Author: dqh

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The Evolution of the Leafs: Toronto Blueshirts – Arenas – St. Pats – Leafs

The Toronto Blueshirts

I am betting big on what the T stands for.

Prior to the NHL, there was a league known as the National Hockey Association. It was founded in 1910 and continued until the NHL’s formation in 1917.

The initial teams were the Montreal Shamrocks, the Montreal Wanderers, the Renfrew Millionaires and also teams from Cobalt, and  Haileybury, unlikely now sites to be on the radar for NHL expansion.

The  first Toronto franchise in this league became the Toronto Blueshirts. Their home rink was the Mutual Street Arena.

The Blueshirts were the first Toronto team to win the Stanley Cup in 1914, defeating the Victoria Aristocrats. It was then a true challenge cup, as it was intended. 1

By 1914, the remaining teams in the league consisted of the Montreal Canadiens, the Quebec Bulldogs, the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Wanderers.

Key players included Scotty Davidson, who died in WWI, Harry Cameron, the Bobby Orr of the day, Frank Foyston and Jack Marshall.

Eddie Livingstone

Eddie looks like a decent chap to me.

 

The Blueshirts team was owned by a gentleman by the name of Eddie Livingstone who was quite controversial. He was often in disputes with the other owners. He aggressively signed players away from other teams, particularly Montreal and Ottawa. The League issued suspensions to these players, challenged the contracts and attempted to block other signings. Livingstone sued them multiple times.

Toronto Shamrocks

This photo was likely taken later in the day on March 17th.

 

The Shamrocks were a short-lived team in the NHA from 1912 to 1915. They also played out of the Mutual Street Arena. The team struggled due to poor attendance. By 1914, it was bankrupt. Enter Eddie. He bought the remnants of the team and now owned two teams in the NHA, much to the chagrin of the other owners, who were legitimately concerned about conflict issues.

Eddie maintained the League’s articles did not deny the right to multiple franchises.

By 1915, even Eddie realized that this idea was not working well. The players preferred to be with the Blueshirts, costs were excessive and the fights with the other owners were distressing. Eddie discontinued operation of the team but he held onto the franchise title, which upset the other owners.

Toronto Arenas

Champions of the World might be a bit of an overstatement. They did win Lord Stanley’s Cup in 1917. The bottom left photo references the O’Brien Cup which was the trophy given to the top NHA team. The Stanley Cup was still a challenge cup, given to the winner of, oddly enough, the challenge. They played the winner of the Pacific Coast League for this award.

During WWI, the League loaned several Toronto players to other teams on the understanding that they would return to Toronto. Livingstone insisted the players be returned. Ottawa and Montreal refused to do so. Livingstone accused them of theft. The League asserted that he had mismanaged his team. This became the final straw.

The other owners tried to expel him from the league, buy him out, and refuse to return his players. Livingstone launched legal proceedings for injunctive relief.

In 1917, they decided to start a new league and ban him from membership.

Hence, the NHA dissolved, leading to the creation of the NHL in 1917.  Livingstone sued, of course, but his legal claims were, for the most part, unsuccessful.

For a more complete review of Eddie’s lawsuits and the demise of the NHA, see the story of “Deceptions and Doublecross: How the NHL Conquered Hockey”, written by Morley Holzman and Joseph Nieforth, 2002, Dundurn Press.

The prior contracts of the Blueshirts players were apparently assigned to a new Toronto franchise, then designated as temporary. 2 It was a temporary admission as the fourth team, the Quebec Bulldogs, were unable to play that season. The team was then called the Toronto Arenas, not a particularly noteworthy name. The Arenas did win the Stanley Cup in 1917.

The Toronto St. Pats

Gotta love the tie on the coach. And why is the goalie not in front ?

 

If a fight breaks out, I want to be on their side.

 

4 coaches ? or maybe a “get over here for the photo” moment ?

The team was sold in December of 1919 to Charles Querrie, who changed the name to Toronto St. Patricks. Toronto then had a strong Irish Catholic community, particularly in neighbourhoods close to the Mutual Street Arena, such as Cabbagetown, Corktown, St. Mary’s Parish and near St. Michael’s Cathedral. The chosen name was intended to align the team with this ethnic group to build fan support. It was successful as the fan base grew significantly.

The Leafs

In 1927, the team was sold to Conn Smythe and his associates and rebranded as the Toronto Maple Leafs, as of February 17, 1927.

There had been a baseball team in Toronto since 1886 called the Toronto Maple Leafs. It played in the International League as a AAA team.

