Toronto St. Patricks | |
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Founded | Toronto Hockey Club 1917–1918 Toronto Arenas 1918–1919 Toronto St. Patricks 1919–1927 Toronto Maple Leafs 1927–present |
Home arena | Arena Gardens |
City | Toronto, Ontario |
Team colours | Green, white |
Owner(s) | Toronto St. Patricks partnership (Fred Hambly, Percy Hambly, Paul Ciceri, Charlie Querrie, Richard Greer) |
Stanley Cups | 1 (1922) |
The Toronto St. Patricks (colloquially known as the St. Pats) were a professional ice hockey team which began playing in the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1919. The Toronto NHL franchise (league membership) had previously been held by the Arena Company (and the team called the "Arenas"), but despite winning the Stanley Cup the team was bankrupt and pulled out of the league after just two seasons. The rights to the Toronto franchise were purchased by a group of investors with links to an amateur club called the "St. Patricks". The new owners renamed the NHL franchise after the amateur club, and as the St. Patricks the team won the Stanley Cup in 1922. J.P. Bickell invested in the St. Patricks in 1924 as a favour to Charlie Querrie. In 1927, Charlie Querrie and other investors wanted out, J.P. Bickell made arrangements for other Toronto investors and initially hired Mike Rodden (a referee and sports writer) to run the hockey operations, which did not work out. He then hired Conn Smythe as the Managing Partner. The team was renamed to the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1926–27 NHL season.