The Ottawa Nationals were a professional men's ice hockey team out of Ottawa that played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) during the 1972–73 WHA season .
154-562: The WHA had originally granted a franchise to Doug Michel for "Ontario." Original plans called for the team to play at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto , but Michel couldn't get a favourable lease. Afterward, it was expected that Hamilton would be the team's home, but it was eventually placed in Ottawa. Nick Trbovich became majority owner before the season began, with Michel running hockey operations. They were coached by Billy Harris and led on
308-490: 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
462-527: A 7–3 victory. "I was stunned by their performance" was Sinden's assessment. Former Montreal Canadiens ' coach Claude Ruel commented that the Soviets' forwards were one of the most finely honed units he had ever seen. "They are always moving, never standing around, they head-man the puck as well as anyone has ever done—and they always seem to be in the right place." According to Dryden: "We didn't play our game at all. After they tied it up, we started playing
616-486: 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
770-422: 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
924-790: 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 the Basketball Association of America (a forerunner of the National Basketball Association ), the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey League ,
1078-549: 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
1232-581: 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 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
1386-431: A dime for this. Brother, I'm sick". Other players were more sanguine. Dryden didn't lash out at the fans. "I'm disappointed, but I can understand it. The fans wanted us to do real good, and they're frustrated we didn't. I didn't think I deserved to be booed. Tretiak frustrated us, but I guess I didn't frustrate them enough." After the fourth game, the series went on a two-week hiatus. The Soviets returned home and played in
1540-548: A domestic tournament. The Canadians took a few days off, then travelled to Sweden for a pair of exhibition games before arriving in Moscow. Team Canada arrived in Moscow for the final four games at the Luzhniki Ice Palace, accompanied by 3,000 Canadian fans. Not long after starting practices in Moscow, Team Canada players Vic Hadfield, Rick Martin and Jocelyn Guevremont left the team and went home for what they felt
1694-404: 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
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#17327806985441848-682: A former assistant to Tarasov, observed all of the Canadians' practices in Toronto. While the Soviet team was in Canada, Rick Noonan , a trainer for the University of British Columbia ’s sports teams, was assigned by Hockey Canada to assist the Soviets. Noonan, who would be later be named general manager of Team Canada for the 1980 Winter Olympics , was the only Canadian to have regular access to
2002-469: 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, 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
2156-672: 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
2310-536: A goal to get Canada to within 4–2, but then Shadrin scored to put the game out of reach. Dennis Hull scored a too-little, too-late goal in the final minute. All the Canadian goals were scored by players Sinden had inserted in place of players who had played in Winnipeg. Still, Sinden felt that changing the lineup had been a mistake. According to Sinden, Ken Dryden, who had replaced Tony Esposito in goal, did not have
2464-414: A good game; he was shaky and Tretiak was great. According to Conacher, the Soviets used cross-ice passing in the attacking zone, a tactic that caused problems for Dryden. Serge Savard missed the game after fracturing his ankle in practice. Team Canada was booed off the ice at the end of what was the final game of the series played in Canada. Responding to the negative public and media reaction in light of
2618-414: A hotel in Toronto, where Soviet hockey players lived, and ate a printed copy of his column after covering it with borscht . The second game was played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on September 4. Sinden scratched several players from the first game, including Dryden, Awrey, Ratelle, Red Berenson , Rod Gilbert , Vic Hadfield , Mickey Redmond and Rod Seiling . Hadfield took the scratch hard, as he
2772-556: 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
2926-446: 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
3080-416: A long time. But NHL responded: "Why do we need this? We will beat you with a double-digit score, we will kill everyone so that in the second period there will be no one on the court. Have you become amateur champions again? So study there, you have nothing to play with us." Yvan Cournoyer remembered: "Everyone told us: don't worry, you'll beat them easily. We trained half-heartedly, so we didn't prepare for
3234-426: A minute later to restore the two-goal lead. Rod Gilbert scored a questionable goal that was disallowed, and Canada's protests went unheeded. To Sinden, that was the turning point of the game, and the result could have been different had the goal been allowed, although Sinden admitted that it was "a beating". Vikulov scored to put the Soviets ahead 4–1 after two periods. In the third, Goldsworthy made partial amends with
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#17327806985443388-440: 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