Smythe’s public statement was that he wanted a name which symbolized Canada and that that he had admired the Maple Leaf Regiment he had commanded in WW1. This was likely a factor, no doubt, but the popularity of the baseball team was likely very influential. This raises another issue about trademarks and all that, but let’s leave this for now.

The Morality Show

The NHL was hence formed in controversy, by a conspiracy to cut out the person designated as an evil force.

The establishment of the Stanley Cup as the ultimate trophy is equally controversial as it was a clear violation of the initial trust created by Lord Stanley, when he was the Governor-General of Canada. 3

The theme of corruption continued. The Norris brothers, well step-brothers, owned competing franchises in Detroit and Chicago through the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Ballard bought controlling interest of the Leafs by selling the shares of the deceased Conn Smythe to himself as he was the executor of the will. He did so at a value well lower than market value.

The grocery magnate, Steve Stavro, did the same on Ballard’s death. He sold the controlling interest to himself as the executor of Ballard’s estate. He was sued successfully by the “residual legatees”, that is, those beneficiaries at the bottom of the list. But really, did he care? He got ownership of the team and paid out the settlement from the profits.

Our Pal Hal also was sentenced to three years in Her Majesty’s Custody for using the funds of  a public company, that is, the Toronto Maple Leafs, to renovate his summer home on Georgian Bay.

 

 

 

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Syl Apps et al

Syl Apps

 

Frank Mahovlich #27, Syl Apps #10, Lionel Conacher #9, King Clancy #7, Hap Day #4, Turk Broda #1 , Ace Bailey #6

King Clancy
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Time to Think This Over (again for the 57th time)

Well. it has been a while since the last parade on Bay Street. My shrink has advised that the bandage must be ripped off with a clean swipe. I have honestly had enough. It is bad enough when I am too stressed out to watch the actual live game but now it has become a serious mental illness.

In 2013, the Leafs came back from a 3-1 series deficit, only to tie it up and then sink the whole ship when winning game 7, 4-1 yet, with 8 minutes left. That left emotional scarring.

Now in 2024, Nylander has concussion protocol and Matthews has food poisoning …huh ? truly this team is cursed.

In 2025, the number one goalie is out on concussion protocol in game 2. Huh ?

Hence, my application for the bandwagon membership. I promise to cheer appropriately, actually have the stamina to watch the games live, (not for years have I been stable enough to watch the Leafs in real time) and even get  Brock whomever jersey and follow semi-religiously.

I await, with some degree of trepidation, your decision on admission, prepared to accept whatever indignity that this may entail.

D.

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2003 Playoffs

 

The Philadelphia Flyers finished as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with 107 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference with 98 points. This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams with Philadelphia winning three of the previous four series. They last met in the 1999 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal, which Toronto won in six games. The teams split this year’s four game regular season series.

The Flyers defeated the Maple Leafs in seven games. In game one, Alexander Mogilny scored a hat trick to give Toronto a 5–3 victory.[17] The Flyers responded to the loss with a 4–1 win in game two with John LeClair, Mark Recchi, and Simon Gagne all contributing a goal and an assist.[18] In game three, Toronto came back from an early two-goal deficit to win the game in double overtime on a goal by Tomas Kaberle, his second of the game.[19] Game four showcased a triple overtime game in which Philadelphia nearly doubled the shots Toronto took. On the 75th shot for the Flyers, at 13:54 of the third overtime Mark Recchi scored his second goal of the game to help the Flyers take a 3–2 win.[20] Sami Kapanen scored two power play goals in game five to assist the Flyers in a 4–1 win and took a 3–2 series lead.[21] In game six, Ed Belfour helped Toronto force a seventh game with 35 saves in a double overtime 2–1 victory.[22] The Flyers routed the Maple Leafs in game seven 6–1 with Mark Recchi scoring two goals and an assist and Justin Williams and Claude Lapointe both scoring a goal and two assists.[23]

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Round 1 and even Round 2 2004 Playoffs

2004 Round 1 and yes Round 2

Contrary to modern Leafs’ fan expectations, the Stanley Cup series actually has more than one round. Leafs beat Ottawa 4 games to 3 in Round 1, only to lose in Round 2 to Phillie 4-2. This, as unimaginable as this could be, was the last time Leafs won one, as in ONE, round of the playoffs.

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The Leafs Playoffs 2014-2015-2016

Mercifully there were no round one flame outs in these years, as it is prerequisite that the team actually makes the playoffs. These seasons did, however, allow for the drafting of Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews.

That would make the Leafs a playoff team once out of the past 11 years. Hard to imagine.

