Conn Smythe

Conn Smythe (1939)

Constantine "Conn" Falkland Kerry Smythe (born February 1, 1895 in Toronto , Ontario , † November 18, 1980 in Caledon , Ontario) was a Canadian ice hockey official .

life and work

In 1926 he was the first manager of the New York Rangers . He made in 1927 from the St. Patrick's Toronto , the Toronto Maple Leafs and was 1931 in Toronto builder of Maple Leaf Gardens . In both world wars he served as a major for the Canadian Army.

Born in Toronto, Smythe studied at the University of Toronto and graduated there successfully in 1920. As early as 1915 he won the amateur championship of Ontario as a hockey player with the "Varsity Blues". In 1928 he managed the "Varsity Grads", which, as a representative of Canada, won the gold medal at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz.

As the first manager of the New York Rangers, he laid the foundation for later success. When some Philadelphia entrepreneurs wanted to buy the Toronto St. Patricks in 1927 , he gathered a group of 16 influential merchants behind him and bought the team on February 14th for $ 160,000. In order to show the takeover externally, the team was renamed Toronto Maple Leafs and got new colors with blue and white.

With his passion for horse racing, he was lucky enough to win $ 20,000 with the successes of his horse "Rare Jewel". These were the cornerstones for the signing of Ottawa's top defender King Clancy , who was the leading player in Toronto in the coming years.

In 1931 he organized the $ 1.5 million construction of the Maple Leaf Gardens . The stadium was built in just 6 months and opened its doors on November 12th. Many people around him were skeptical as to whether such an investment would make sense in times of recession . Smyhe's success won over them all. When his Maple Leafs and Rangers faced each other in the Stanley Cup Final at the end of the season , his handwriting was everywhere. In the ranks of the Rangers there were still 6 players whom he had signed during his time in New York.

During World War II in late 1941, Smythe resumed his position as major in the Canadian Army and called on his players to follow suit. As President / Director of Maple Leaf Gardens Limited , he also experienced the five Stanley Cups of the Leafs between 1945 and 1951, but was also very active and successful in bringing other events to the Maple Leaf Gardens .

In 1958 he was honored with the admission to the Hockey Hall of Fame , whose construction he personally supervised in 1961 in Toronto. The NHL honored him in 1965 with the introduction of the Conn Smythe Trophy , the trophy for the most valuable player in the playoffs.

His father Albert Smythe was general secretary of the Canadian section of the Adyar Theosophical Society . Like him, Conn Smythe was a member of the Theosophical Society .

Web links

• Conn Smythe in the database of the Hockey Hall of Fame (English)
• Conn Smythe ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .

swell

• Theosophy: Theosophy ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia .