Chili
What wind blew you hither?
- Jun 10, 2004
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Conn Smythe explained the origin in his memoirs 'If you can't beat 'em in the alley'. When he got control of the team in 1927, he changed the nickname from the St. Patricks (which he said had been to attract the local Irish population to attend games). Smythe had been an artilleryman and later a flyer in WWI (was shot down and became a prisoner of war too). The Maple Leaf had been on badges and insignia he wore during the war. The Canadian athletes had worn the Maple Leaf crest on their chests during the 1924 Olympics, so he believed it meant something across Canada. When the new arena was built in 1931 it was of course called Maple Leaf Gardens.Wolfs (2024) Directed by Jon Watts 5A
Sidenote: What's with this spelling of the title? Makes as much sense as Toronto Maple Leafs.
There may be further details in Ripley's Beleaf It or Not.
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