courts, and an NHL-sized ice hockey rink seating approximately 2,796 guests. The plans involved gutting the existing interior and laying new floors for retail use at ground level, with the athletic centre located above. In early 2010, Loblaws invited five design agencies to pitch against each other. The brief was simple: “Create the best food store in
720-672: A game, and in March 1973—just before the end of the season—the City of Ottawa demanded payment of $ 100,000 to guarantee the club dates at the Ottawa Civic Centre . The team decided to leave Ottawa and played their home playoff games at Maple Leaf Gardens, attracting crowds of 5,000 and 4,000 in two games before being eliminated by the New England Whalers . At the end of the season, the team moved to Toronto permanently and
800-556: A lawsuit from Ballard's son Bill Ballard. However, the deal stood, and Stavro and his partners in MLG Ventures became the new owner of the Maple Leafs and Maple Leaf Gardens. MLG Ventures took Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. private, and the two corporations amalgamated. becoming Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. after its acquisition of the Toronto Raptors in 1998. Initially, the majority owner of MLSE, holding 51% of
880-446: A live video for their Grace Under Pressure Tour at Maple Leaf Gardens. The arena played host to Amnesty International 's legendary Human Rights Now! Benefit Concert on September 15, 1988. The show was headlined by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band and also featured Sting , Peter Gabriel , Tracy Chapman , Youssou N'Dour and k.d. lang . Pearl Jam performed at the arena on September 21, 1996 (the only Canadian date on
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#1732782490337960-440: A pairs figure skating competition. In 2009, Loblaws announced it had entered into discussions with Toronto Metropolitan University , then known as Ryerson University, regarding the possible future joint use of the arena. On November 30, 2009, the federal government agreed to contribute $ 20 million as part of a $ 60 million project to renovate the arena into a Loblaws grocery store and a new athletic facility for TMU, which included
1040-443: A red dot on the ground floor marking the original centre ice location, the recreation of an original mural by the checkouts and a 12 x 12-metre maple leaf sculpture made out of old seats from the arena, among numerous other things. The centre also includes underground parking, a Joe Fresh , an LCBO liquor store and a medical clinic. It is the chain's flagship location. The transformation went on to win numerous awards, including
1120-558: A rift between the two and Bassett, which led to Smythe and Ballard being fired from their management positions in 1969, only to win back control the following year. In September 1971, Bassett sold his shares to Stafford Smythe and Ballard. Just six weeks later, Smythe died. His brother and son tried to keep the shares within the Smythe family, but in February 1972, Ballard purchased all of Smythe's shares, leaving him with majority ownership of
1200-675: A soldier. Richardson was considered one of the finest amateurs of his time. He played for the Queen's University team that challenged the Ottawa Hockey Club for the 1906 Stanley Cup , and played for the 14th Regiment of Kingston team won the Ontario Hockey Association title, and the J. Ross Robertson Cup in 1908, and the 1909 Allan Cup . He was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1950. Richardson
1280-404: A three-person partnership formed by his son, Stafford Smythe , with Harold Ballard and John W. H. Bassett . The new ownership added 962 new seats to the Gardens in 1962 and added a private club, The Hot Stove Club, the following year. Even more seats were added in 1965, and new mezzanine galleries were constructed in 1966 and 1967. By 1968, seating capacity for hockey had grown to 16,485. This
1360-631: A time as though the stalemate between the two sports franchises would result in two new arenas being constructed in Toronto – one for hockey, one for basketball. When MLSE acquired the Toronto Raptors, however, the Air Canada Centre, which was still under construction, was retrofitted to accommodate both hockey and basketball. The Raptors played their final game at the Gardens on February 9, 1999. A few days later, on February 13, 1999,
1440-475: Is a draft dodger and a disgrace to his country. The Gardens was founded by men — sportsmen — who fought for their country. It is no place for those who want to evade conscription in their own country. The Gardens was built for many things, but not for picking up things that no one else wants. Also in 1966, a new centre-hung scoreboard with a digital clock was installed, replacing the SporTimer, which
