The Newmarket Saints were a minor league hockey team in Newmarket , Ontario . It played in the American Hockey League from 1986 to 1991 as the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Ray Twinney Complex .
147-699: After the 1985–86 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs moved their top affiliate from St. Catharines to the Ray Twinney Complex , a recently built arena in Newmarket, north of Toronto. However, the Ray Twinney Complex was nowhere near adequate for an AHL team, and Newmarket itself was too small at the time for the team to be viable. These factors, combined with the team being barely competitive (only one winning season), led
294-637: A roller skating rink, and ice rink facilities were at a shortage. This changed with the opening of the Rideau Skating Rink in February 1889. One of the principal organizers in the restarting of the team was Ottawa Journal publisher P. D. Ross , who also played on the team. Returning as captain was Frank Jenkins, and the other players were Halder Kirby, Jack Kerr, Nelson Porter, Ross, George Young, Weldy Young , Thomas D. Green, William O'Dell, Tom Gallagher, Albert Low and Henry Ami. In 1889,
441-663: A banquet. After this, the players took the Cup and attempted to drop-kick it over the Rideau Canal . The stunt was unsuccessful, as the Cup landed on the frozen ice and had to be retrieved the next day. Considering the lopsided score of the series, historians such as Paul Kitchen question why Dawson City was even granted a chance at the Cup. Dawson City had won no championships and did not belong to any recognized senior league. While team official Weldy Young knew Stanley Cup trustee P. D. Ross personally through their joint connection with
588-850: A challenge between Ottawa and the CAHL champion, but the CAHL refused to consider it. The next season, Ottawa joined the Federal Amateur Hockey League (FAHL), winning the league championship. The club was only in the FAHL for one season, and the Montreal Wanderers became their new rival. For the 1906 season, Ottawa, the Wanderers and several of the CAHL teams, formed the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA), unifying
735-464: A competing Ottawa Senators professional team in the Federal League, and Tommy Phillips, who joined Edmonton. The club picked up Bruce Stuart from the Wanderers, Fred Lake from Winnipeg and Dubby Kerr from Toronto. This lineup had a successful season, winning 10 out of 12 games. Walsh led all scorers with 38 goals in 12 games, while Stuart had 22 and Kerr had 20. The season was clinched with
882-522: A competitive club, hiring Pat Burns as the new coach, and making a series of trades and free-agent acquisitions, such as acquiring Doug Gilmour and Dave Andreychuk , which turned the Leafs into a contender. Assisted by stellar goaltending from minor league call-up Felix Potvin , the team posted a then-franchise-record 99 points. Toronto dispatched the Detroit Red Wings in seven games in
1029-603: A forward group made up of Frank Mahovlich , and team captain George Armstrong . The beginning of the 1960–61 season also saw the debut of rookies Bob Nevin , and Dave Keon . Keon previously played for the St. Michael's Majors (the Maple Leafs junior affiliate), but had impressed Imlach during the Leafs' training camp, and joined the team for the season. Despite these new additions, the Leafs' 1961 playoff run ended in
1176-553: A game against the Wanderers on January 11, which Ottawa won 12–2. However, Ottawa started the season with two losses out of three games and ended in second place behind the Wanderers again. Walsh tied for the scoring lead with 28 goals in 9 games (including seven in one match), while Phillips was close behind at 26 goals in 10 games. In 1908–09, the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association became completely professional and changed its name to
1323-479: A green maple leaf for their first game on February 17, 1927. On September 27, 1927, it was announced that the Leafs had changed their colour scheme to blue and white. Although Smythe later stated he chose blue because it represents the Canadian skies and white to represent snow, these colours were also used on the trucks for his gravel and sand business. The colour blue was also a colour historically associated with
1470-422: A group of his own and made a $ 160,000 CA$ 160,000 (equivalent to $ 2,762,198 in 2023)) offer. With the support of minority shareholder Bickell, Smythe persuaded Querrie and Nathanson to accept their bid, arguing that civic pride was more important than money. Bickell would become team president. Smythe took control on February 14, 1927; installing himself as governor and general manager. He immediately renamed
1617-493: A huge welcome at the train station, had a welcoming dinner, and used the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association's rooms for the duration of their stay. Young did not arrive in time to play for Dawson. The first game was close at the halfway point, Ottawa leading Dawson three to one. In the second half, the play became violent. Norman Watt of Dawson tripped Ottawa's Art Moore , who retaliated with
SECTION 10
#17327877904621764-590: A large portion of their roster had enlisted, including Apps, and Broda, who did not play on the team for several seasons due to their obligations with the Canadian Forces . During this period, the Leafs turned to lesser-known players such as rookie goaltender Frank McCool and defenceman Babe Pratt . The Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings in the 1945 Finals . They won the first three games, with goaltender McCool recording consecutive shutouts. However, in
1911-780: A permanent schism between Ottawa area teams competing in the Ottawa City Hockey League (OCHL) and the Ontario Hockey Association. Ottawa and area teams remain unaffiliated with the OHA; the official association under Hockey Canada is Hockey Eastern Ontario . It was at a dinner to honour the 1892 OHA champions at the Russell Hotel that the Governor General, Lord Stanley , announced his new Dominion Challenge Trophy, now known as
2058-606: A punch, but Bailey, writhing on the ice, had his career ended. The Leafs held the Ace Bailey Benefit Game , the NHL's first All-Star Game , to collect medical funds to help Bailey. His jersey was retired later the same night. The Leafs reached the finals five times in the next seven years but bowed out to the now-disbanded Maroons in 1935, the Detroit Red Wings in 1936, Chicago in 1938, Boston in 1939 and
2205-412: A reversal of the 1942 finals, the Red Wings won the next three games. The Leafs were able to win the series, winning the seventh game by the score of 2–1 to prevent a complete reversal of the series played three years ago. After the end of the war, players who had enlisted were beginning to return to their teams. With Apps and Broda regaining their form, the Maple Leafs beat the first-place Canadiens in
2352-549: A season. Smythe, who reenlisted in the Canadian Army at the outbreak of World War II , was given leave from military duty to view the final game of the 1942 finals. He arrived at the game in full military regalia. Earlier, at the outbreak of war, Smythe arranged for many of his Maple Leafs players and staff to take army training with the Toronto Scottish Regiment . Most notably, the Leafs announced
2499-461: A stick to the mouth of Watt. Watt promptly knocked Moore out, hitting him on the head with his stick. The game ended 9–2 for Ottawa. The game left a poor taste in the mouth for the Yukoners, who complained that several goals were offside . After the game, Watt was quoted as saying "[Frank] McGee doesn't look like too much", as he had only scored once in the first game. McGee scored four goals in
2646-534: A then-franchise-record 103 points. They finished with the fourth-best record in the League, and their highest overall finish in 41 years, achieving a .628 win percentage, their best in 43 years, and third-best in franchise history. In the 2004 playoffs , the Leafs defeated the Senators in the first round of the postseason for the fourth time in five years, with Belfour posting three shutouts in seven games, but lost to
