#4 – Charles Querrie
GM: Toronto Arenas (1917–20) and Toronto St. Patricks (1920–27)
Charles Querrie was one of the most important general managers for the organization. He was the first to take on the position, even before the team adopted the name Maple Leafs. He ran the team for a decade.
Queerie was not just the general manager, but also owned a majority share of the team. He helped shape the business of the sport. He was instrumental in facilitating the very first radio broadcast of a hockey game in 1923. It took place in Toronto at Arena Gardens.
Arena Gardens, which was sometimes just called Arena was the home for Queerie’s teams. While he held the reins, the franchise underwent name changes. It was first known as the Torontos, then Toronto Arenas. In 1919 the name was changed once again, this time to the Toronto St. Patricks. The name Maple Leafs came only after Querrie sold his stake in the team and relinquished control.
Querrie wasn’t just making personnel decisions, but he also served as the team’s coach for three years. He had a record of 29-38 and never qualified for the postseason as the bench boss. Luckily, as GM, he had better fortune.
Under Querrie, Toronto qualified for the playoffs four times. They also won a pair of Stanley Cups. They captured the title in 1918 and 1922. He put together the original roster, which included talents such as Jack Adam, Corb Denneny, Harry Cameron, and goaltender Hap Holmes.
The most significant of Querrie’s roster moves had to do with future Hall of Famer Adams. Querrie not only signed him, but also traded him away for cash. It didn’t take long for Adams to lead the league in scoring for the Vancouver Millionaires.
As an established star, Querrie re-acquired Adams and played him alongside a young Babe Dye. The two together were a lethal combination as Dye became the league’s top point-getter of the 20s and owned an incredible point per game average of 1.28 with Toronto. Like Adams, Querrie later traded Dye for a cash return.