Today, November 12th, 2021, marks the 90th Anniversary of the opening of Maple Leaf Gardens.

The Gardens was built by Conn Smythe to be the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team and would be owned by the company formed to run both the team and arena, Maple Leaf Gardens Limited.

On November 12, 1931, the Maple Leafs would host the Chicago Blackhawks, officially opening the Gardens.

The Maple Leafs would call Maple Leaf Gardens their home until February 1999, and would win 11 Stanley Cups there.

The Gardens would also be the home of the Ontario Hockey League‘s Toronto Marlboros and Toronto St. Michael’s Majors, Toronto Huskies of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), and Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association (WHA), including others.

The Gardens would see it’s final days due to changing business conditions, and the desire for more luxury boxes.

A deal was struck for it to be taken over as a Loblaws and as the Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens for Ryerson University in 2004.

The Gardens is also known as “The Shrine”, “The Carlton Street Cashbox”, and ”The Church of Hockey.”