2793-530: A win against the Wanderers on March 3 in Ottawa, 8–3, as Ottawa won the league and Stanley Cup. Notable players of this time period include future Hall of Famers Percy LeSueur in goal, Dubby Kerr, Tommy Phillips, Harvey Pulford, Alf Smith, Bruce Stuart, Fred 'Cyclone' Taylor and Marty Walsh. The 1909–10 hockey season saw major changes in the hockey world, as the ECHA organization split and created two organizations,
2940-574: A winner due to the worldwide flu epidemic . The legal dispute forced the Arena Company into bankruptcy, and it was forced to sell the team. On December 9, 1919, Querrie brokered the team's purchase by the owners of the St. Patricks Hockey Club (Percy and Fred Hambly), allowing him to maintain an ownership stake in the team. The new owners renamed the team the Toronto St. Patricks (or St. Pats for short), which they used until 1927. Changing
3087-559: The 1883 Montreal Winter Carnival , Halder Kirby , Jack Kerr and Frank Jenkins met and founded the club. Being the first organized ice hockey club in Ottawa, and also the first in Ontario , the club had no other clubs to play that season. The only activities that winter were practices at the "Royal Rink" starting on March 5, 1883, as recorded in the Ottawa Daily Citizen : " The Ottawa Hockey Club had its first contest on
SECTION 20
#17327877904623234-427: The 1947 finals . To bolster their centre depth, the Leafs acquired Cy Thomas and Max Bentley in the following off-season. With these key additions, the Leafs were able to win a second consecutive Stanley Cup, sweeping the Red Wings in the 1948 finals . With their victory in 1948, the Leafs moved ahead of Montreal as the team having won the most Stanley Cups in League history. Apps announced his retirement following
3381-494: The 1962–63 season , the Leafs finished first in the league for the first time since the 1947–48 season . In the following playoffs, the team won their second Stanley Cup of the decade. The 1963–64 season saw certain members of the team traded. With Imlach seeking to reinvigorate the slumping Leafs, he made a mid-season trade that sent Duff, and Nevin to the Rangers for Andy Bathgate and Don McKenney . The Leafs managed to make
3528-528: The 1973 NHL amateur draft , and drafted Lanny McDonald . General Manager Jim Gregory also acquired the 10th overall pick from the Philadelphia Flyers , and the 15th overall pick from the Bruins, using them to acquire Bob Neely and Ian Turnbull . In addition to these first-round picks, the Leafs also acquired Borje Salming during the 1973 off-season. Despite acquiring Tiger Williams in
3675-403: The 1974 draft , and Roger Neilson as head coach in the 1977–78 season , the Maple Leafs found themselves eliminated in the playoffs by stronger Flyers or Canadiens teams from 1975 to 1979. Although Neilson was a popular coach with fans and his players, he found himself at odds with Ballard, who fired him late in the 1977–78 season. Nielson was later reinstated after appeals from the players and
3822-632: The 1994 NHL entry draft , the Leafs packaged Wendel Clark in a multi-player trade with the Quebec Nordiques that landed them Mats Sundin . Missing two consecutive playoffs in 1997 and 1998 , the Leafs relieved Fletcher as general manager. On February 12, 1998, MLGL purchased the Toronto Raptors , a National Basketball Association franchise, and the arena the Raptors were building, from Allan Slaight and Scotiabank . With
3969-465: The 2007–08 season , John Ferguson Jr. was fired in January 2008 and replaced by former Leafs' general manager Cliff Fletcher on an interim basis. The team retained Toronto-based sports lawyer Gord Kirke to begin a search for a new team president and general manager, and negotiate a contract. The Leafs did not qualify for the postseason , marking the first time since 1928 the team had failed to make
4116-760: The Boston Bruins , Buffalo Sabres , Detroit Red Wings , the Montreal Canadiens, and the Ottawa Senators . The team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate is the Toronto Marlies . Several individuals who hold an association with the club have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame . Nineteen players have had their numbers retired by the Maple Leafs, including the first in professional sports. The National Hockey League
4263-640: The Canadian Amateur Hockey League (CAHL), shutting out the Capitals. The club won the CAHL 1901 season title, its first league championship since winning the OHA in 1893. It wished to challenge the Stanley Cup champion Winnipeg Victorias at first but chose not to after deliberating for a week after the season, although it also had the option to challenge in the 1902 season. According to hockey historian Charles L. Coleman, it
4410-521: The Cinderella-story Carolina Hurricanes in six games in the conference finals. The 2001–02 season was particularly impressive in that injuries sidelined many of the Leafs' better players, but the efforts of depth players, including Alyn McCauley , Gary Roberts and Darcy Tucker , led them to the conference finals. As Joseph opted to become a free agent during the 2002 off-season, the Leafs signed Ed Belfour as
4557-500: The Conn Smythe Trophy . From 1968 to 1970, the Maple Leafs made it to the playoffs only once. They lost several players to the 1967 NHL expansion draft , and the team was racked with dissension because of Imlach's authoritative manner, and his attempts to prevent the players from joining the newly formed Players' Association . Imlach's management of the team was also brought into question due to some of his decisions. It
Newmarket Saints - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-592: The Eaton family , and construction of the arena was completed in five months. The Maple Leafs debuted at their new arena, Maple Leaf Gardens , with a 2–1 loss to the Chicago Black Hawks on November 12, 1931. The opening ceremonies for Maple Leaf Gardens included a performance from the 48th Highlanders of Canada Pipe and Drums. The military band has continued to perform in every subsequent season home opening game, as well as other ceremonies conducted by
4851-748: The Leafs ) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto . The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference . The club is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment , a company that owns several professional sports teams in the city, while the team's broadcasting rights are split between BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications . The club
4998-467: The Montreal Canadiens . The club had two recognized dynasties which spanned the 1946–47 to 1950–51 seasons and the 1961–62 to 1966–67 seasons, during which the Leafs won a combined eight of eleven Stanley Cup championships. These successes were followed by an extended championship drought, which at 57 seasons is the longest in league history . The Maple Leafs have rivalries with
5145-468: The Stanley Cup , for the Canadian champions. Former player and president of the club, P. D. Ross, was selected by Stanley to be a trustee of the Cup. Ottawa HC did not win a game in its return to AHAC challenge play in 1890–91 , but in the next season of AHAC play in 1891–92 the club won the league championship, and held it for most of the season, from January 10 until March 7, 1892. The club took
5292-514: The Yukon Territory in 1905. Organized by Joe Boyle, a Toronto-born prospector, who had struck it rich in the Yukon gold rush of 1898, The Dawson City Nuggets had Lorne Hanna, who had played for Brandon against Ottawa in a 1904 challenge and two former elite hockey players: Weldy Young, who had played for Ottawa in the 1890s, and D. R. McLennan, who had played for Queen's College against
5439-419: The "Marlboroughs got off very easily. When Winnipeg Rowing Club played here, most of their players were carried off on stretchers." The Silver Seven participated in perhaps the most famous (described as "the most storied of all Stanley Cup challenges", "a fantastic legend in Cup history", and "one of the most memorable feats in Canadian sporting history" ) Stanley Cup challenge of all, that of Dawson City of
5586-594: The 'away' team, Ottawa was given a bye to the final game. On March 23, 1894, at the Victoria Rink , Ottawa and Montreal HC played for the championship. Ottawa scored the first goal, but Montreal would score the next three to win the game 3–1. Ottawa captain Weldy Young fainted from exhaustion at the end of the game. For the period of 1894 to 1900, the club did not win the league championship, finishing as high as second several times, and fifth (last) once. For
5733-566: The 1891 to 1893 Ontario championships. Ottawa HC played in the first season during which the Stanley Cup was challenged in 1893, and first won the Cup in 1903, holding the championship until 1906 (the Silver Seven years). The club repeated its success in the 1920s, winning the Stanley Cup in 1920, 1921, 1923 and 1927 (the Super Six years). In total, the club won the Stanley Cup 11 times, including challenges during two years it did not win
5880-455: The 1896–97 season, the Ottawa club unveiled the first use of the 'barber-pole' style sweaters of horizontal bars of black, red and white. This basic style would be used by the club until 1954 except for the 1900 and 1901 seasons, when the team used a plain sweater with only the letter 'O' on the front. In 1898, the AHAC dissolved over the admission of the intermediate-level team Ottawa Capitals of
6027-526: The 1904 season in a horseback riding accident. He was also the Ottawa Football Club's captain at the time. The funeral cortege was estimated at a half-mile in length, and it included Canadian prime minister Wilfrid Laurier . Until the 1906–07 season, the players were not paid to play hockey, as the team was abiding by the principles of amateur sports. Ottawa HC had an advantage in attracting top players to its squad. The players could work for
Newmarket Saints - Misplaced Pages Continue
6174-467: The 1948 finals, with Ted Kennedy replacing him as the team's captain. Under a new captaincy, the Leafs managed to make it to the 1949 finals , facing the Red Wings, who had finished the season with the best overall record. However, the Leafs went on to win their third consecutive Cup, sweeping the Red Wings in four games. This brought the total of Detroit's playoff game losses against the Leafs to eleven. The Red Wings were able to end this losing streak in
6321-456: The AHAC. Ottawa HC won the Ottawa and Ontario championships, and two games against AHAC opponents, but lost to the AHAC champion Montreal HC in its one challenge for the championship. The team was the OHA champion for that league's first three years. The first championship was played on March 7, 1891, at the Rideau rink and was won 5–0 by Ottawa over Toronto St. George's. The 1891 championship
6468-654: The Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) and the National Hockey Association (NHA). The CHA was formed to 'freeze out' the Wanderers, whose ownership change led the team to move to a smaller arena. At the same time, millionaire businessman J. Ambrose O'Brien, who wanted his Renfrew Creamery Kings to challenge for the Stanley Cup, saw his Renfrew application to join the CHA rejected. Together with the Wanderers, O'Brien instead decided to form
6615-533: The Canadiens in 1946. In his absence, the quality of players it produced declined. Many who were called up to the Leafs in the early 1950s were found to be seriously lacking in ability. It was only later in the decade that the Leafs' feeder clubs produced prospects that helped them become competitive again. After a two-year drought from the playoffs, the Maple Leafs clinched a berth after the 1958–59 season . Under Punch Imlach , their new general manager and coach,
6762-661: The City of Toronto. The use of blue by top-level Toronto-based sports clubs began with the Argonaut Rowing Club in the 19th century, later adopted by their football team, the Toronto Argonauts , in 1873. By 1930, Smythe saw the need to construct a new arena, viewing the Arena Gardens as a facility lacking modern amenities and seating. Finding an adequate number of financiers, he purchased land from
6909-741: The Cup for the season. In 1950, Canadian sports editors selected the Ottawa HC/Senators as Canada's greatest team in the first half of the 20th century. The club was one of the first organized clubs in the early days of the sport of ice hockey, playing in the Montreal Winter Carnival ice hockey tournaments in the early 1880s and founding the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada and the Ontario Hockey Association . Along with
7056-664: The Eastern Canada Hockey Association (ECHA). This led to the retirement of several stars, including Ottawa's Harvey Pulford and Montreal's Russell Bowie, who insisted on keeping their amateur status. The Montreal Victorias and Montreal HC founded the Interprovincial Amateur Hockey Union , leaving only Ottawa, Quebec, Montreal Wanderers and Montreal Shamrocks in the ECHA. It was another season of player turn-over for Ottawa. Besides Pulford, Ottawa lost Alf Smith, who formed
7203-462: The Flyers in six games during the second round. Following the 2004–05 NHL lockout , the Maple Leafs experienced their longest playoff drought in the team's history. They struggled in the 2005–06 season ; despite a late-season surge (9–1–2 in their final 12 games), led by goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin , Toronto was out of playoff contention for the first time since 1998. This marked the first time
7350-605: The Hockey Club through the affiliation also became OAAA members. When the club began outside competition again in 1889–90, it was with new sweaters of white with black stripes and the OAAA red "triskelion" logo. It was during this period of affiliation with the OAAC, that the club would become known by the nickname "Generals", attributed to the club's insignia. The club is also referred to as the "Capitals" in literature, although there
7497-405: The Leafs made it to the 1959 Finals , losing to the Canadiens in five games. Building on a successful playoff run, the Leafs followed up with a second-place finish in the 1959–60 regular season. Although they advanced to their second straight Cup Finals, the Leafs were again defeated by the Canadiens in four games. Beginning in the 1960s, the Leafs became a stronger team, with Johnny Bower as
SECTION 50
#17327877904627644-505: The Leafs the final spot from the Norris. The low finishes allowed the team to draft Wendel Clark first overall at the 1985 NHL entry draft . Clark managed to lead the Leafs to the playoffs from 1986 to 1988, as well as the 1990 playoffs . Ballard died on April 11, 1990. Don Crump, Don Giffin, and Steve Stavro were named executors of Ballard's estate. Stavro succeeded Ballard as chairman of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. and governor of
7791-719: The Leafs to move the Saints to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador for the 1991–92 season where they became the St. John's Maple Leafs . The void in Newmarket would be filled by the Newmarket Royals , of the OHL . The franchise was replaced by: Former players include: Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as
7938-411: The Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup victories, the team saw several player departures, including Bathgate, and Brewer, as well as several new additions, including Marcel Pronovost , and Terry Sawchuk . During the 1966–67 season , the team had lost 10 games in a row, sending Imlach to the hospital with a stress-related illness. However, from the time King Clancy took over as the head coach, to Imlach's return,
8085-456: The Maple Leafs. Cliff Fletcher was hired by Giffin to be the new general manager, although this was opposed by Stavro, who told Fletcher that he wanted to appoint his own general manager. Notwithstanding Stavro's initial reluctance with Fletcher's appointment, the Leafs' new ownership would soon earn a reputation for steering clear of exerting undue interference in hockey operations, in stark contrast to Ballard. Fletcher soon set about building