3542-541: A panic type of game. Sometimes there were five men going for the puck at once." At the end of the game, Team Canada accidentally snubbed the Soviets by returning to the dressing room directly without shaking hands with the Soviets after the game. The win by the USSR team was celebrated into the early hours back home, and many took the next day off work. Valeri Kharlamov's father Boris held an impromptu party at his Moscow apartment. Dick Beddoes fulfilled his promise - he came to
3696-464: A player. The Soviets selected Vsevolod Bobrov as the coach for the series. Bobrov was a former player who had played against Canada in the 1950s and later managed the Soviet national soccer team and the Moscow Spartak ice hockey team . Bobrov had been given the job as the Soviets' national ice hockey team coach, replacing long-time coach Anatoly Tarasov after the 1972 Winter Olympics. This
3850-466: 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 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
4004-441: 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 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
4158-443: 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
4312-480: A rout were being proven correct. But the Soviets got over any awe of the NHLers and scored twice to tie the game 2–2 before the end of the first period. Yevgeni Zimin scored on a pass from behind the net, and Vladimir Petrov scored a shorthanded goal on a Soviet 2-on-1 break, with Petrov potting the rebound after an initial Dryden save. According to Sinden, the Canadian players had lost their poise, "running all over
4466-494: A series between its national team and Canadian professionals. After the meetings, Canadian ambassador Robert Ford passed the matter to Ottawa to negotiate a series and Hockey Canada was given the task to nail down the terms for a series. In March, Canada proposed a round-robin tournament including Sweden and Czechoslovakia in September, with a fallback proposal for bilateral games instead. The Soviets agreed in principle with
4620-702: A series initially through reading an article in the Soviet Izvestia newspaper in the winter of 1971–1972. Diplomat Gary Smith, responsible for sport and cultural exchanges with the Soviet Union, read In December 1971 that the Soviets were looking for a new challenge in ice hockey. Smith met with Izvestia sports editor Boris Fedosov initially, then followed up with a meeting with Soviet hockey boss Andrei Starovoytov and other Soviet officials in January. The Soviets divulged that they were ready to play in
4774-504: A signed NHL contract by August 13. His list of players included Bobby Hull, who by that time had already signed with the rival World Hockey Association (WHA) league. Three other players Sinden named— Gerry Cheevers , Derek Sanderson and J. C. Tremblay —had not yet signed with the WHA, but would do so and become ineligible. The condition had been negotiated between the NHL and Hockey Canada, and
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4928-423: A strong forecheck by the Canadians in the Soviets' zone, Ratelle scored off a turnover to put Canada ahead 2–1 after the first. In the second period, Wayne Cashman dug the puck out of a scrum in the corner to feed the puck to Phil Esposito, who scored to put Canada ahead 3–1. But on another Canadian power play, Kharlamov circled behind the Canadian defence and gathered a breakaway pass, then beat Tony Esposito to score
5082-508: 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,
5236-505: 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
5390-483: 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" 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),
5544-474: The KGB ; CSKA Moscow players became officers in the army . This preserved a player's amateur status for Olympic and World Championship eligibility and the players would have a career after their hockey playing days ended. Entering international play in 1954, the Soviet national team, under the tutelage of Anatoly Tarasov , started to dominate the international competitions, and won nine consecutive championships in
5698-708: The Soviet Union and Canada , held in September 1972. It was the first competition between the Soviet national team and a Canadian team represented by professional players of the National Hockey League (NHL), known as Team Canada . It was the first international ice hockey competition for Canada after they had withdrawn from such competitions in a dispute with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The series
5852-596: The Soviet Union Ice Hockey Federation general secretary, Bunny Ahearne the president of the IIHF, and former CAHA president Fred Page as the vice-president of the IIHF. The two sides agreed on the terms: four games in Canada in early September, and four games later in the month in the Soviet Union. Kryczka also announced that two games were to be held in Sweden before the Moscow segment of
6006-1058: 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 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
6160-477: 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 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
6314-515: The Winnipeg Jets in the 1979-80 NHL season , before moving to Sweden, then Italy, before his retirement in 1983. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes 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
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6468-425: 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 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
6622-492: The 1940s, the Soviet Union started a Soviet hockey league playing the Canadian game. The elite sports societies of the Soviet Union, such as CSKA Moscow (Central Sports Club Army), Dynamo and Spartak , soon became the elite teams of the hockey league and supplied the players for the national team. Ostensibly amateurs, the players played hockey full-time and were paid by the government. The players had other titular professions; for example Moscow Dynamo players became officers of
