Name: Conn Smythe Position: President, MLG Ltd. Birthday: Feb.1, 1895 - Nov.18, 1980 Shoots: Induction Category: Builder Weight: Induction Year: 2009 Height:

Career Summary

When any Toronto hockey fans thinks about the sport in the city, the name Conn Smythe often comes to mind. 
Smythe was born on February 1, 1895 in Toronto where he attended Upper Canada College and went on to study engineering at the University of Toronto.  While studying at the University of Toronto, Smythe played Centre for the Varsity Blues, playing in the OHA championships in 1914 and winning the title in 1915.
Smythe became General Manager and Coach of the New York Rangers and was fired before the team played a regular season game that year.  Smythe used his severance money and gambling winnings to purchase a majority share in the Toronto St. Pats, which he re-named the Toronto Maple Leafs.
During Smythe’s time as owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs he made several big contributions to the hockey world and in the hockey life of the City of Toronto, including making the Toronto Marlboros part of the farm system of the newly re-named Toronto Maple Leafs in 1927, the construction of Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931, lobbied for, and supervised the construction of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and in 1965, the Conn Smythe trophy was established for the Most Valuable Player in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
One of hockey’s most notable builders, Smythe was inducted into the Hall of Fame he fought to build in Toronto in 1958. 
Conn Smythe died at his home in Caledon, Ontario on November 18, 1980 and is buried in Park Lawn Cemetery in Toronto.