THE LEAFS AFTER 1967

The Toronto Maple Leafs, one of the most famous and talked about teams in the history of the NHL. The Leafs also have one of the more broad histories as well. When you talked about the Leafs, you would think of the Original Six, Stanley Cups and Conn Smythe. Now when you talk about the Leafs these days, you think of horrible ownership in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the monopoly they have built, and an unsuccessful team on the ice for 42 years.

The Toronto Maple Leafs franchise has taken one of the biggest back seats for any sports franchise in North America. The Leafs, when they were founded in 1927, to 1967 had won 11 Stanley Cups. From then on to the present day zero Stanley Cups, and nothing to cheer about.

Also from the years of 1927-1967, the ownership was one of the best in the game, which made the Leafs a model franchise. The Leafs were a family business with the head boss being Conn Smythe. Without him there would be no Stanley Cups, no Maple Leaf Gardens, and well no Toronto Maple Leafs. With Conn Smythe running the show, the Leafs were the team, one of the best, constantly winning championships. Most importantly, Conn Smythe expected success on the ice, which is totally different nowadays as a lot of teams go for the dollar first.

Just how good were the Maple Leafs compared to their Original Six counterparts? Well, they were pretty damn good and here are some stats to prove that from 1926, when the Stanley Cup was only awarded to NHL franchises, up until 1967.

The Leafs won 11 Stanley Cups through those 41 years, which was an average of four Cups a decade. Twice in that era, they won the Cup twice three years in a row, and became the first true NHL dynasty. The first Stanley Cup came in 1931 which was the only one in the thirties. In the forties, they won five Cups, in the fifties once and in the sixties four times. Also in that era, the Leafs made the Stanley Cup Final 19 times.

The championships came in on a steady flow and even when they didn’t win the Cup, they still competed hard and had good successful regular seasons. From 1927-1967, the Leafs had 27 winning seasons (having a record above .500 only, and doesn’t include even .500 records) and qualified for the playoffs 34 times. Anytime the team did miss the playoffs, they would qualify the next year. Only on one occasion the Leafs missed the playoffs on back-to-back seasons, 1957-58.

Those numbers right there are just unbelievable stacked up to the other Original Six teams, and the amount of success couldn’t be matched, except only for Montreal. At the time, Toronto and Montreal had the biggest rivalry and were racking up Stanley Cups.

Here’s how the other Original Six franchises stacked up to the Leafs from 1927-1967:

BOSTON BRUINS --> 3 Stanley Cups, 10 Finals, 21 winning seasons, and 28 playoffs
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS --> 3 Stanley Cups, 7 Finals, 14 winning seasons, and 23 playoffs
DETROIT RED WINGS (founded in 1932-33) --> 7 Stanley Cups, 18 Finals, 21 winning seasons, and 29 playoffs
MONTREAL CANADIENS --> 14 Stanley Cups, 20 Finals, 29 winning seasons, and 38 playoffs
NEW YORK RANGERS --> 3 Stanley Cups, 7 Finals, 17 winning seasons, and 22 playoffs
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS --> 11 Stanley Cups, 19 Finals, 27 winning seasons, and 34 playoffs

What a 41 years the Leafs had, and at the same time the city of Toronto was slowly cemented as the hockey capital of the world. A lot of things have changed since those 41 years, compared to the last 41 years. Ownership has changed dramatically; it isn’t the once proud family business it used to be. The ownership now is a corporate monster headed by money first idiot executives who don’t know a thing about hockey. The owners now probably don’t even know how to spell hockey. After 1967 when Conn Smythe didn’t have full ownership of the team, as he sold half of his shares in Maple Gardens Ltd. to his son Stafford. Things began to go down hill and in a hurry.

Stafford Smythe had an ownership group, consisting of himself, a newspaper baron John Bassett, and a jackass named Harold Ballard. When Stafford died, Ballard bought his shares and had the majority stake hold in the team. Things were never the same for the Toronto Maple Leafs after that.

Through the 1970’s and ‘80’s, the Leafs didn’t do much and had disputes with their star players over contracts and money. Ballard didn’t care much about winning as he did for his love of money. I don’t want to be mean or anything, but Harold Ballard was one of those people that lived for to long and were always filled with hate. When Harold finally died in early 1990, Steve Stavro bought his shares and had the majority shares of the team.

Stavro cared about the team winning and didn’t interfere with hockey operations. With that, the Leafs were once again a competitive team.

Another mistake in ownership was made when Stavro sold his shares to the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan fund, and were officially in control in 2004. After selling his shares, Stavro shortly passed away.

The ownership which is MLSE consists of the OTPP (58%), CTV Globemedia (15%), TD Bank (14%) and Kilmer Sports Inc. (13%). Right there is the problem with the Leafs, because it has all become a money game, and was like that since 1970. Since the OTPP officially had the majority hold in MLSE in 2004, the Leafs have never made the playoffs, and have missed them for the past three years. With the lockout of 2005, you can make that four years. The Leafs franchise had never missed the playoffs three years in a row dating back to the early 1920’s.

