The game was won by Team Canada 4-1. The Toronto Maple Leafs were playing at Mutual Street's Arena Gardens. It was erected in 1912 and had a capacity of 7,500 spectators for ice hockey. By 1930, Leafs managing director Conn Smythe had determined that the arena was too small and that he intended to build a bigger, larger, and more attractive facility. The new arena would be called Maple Leaf Gardens and it would cost $150,000 (1930 dollars). It opened on February 21, 1931 with a match between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. The new arena had a roof but no walls so it could be used for other sports events as well.
Maple Leaf Gardens was the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs from its opening in 1931 until the building was destroyed by fire on January 31, 1996. The team has not returned to play there since then. The site is now occupied by Scotiabank Place, which is used for ice hockey games by the Ottawa Senators.
You may know that the Montreal Canadiens are the original Maple Leafers and they're still playing today. But there was also a second franchise named after the maple leaf, located in London, Ontario. They played in the NHL from 1948-1974. After the 1972-73 season, the team was relocated to become the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In conclusion, the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto were built in 1911 and demolished in 1996.
The club played its home games in the Mutual Street Arena for the first 14 seasons until moving to Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931. In February 1999, the Maple Leafs relocated to their current home, Scotiabank Arena (formerly named Air Canada Centre).
Maple Leaf Gardens was built by Canadian industrialist and philanthropist John Bassett who also constructed Toronto's Island Airport now known as Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. The structure had a capacity of 20,000 and is considered one of the most innovative buildings of its time. It was destroyed by fire on January 28, 1936. Although the team failed to qualify for the playoffs during its first three years in the NHL, they did win the President's Cup in 1929-30. The cup is awarded to the league champion; however, no official trophy was made at that time so Bassett donated $500 to each of the teams that won the cup to help promote hockey in Canada.
Maple Leaf Gardens was rebuilt within six months and opened its doors for the 1937 season. The new arena was much larger than the previous one with room for 16,500 fans. It took seven years but in 1944-45, the Maple Leafs finally won the Stanley Cup after losing in four games to Boston Bruins' goalie Gerry Cheevers. The team has yet to be defeated in game five of a playoff series.
Before moving to the Air Canada Centre in 1999, the Toronto Maple Leafs played at Maple Leaf Gardens for nearly seven decades. (Canadian Press) Hundreds of people waited in line to enter the legendary Maple Leaf Gardens in downtown Toronto, albeit the audience was mostly made up of foodies rather than hockey fans.
On November 12, 1931, the Maple Leafs lost 2-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Gardens' first game. On opening night, 13,542 people were reported to have attended. That season, the Leafs won their first Stanley Cup as the Maple Leafs (they had already won two previously—one as the Toronto Arenas and one as the Toronto St. Patricks).
The historic Mattamy Athletic Centre at Ryerson University is located on the intersection of Church and Carlton Streets in Toronto. The Toronto Maple Leafs have won 11 Stanley Cups in this facility, which also hosted the inaugural NHL All-Star Game in 1947.
Maple Leaf Gardens was a venue for ice hockey games in Toronto from 1927 to 1999. It was also used for concerts and other events. In 2000, an indoor soccer stadium named Air Canada Center was built two blocks away from the original Gardens site.
In 2011, the City of Toronto bought the Mattamy Athletic Centre site to preserve it as a public space named "The Podium".
Maple Leaf Gardens was so famous that it has been adopted by other teams as their home arena:
-- Ottawa Senators: Now known as Canadian Tire Centre, this is where they played until the new Canadian Tire Building was ready in 1992. The old arena was also used by the Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association in 1972.
-- Montreal Canadiens: Named Bell Centre after its principal tenant, this is where they play until the new Bell Centre is ready in 2019. The old arena was also used by the Toronto Maple Leafs during their transition period before they moved into their new building.
Arenas in Toronto Toronto Maple Leafs (Formerly: Toronto St. Patrick's)
The team was formed in 1917 as simply Toronto and was known as the Toronto Arenas at the time. In 1919, the team was renamed the Toronto St. Patricks under new ownership. Conn Smythe bought the team in 1927 and christened it the Maple Leafs.
The Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic structure in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the northwest intersection of Carlton Street and Church Street. The structure was originally built in 1931 as an ice hockey rink, but it has subsequently been renovated for different purposes. Today, it is a museum that houses many NHL trophies and records.
The Gardens were home to the Maple Leafs from 1931 to 1976, when they moved into their new arena (now known as SkyDome). The building was also used by the team during the 1977-78 season when they played only 10 games because of a major renovation project that had been started before the previous season ended. The Leafs returned to the Gardens in 1980, and have been playing there ever since.
In addition to being the home of the Maple Leafs, the Gardens has hosted several other sports events throughout its history. It has been the site of NBA games between 1946 and 1950, and again from 1955 to 1956. The venue has also held World Hockey Association games during the 1972-73 and 1973-74 seasons. Finally, the Gardens has been the host of multiple Canadian football games including two Grey Cup contests between 1951 and 1952 and again in 1960.
Since its opening, the Maple Leaf Gardens has been considered one of the most prestigious sports venues in North America. The building has also been listed as a National Historic Site due to its important role in the history of ice hockey.
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