Conn Smythe

Constantine Falkland Cary "Conn" Smythe was born in Toronto in 1895. He served in WWI artillery and air units, was taken prisoner, and later earned an engineering degree from the University of Toronto in 1920, where he had also played and coached hockey. In 1926 he was hired to assemble the roster for the expansion New York Rangers but was fired by management before the season began — a slight that fueled his drive to build a rival power in his home city.

Building the Maple Leafs

In 1927, with the Toronto St. Patricks facing financial collapse and a real threat of relocation, Smythe organized a syndicate to buy the club, rename it the Toronto Maple Leafs, and change its colours from green-and-white to blue-and-white. He served as the team's principal owner, general manager and de facto architect of its culture from 1927 to 1961. Under his stewardship the Leafs won seven Stanley Cups.

Maple Leaf Gardens and legacy

Even during the Great Depression, Smythe led the financing and construction of Maple Leaf Gardens, opened in 1931, and pioneered coast-to-coast radio broadcasts of Leafs games via Foster Hewitt. In 1964, Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd. created the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded annually to the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Smythe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a "builder."

Sources

• Britannica — Conn Smythe
• Ontario Sports Hall of Fame — Conn Smythe