6776-481: The 1960s. In response, Canada developed a national team of its own. But Canada's best players usually became professionals and the national team featured mostly university players. The Canadian team did not win any championships and was looked upon as a failure. By 1969, the Government of Canada had formed Hockey Canada , an organization to co-ordinate Canadian international play with its amateur organizations and
6930-467: 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
7084-462: The Canadian team and most of the Canadian hockey media with an opening game victory, 7–3. Many Canadian sportswriters had predicted an overwhelming victory for Canada in the series. Canada won the next game 4–1; the third game was a tie. Canada lost the fourth game in Vancouver. The series resumed two weeks later in Moscow. The Soviets won the fifth game to take a two-game lead. The Canadians then won
7238-636: The Canadians a challenge, and Canada was going into this series expected to win handily. Sinden opined, "Canada is first in the world in two things: hockey and wheat." Alan Eagleson said, "We gotta win in eight games. Anything less than an unblemished sweep of the Russians would bring shame down on the heads of the players and the national pride." Vladislav Tretiak recalled: "The Canadians said that they were professionals, and amateurs played in Europe. <Anatoly> Tarasov had been calling them to face off for
7392-472: The Canadians had gotten overconfident. "I was fooled again. I felt that after we had taken a 3–1 lead, the final score might be something like 7–1. But those two shorthanded goals. When you score one shorthanded goal it can turn it all around. But two? That's almost fatal." According to Tim Burke of the Montreal Gazette , both goaltenders, Tony Esposito and Vladislav Tretiak, reached great heights, or
7546-407: The Canadians would have no difficulty winning under any set of conditions. Kryczka felt that the Soviets had demanded the concessions for their own benefit, believing that their team was already equal to any NHL team. The agreement stipulated that Soviet players were to be paid CA$ 5,000 per game in Canada, and Canadian players were to be paid 5,000 Rbls per game in Moscow. It also stipulated
7700-569: 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 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
7854-404: 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 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
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#17327806985448008-464: 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 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
8162-491: 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
8316-636: 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 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
8470-433: 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 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
8624-518: The Montreal Forum. The unheralded line of Bobby Clarke, Ron Ellis and Paul Henderson impressed in camp, enough to earn a place in the starting lineup for game one. The Soviets named 31 players for its roster on August 11. The roster included four goaltenders, led by 20-year-old Vladislav Tretiak, Olympic and two-time world champion. The defence was led by Alexander Ragulin , who had played in three Olympics and nine world championships. The team
8778-526: The NHL would not relent. The condition was widely criticized, including by the NHL's own Harold Ballard , the Toronto Maple Leafs owner and a harsh opponent of the WHA. Ballard felt that the series was the "unofficial world series of hockey and we want to win". Phil Reimer, a governor of Hockey Canada, resigned over the matter. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau made a personal appeal, but Doug Fisher , chairman of Hockey Canada, refused to re-open
8932-551: The NHL. In July 1969, on a trial basis, the inclusion of nine professional players for any event for one year was agreed to by the IIHF. Canada entered a team with five professionals in the Izvestia tournament at Christmas in 1969, and nearly won the tournament. The IIHF then convened an emergency meeting in January 1970, and the rule allowing professionals was rescinded. In response, Canada withdrew from IIHF play. The 1970 IIHF World Championships , scheduled to be held in Canada for
9086-594: The Nationals opted to move elsewhere for the next season and play its playoff dates in Toronto. During this playoff series, the team was referred to as the Ontario Nationals. After the season, the team was sold to John F. Bassett and became the Toronto Toros . The last Ottawa Nationals player active in North American major professional hockey was Mike Amodeo , who played one season in the NHL with
9240-529: 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
9394-531: The Pacific Coliseum. The game started with two consecutive penalties by Bill Goldsworthy, and Boris Mikhailov converted both into power play goals to give the Soviets a 2–0 lead. Goldsworthy, starting in place of Cashman, was trying to counter his teammate's truculence, but only ended up hurting his team and was criticized privately by Sinden. In the second, Gilbert Perreault scored when a Soviet deflected his shot past Tretiak, but Blinov scored less than
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#17327806985449548-415: The Russians were still faster and quicker." Team Canada responded to their previous defeat with stronger play in this game. The first period was scoreless, but the Canadians used the period to intimidate the Soviets with hard body checking, especially from Cashman, Gary Bergman , Peter Mahovlich and Parisé, to throw the Soviets off their game. In the second period, Esposito again scored the first goal of