1520-504: Is to this day considered to be a remarkable accomplishment, the Gardens was constructed in five months and two weeks at a cost of C$ 1.5 million ($ 28.7 million in 2023 dollars). Team owner Harold Ballard lived in the owner's suite built into the arena's top northeast corner. The Gardens opened on November 12, 1931, with the Maple Leafs losing 2–1 to the Chicago Black Hawks . The reported attendance on opening night
1600-502: The 1973–74 season . In the following season , the Toros moved to the Gardens after negotiating a lease with Bill. However, by the time the team played their first game at the Gardens, Harold had been released from prison and regained control of the company. Ballard was a virulent opponent of the WHA; he never forgave the upstart league for decimating the Leafs' roster in the early 1970s. He made
1680-732: The Allan Cup , junior ice hockey leagues and the Memorial Cup , amateur minor ice hockey leagues in Canada, and choosing the representative of the Canada men's national ice hockey team . The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) was formed on December 4, 1914, at the Château Laurier hotel in Ottawa . The desire to set up a national body for hockey came from the Allan Cup trustees who were unable to keep up with organizing its annual challenges. The Allan Cup then became recognized as
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#17327824903371760-1149: The Basketball Association of America (a forerunner of the National Basketball Association ), the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey League , the Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association (1974–1976), the Toronto Blizzard of the North American Soccer League (1980–1982 indoor seasons), the Toronto Shooting Stars of the National Professional Soccer League (1996–1997), and
1840-564: The Stanley Cup 11 times from 1932 to 1967 while playing at the Gardens. The first NHL All-Star Game, albeit an unofficial one , was held at the Gardens in 1934 as a benefit for Leafs forward Ace Bailey , who had suffered a career-ending head injury. The first official annual National Hockey League All-Star Game was also held at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1947. It was home to the Toronto Huskies (1946–1947) in their single season in
1920-669: The Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League (1999–2000). The NBA's Buffalo Braves played a total of 16 regular season games at Maple Leaf Gardens from 1971 to 1975. The NBA's Toronto Raptors played six games at the Gardens from 1997 to 1999, mostly when SkyDome was unavailable. The arena was also one of the few venues outside the United States where Elvis Presley performed in concert (April 2, 1957). In 1972, Maple Leaf Gardens hosted Game 2 of
2000-625: The 1960 general meeting, to recognize an individual who "made outstanding contributions to Canadian amateur hockey". The first groups of recipients were named in January and May 1962. List of notable recipients of the Order of Merit: The CAHA established the Gordon Juckes Award in 1981, to recognize an individual for outstanding contribution to the development of amateur hockey at the national level in Canada. List of recipients of
2080-574: The 1971 Richardson Cup a potential national championship. The final Richardson Trophy in 1971 was played between the Quebec Remparts and the St. Catharines Black Hawks , and was controversial due to violence and off-ice disputes causing its abandonment before completion. The series was played when tensions were high between Anglophone Canadians and Francophone nationalists, and featured future NHL stars Guy Lafleur and Marcel Dionne . The series
2160-526: The 48-year-old gondola from which Foster Hewitt regularly broadcast games across Canada and threw it into an incinerator. In an editorial, the Toronto Star called Ballard's actions the "barbaric destruction of one of Canada's great cultural monuments." Then, in 1982, the centre-hung scoreboard that had been in use since 1966 was replaced by a new centre-hung scoreboard with a colour matrix message/animation screen on each side, which remained in use for
2240-514: The Gardens became home to more highbrow forms of entertainment. The Metropolitan Opera staged several of its visiting productions there between 1952 and 1960. The first rock and roll concert at the Gardens was held in 1956, featuring Bill Haley & His Comets . Elvis Presley 's shows at the Gardens on April 2, 1957, were his first-ever concerts outside the United States. The Gardens also hosted evangelist Billy Graham during his "Canadian Crusade" in 1955. In 1961, Smythe sold most of his shares to
