It was the only venue to host the group on each tour. The Beatles made a stop at Maple Leaf Gardens during each of their three North American tours in 1964, 1965, and 1966. Advertising was sold and placed throughout the building. It was often called the "Carlton Street Cashbox" in sports reporting. The Leafs were so popular that the team sold out every game from 1946–1999.
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This was achieved, in part, by making the seats narrower, so that, according to Conn Smythe, "only a young man could sit in them and only a fat old rich man could afford them." A large portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was also removed to make room for more seats.
By 1968, seating capacity for hockey had grown to 16,307. Even more seats were added in 1965 and new mezzanine galleries were constructed in 19. The new ownership added 962 new seats to the Gardens in 1962, and added a private club, The Hot Stove Club, the following year. In 1961, Smythe sold most of his shares to a three-person partnership formed by his son, Stafford Smythe, along with Harold Ballard and John Bassett. The Smythe-Ballard-Bassett Era (1961-1971) The Gardens were also home to a historical musical concert, as Elvis Presley's shows at the Gardens on Apwere his first-ever concerts outside of the United States. Toronto stock broker Percy Gardiner lent Smythe the money he needed to take control of the corporation. in 1947, following a power struggle between directors who supported him as president, and those who wanted him replaced with Frank J. Smythe became the majority owner of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. The Huskies played their last game at the Gardens on March 28, 1947, and the franchise folded shortly thereafter. On November 1, 1946, Maple Leaf Gardens was the site of the first game in the history of the Basketball Association of America, with the Toronto Huskies playing the New York Knickerbockers. The first world title bout in the building was on September 19, 1932, and featured bantamweight champion Panama Al Brown knocking out challenger Emile Pladner in the first round. Local hero Whipper Billy Watson became the city's top wrestling attraction in the 1940s and 1950s.īoxing was also a regular offering at the Gardens for many years.
#Toronto maple leafs professional
Under Tunney, Maple Leaf Gardens was a thriving centre for professional wrestling for decades. The show was promoted by Jack Corcoran, who passed the reins to Frank Tunney in 1939. The event attracted 15,800 people to see world champion Jim Londos in the main event. The first professional wrestling show at the Gardens was held on November 19, 1931. The Leafs would go on to win their first Stanley Cup that season. Reported attendance on opening night was 13,542. The Gardens opened on November 12, 1931, with the Maple Leafs losing 2–1 to the Chicago Blawkhawks. Construction was completely finished in under five months and two weeks, an accomplishment that is still heralded to this day. Construction began at midnight on June 1, 1931. That price did not include steel work, which was estimated at an additional $100,000. Other viable bids could not compete in this manner. Thomson Bros bid just under $990,000 for the project, the lowest of ten tenders received, mainly due to the fact that amongst the Thomson Brothers' various enterprises they had much of the sub contract work covered. The contract to construct the building was awarded to Thomson Brothers Construction of Port Credit in Toronto Township. transferred ownership of the hockey team to the new corporation in return for shares in Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. Smythe and the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club Ltd.
#Toronto maple leafs free
Construction was partly funded through a public offering of 7% preferred shares in Maple Leaf Gardens Limited at $10 each, with a free common share for each five preferred shares purchased. His son, Foster Hewitt, was hired to run the radio broadcasts. Hewitt, sports editor of the Toronto Star, was hired as general manager to oversee all events other than professional hockey. The building was designed by the architectural firm of Ross and Macdonald. for a price said to be $150,000 below market value. Maple Leaf Gardens was built by Maple Leafs managing director Conn Smythe during a six-month period in 1931 at a cost of $1.5 million. 1.4 The Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Era (1991–2003).
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