9702-622: The Series to learn. In a poll of experts conducted by The Hockey News , not one expected the Soviets to win a single game. Journalist Dick Beddoes of Toronto's The Globe and Mail offered to eat his words "shredded at high noon in a bowl of borscht on the steps of the Russian Embassy" if the Soviets won one game. Canadian journalists Milt Dunnell ( Toronto Star ), Jim Coleman ( Southam ), and Claude Larochelle ( Le Soleil ) predicted results of seven wins for Canada to one for
9856-489: The Soviet Union and players on the ice. The games introduced several talented Soviet players to North America, such as Hockey Hall of Fame inductees Alexander Yakushev , Valeri Kharlamov and goaltender Vladislav Tretiak . Team Canada, the first NHL and professional all-star team formed for international play, was led by Phil Esposito , who led the series in scoring, as well as contributing in other roles. The Canadian line of Bobby Clarke , Ron Ellis and Henderson, which
10010-458: The Soviet team's hockey equipment seized to guarantee payment, threatening the start of the series. Former Boston Bruins ' coach Harry Sinden , who had been out of hockey since leaving the Bruins in 1970, was suggested by the media as a good candidate for the job of Team Canada's coach. Ron Brown, a sportswriter from Kingston, Ontario called Sinden and in the interview, Sinden admitted that he
10164-670: The Soviets' locker room, and he was behind the Soviets' bench during the first four games of the Summit Series. At the time, the National Hockey League was considered to be where the best hockey players played, and its best players consisted largely of Canadians. The public consensus of hockey pundits and fans in North America was that other countries, the Soviets in this case, were simply no match for Canada's best. The Soviets were not expected to even give
10318-474: The Soviets' second shorthanded goal. Paul Henderson scored unassisted seconds later to restore Canada's two-goal lead. However, the Soviets' "Youngster's Line" of Yuri Lebedev , Vyacheslav Anisin and Alexander Bodunov scored twice to tie the game at 4–4 after two periods. The third period was scoreless, creating what would prove to be the only tie of the eight-game series (there was no provision for overtime). Team Canada assistant coach John Ferguson felt that
10472-454: The Soviets. American journalists Gerald Eskenazi ( The New York Times ) and Francis Rosa ( Boston Globe ) predicted eight wins to none, while Mark Mulvoy ( Sports Illustrated ) predicted seven wins to one for Canada. Before the first game, former Canadiens' star goaltender Jacques Plante gave Soviet goaltender Tretiak advice on how to play the NHL forwards (losing the fact that Tretyak didn't speak English). Plante did this because he
10626-467: The St. Laurent Arena the next day. They were already acclimatized to the time zone as the team had been training on Montreal time for two weeks before travelling there. They brought 15 forwards, nine defencemen and three goaltenders. Veteran defenceman Vitali Davydov did not accompany the team to Canada. The reason given was injury, but the media questioned if Davydov had fallen out of favour with Bobrov. Firsov
10780-639: 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
10934-415: 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
11088-633: The World Championship and Olympic titles. As a career, Canadian players would play instead in the various professional hockey leagues, the best reaching the NHL. Their professional status made them ineligible to play in the World Championships or Olympic Winter Games under the rules of the time. The last Canadian amateur club to win the world championship were the Trail Smoke Eaters in the 1961 championship . In
11242-400: The agency convinced Eagleson otherwise, as the teams were from the USSR and Canada. The name Team Canada was inspired by the contemporary auto-racing team Team McLaren . The name is attributed to copy writer Terry Hill, whose first choice "The Dream Team" was rejected. The design of the sweater by designer John Lloyd utilized an enormous stylized maple leaf, like the Canadian flag, that covers
11396-496: The agreement between the NHL and Hockey Canada. Prior to training camp, there were several changes in the roster. Jacques Laperrière withdrew and Guy Lapointe was selected as his replacement. Dennis Hull , brother of Bobby, considered turning down his invitation, but accepted because Bobby wished him to. Cheevers was replaced by his Boston teammate Eddie Johnston . Stan Mikita replaced Sanderson. Rick Martin replaced Bobby Hull. Bobby Orr , who had been selected although he
11550-475: The air behind Tretiak. But even after a few minutes, Sinden felt the Soviets were coming on and having no difficulty getting through Canada's defence. Henderson scored after six minutes to give Canada a two-goal lead on a faceoff win by Clarke (the only advantage that Team Canada had, in Sinden's estimation). To the Canadian spectators and media, the second goal gave the appearance that the pre-series predictions of
11704-426: 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 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
11858-498: The beginning of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships in 1920, Canada would send a senior amateur club team, usually the previous year's Allan Cup champion, to compete as the Canadian entry. These teams were often university players or unpaid players playing ice hockey while being employed in some other profession full-time. From the 1920s until the 1950s, Canadian amateur club teams won most of
12012-457: The booing we've gotten in our own buildings. If the Russians boo their players, the fans ... Russians boo their players ... Some of the Canadian fans—I'm not saying all of them, some of them booed us, then I'll come back and I'll apologize to each one of the Canadians, but I don't think they will. I'm really, really ... I'm really disappointed. I am completely disappointed. I cannot believe it. Some of our guys are really, really down in