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2017 Round 1 Washington

2017 Round 1 Washington

The Washington Capitals earned the Presidents’ Trophy for the second consecutive year as the NHL’s best regular season team this time with 118 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished much further down the list, squeaking into the playoffs with 95 points as the second wild and last wild car. No one gave the Leafs much of a hope.

The series became only the third playoff series in NHL history in which five games were decided in overtime.

In game 1, Toronto had a two-goal lead in the first ten minutes of the first game. Washington went on to tie the game and won 3–2 in overtime from Tom Wilson‘s goal.

In game 2, rookie Kasperi Kapanen scored twice including the game-winner in double-overtime leading the Maple Leafs to a 4–3 victory.

Washington took two two-goal leads in game three; the first pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Auston Matthews, helped soften the lead with his first playoff goal, but after the Capitals got a 3–1 lead, the Maple Leafs scored twice to tie the game. Then in overtime, Tyler Bozak tipped a shot past the Capitals’ goaltender to give the Leafs a 2–1 series lead.

Game four was the only game of the series not to go into overtime; Tom Wilson and T. J. Oshie both scored two goals and Oshie’s second goal proved to be the game-winner in a 5–4 victory after an attempted comeback by Toronto was thwarted.

Game five featured the fourth overtime game of this series with Justin Williams scoring for Capitals in a 2–1, taking a 3–2 series lead in the process.

In game six, the game went to overtime for the fifth time this series and at 6:31 of the first overtime period Marcus Johansson scored his second goal for the Capitals in a 2–1 victory and another trip to the second round.

 

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2018 Boston Round 1

2018 Round 1 Boston

The Boston Bruins finished second in the Atlantic Division earning 112 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs earned 105 points to finish third in the Atlantic Division. Toronto won three of the four games in this year’s regular season series.

The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs in seven games.

Tuukka Rask made 26 saves for the Bruins in game one, winning the game 5–1.[ During the game, Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri was given a five-minute major for a charging penalty for his hit on Tommy Wingels; he would later be suspended for three games. This is eerily similar to Kadri’s performance in the following year. He is a good player but completely out of control.

In game 2, David Pastrnak had a hat trick and three assists in a 7–3 victory for the Bruins in game two, becoming the first player since Claude Giroux in 2012 to score a hat trick and three assists.[16]

In game three, Patrick Marleau scored twice for the Maple Leafs in a 4–2 victory.

Game 4 went to the Bruins, 3-1, giving them also a series lead of 3-1.

In game five, Toronto prevented a come-back by Boston, fending off the Bruins 4–3 as Frederik Andersen made 42 saves for the Maple Leafs.[19] Nikita Zaitsev assisted twice in a 3–1 Maple Leafs victory, forcing a seventh game in the series.

Where have we seen this before? Game 7 in Boston, In game seven, Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron scored a goal and recorded two assists in a 7–4 victory to advance his team to the second round.[21]

 

 

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Boston Round 1 2019

The Boston Bruins finished second in the Atlantic Division, earning 107 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs earned 100 points to finish third in the Atlantic Division. This was the sixteenth playoff meeting overall, and second consecutive, between these two teams, with Toronto winning eight of the fifteen previous series. They last met in the previous year’s Eastern Conference First Round, which Boston won in seven games. Boston won three of the four games in this year’s regular season series.

The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs in seven games. Mitch Marner scored twice in Toronto’s game one victory, the final score of which was 4–1.[9] Game two saw controversy in officiating, with Bruins players becoming more physical, to the point where Boston forward Jake DeBrusk collided with Toronto forward Nazem Kadri, who was skating hard out of the penalty box, resulting in a knee-on-knee collision, injuring the Maple Leafs forward.[10] No penalty was called on the play. Kadri would return to the game, but retaliated against DeBrusk, cross-checking the forward in the head, resulting in a major penalty for the Toronto forward.[11] Kadri was suspended for the remainder of the series.[12] The Bruins ended the game 4–1.[13] In game three, Auston Matthews and Andreas Johnsson scored a goal and notched an assist, leading the Maple Leafs to a 3–2 victory.[14] In game four, the Bruins held on for a 6–4 victory, keeping the Maple Leafs from tying in the closing minutes after leading by three goals in the third period.[15] The Maple Leafs scored twice in the third period of game five and held onto a one-goal lead late in the game to give Toronto a 2–1 victory and a 3–2 series lead.[16] In game six, Brad Marchand had two goals and an assist in a 4–2 Bruins victory to push the series to a seventh game.[17] In the seventh game, Boston goalie Tuukka Rask made 32 saves to defeat the Maple Leafs 5–1 and advance to the second round.[18]