8232-399: The Montreal Victorias in an 1895 challenge . The remaining players were selected from other Dawson City clubs. Dawson City's challenge was accepted in the summer of 1904 by the Stanley Cup trustees and scheduled to start on Friday, January 13, 1905. The date of the challenge meant that Young had to travel separately to Ottawa, as he had to work in a federal election that December and would meet
8379-401: The NHA, and founded the Montreal Canadiens . In 1917, the NHA suspended its operation and its teams formed the National Hockey League . Ottawa was one of the founders of the CHA and one of the teams that had rejected Renfrew. However, after a few poorly attended games showed that fans had no interest in the league, Ottawa and the Montreal Shamrocks abandoned the CHA to join the NHA. Ottawa,
8526-402: The NHL from 1917 until 1934. The club, which was officially the Ottawa Hockey Club (Ottawa HC), was known by several nicknames, including the Generals in the 1890s, the Silver Seven from 1903 to 1907 and the Senators dating from 1908. Generally acknowledged by hockey historians as one of the greatest teams of the early days of the sport, the club won numerous championships, starting with
8673-427: The NHL's conferences in 1998, the Leafs were moved from the Western to the Eastern Conference. On February 13, 1999, the Leafs played their final game at the Gardens before moving to their new home at the then-Air Canada Centre. In the 1999 playoffs , the team advanced to the conference finals but lost in five games to the Buffalo Sabres . In the 1999–2000 season , the Leafs hosted the 50th NHL All-Star Game . By
8820-425: The NHL's inaugural season was formally announced on November 26, 1917, with concerns over the Bulldogs' financial stability surfacing. The League granted temporary franchise rights to the Arena Company, owners of the Arena Gardens . The NHL granted the Arena responsibility of the Toronto franchise for only the inaugural season, with specific instructions to resolve the dispute with Livingstone or transfer ownership of
8967-483: The Ottawa Rowing Club, and had not forgotten it. The Ottawas were the dominant team for three years: The end of the streak came in March 1906. Ottawa and the Montreal Wanderers tied for the ECAHA league lead in 1906, forcing a playoff series for the league championship and the Cup. Montreal won the first game in Montreal by a score of 9–1. In the return match, Ottawa replaced their goaltender Billy Hague and used goaltender Percy LeSueur , formerly of Smiths Falls. In
SECTION 60
#17327877904629114-414: The Ottawas. Alf Smith was also the coach. Other players of the 'Seven' included Angus "Bones" Allen , Dave Finnie , Arthur Fraser, Horace Gaul , Dave Gilmour , Suddy Gilmour , Jim McGee , Art Moore, Percy Sims, Hamby Shore , Charles Spittal , Fred White and Frank Wood. The club was able to continue the streak despite the death of one of its members. Jim McGee, Frank McGee's brother, died after
9261-452: The Rangers in 1940. After the end of the 1939–40 season , Smythe allowed Irvin to leave the team as head coach, replacing him with former Leafs captain Hap Day . In the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals , the Maple Leafs were down three games to none in the best-of-seven series against Detroit. Fourth-line forward Don Metz then galvanized the team, to score a hat-trick in game four and the game-winner in game five. Goalie Turk Broda shut out
9408-457: The Rangers that year. He had been tapped as the Rangers' first general manager and coach for their inaugural season ( 1926–27 ) but had been fired in a dispute with Madison Square Garden management before the season had begun. Maple Leafs star forward Ace Bailey was nearly killed in 1933 when Boston Bruins defenceman Eddie Shore checked him from behind at full speed into the boards. Leafs defenceman Red Horner knocked Shore out with
9555-466: The Senators as an amateur, and later semi-professional, team in Quebec senior men's leagues until 1954. The " Senior Senators " would win two Allan Cup titles: in 1943, and 1949. When the current Ottawa Senators debuted in 1992, they adopted the original team's black, red and white color scheme and nickname. The Ottawa Hockey Club (Ottawa HC) was founded by a small group of like-minded hockey enthusiasts. A month after witnessing games of hockey at
9702-440: The St. Pats as a favour to his friend Querrie, who needed to financially reorganize his hockey team. After several financially difficult seasons, the St. Patricks' ownership group (Querrie and Nathan Nathanson) seriously considered selling the team to C. C. Pyle for CA$ 200,000 (equivalent to $ 3,452,747 in 2023). Pyle sought to move the team to Philadelphia. However, Toronto Varsity Blues coach Conn Smythe put together
9849-429: The Toronto Globe : The style of hockey seems to be the only one known and people consider it quite proper and legitimate for a team to endeavor to incapacitate their opponents rather than to excel them in skill and speed ... slashing, tripping, the severest kind of cross-checking and a systematic method of hammering Marlboroughs on hand and wrists are the most effective points in Ottawa's style. According to one player,
9996-416: The Toronto Arena Hockey Club, which was readily granted full membership in the NHL. The Arena Company also decided that year that only NHL teams were allowed to play at the Arena Gardens—a move which effectively killed the NHA. Livingstone sued to get his players back. Mounting legal bills from the dispute forced the Arenas to sell some of their stars, resulting in a horrendous five-win season in 1918–19. With
10143-411: The Toronto franchise back to the League at the end of the season. The franchise did not have an official name but was informally called "the Blueshirts" or "the Torontos" by the fans and press. Although the inaugural roster was made up of players leased from the NHA's Toronto Blueshirts, including Harry Cameron and Reg Noble , the Maple Leafs do not claim the Blueshirts' history as their own. During
10290-420: The Victorias' Russell Bowie , who scored seven goals in one game and six in another, and McGee, whose top performance saw him score five goals in a game. The two clubs faced off in a two-game total goals series to decide the league championship and Stanley Cup. The first game, played in Montreal on slushy ice that made it a desperate struggle to score, ended 1–1. The return match in Ottawa, witnessed by 3,000 fans,
10437-542: The Wanderers; they won the return match in Ottawa in March and went undefeated for the season, leaving Ottawa in second place. However, it may have affected the Wanderers in another way: they lost the Stanley Cup a week after the donnybrook in a Stanley Cup challenge series to the Kenora Thistles . The 1907–08 season was a season of change for Ottawa. Harry Smith and Hamby Shore left to join Winnipeg. Ottawa hired several free agents, including Marty Walsh , Tommy Phillips and Fred 'The Listowel Whirlwind' Taylor . Taylor
10584-619: The Wings in game six, and Sweeney Schriner scored two goals in the third period to win the seventh game 3–1, completing the reverse-sweep . The Leafs remain the only team to have successfully performed a reverse-sweep in the Stanley Cup finals. Captain Syl Apps won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy that season, not taking one penalty, and finished his 10-season career with an average of 5 minutes, 36 seconds in penalties
10731-499: The acquisition, MLGL was renamed Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), acting as the parent company of the two teams. Larry Tanenbaum was a driving force in the acquisition, having bought a 12.5 percent stake in Maple Leaf Gardens Limited (MLGL) in 1996. Curtis Joseph was acquired as the team's starting goalie, while Pat Quinn was hired as the head coach before the 1998–99 season . Realigning
10878-416: The championship from Montreal HC, who were previously undefeated, and won five straight games before Montreal won the championship back by a 1–0 score in the last challenge of the season. Montreal's win in the final challenge was their only win of the season and their only one in four games against Ottawa. Lord Stanley, who often attended Ottawa HC games, felt the loss of the title after holding it all season
11025-429: The club in Ottawa. To get to Ottawa, several thousand miles away, the club had to get to Whitehorse by overland sleigh, catch a train from there to Skagway, Alaska , then catch a steamer to Vancouver , B.C. and a train from there to Ottawa. On December 18, 1904, several players set out by dog sled and the rest left the next day by bicycle for a 330-mile trek to Whitehorse. At first the team made good progress, but
11172-637: The club played only one match against an outside club, an exhibition at the Rideau rink against the Montreal HC 'second' team. In November 1889, the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Club (OAAC) was opened at the corner of today's Elgin and Laurier Streets on the site of today's Lord Elgin Hotel . The Club building would also be the Hockey Club's headquarters. The OAAC was affiliated with the Ottawa Amateur Athletic Association (OAAA), and
11319-411: The club secure its fourth Stanley Cup in five years. His glory was short-lived, as he disappeared in a plane crash near Timmins , Ontario, four months later. The crash site was not found until a helicopter pilot discovered the plane's wreckage plane about 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Cochrane, Ontario 11 years later. The Leafs did not win another Cup during the 1950s, with rumours swirling that
11466-405: The club was on a 10-game undefeated streak, building momentum before the playoffs. The Leafs made their last Cup finals in 1967 . Playing against Montreal, the heavy favourite for the year, the Leafs managed to win, with Bob Pulford scoring the double-overtime winner in game three; Jim Pappin scored the series winner in game 6. Keon was named the playoff's most valuable player and was awarded
11613-436: The club, it may have been the political connections that Joe Boyle had with the government Interior Minister of the time, Clifford Sifton , that got Dawson City the series. Future Ottawa Senators owner Frank Ahearn later stated that Weldy Young had asked Ahearn to ask the Ottawa players to "not rub it in" as Dawson City did not expect to win. Ahearn mentioned this to McGee, who had had a row with Boyle when both were members of
11760-540: The colours of the team from blue to green, the club won their second Stanley Cup championship in 1922 . Babe Dye scored four times in the 5–1 Stanley Cup-clinching victory against the Vancouver Millionaires . In 1924, the team's ownership changed again, as movie theatre impresario Nathan Nathanson and mining magnate Jack Bickell purchased the shares of the Hamblys. Bickell invested CA$ 25,000 in
11907-464: The company facing increasing financial difficulties, and the Arenas officially eliminated from the playoffs, the NHL agreed to let the team forfeit their last two games. Operations halted on February 20, 1919, with the NHL ending its season and starting the playoffs. The Arenas' .278 winning percentage that season remains the worst in franchise history. However, the 1919 Stanley Cup Finals ended without
12054-510: The defending Stanley Cup champion and Wanderers' rival, was readily accepted by the NHA. This enabled Ottawa to continue the rivalry with the Wanderers and take in the gate revenues those games provided. The Wanderers won the championship in 1910, and Ottawa won in 1911 and 1915. It is during the NHA period that the nickname "Ottawa Senators" came into common usage. Although there had been a competing Senators club in 1909, and there had been mention of
12201-537: The end of 1971, the World Hockey Association (WHA) began operations as a direct competitor to the NHL. Believing the WHA would not be able to compete against the NHL, Ballard's attitude caused the Maple Leafs to lose key players, including Parent to the upstart league. Undermanned and demoralized, the Leafs finished with the fourth-worst record for the 1972–73 season . They got the fourth overall pick in
12348-601: The end of the season, they recorded their first 100-point season and won their first division title in 37 years. In both the 2000 and 2001 playoffs , the Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators in the first round and lost to the New Jersey Devils in the second round. In the 2002 playoffs , the Leafs dispatched the Islanders and the Senators in seven games each during the first two rounds, only to lose to
12495-492: The face with his stick, but referee Kerry Fraser did not call a penalty, and Gretzky scored the winning goal moments later. The Leafs eventually lost in game seven 5–4. The Leafs had another strong season in 1993–94 , starting the season on a 10-game winning streak, and finishing it with 98 points. The team made it to the conference finals again, only to be eliminated by the Vancouver Canucks in five games. At
12642-526: The first half of the second match and 10 in the second half, leading Ottawa to a 23–2 score; his 14 goals remains a record for a single game of major senior hockey. Eight of those 14 goals were scored consecutively in a span of less than nine minutes. Despite this high score, the newspapers claimed that Albert Forrest, the Dawson City goalie, had played a "really fine game", otherwise the score "might have been doubled". Ottawa celebrated by hosting Dawson at
12789-571: The first president of the league. The league did not have a set schedule, and instead games were played in "challenge series", whereby a team held the championship and entertained challengers until the end of the season, a format the league employed until 1893. Under the format, Ottawa lost the one challenge it played in that first 1887 season to the Montreal Victorias. After that season, Ottawa HC became inactive. The Royal Rink, which had been their primary facility, had been converted to
12936-789: The first round, then defeated the St. Louis Blues in another seven games in the division finals. Hoping to meet long-time rival Montreal (who was playing in the Wales Conference finals against the New York Islanders ) in the Cup finals, the Leafs faced the Los Angeles Kings in the Campbell Conference finals. They led the series 3–2 but dropped game six in Los Angeles. The game was not without controversy, as Wayne Gretzky clipped Gilmour in
13083-417: The following postseason, eliminating Toronto in the 1950 NHL playoffs. The Maple Leafs and Canadiens met again in the 1951 finals , with five consecutive overtime games played in the series. Defenceman Bill Barilko managed to score the series-winning goal in overtime, leaving his defensive position (despite coach Joe Primeau 's instructions otherwise) to pick up an errant pass and score. Barilko helped
13230-467: The game had been called at midnight, with a tied score. The league demanded that the game be replayed. The club agreed to play only if the game mattered in the standings. The impasse led to Ottawa leaving the league. For the rest of that winter, the club played only in Cup challenge series. Quebec went on to win the championship of the league and demanded the Stanley Cup, but the Cup's trustees ruled that Ottawa still retained it. The trustees offered to arrange
13377-400: The goaltender, and Bob Baun , Carl Brewer , Tim Horton and Allan Stanley serving as the Maple Leafs' defencemen. To bolster their forward group during the 1960 off-season, Imlach traded Marc Reaume to the Red Wings for Red Kelly . Originally a defenceman, Kelly was asked to make the transition to the role of centre , where he remained for the rest of his career. Kelly helped reinforce
13524-576: The gondola of an airship . By the 1931–32 NHL season , the Maple Leafs were led by the "Kid Line" consisting of Busher Jackson , Joe Primeau and Charlie Conacher and coached by Dick Irvin . The team captured their third Stanley Cup that season, vanquishing the Chicago Black Hawks in the first round, the Montreal Maroons in the semifinals, and the New York Rangers in the finals. Smythe took particular pleasure in defeating
13671-632: The government, and the work allowed the players to play for the team. Meanwhile, in the United States, the International Professional Hockey League (IPHL) was paying players. In response to this, the ECAHA, while still having several purely amateur teams, started to allow professional players. The top teams could, therefore, compete for the top players and the gate attractions that they were. The only restriction
13818-527: The hockey club. The debut also featured Foster Hewitt in his newly constructed press box above the ice surface, where he began his famous Hockey Night in Canada radio broadcasts that eventually came to be a Saturday-night tradition. The press box was often called "the gondola", a name that emerged during the Gardens' inaugural season when a General Motors advertising executive remarked how it resembled
13965-458: The ice at the Royal Rink last night. There was good play made on both sides. " The club first participated competitively at the 1884 Montreal Winter Carnival ice hockey tournament (considered the Canadian championship at the time) wearing red and black uniforms. Future Ottawa mayor Nelson Porter is recorded as the scorer of the club's first-ever goal, at the 1884 Carnival. Frank Jenkins
14112-429: The inaugural season of the Maple Leafs' Toronto Marlies farm team, was named as Quinn's replacement. On June 30, 2006, the Leafs bought out fan-favourite Tie Domi 's contract. The team also decided against picking up the option year on goaltender Ed Belfour's contract; he became a free agent. However, despite the coaching change, as well as a shuffle in the roster, the team did not make the playoffs in 2006–07 . During
14259-476: The inaugural season, the club performed the first trade in NHL history, sending Sammy Hebert to the Senators, in return for cash. Under manager Charlie Querrie , and head coach Dick Carroll , the team won the Stanley Cup in the inaugural 1917–18 season . For the next season , rather than return the Blueshirts' players to Livingstone as originally promised, on October 19, 1918, the Arena Company formed
14406-475: The league. Instead, they opted to create a new league, the NHL, and did not invite Livingstone to join them. They also remained voting members of the NHA, and thus had enough votes to suspend the other league's operations, effectively leaving Livingstone's league with one team. The NHL had decided that it would operate a four-team circuit, made up of the Canadiens, Montreal Maroons , Ottawa, and one more club in either Quebec City or Toronto. Toronto's inclusion in
14553-475: The name caught on right there." (At the time, hockey teams iced seven men—a goaltender, three forwards, two defencemen and a rover ). The Silver Seven moved between three leagues during this time, and for a time were independent of any league. In February 1904, during the CAHL season, Ottawa resigned from the league in a dispute over the replaying of a game. The team had arrived late for a game in Montreal and
14700-539: The new head coach, and Tim Hunter and Rob Zettler as assistant coaches. Ottawa Senators (original) Split in 1934: Senior Senators (amateur/semi-pro): St. Louis Eagles (pro): The Ottawa Senators were an ice hockey team based in Ottawa , which existed from 1883 to 1954. The club was the first hockey club in Ontario, a founding member of the National Hockey League (NHL) and played in
14847-630: The new starting goaltender. Belfour played well during the 2002–03 season and was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy . The Leafs lost to Philadelphia in seven games during the first round of the 2003 playoffs . In 2003, an ownership change occurred in MLSE. Stavro sold his controlling interest in MLSE to the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) and resigned his position as chairman in favour of Tanenbaum. Quinn remained as head coach but
14994-444: The one game margin in the standings that led to Lord Stanley awarding the initial Cup to Montreal HC. In 1893–1894 , Ottawa HC finished in a four-way tie for first in the AHAC standings. A playoff was arranged in Montreal for the championship between Ottawa, Montreal HC and Montreal Victorias (the other first place club, Quebec, having dropped out of the playoff). These games would be the first Stanley Cup playoff games ever played. As
15141-427: The playoffs for three consecutive seasons. It was also Sundin's last year with the Leafs, as his contract was due to expire at the end of the season. However, he refused Leafs management's request to waive his no-trade clause for the team to rebuild by acquiring prospects or draft picks. On May 7, 2008, after the 2007–08 season, the Leafs fired Maurice, as well as assistant coach Randy Ladouceur , naming Ron Wilson as
15288-405: The playoffs, regardless of record. Since the Norris only had five teams in total, this meant only the last-place team in the division missed the postseason. In 1985–86, for instance, they finished with a .356 winning percentage, the fourth worst in the league. However, due to playing in a Norris Division where no team cracked the 90-point mark, the Leafs still made the playoffs because Detroit had
15435-410: The postseason as well as the Cup finals. In game six of the 1964 Cup finals, Baun suffered a fractured ankle and required a stretcher to be taken off the ice. He returned to play with his ankle frozen, and eventually scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the Red Wings. The Leafs won their third consecutive Stanley Cup in a 4–0 game 7 victory; Bathgate scored two goals. The two seasons after
15582-557: The public. He continued as Leafs' head coach until after the 1979 playoffs, when he was fired again, alongside Gregory. Gregory was replaced by Imlach as general manager. In the first year of his second stint as general manager, Imlach became embroiled in a dispute with Leafs' captain Darryl Sittler over his attempt to take part in the Showdown series for Hockey Night in Canada . In a move to undermine Sittler's influence on
15729-551: The return match in Ottawa, Ottawa overcame the eight-goal deficit, getting a 9–1 lead to tie the series by the midway point of the second half. Harry Smith then scored to put Ottawa ahead, only to have the goal ruled offside. It was then that Lester Patrick of the Wanderers took it upon himself, scoring two goals to win the series 12–10. This was Frank McGee's last game and he scored two goals. Besides McGee, future Hall of Fame players Billy Gilmour , Percy LeSueur, Harvey Pulford, Alf Smith, Bouse Hutton and Harry Westwick played for
15876-589: The rise of professionalism in ice hockey in the first decade of the 1900s, the club changed to a professional team and were founding members of the National Hockey Association (NHA) and its successor, the National Hockey League. The club competed in the NHL until the 1933–34 season . Due to financial difficulties, the NHL franchise relocated to St. Louis, Missouri , to become the St. Louis Eagles . The organization continued
16023-413: The rival Capital Amateur Association to the AHAC by a vote of the league executive. The Capitals had won the intermediate championship of the AHAC and were eligible to join the senior ranks. After they were outvoted by the intermediate-level teams of AHAC which wanted to promote the Capitals to the senior-level, the senior-level Ottawa, Montreal HC, Montreal Victorias and Quebec clubs left the AHAC and formed
16170-406: The season, partially paid for by Ottawa sportsmen. Ottawa moved into their new arena, simply dubbed The Arena , with seating for 4,500 and standing room for 2,500. With the free-agent signings and the new arena, Ottawa started selling season-tickets, the first of their kind, $ 3.75 for five games, eventually selling 2,400. The capacity was topped with a crowd of 7,100 in the home opener, attending