12166-425: The choice of referees was acceptable to both parties. Teams were limited to 19 players and a total of 30, including officials, with allowances for changes between the Canadian and Moscow segments. During the summer, further details were settled. The Canadian games were scheduled for Montreal ( Montreal Forum ), Toronto ( Maple Leaf Gardens ), Winnipeg ( Winnipeg Arena ), and Vancouver ( Pacific Coliseum ) and
12320-404: 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,
12474-449: 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
12628-554: 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
12782-451: The corporation and avoiding income taxes by having Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. pay for many of their personal expenses. The controversy created 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
12936-406: The counterattack to restore their two-goal lead with six minutes to play. Mikhailov skated across the Canadian net about 20 feet out, lured Dryden away from the goal crease, then back-handed the puck between the goalie's legs into the net. The strategy of three lines, combined with the heat in the arena, had left the Canadians exhausted, and the Soviets scored twice in the final minutes to finish with
13090-401: The delight of all of the spectators. Parisé scored the only goal of the first period, and Clarke and Henderson scored in the second to give Canada a 3–0 lead. In the third, Yury Blinov scored for the Soviets at 3:34 and Henderson scored at 4:56 to make it a 4-1 Canada lead. At 9:05, Anisin scored on a deflection to start a run of four straight Soviet goals. Vladimir Vikulov 's goal at 14:46
13244-400: The dumps, we know, we're trying like hell. I mean, we're doing the best we can, and they got a good team, and let's face facts. But it doesn't mean that we're not giving it our 150%, because we certainly are. I mean, the more – everyone of us guys, 35 guys that came out and played for Team Canada. We did it because we love our country, and not for any other reason, no other reason. They can throw
13398-526: The earliest days of the Soviet Union, bandy or "Russian hockey" was played, not "Canadian hockey", and the Soviets did not compete in the Olympics or World Championships for ice hockey, which played the Canadian game. Post- World War II , a goal of the Central Committee of the Soviet Union was world supremacy in sport. The decision was made to transfer resources to the Canadian game. Starting in
13552-521: The end of the second period, the temperature in the Forum had reached 115 °F (46 °C). For the third period, Sinden benched Awrey and the Jean Ratelle line, going with just three lines. In the third, Clarke scored to bring Canada within one. In the Canadians' attempt to tie the game, Yvan Cournoyer put a puck off the post, but the Soviets broke out afterwards and Boris Mikhailov scored on
13706-430: The exclusion of top Canadian player Bobby Hull , the second leading goalscorer in the NHL the previous season and who had led the league in goalscoring seven times, because he had signed a contract to play in the new World Hockey Association (WHA). A knee injury forced superstar defenceman Bobby Orr , the second leading point scorer in the league the previous season and scoring champion two years prior, to sit out. From
13860-400: The expectation for an overwhelming Team Canada sweep of the series, Phil Esposito made an emotional outburst in a post-game interview: To the people across Canada, we tried, we gave it our best, and to the people that boo us, geez, I'm really, all of us guys are really disheartened and we're disillusioned, and we're disappointed at some of the people. We cannot believe the bad press we've got,
14014-489: The final three games in Moscow to win the series four games to three, with one tie. The final game was won in dramatic fashion, with the Canadians overcoming a two-goal Soviet lead after two periods. The Canadians scored three times in the third, the final goal scored with 34 seconds left by Paul Henderson . The series was played during the Cold War , and intense feelings of nationalism were aroused in fans in both Canada and
14168-432: 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 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
14322-525: The first time, were transferred to Sweden after Canada refused to host the event. In the early 1970s, the idea of meetings between the national teams of the USSR and Canada began to be actively discussed again. Its main initiator was the Сhairman of the State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports of the USSR , Sergei Pavlov . The Canadian embassy in Moscow learned of the Soviets' interest in
14476-480: The front of the net. I expect there will be some surprises for us when we meet your Canadian stars." He also predicted that Valeri Kharlamov "will stand out, even against your best Canadians. By North American standards, he is small but he has an excellent shot. I think he will be effective." Sinden was aware of Kharlamov and he selected Ron Ellis to the Team Canada roster especially to cover Kharlamov. Game one
14630-405: The front. No numbers were on the sleeves, only on the back with the wording "CANADA" above the number. The sweater used only two colours: red and white, the maple leaf, numbers and letters in one colour and the rest of the sweater the other. The name, sweater design and a team song were all prepared in 24 hours, in time for a previously scheduled news conference. The series itself was simply known at
14784-422: The game, this time from a feed from his regular Boston Bruins' linemate Cashman, who had retrieved the puck deep in the Soviets' zone after colliding with USSR defenceman Vladimir Lutchenko . In the third period, Yvan Cournoyer wheeled around Alexander Ragulin and beat Tretiak to give Canada a 2–0 lead. Yakushev got the Soviets on the board after teammate Yevgeni Zimin missed on a breakaway. Yuri Lyapkin pounced on