2320-524: The Gardens during World War II. Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) secretary W. A. Hewitt served as the managing director of Maple Leaf Gardens from 1931 to 1948. When the Gardens opened, it served as the home rink for all Toronto-based teams in the OHA, except for the University of Toronto . The OHA regularly renewed lease agreements to keep the same arrangement. On November 1, 1946, Maple Leaf Gardens
2400-491: The Gardens on October 21, 1976, marking their final concert with drummer Keith Moon with a paying audience. The Who returned to the venue in December 1982 for the final show of what was originally intended to be their farewell tour. The Jacksons performed here on August 5, 1981, during their Triumph Tour. The video for The Reflex by Duran Duran was shot at Maple Leaf Gardens in March 1984. Toronto rock trio Rush recorded
2480-556: The Gardens would host other events. W. A. Hewitt , sports editor of the Toronto Star , was hired as general manager of Maple Leaf Gardens to oversee all events other than professional hockey. His son, Foster Hewitt , was hired to run the radio broadcasts and oversaw the construction of the radio broadcast facilities. The contract to construct the building was awarded to Thomson Brothers Construction of Port Credit in Toronto Township. Thomson Bros bid just under $ 990,000 for
George Richardson Memorial Trophy - Misplaced Pages Continue
2560-776: The Gordon Juckes Award: Maple Leaf Gardens Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto , Ontario , Canada. The building was originally constructed in 1931 as an indoor arena to host ice hockey games. Considered one of the "cathedrals" of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from 1931 to 1999. The Leafs won
2640-609: The NHL to sign a limited number of junior age players and began a regulated relationship between amateur and professional hockey. The CAHA filled the role of selecting the Canada men's national ice hockey team to represent the country in ice hockey at the Olympic Games and at the Ice Hockey World Championships . From 1920 until 1963, the CAHA usually chose the reigning Allan Cup champion to represent
2720-642: The OHA and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League would not play against any team from the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) for the 1971 Memorial Cup , due to disagreements over travel allowances given to team at the Memorial Cup and the higher number of over-age players allowed on WCHL rosters. He said that plans for an Eastern Canada series for the Richardson Trophy would go ahead. That made
2800-529: The Ontario government filed a $ 1.5 million lawsuit against Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., seeking repayment of the medical costs to the province of treating the sex abuse victims. Stuckless later died on April 9, 2020, after suffering a brain hemorrhage a few nights before. Ballard died in April 1990. The executors of his will were Steve Stavro , Donald Crump and Don Giffin. In 1991, Stavro paid off
2880-639: The Toronto Maple Leafs ended a 67-year tradition when they played their last game at Maple Leaf Gardens, suffering a 6–2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks . Former Leaf Doug Gilmour scored a fluke goal in that game, and the notorious tough guy Bob Probert scored the final NHL goal in MLG history during the third period. During the emotional post-game ceremony, legendary Canadian singer Anne Murray performed The Maple Leaf Forever , clad in
2960-415: The Toros' lease terms at the Gardens as onerous as possible. The Toros' lease called for them to pay $ 15,000 per game. However, much to Bassett's outrage, the arena was dim for their first game. It was then that Ballard demanded $ 3,500 for the use of the lights. Ballard also denied the Toros access to the Leafs' locker room, forcing them to build their own at a cost of $ 55,000. He also removed the cushions from
3040-509: The annual championship for amateur senior ice hockey in Canada. In 1919, the CAHA became trustees of the Memorial Cup , awarded as the annual championship for junior ice hockey in Canada. The CAHA negotiated an agreement with the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1940, which recognized junior hockey in Canada as a source of talent for the NHL and provided financial compensation to the CAHA for developing amateur players who were signed to professional contracts. The agreement included allowing
3120-517: The building and the Leafs. On July 7, 1974, the arena hosted a Professional wrestling tournament called World Cup Wrestling. Various International stars competed in like Dara Singh , Pat Roach , Danny Lynch, Tiger Jeet Singh , Prince Mann Singh, Randhawa , Than Yen Chang, Majid Ackra, Kashmir Singh, Tony Parisi , Chris Tolos , Golden Boy Apollo, and Terry Yorkston etc. In the main event match, world champion Dara Singh defeated Danny Lynch and retained his title. Concert Promotions International
