The Beginning of the Leafs

This is the first of a series of articles on the Toronto Maple Leafs and Maple Leaf Gardens as we begin Maple Leafs Month here at Suite101.

There are different opinions of when the Maple Leafs first came into existence. Some say it was in 1917 as the Arenas when the NHL was first founded. Some say 1911 when the Blueshirts began play. But the Leafs can trace their history back to 1907, before the Montreal Canadiens of 1909 I might add, with the Renfrew Creamery Kings, or Millionaires as most people called them. In 1907, Renfrew had challenged the Kenora Thistles to the Stanley Cup, but were mocked by most papers for trying. They never did win despite the fact owners Michael John O'Brien and son Ambrose lured players away from other teams with some of the most lucrative contracts of the day. The Millionaires turned pro for the 1908-09 season, and in 1909, the O'Briens helped get the National Hockey Association off the ground. The O'Briens owned 4 of the 5 teams in this league. While both Ambroses were working to get good French players on the Canadiens, while Ambrose worked to get Renfrew the Cup.

He offered Eastern Canada Hockey Association scoring champ Marty Walsh $4000. He refused so they signed runner-up Herb Jordan. Fred Whitcroft was signed for $2000, and the Patricks, Frank and Lester, signed for $2000 and $3000 respectively. Cyclone Taylor, possibly the best player of the day, was signed for $5250. In 1910, Newsy Lalonde got a little richer. For 1910-11, M.J. O'Brien sold all his properties, while Ambrose held on to Renfrew. The NHA also approved a $5000 salary cap. Even though the salary cap was avoided by teams offering bonuses or ignoring it, salaries went down, and the Patrick brothers went west, later forming the Pacific Coast Hockey Association.

After losing money in 1911, with a population of 4000 not helping, Ambrose sold the team to an interest in Toronto, and in 1914, the Toronto Blueshirts, led by Jack Marshall and Allan Davidson, who was killed in World War I.

In 1915-16, Toronto Shamrocks owner Eddie Livingstone bought the Blueshirts, meaning he owned both Toronto teams. He was ordered to sell the Shamrocks, while most of the Blueshirts roster headed to the Seattle Metropolitans of the PCHA. He rebuilt the Blueshirts with members of the Shamrocks before he was supposed to sell them, and then folded the team.

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