14938-739: The games in the Soviet Union were all to be held in Moscow at the Luzhniki Ice Palace . The NHL players at first objected to the September dates, suggesting dates in October or November when they would be in better shape but the idea was rejected by the Soviets. A game in Prague , at first proposed following the Swedish games and before travel to Moscow, was moved to take place after the Moscow series. NHL players' union president and Hockey Canada director Alan Eagleson , while not involved in
15092-407: The games under international rules. The Canadians agreed to IIHF amateur referees in the Canada part of the series, and European referees in the Moscow games. The refereeing would use the international two referee system, not the one referee, two linesmen system in place in the NHL, and, at the time, being introduced into international play. The Canadian side agreed to the terms under the belief that
15246-446: The governments. Eagleson placated the NHL owners by arranging that part of the series' proceeds would go to the NHL player's pension fund, reducing payments from the owners, and threatening to have his player clients play without NHL co-operation. Before the first game, Eagleson personally paid to settle a lawsuit won by a Montreal man, whose car had been destroyed in the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia . The court had ordered
15400-542: 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
15554-501: The ice by Wayne Carleton , who scored 42 goals and 92 points during the season. They hosted the first-ever WHA game, on October 11, 1972, losing 7–4 to the Alberta Oilers . Their home arena was the Ottawa Civic Centre , but they were a flop at the box office, averaging about 3,000 fans per game. Before the season ended, the City of Ottawa demanded a payment of $ 100,000 to secure dates for the following season. Rather than agree,
15708-532: The ice" trying to establish their hitting game, while the Soviets used an unexpected tactic, the long pass, to break a man out of their defensive zone. The Canadian defence was also dropping to the ice to block shots, while the Soviets simply skated around them to get a closer shot. Although Tretiak had given up two goals on Canada's first two shots, he recovered later in the period to make two critical saves off Esposito at point-blank range. According to Esposito, "at Christmas time, it would have been 4–0 for us." In
15862-399: The initial negotiations, became a central figure in the organization of the series. Eagleson, who could call on a personal network of players, NHL owners, Hockey Canada executives and Canadian business, would be involved in most arrangements for the Canadian team. Eagleson would confide to Toronto Star reporter Alexander Ross, that he "un-negotiated" much of what had been negotiated between
16016-558: The loss on the officiating. Bobrov complained that the pair of American referees, Frank Larsen and Steve Dowling, let the Canadians get away with everything. After the game, the head of the USSR Hockey Federation, Andrei Starovoytov , charged the door of the officials' dressing room and kicked chairs over, exclaiming: "American referees allowed Canadian hockey players to act like a gang of outlaws." The two referees, scheduled to work game four in Vancouver, were replaced by
16170-783: The main event match, world champion Dara Singh defeated Danny Lynch and retained his title. Concert Promotions International 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
16324-528: 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, 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
16478-496: The money, uh, for the pension fund out the window. They can throw anything they want out the window. We came because we love Canada. And even though we play in the United States , and we earn money in the United States, Canada is still our home, and that's the only reason we come. And I don't think it's fair that we should be booed. Brad Park and Frank Mahovlich also criticized the booing. According to Park: "We get nothing—not
16632-494: 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
16786-415: The outcome could have been 10–10. Tretiak was making an unexpected start for the Soviets, who had planned to start Viktor Zinger , but he was reported to be ill before the game. Soviet coach Bobrov complained about the officiating and the play of Wayne Cashman, stating that "if that game had been played in Europe, he would have spent the whole game in the penalty box." Game four was played in Vancouver at
16940-647: 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 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
17094-493: The pair who had refereed games one and three, Gord Lee and Len Gagnon. Team Canada agreed to the Soviets' request to change referees, apparently not aware of Starovoitov's tantrum after game two. Game three was played in the Winnipeg Arena on September 6. After the second game, the Soviets said that they had strayed into playing too much of the Canadian style, as individuals, and promised to return to their team style for
17248-455: The players named were from the Soviet "Red Army" team HC CSKA Moscow, the team managed by former national coach Tarasov. Along with their regular training, Bobrov had the Soviet players take boxing lessons in preparation for the series. The Soviets arrived in Montreal not long before the series, on August 30. Staying at Montreal's Queen Elizabeth Hotel , the team began two-a-day workouts at
17402-554: 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
