Who are the Toronto Maple Leafs

     The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario in the country of Canada. In 1917, the Toronto Maple Leafs  joined the NHL during its inaugural season, and were originally named the Toronto Arenas. The NHL was formed with four teams: The Arenas, the Montreal Canadiens, the Montreal Wanderers, and the Ottawa Senators. The Wanderers were forced to fold just six games into the season when their arena burnt down. The remainder of the season was played between the three remaining teams. The Arenas won the NHL’s first ever Stanley Cup when they defeated the Pacific Coast Hockey League Champions, the Vancouver Millionaires.

  Late in the following season, the Toronto Arenas withdrew from the NHL due to financial difficulties, but the Toronto franchise reemerged in the 1919-20 season, this time with new owners and a new name — the Toronto St. Patricks. The name was selected in hopes of attracting the city’s large Irish population to attend the home games. n the second season of the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs took home their second Stanley Cup, again beating the Millionaires.

  One of the most historic changes in Toronto’s franchise history came when Conn Smythe, the architect of the New York Rangers, bought the St. Pats. He immediately prevented the team from moving to Philadelphia, changed the team’s name to the Maple Leafs, and changed the team colors to blue and white. The name “Maple Leafs” came from a World War I fighting unit, the Maple Leaf Regiment.

  Toronto returned to the top of the NHL in 1932 when it beat the Rangers in three straight games to sweep the best-of-five series. It was the franchise’s first Cup victory since becoming the Maple Leafs. The Leafs would remain a contender but didn’t win the Cup again until 1942 when they became the only team to lose the first three games in a Final series and come back with four-straight wins. They beat the Detroit Red Wings to take home the fourth Cup in franchise history.