3200-480: The building was on September 19, 1932, with bantamweight champion Panama Al Brown knocking out challenger Émile Pladner in the first round. Winston Churchill addressed a large audience at the Gardens in March 1932; when the arena's loudspeaker system broke down, he tossed the microphone to one side, declared "Now that we have exhausted the resources of science, we shall fall back upon Mother Nature and do our best," and continued. Victory Loan rallies were held at
3280-664: The challenge by the Western Canada champion Edmonton Oil Kings to play for the Memorial Cup. List of champions and finalists of the George Richardson Memorial Trophy. Canadian Amateur Hockey Association The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association ( CAHA ; French : Association canadienne de hockey amateur ) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada . Its jurisdiction included senior ice hockey leagues and
George Richardson Memorial Trophy - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-404: The community.” The local firm Turner Fleischer was appointed alongside Landini as building architects. After many delays, including the discovery of a creek running through the basement and a time capsule behind the 1931 cornerstone on Carlton Street, the new store opened on November 30, 2011. The new design incorporated many elements of Maple Leaf Gardens, including original stadium seats,
3440-449: The company, was MLG Holdings, a corporation controlled by Stavro, with minority shareholders Larry Tannenbaum (25%) and Toronto-Dominion Bank (20%). The other 49% of MLSE was owned by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan . In 2003, Stavro sold his shares and MLG Holdings was dissolved, leaving Teachers' as majority owners of MLSE. During the 1990s, MLSE considered a number of sites for a new, modern arena to replace Maple Leaf Gardens, including
3520-554: The condition that it not be used as a sports and entertainment facility. However, MLSE eventually consented to allowing a small arena to be restored in the building. They were planning to convert the interior to accommodate a Real Canadian Superstore (now Loblaws instead of RCSS) and parking. Immediately, there was criticism that the conversion of the building to retail uses diminished its heritage value and that Maple Leaf Gardens should continue to serve as an arena in accordance with its rich history and traditions. Others, however, noted
3600-452: The construction, Smythe launched Maple Leaf Gardens Limited (MLGL), a management company that would own the arena and the Maple Leafs. A public offering of shares in MLGL was made at C$ 10 each ($ 192.00 in 2023 dollars), with a free common share for each five preferred shares purchased. Ownership of the hockey team was transferred to MLGL in return for shares. Intending right from the start,
3680-407: The country. For the 1964 Winter Olympics , the CAHA approved a proposal by Father David Bauer which established a permanent national men's team composed of student athletes reinforced with senior hockey players. Hockey Canada was formed in 1969 to operate the national team and oversee Canada's involvement in international competition. The CAHA and Hockey Canada had a troubled relationship since
3760-514: The end zones of the rink. Smythe became the majority owner of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. in 1947, following a power struggle between directors who supported him as president and those who wanted him replaced with Frank J. Selke . Toronto stock broker Percy Gardiner lent Smythe the money he needed to take control of the corporation. The loan was paid off in 1960. Beginning with the Canadian Grand Opera's production of Faust in 1936,
3840-476: The famous Summit Series between Team Canada and the USSR —Team Canada won the game 4–1. After the Leafs and Raptors moved to Air Canada Centre in 1999, Maple Leaf Gardens sat largely vacant for nearly a decade as the owners refused to sell it, fearing that it would compete with the Air Canada Centre. In 2009, it was sold and underwent a major internal reconstruction, turning it into a multi-purpose facility, with
3920-542: The home bench for Toros' games. Following two seasons of declining attendance and onerous lease terms at the Gardens, Bassett moved the club to Birmingham, Alabama and renamed them the Birmingham Bulls for the 1976–77 season . In 1997, allegations began to emerge that some employees of the Gardens had sexually abused young boys in the 1970s and 1980s. Martin Kruze was the first victim to come forward—contacting