16317-471: The season. They were eliminated in the first round against the Rangers. A series of events in 1971 made Harold Ballard the primary owner of the Maple Leafs. After a series of disputes between Bassett, Ballard and Stafford Smythe, Bassett sold his stake in the company to them. Shortly afterwards, Smythe died in October 1971. Under the terms of Stafford's will, of which Ballard was an executor , each partner
16464-404: The semifinals against the Red Wings, with Armstrong, Bower, Kelly and others, suffering from injuries. In November 1961, Smythe sold nearly all of his shares in the club's parent company, Maple Leaf Gardens Limited (MLGL), to a partnership composed of his son Stafford Smythe , and his partners, newspaper baron John W. H. Bassett and Toronto Marlboros president Harold Ballard . The sale price
16611-537: The semifinals. With the conclusion of the 1952–53 regular season , the Leafs failed to make it to the postseason for the first time since the 1945–46 playoffs. The Leafs' poor performance may be attributed partly to a decline in their sponsored junior system (including the Toronto St. Michael's Majors and the Toronto Marlboros ). The junior system was managed by Frank J. Selke until his departure to
16758-440: The team had missed the postseason under Quinn, who was later relieved as head coach. Quinn's dismissal was controversial since many of the young players who were key contributors to the Leafs' late-season run had been drafted by him before Ferguson's arrival, while Ferguson's signings ( Jason Allison , Belfour, Alexander Khavanov , and Eric Lindros ) had suffered season-ending injuries. Paul Maurice , who had previously coached
16905-401: The team the Maple Leafs, after the national symbol of Canada. He attributed his choice of a maple leaf for the logo to his experiences as a Canadian Army officer and prisoner of war during World War I . Viewing the maple leaf as a "badge of courage", and a reminder of home, Smythe decided to give the same name to his hockey team, in honour of the many Canadian soldiers who wore it. However,
17052-410: The team was " cursed ", and would not win a cup until Barilko's body was found. The "curse" came to an end after the Leafs' 1962 Stanley Cup victory, which came six weeks before the discovery of the wreckage of Barilko's plane. Their 1951 victory was followed by lacklustre performances in the following seasons. The team finished third in the 1951–52 season and was eventually swept by the Red Wings in
17199-400: The team was not the first to use the name. A Toronto minor-league baseball team had used the name "Toronto Maple Leafs" since 1895. Although Smythe would not acquire controlling interest in the team until 1947, he would be the franchise's dominant voice for the next four decades. Initial reports were that the team's colours were to be red and white, but the Leafs wore white sweaters with
17346-429: The team, Imlach traded McDonald, who was Sittler's friend. By the end of the 1979–80 season , Imlach had traded away nearly half of the roster he had at the beginning of his tenure as general manager. With the situation between Ballard and Sittler worsening, Sittler asked to be traded. Forcing the Leafs' hand, the club's new general manager, Gerry McNamara , traded Sittler to the Flyers on January 20, 1982. Rick Vaive
17493-550: The team. When the steamer reached Vancouver, the area was too fogged in to dock, and the steamer docked in Seattle . The team then caught a train to Vancouver. The team left Vancouver on January 6, 1905, arriving in Ottawa on January 11. Despite the difficult journey, the Ottawas refused to change the date of the first game, only two days away. Ottawa arranged hospitable accommodations for the Dawson City team. The Yukoners received
17640-617: The temple with his stick, laying him out like a corpse" and Harry Smith cracked his stick across Ernie Johnson's face, breaking Johnson's nose. Discipline was first attempted by the league at a meeting on January 18, in which the Victorias proposed suspending Spittal and Alf Smith for the season, but this was voted down and the president of the league resigned. The police arrested Spittal, Alf and Harry Smith on their next visit to Montreal, leading to $ 20 fines for Spittal and Alf Smith and an acquittal for Harry Smith. The tactics did not work on
17787-546: The top teams into one league. The Silver Seven were well known for the number of injuries that they inflicted on other teams. In a Stanley Cup challenge game in 1904, the Ottawas injured seven of the nine Winnipeg players, and the Winnipeg Free Press called it the "bloodiest game in Ottawa." The next team to challenge the Ottawas, the Toronto Marlboroughs , were treated similarly. According to
17934-485: The tournament. The 1886 Montreal tournament was cancelled due to an outbreak of smallpox and the club would not play an outside match again until 1887. On December 8, 1886, the first championship league, the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada was founded in Montreal. It was composed of several clubs from Montreal plus a Quebec City club and the Ottawa club. Ottawa's Thomas D. Green was named
18081-549: The weather turned warm enough to thaw the roads, forcing the players to walk several hundred miles. The team spent the nights in police sheds along the road. At Whitehorse, the weather turned bad, causing the trains not to run for three days and the Nuggets to miss their steamer in Skagway. The next one could not dock for three days due to the ice buildup. The club found the sea journey treacherous, and it caused seasickness amongst
18228-599: The worst record in the league. In 1987–88, they entered the final day of the season with the worst record in the league, but were only one point behind the Minnesota North Stars and thus were still in playoff contention. The Red Wings was the only team in the division with a winning record. However, the Leafs upset the Red Wings in their final game while the North Stars lost to the Flames hours later to hand
18375-406: Was "no place for those who want to evade conscription in their own country". He had also said that because the Gardens' owners agreed to host the fight they had "put cash ahead of class". Under the new ownership, Toronto won another three straight Stanley Cups. The team won the 1962 Stanley Cup Finals beating the defending champion Chicago Black Hawks on a goal from Dick Duff in game 6. During
18522-410: Was $ 2.3 million (equivalent to $ 23,015,000 in 2023), a handsome return on Smythe's original investment 34 years earlier. Initially, Conn Smythe claimed that he knew nothing about his son's partners and was furious with the arrangement (though it is highly unlikely he could have believed Stafford could have financed the purchase on his own). However, he did not stop the deal because of it. Conn Smythe
18669-626: Was a rival Ottawa Capitals club organized by the Capital Amateur Athletics Association active at the time. In the 1889–90 season , Ottawa HC played two competitive games but this was to increase greatly the next season. The 1890–91 season saw the club play 14 games, playing in three leagues. Ottawa HC was a founding member of two new leagues, the Ottawa City Hockey League (OCHL) and the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and also rejoined
18816-433: Was allowed to buy the other's shares upon their death. Stafford's brother and son tried to keep the shares in the family, but in February 1972 Ballard bought all of Stafford's shares for $ 7.5 million, valuing the company at $ 22 million (equivalent to $ 157,817,000 in 2023). Six months later, Ballard was convicted of charges including fraud, and theft of money and goods, and spent a year at Milhaven Penitentiary . By
18963-517: Was an unsuitable way to determine the championship. In the letter announcing the Stanley Cup, Stanley suggested that the AHAC start a 'round-robin' type regular season format, which the AHAC implemented in the following season of 1892–93 . The key match-up in that season for Ottawa was a loss in the opening game of the season against the Montreal Victorias on January 7, 1893, as Ottawa split its season series with eventual winner Montreal HC, both teams otherwise winning all of their games. This loss provided