17556-452: The puck back as fast as the original shot. Game five was held on September 22. Luzhniki was filled to its 14,000 capacity, including Communist Party General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev , Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin and Soviet head of state Nikolai Podgorny and a large contingent of military in dress uniform. The 3,000 Canadian fans were given seats, but a group of 150 Canadian sports figures were left unseated. The players marched out to
17710-404: The quality of the Soviets skating and their team play. Prior to the series, Bobrov held a press luncheon in Moscow. He refused to consider that either team would sweep the series. To him, Team Canada had "the fire power, know-how and goaltending", but how would it adapt to international rules, two-referee system and amateur officials? He conceded that Phil Esposito would "be difficult to move from
17864-677: 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 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
18018-441: The rebound and fed it out front for Alexander Yakushev to bury the puck behind Esposito. Peter Mahovlich then scored a critical shorthanded goal, deking out the Soviet defender one-on-one, then Tretiak, to again give Canada a two-goal lead. His brother Frank then finished the scoring on a feed from Mikita, who had circled around a Soviet defenceman. Team Canada's 4–1 win tied the series at one game apiece. The Soviet coaches blamed
18172-489: 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
18326-483: 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
18480-596: The resumption of ice hockey contacts with Canada, depending on the final conditions to be negotiated in April. The negotiations for the series were finalized at the Hotel International Prague during the 1972 World Ice Hockey Championships in April 1972. A "Letter of Agreement" was agreed upon and was signed on April 18, 1972, by Joe Kryczka , the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) president, Starovoytov
18634-423: The rink for the game to loud cheers, accompanied by the song " No Coward Plays Hockey ". During the pregame introductions, Jean Ratelle, captain for the night, was given the traditional gift of bread and salt . The players were all given red and white carnations . Phil Esposito was given flowers, but he slipped and fell on a flower stem, landing on his back. Esposito recovered to laugh at his pratfall, and bowed to
18788-432: The second period, Kharlamov scored on a great individual effort to put the Soviets ahead 3–2. Kharlamov deked Don Awrey , skated around him, faked a backhand shot on goaltender Ken Dryden , then scored on the forehand. Kharlamov then scored a second goal to give the Soviets a two-goal lead at the end of the second period. During the period, the air temperature in the Forum (which had no air conditioning system) increased. By
18942-472: The series as part of a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of ice hockey in Sweden. He also announced that Team Canada hoped to play a game or two in Czechoslovakia in return for previous visits by Czechoslovakian teams to Canada. NHL President Clarence Campbell issued a statement that the league fully supported the proposed series. The two sides agreed to hold the series in September and play
19096-544: The series. He blamed the NHL: "This, the most important hockey event of our time, has been tacked onto the front of the NHL season as something only tolerated by the owners, and endorsed by the players as a means of enriching their pension plan." Former professional player Billy Harris who had coached Sweden's national team earlier in the year, predicted a Soviets' win, largely on the strength of Tretiak's goaltending. Former Canadian national team coach David Bauer also warned about
19250-578: The shares within the Smythe family, but in February 1972, Ballard purchased all of Smythe's shares, leaving him with majority ownership of 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
19404-641: 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
19558-481: 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 ,
19712-432: The third game. Canada went with the same lineup as game two, with the exception of Ratelle replacing Bill Goldsworthy . Team Canada held leads of 3–1 and 4–2, but the Soviets rallied and the game ended in a 4–4 tie. Canada took the lead only 1:54 into the game on a goal by Parisé, but Petrov replied shorthanded at 3:16 to tie. Petrov stole the puck from Frank Mahovlich for a breakaway and deked Tony Esposito to score. After
19866-564: The time as the Canada-USSR Series, although the name "Friendship Series" had been suggested by the Government of Canada Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Along with coaching, Harry Sinden was given the task of selecting Team Canada, which would be the first true "team" composed of NHL all-stars. When Sinden announced the list of 35 Canadian players on July 12, one of the conditions of playing was revealed: players would have to have
20020-572: 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
20174-469: The upcoming meetings in the best way." At the same time, Phil Esposito perceived the upcoming series as "a real fight — capitalism against communism : "Do you know how we hated the damn communists? We had no right to lose. I didn't want to know the Russians. They were against our way of life, against private property." Soviet hockey players, also feeling responsible for the country, did not hate Canadians. They downplayed themselves, stating that they were in
20328-476: The visitors. The official scorer had to return to the Soviets' dressing room and demand the lineup. Sinden wanted to put the Ellis-Clarke-Henderson line on against Valeri Kharlamov's line. The Soviets did not start Kharlamov's line and Sinden named Phil Esposito's line for the opening faceoff. The move paid off as Esposito scored for Canada after just 30 seconds of play, knocking a puck out of
20482-463: 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
