Toronto Maple Leafs: Happy Birthday to an Historic Landmark

The original home arena of the Toronto Maple Leafs is Maple Leaf Gardens. It turns 91 today as we remember this historic landmark.

You couldn’t always buy cantaloupe at 50 Carleton St. in Toronto. While today the Mattamy Athletic Centre is home to Toronto Metropolitan University and a grocery story, not too long ago, it was known as The Cathedral of Hockey. That’s because it housed one of the Original Six, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Opening on November 12, 1931, there were many important moments for the franchise in this building. Most notably, the organization won 11 of their 13 Stanley Cups (the other two were captured in their previous home rink, Arena Gardens on Mutual St.) while tenants of Maple Leaf Gardens.

Conn Smythe decided that the Toronto Maple Leafs needed a larger venue, so he went about purchasing the land on which The Shrine would originally be built in the neighborhood of Church and Wellesley. The organization paid $350,000 for the lot and nearly an additional $1.5 million in construction.

There are many reasons why this barn stands out above so many others. Not the least of which is that it was the first arena on the continent equipped with escalators. Its history is rich in hockey but played a role in history outside the sport. It includes many significant concerts including one of Elvis Presley’s only concerts outside of the United States of America and the only place where The Beatles played on each of their three world tours. The Beatles’ concerts were especially memorable as you will read shortly.

The Gardens also hosted multiple sports (and professional wrestling). Some of the biggest were a memorable 1966 bout between boxing champion Muhammed Ali and his challenger, George Chuval.

The arena was also the site of the very first National Basketball Association Game (NBA)  (The league was called the Basketball Association of America at the time). TheNew York Knickerbockers visited the Toronto Huskies on Nov. 1, 1946. Interestingly, fans who exceeded the height of 6 foot 8 inches were given free admission to the contest. Shorter fans had to buy tickets from between $0.75 – $2.50.

Maple Leaf Gardens had many other teams play within its walls, they were the Toronto Marlboros (Ontario Hockey League), the Toronto Toros (World Hockey Association), the Toronto Blizzard (North American Soccer League), the Toronto Shooting Stars (National Professional Soccer League), the Toronto Rock (National Lacrosse League), and multiple NBA games by the Buffalo Braves and Toronto Raptors.

Harold Ballard, the former owner of the rink and the Toronto Maple Leafs took possession of the MLG after Smythe’s death. His tenure is important thanks to some of the most outrageous things he did while at the arena.

They include selling tickets to two Beatles concerts in 1965 despite having an arrangement with the band’s manager, Brian Epstein, for just one show, which forced the foursome to come back for a second night. Ballard’s greed grew so large that in order to sell more refreshments at the concession stands, he had the water fountains and air conditioning turned off and had the concert delayed an hour so that concert goers would feel the full affect of the August heat.

Before moving to the Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena), the Maple Leafs last game at Maple Leaf Gardens was played on February 13, 1999. The club lost 6-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks. Though the organization left Carlton Street behind, it is still remembered in the Leafs’ mascot name, Carlton the Bear.

The Toronto Maple Leafs certainly hope that their current home arena will bring some of the same success they saw at “The Carlton Street Cashbox”. Time will tell what type of memories the Leafs manage to create at Scotiabank Arena but Maple Leaf Gardens will always be remembered fondly.