19110-399: Was apparent that he was too loyal to aging players who had been with him since 1958. In the 1967–68 season , Mahovlich was traded to Detroit in a deal that saw the Leafs acquire Paul Henderson and Norm Ullman . The Leafs managed to return to the playoffs after the 1968–69 season , only to be swept by the Bruins. Immediately after, Stafford Smythe confronted Imlach and fired him. This act
19257-448: Was due to the "lateness of the season". The Ottawa Journal openly supported the idea, stating that the players were 'racked' and would be at a serious disadvantage to travel to Winnipeg. Notable players of this period included Albert Morel and Fred Chittick in goal, leaders of the league several times in goaltending, and future Hall of Famers Harvey Pulford , Alf Smith , Harry Westwick and brothers Bruce Stuart and Hod Stuart . It
19404-484: Was during this period that the nickname Senators was first used; however, from 1903 to 1906, the team is better known as the Silver Seven. The first "dynasty" of the Ottawa HC was from 1903 until 1906, when the team was known as the "Silver Seven". The era started with the arrival of Frank McGee for the 1903 season and ended with his retirement after the 1906 season. Having lost an eye in local amateur hockey, he
19551-550: Was formed in 1917 in Montreal by teams formerly belonging to the National Hockey Association (NHA) that had a dispute with Eddie Livingstone , owner of the Toronto Blueshirts . The owners of the other four clubs—the Montreal Canadiens , Montreal Wanderers , Quebec Bulldogs and the Ottawa Senators —wanted to replace Livingstone, but discovered that the NHA constitution did not allow them to simply vote him out of
19698-684: Was founded as the Toronto Arenas for the inaugural 1917–18 NHL season , and rebranded to the Toronto St. Patricks after two years. Conn Smythe renamed the franchise to the Maple Leafs after buying it in 1927. The team played home games at the Mutual Street Arena for its first 14 seasons before moving to Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931. Since February 1999, the Maple Leafs play at Scotiabank Arena (formerly known as Air Canada Centre). Toronto has won more Stanley Cup championships and played more NHL seasons than any team other than
19845-519: Was given a retiring salary of $ 15,000 per year for life, an office, a secretary, a car with a driver, and seats to home games. Smythe sold his remaining shares in the company, and resigned from the board of directors in March 1966, after a Muhammad Ali boxing match was scheduled for the Gardens. Smythe found Ali's refusal to serve in the United States Army offensive, noting that the Gardens
19992-471: Was given a silver nugget by team executive Bob Shillington , an Ottawa druggist and mining investor. He gave them nuggets instead of money since the players were still technically amateurs and to give them money would have meant disqualification from the league. In a 1957 interview, Harry Westwick recalled that at the presentation "One of the players said 'We ought to call ourselves the Silver Seven.' and
20139-464: Was hired away from the IPHL for the 1907-08 season for a CA$ 1,000 (equivalent to $ 28,492 in 2023) salary and a guaranteed federal civil service job. He was an immediate sensation and earned the new nickname of 'Cyclone' for his fast skating and end-to-end rushes, the nickname attributed to the Canadian governor-general Earl Grey . Phillips was signed from Kenora to an even higher salary of $ 1,500 for
20286-472: Was his former player Smith, although he did not finish the 1979–80 season after being hospitalized by a car accident on March 14, 1980. Joe Crozier was named the new head coach until January 10, 1981, when he was succeeded by Mike Nykoluk . Nykoluk was head coach until April 2, 1984. Dan Maloney returned as head coach from 1984 to 1986, with John Brophy named head coach from 1986 to 1988. Both coaches had little success during their tenure. Doug Carpenter
20433-417: Was named the new head coach to begin the 1989–90 season when the Leafs posted their first season above .500 in the decade. The team did not have much success during the decade, missing the playoffs entirely in 1982, 1984 and 1985. On at least two occasions, they made the playoffs with the worst winning percentages on record for a playoff team. However, in those days, the top four teams in each division made
20580-491: Was named the team's captain shortly after Sittler's departure. The Maple Leafs' management continued in disarray throughout most of the decade, with an inexperienced McNamara named as Imlach's replacement in September 1981. He was followed by Gord Stellick on April 28, 1988, who was replaced by Floyd Smith on August 15, 1989. Coaching was similarly shuffled often after Nielson's departure. Imlach's first choice for coach
20727-511: Was not without controversy, with some older players, including Horton, declaring that, "if this team doesn't want Imlach, I guess it doesn't want me". The Maple Leafs completed the 1969–70 season out of the playoffs. With their low finish, the Leafs were able to draft Darryl Sittler at the 1970 NHL amateur draft . The Leafs returned to the playoffs after the 1970–71 season with the addition of Sittler, as well as Bernie Parent and Jacques Plante , who were both acquired through trades during
20874-409: Was on ice coated with an inch of water. The conditions did not hinder Ottawa, as they won 8–0, with McGee scoring three goals and the other five shared among the three Gilmour brothers, Dave (3), Suddy (1) and Bill (1), to win their first Cup. This started a period in which the team held the Stanley Cup and defeated all challengers until March 1906. For that Stanley Cup win, each of the team's players
21021-543: Was persuaded, despite the threat of permanent blindness, to join the Senators. The youngest player on the team and standing 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) tall, he went on to score 135 goals in 45 games. In the 1905 challenge against the Dawson City Nuggets , he scored 14 goals in a 23–2 win. He retired in 1906 at the age of 23. In the 1903 CAHL season , Ottawa and the Montreal Victorias both finished in first place with 6–2 records. The top scorers were
21168-632: Was replaced as general manager by John Ferguson Jr. Before the 2003–04 season , the team held their training camp in Sweden and played in the NHL Challenge against teams from Sweden and Finland. The Leafs went on to enjoy a very successful regular season, leading the NHL at the time of the All-Star Game (with Quinn named head coach of the East's All-Star Team). They finished the season with
21315-405: Was that the status of each and every player had to be publicized. The period saw the rivalry between the Senators and the Wanderers continue, and at times it was brutally contested. On January 12, 1907, a full-scale "donnybrook" took place between the two teams at a game in Montreal. Charles Spittal of Ottawa was described as "attempting to split Blachford's skull", Alf Smith hit Hod Stuart "across
21462-589: Was the first captain of the team; he later became the president of the hockey club in 1891 and of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHA or AHAC) in 1892. For the 1885 season, the club adopted gold and blue as its colours and returned to the Montreal tournament. Ottawa earned its first-ever victory at the tournament over the Montreal Victorias , but lost its final match to the Montreal Hockey Club (Montreal HC) to place second in
21609-541: Was the only OHA final played in Ottawa, as Ottawa played the 1892 final in Toronto, defeating Osgoode Hall 4–2, and in 1893, the Toronto Granites defaulted by not appearing for the championship match scheduled for Ottawa. The club resigned from the OHA in February 1894 after the OHA refused the club's demand to have the 1894 final in Ottawa and ordered Ottawa HC to play the final in Toronto. The dispute caused
#461538