With ownership changes and so many different corporations having a stake in MLSE, they own and control the Leafs, Raptors and Toronto FC. One thing is weird and mind boggling. How is it that the Raptors are having so much success and are on the rise to becoming an elite team and the Leafs are stuck at the bottom of the NHL? That is just unbelievable to see. One of the main guys screwing around with the Leafs is Richard Peddie the CEO, who is extremely smart when it comes to making money. When it comes to sports or hockey, he is so stupid and has no clue as to what he is doing. And MLSE has made so much money, that it is impossible to beat those marks. This group doesn’t care about their franchises, they want money first. The Raptors are lucky they found hard nosed guy in Bryan Collangelo, because the only way he accepted his job was if Richard Peddie would stay out of his way, and the job title of team president. It worked, but what happens when Collangelo’s contract runs out and he decides to sign on elsewhere?

The only way the Leafs will ever win a Stanley Cup is if this bullshit ownership changes to one person, or if they can find someone like Collangelo in the hockey world.

With all those changes with the ownership, here are some Leafs stats compared to the other Original Six franchises from 1968-2008, 41 years (2004-05 season locked out).

BOSTON BRUINS --> 2 Stanley Cups, 7 Finals, 36 winning seasons, and 26 playoffs
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS --> 0 Stanley Cups, 3 Finals, 22 winning seasons, and 30 playoffs
DETROIT RED WINGS --> 4 Stanley Cups, 5 Finals, 20 winning seasons, and 24 playoffs
MONTREAL CANADIENS --> 10 Stanley Cups, 11 Finals, 34 winning seasons, 33 playoffs
NEW YORK RANGERS --> 1 Stanley Cup, 3 Finals, 23 winning seasons, and 29 playoffs
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS --> 0 Stanley Cups, 0 Finals, 21 winning seasons, and 26 playoffs

These days, ownership doesn’t look as if it will change anytime soon and will continue to do what they do best, make money first.

Even with the hundreds upon thousands of Leafs fans across Canada and the US, there will never be a shortage of demand for a ticket. A regular guy can’t afford a ticket to a Leafs game because MLSE has prices suited only for the rich and corporate. True Leafs fans still make it out to the games, but over pay and they get treated to a horrible product on the ice.

If you ever watch an old game from Maple Leaf Gardens, there was energy in the building, and you could just feel the passion. The fans cared enough to come early and watch the whole game. Now, the Leafs crowds at the Air Canada Centre cater to the corporate crowds who pretty much have a majority of all the seats for the season. These guys wear suits to the hockey game, a suit! They only go to the game because they got the tickets for free and to brag the next day at work. During intermissions, they leave their seats for a smoke or the more commonly known ‘sushi break’ and return late to the game. They don’t even care enough to watch the whole game, and talk business or are on their Blackberry’s or iPhone’s. There’s no more passion in the building either, it’s all gone because of MLSE and their money, and will only sell tickets to the highest bidder who will overpay.

The media these days is much worse as they are always on the team and expecting more all the time. The media in Toronto has certainly influenced players’ decisions on coming to play for the Leafs in the past and now. Especially this season, the team isn’t built for the playoffs and yet the media would expect the playoffs. When the Leafs don’t make the playoffs, the media will want know why they didn’t. Any type of move made from anywhere on the team, will be reported and talked about and get blown up. Every single move is scrutinized to a tee, and the media just over does their job sometimes. With the media always talking shit, it turns fans away from the team and then they start talking shit about the team.

There are so many Leaf fans out there who are died hard fans, but don’t want to admit it or show it because of the state the team is currently in and the past failures. It’s all because of MLSE. Fans across Canada of other teams and just in general always bash the Leafs. In my opinion they are just jealous because everyone always talks about the Leafs and they get the most media coverage across Canada. Whatever the public wants or whatever is in demand will be out there. Still, fans of other teams talk shit and always make fun of the team. Even fans who live in the GTA complain about the coverage the Leafs get and how everyone talks about them. Well then, what do you expect, you live in a Leafs region or Leafs Nation. The again, with the Leafs not having won then or now, those fans have points to make fun of the Leafs. It is sad to write that as a Leafs fan, but it’s the truth.

Whatever happens with this team, there will always be legions and hoards of fans wanting to watch the games, go to the games and ready to buy anything with the Leafs logo on it. There will always be a passion for this team and there will always be fans to watch and cheer the Leafs, win or lose. We have been doing it for the last 41 winless/Cupless years, and we will continue to do it because we love hockey and the Leafs.

We the fans of the Leafs are the only one’s who can stop MLSE and what they are doing to our beloved franchise. We control what they do because we are the one’s pumping money into their bank accounts and we can stop that too. If we all just stop giving MLSE our money, then they will learn to change or maybe even sell the team. It’s a big sacrifice not going to Leafs, Raptors or Toronto FC games, but something has to be done or we’ll never see championships from those three teams. It’s all up to us, it’s hard, it can happen, but it won’t. Why, because of all the corporate season seat holders who will still go to the games and pay big bucks. MLSE is smart, they’ll find other ways to make money, but we the fans have the ability to just stop what we are doing and stay at home to watch the games. We will always have the final say, and all we have to do is put it in use.


The opinions and thoughts expressed in this or any other article written by 12nadnuk are of his thinking and what he thinks is correct or close to it in the sporting world. If there are any problems by anyone, 12nadnuk is open for rebuttal and what not, and honest criticism. There is also a comments section, so feel free to post what is on your mind about the article. Thank you for reading.