20636-474: Was "thinking of the humiliation he was almost certain to suffer". Plante himself predicted Canada would win "eight straight". In a game scouted by Team Canada, Tretiak had given up eight goals in a game played the day before his wedding. A few Canadians gave a dissenting prognosis of the series. John Robertson of the Montreal Star warned that Team Canada was too poorly prepared and out of shape to win
20790-484: Was a lack of playing time. Team Canada used its practice time in the Dvoretz Sporta to learn the differences of the Soviet rinks. While there had been concern about the wider ice surface, what was most strange to the Canadian players was the fish netting draped at the ends of the rink above the boards instead of glass. Considered "in play", the netting was strung tight, and a slap shot to the netting could catapult
20944-526: Was a veteran team with only a handful of players to make their national team debut. Several players were named provisionally, depending on their performance in the Sovietsky Sport tournament being held during August. Boris Kulagin , coach of Krylia Sovietov , was named the assistant coach. Among the forwards, the team did not name Anatoli Firsov , regarded as the "Bobby Hull" of the Soviets, who had reportedly spoken out against his new coach. Most of
21098-451: Was available and willing to take the position. After a phone call from Sinden to Alan Eagleson, it was arranged for Sinden to have an interview with Hockey Canada's steering committee for the series in June. After the one interview, Hockey Canada selected Sinden for the position. Sinden selected former player John Ferguson as his assistant coach , after initially trying to recruit Ferguson as
21252-515: 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 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
21406-414: 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 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
21560-442: Was from the Toronto area and felt he was being embarrassed in front of his hometown. On defence, Serge Savard , Pat Stapleton and Bill White were added, as were forwards Mikita, Wayne Cashman and J. P. Parisé . Tony Esposito , Phil's brother, took over goaltending duties. Sinden's changes were made to get "the diggers into the game and try to grind the Russians down. We had went for speed and quickness in our first lineup, yet
21714-403: Was held in Montreal in a very warm Montreal Forum on September 2 before 18,818 fans. The gamesmanship between the teams started before the opening puck drop. Canada was assigned the home team for all games in Canada, while the Soviets would be the home team in Moscow. The Soviets would not release their lineup until they had seen their opponents', which was the opposite order, considering they were
21868-408: Was his second international assignment; his first was the 1972 World Championship, where Czechoslovakia had defeated the Soviet Union, ending a run of nine consecutive championships by the Soviets. The Canadian team would be known as Team Canada for the first time. The name and sweater design was done by advertising agency Vickers and Benson. Eagleson wanted to call the team the "NHL All-Stars", but
22022-416: Was injured, remained with the team during the series and practiced with them, but did not play in any games. Team Canada assembled in Toronto and started training camp on August 13. Sinden named four co-captains: Esposito, Mikita, Frank Mahovlich and Jean Ratelle . The team trained for three weeks in Toronto and arrived in Montreal on August 31 for the first game. The team held a practice on September 1 at
22176-406: Was not expected to start for the team, as none were yet stars, played a surprisingly large role in the Canadian victory, with Henderson scoring the game-winning goal in each of the final three games. The series was filled with controversy, including disputes over officiating, and dirty play on the part of both teams highlighted by the deliberate slash of Kharlamov by Clarke in game six. There was also
22330-439: Was organized with the intention to create a true best-against-best competition in the sport of ice hockey. The Soviets had become the dominant team in international competitions, in which the Canadian professionals were ineligible to play. Canada had had a long history of dominance of the sport prior to the Soviets' rise. The first four games of the series were held in Canada and the final four in Moscow. The Soviet Union surprised
22484-463: 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 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
22638-728: 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,
22792-432: 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 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
22946-481: Was renamed Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens . The ice rink, which is located on the third level, was named Mattamy Home Ice . Summit Series The Summit Series , Super Series 72 , Canada–USSR Series ( Russian : Суперсерия СССР — Канада , romanized : Superseriya SSSR — Kanada ), or Series of the Century ( French : Série du siècle ), was an eight-game ice hockey series between
23100-430: Was reported as having a knee injury to explain his omission from the team. During the pre-series period, two observers of the opposing team were allowed to scout the teams. Toronto Maple Leafs' coach John McLellan and Bob Davidson, the Leafs' head scout went to the Soviet Union to observe the Soviets in the Sovietsky Sport tournament. McLellan and Davidson observed two games, while Kulagin, along with Arkadi Chernyshev,
23254-481: 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
23408-508: 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
23562-523: 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
23716-481: 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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