4000-703: The most championships. No team from the Maritimes ever won the George Richardson Memorial Trophy, and the last time a Northern Ontario team won it occurred in 1937. CAHA vice-president W. B. George oversaw the Barrie Flyers versus Quebec Citadels series for the George Richardson Memorial Trophy, to represent Eastern Canada in the 1951 Memorial Cup playoffs. When the Citadels refused to play game five in Barrie , George gave them an ultimatum to play or forfeit
4080-438: The new owners of Maple Leaf Gardens in 1993 and going public in February 1997. His story of abuses beginning in 1975 prompted dozens of other victims to come forward. In October 1997, Gordon Stuckless pleaded guilty to sexually abusing 24 boys dating back to 1969 and was sentenced to a jail term of two years less a day. Three days later, Kruze committed suicide. An appeals court later increased Stuckless' sentence to five years. He
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#17327824903374160-554: The producers shot the boxing sequences of Cinderella Man ( Russell Crowe and Renée Zellweger ) at Maple Leaf Gardens in 2004. Maple Leaf Gardens was stripped of some of its outdoor signage for the production of an episode of Canadian-produced Flashpoint . The arena was named "The Godwin Coliseum" in the episode titled "Behind the Blue Line" that originally aired on November 20, 2009. On September 8, 2009, Matt Damon hosted
4240-551: The project, the lowest of ten tenders received, mainly because amongst the Thomson Brothers' various enterprises they had much of the sub-contract work covered (Thomson Lumber, Thomson Bros. Excavation), and others could not compete in this manner. That price did not include steelwork, which was estimated at an additional $ 100,000. Further savings were made through deals with labour unions in exchange for shares in MLGL. Construction began at midnight on June 1, 1931. In what
4320-489: The redevelopment of the Montreal Forum ). Still, these plans were abandoned when it was discovered that the tiered arena seating was holding up the exterior walls of the building, acting as a form of interior flying buttress . If the bowl of seating were removed, the exterior walls would lose most of their support. Loblaw Companies , Canada's largest food retailer, purchased the Gardens in 2004 for $ 12 million under
4400-454: The reins to Frank Tunney and his Maple Leaf Wrestling promotion in 1939. Under Tunney, Toronto and the Gardens was a thriving centre for professional wrestling for decades. Local hero Whipper Billy Watson became the city's top wrestling attraction in the 1940s and 1950s. The last WWE -promoted event at Maple Leaf Gardens was on September 17, 1995. Boxing was also a regular offering at the Gardens for many years. The first world title fight in
4480-483: The rest of the Maple Leafs' stay at the Gardens. Originally an American Sign and Indicator scoreboard, it was upgraded by Daktronics in the 1990s. Prior to the launch of the Ottawa Nationals of the World Hockey Association (WHA), the team had discussions with Ballard about locating the team in Toronto. Still, the talks did not get very far. The team was a flop at the box office, averaging about 3,000 fans
4560-459: The series. Quebec decided to play too late to arrive by train, but arrived half an hour late after flying. George scheduled game seven on neutral ice at Maple Leaf Gardens , despite protests from Flyers' coach Hap Emms who claimed that his team only agreed to resume the series if game seven was played in Barrie. Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) president Tubby Schmalz announced that teams from
4640-641: The southeast corner of Bay and Dundas Streets near the Toronto Eaton Centre (the current site of the Toronto Metropolitan University School of Business). By this time, Maple Leaf Gardens was considered too small and lacking in revenue-generating luxury boxes. The Leafs had no plans to occupy the Air Canada Centre , then under construction by the owners of the Toronto Raptors , and it appeared for
4720-481: The structure had been deteriorating for several years, and its ongoing use for minor league sports and events would not generate sufficient income to secure the building's preservation and restoration. Furthermore, the active re-use of the building would allow it to remain open to the public for years to come. Needing an authentic stand-in for New York's third Madison Square Garden during the Depression Era ,
4800-442: The team sold out every game from 1946 to 1999. It was often called the "Carlton Street Cashbox" in sports reporting. Advertising was sold and placed throughout the building. On November 8, 1963, Maple Leaf Gardens would be the first arena in the NHL to have separate penalty boxes. The Beatles made a stop at Maple Leaf Gardens during each of their three North American tours: September 7, 1964, August 17, 1965, and August 17, 1966. It
4880-517: The tour). From 1973 until the closing of Maple Leaf Gardens CPI brought the top rock and pop acts to Maple Leaf Gardens. The Leafs continued to sell out every game through the Ballard era, even as the team's performance went into steep decline. It was during this time that disgruntled fans gave the arena its unaffectionate nickname of "The Carlton Street Cash Box." The rink-side red seats were replaced with gold seats in 1974. In August 1979, to make room for private boxes, Ballard had his staff tear down
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#17327824903374960-408: The trophy were James T. Sutherland , W. A. Hewitt and Fred Marples . The trophy was presented annually from 1932 until 1971. It represented the Eastern Canada junior hockey championship, and a berth in the Memorial Cup final versus the Abbott Cup champion from Western Canada . The George Richardson Memorial Trophy was retired in 1971, when the Memorial Cup became a round-robin series between
5040-534: The two organizations allowed for the profits from the Canada Cup and the Summit Series to be invested into minor ice hockey in Canada, and also allowed professionals into international competition at the World Championships and eventually the Olympics. List of CAHA member branches from 1914 to 1994: List of CAHA presidents from 1914 to 1994: List of notable CAHA vice-presidents who did not serve as president: List of CAHA administrators from 1914 to 1979: The CAHA agreed to establish an Order of Merit at
5120-467: The winners of the three major junior hockey leagues in Canada; the Western Hockey League , the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . The Eastern Canada junior playoffs were open to the champions from five respective regions. However, league champions did not always participate, and the format varied depending on the number of teams. In the late 1950s, the Junior Canadiens participated as an independent team. Ontario-based teams won
5200-427: The winners of the three major junior hockey leagues in Canada; the Western Hockey League , the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . The trophy was named for Captain George Taylor Richardson , a hockey player who died while serving in World War I. Captain George Taylor Richardson (September 14, 1886 – February 9, 1916) was a Canadian ice hockey player, businessman, philanthropist, and later
5280-410: The world.” Four of the five contenders were North American firms. However, surprisingly, a foreign team ended up scoring the job: Landini Associates , a multidisciplinary retail design and branding consultancy based in Sydney, Australia. Speaking about the project in a 2012 interview with Monocle Magazine , Creative Director Mark Landini said: “I understood how iconic Maple Leaf Gardens
5360-422: Was 13,542. The Leafs would go on to win their first Stanley Cup as the Maple Leafs that season (they had already won two previously—one as the Toronto Arenas and one as the Toronto St. Patricks ). The first professional wrestling show at the Gardens was held on November 19, 1931, and attracted 15,800 people to see world champion Jim Londos in the main event. The show was promoted by Jack Corcoran, who passed
5440-428: Was achieved, in part, by making the seats narrower, so that—in the words of founder Conn Smythe—"only a young man could sit in them and only a fat old rich man could afford them." A large portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was removed to accommodate more seats. When asked why he removed the picture, Ballard replied, "She doesn't pay me; I pay her. Besides, what the hell position can a queen play?" The Leafs were so popular
5520-407: Was an analog clock. One of the designers of the new scoreboard, Paul Morris , was by this time the arena's public address announcer , a job he would hold until the Leafs left the arena. Ballard and the younger Smythe were accused in 1969 of stealing money from the corporation and avoiding income taxes by having Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. pay for many of their personal expenses. The controversy created
5600-588: Was founded in 1973 by Bill Ballard with Michael Cohl and David Wolinksy and brought many big-name music acts to the Gardens. The arena played host to The Rolling Thunder Revue Tour, with two consecutive shows, on December 1–2, 1975, headed by Bob Dylan . Bob Marley and The Wailers performed here on June 9, 1978, and November 1, 1979, in support of his Kaya Tour 1978 and Survival Tour 1979, respectively. The Bee Gees performed here on August 31, 1979. ABBA played here on Sunday, October 7, 1979, their last-ever concert appearance in North America. The Who performed at
5680-416: Was intended to be best-of-seven, but ended after five games with the Remparts leading three games to two. St. Catharines refused to return to Quebec City due to violence that occurred after game four, and threats from the Front de libération du Québec against its players. CAHA president Earl Dawson declared the series over when no further compromise could be reached. The Quebec Remparts ultimately accepted
5760-728: Was paroled in 2001. In 1999, former usher John Paul Roby was convicted of sexually molesting 26 boys and one girl. He was subsequently declared a dangerous offender and could have been kept in prison for the rest of his life. Roby died in Kingston Penitentiary from an apparent heart attack in 2001. In 2002, former Gardens security guard Dennis Morin was found guilty of sexual assault, indecent assault and gross indecency for incidents involving teenage boys. Allegations—unproven in court—were also made against other Gardens employees, including Ballard. Several civil suits were settled out of court for undisclosed amounts. In January 2006,
5840-823: Was part of a prominent Kingston, Ontario family that owned and operated James Richardson & Sons . He joined the Canadian Expeditionary Forces in World War I , and died in action in Belgium , and was created a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour of the French Third Republic . The George Richardson Memorial Trophy was donated to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) by James Armstrong Richardson Sr. in memory of his brother in April 1932. The original three trustees named for
5920-532: Was sold to John F. Bassett , son of former Leafs owner John Bassett. They were renamed the Toronto Toros in June 1973. Bassett wanted the team to play at a renovated CNE Coliseum . At the same time Bill Ballard —Harold's son, who was running the Gardens while his father served a prison sentence—wanted the team at the Gardens and opposed the plan to upgrade the Coliseum. The Toros ended up at Varsity Arena for
6000-508: Was the home arena for the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League for the 1999 and 2000 seasons. The Rock won the Champion's Cup in both seasons, making them the building's last championship team. The 2000 NLL Championship game was ultimately the building's last professional event held at MLG. They had a training camp at the Gardens in 2001 and then moved to the ACC. Maple Leaf Gardens
6080-467: Was the only venue to host the group on each tour. In March 1966, Conn Smythe resigned from the board of directors after a Muhammad Ali boxing match was scheduled for the Gardens. He found Ali's comments about the Vietnam War to be offensive and said that by accepting the fight, Gardens owners had "put cash ahead of class." The fight had been kicked out of every place in the U.S. because Clay
6160-529: Was the site of the first game in the history of the Basketball Association of America (later to become the NBA ), with the Toronto Huskies playing the New York Knickerbockers . The Huskies played their last game at the Gardens on March 28, 1947, and the franchise folded shortly after that. In the 1946–47 NHL season, Maple Leaf Gardens was the first arena in the NHL to have Plexiglas inserted in
6240-581: Was then mostly dormant for a decade. MLSE refused to sell Maple Leaf Gardens to anyone who proposed to use it as an arena in competition with the Air Canada Centre. Among these turned down was Eugene Melnyk , owner of the Toronto St. Michael's Majors OHL hockey team and the Maple Leafs' rival team, the Ottawa Senators . Various redevelopment schemes were proposed, most notably an entertainment complex containing retail shops and cinemas (similar to
6320-438: Was too small, and he wanted to build a new arena, larger and more impressive. After considering various sites, the site at the corner of Carlton and Church was purchased from The T. Eaton Co. Ltd. for $ 350,000, ($ 6.71 million in 2023 dollars), a price said to be $ 150,000 below market value. The new 12,473-seat (14,550 including standing room) arena was designed by the architectural firm of Ross and Macdonald . To finance
6400-481: Was when I noticed every bar and shop in Toronto had ice hockey on TV. The arena had also hosted the Beatles , Elvis Presley , and the boxer Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali . So, when the building was shut down, the social context changed. The new store would need to be more than a supermarket. It would have to revitalize this part of the city with a new sense of place. There’s no reason it shouldn’t be part of
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