🏛 Historic Stadium — Maple Leaf Gardens stood at 60 Carlton Street in Toronto, Ontario, as the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from its opening on November 12, 1931, through the final NHL game played there on February 13, 1999.
Designed by architects Ross and Macdonald at a cost of approximately C$1.5 million, the arena was built in just five months during the depths of the Great Depression — a feat driven by the vision of Leafs owner Conn Smythe, who paid tradespeople partly in Maple Leafs stock. Across 67 seasons of NHL hockey and decades as one of the continent’s premier entertainment venues, the Gardens hosted 11 Stanley Cup championships, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Muhammad Ali, and Winston Churchill before being reborn as a university athletic centre and grocery store.
Quick Answer
Maple Leaf Gardens is a National Historic Site at 60 Carlton Street in Toronto that served as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ home arena from 1931 to 1999, seeing 11 Stanley Cup wins and legendary concerts by Elvis and the Beatles. It was never demolished: the building was converted into the Mattamy Athletic Centre for Toronto Metropolitan University (upper bowl) and a Loblaws flagship supermarket (lower levels), and it remains open to the public today for self-guided tours.
A Palace Built in Five Months
Maple Leaf Gardens was an engineering marvel of its era. Construction began in June 1931 and was completed by November of the same year — an extraordinary pace made possible only through unconventional financing that included paying workers partly in Maple Leafs stock. On opening night, November 12, 1931, an over-capacity crowd of roughly 13,500 watched the Leafs fall 2-1 to the Chicago Black Hawks.
The arena’s design integrated the seating bowl with load-bearing exterior walls, a distinctive architectural feature that later complicated renovation plans and contributed to the decision to preserve the building rather than tear it down. The Gardens also made hockey history almost immediately: it hosted the first unofficial NHL All-Star Game in 1934, a benefit for injured Maple Leafs forward Ace Bailey, then welcomed the first official annual NHL All-Star Game in 1947.
How Capacity Grew Over the Decades
Maple Leaf Gardens’ seating count changed repeatedly as owners chased more revenue and new amenities. It opened in 1931 with about 12,473 seats, expanded modestly to roughly 12,586 by 1940, then grew in stages through the 1960s as new mezzanine galleries and a private club were added: about 13,718 seats by 1960-66, 15,461 by 1966-68, and a peak of roughly 16,316-16,485 seats by 1968, which held through the early 1980s.
Later renovations in the 1990s brought capacity down slightly to around 15,726 for the arena’s final NHL seasons. Since the 2012 conversion, the venue’s hockey rink — now inside the Mattamy Athletic Centre — seats a much smaller crowd of roughly 2,500 for Toronto Metropolitan University Bold games and community hockey, a fraction of its NHL-era scale.
More Than a Hockey Rink
Maple Leaf Gardens earned nicknames like “the Carlton Street Cashbox” and “the Church of Hockey” because it was never solely a sports venue — it was one of Canada’s great entertainment stages. Elvis Presley played two shows there on April 2, 1957, his first-ever concerts outside the United States. The Beatles performed at the Gardens on all three of their North American tours (1964, 1965, and 1966), making it the only venue they played every time they toured the continent. Frank Sinatra, the Rolling Stones, Queen, Bob Dylan, and Luciano Pavarotti also appeared on its stage.
The building hosted major non-musical history too. Winston Churchill addressed a Toronto audience there in March 1932, professional wrestling debuted at the Gardens on November 19, 1931, and Muhammad Ali defended his heavyweight title against George Chuvalo there on March 29, 1966 — a bout controversial enough that Leafs owner Conn Smythe resigned from the board in protest, saying organizers had “put cash ahead of class.” The arena also staged Game 2 of the landmark 1972 Canada-USSR Summit Series, a defining moment in international hockey that captivated a generation of Canadian fans.
From Hockey Shrine to Grocery Store
When the Leafs departed for the Air Canada Centre in 1999, the city of Toronto chose adaptation over demolition. Loblaw Companies purchased the building in 2004, and a roughly $60 million redevelopment — with federal and provincial support — converted the lower levels into a Loblaws flagship supermarket, which opened in November 2011. The upper bowl reopened as the Mattamy Athletic Centre for Toronto Metropolitan University (then Ryerson University) in September 2012, complete with a new hockey rink, basketball court, and fitness facilities.
The building’s heritage status helped shape that outcome. Maple Leaf Gardens was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1991 and named a National Historic Site of Canada in 2007, recognizing it as one of hockey’s great shrines and one of the country’s foremost venues for concerts, rallies, and championship sport. Inside today’s Loblaws, shoppers can still see the arena’s centre-ice marking preserved in the floor and original seats mounted on the wall in the shape of a maple leaf.
Planning Your Visit Today
Maple Leaf Gardens is no longer an NHL arena, but the building is open to the public and worth visiting for the history alone. The Mattamy Athletic Centre welcomes walk-in visitors during its regular operating hours to view the renovated arena bowl, and offers a free downloadable self-guided tour sheet that points out historic markers, photos, and artifacts throughout the space. A virtual tour is also available online for anyone who can’t visit in person. Guided group tours can sometimes be arranged for parties of 10 or more.
Because operating hours, event-day access restrictions, and tour availability change with the university’s academic and athletic calendar, check the official Mattamy Athletic Centre website before you go for current hours and tour details. The building sits at 60 Carlton Street (with the Loblaws entrance at 60 Carlton and the athletic centre entrance nearby), a short walk from College subway station on Line 1, and the site is fully accessible with elevators, ramps, and accessible washrooms.
Maple Leaf Gardens FAQs
When did the Toronto Maple Leafs leave Maple Leaf Gardens?
The Maple Leafs played their last game at Maple Leaf Gardens on February 13, 1999, before moving to the new Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena) for the 1999-2000 NHL season.
Was Maple Leaf Gardens demolished?
No. Rather than being demolished, Maple Leaf Gardens was repurposed. The lower levels were converted into a Loblaws flagship grocery store (opened November 2011), and the upper arena reopened as the Mattamy Athletic Centre for Toronto Metropolitan University in September 2012.
What is Maple Leaf Gardens called today?
The building now operates under two names: the upper arena bowl is the Mattamy Athletic Centre, home to Toronto Metropolitan University’s varsity teams, while the ground floor houses a Loblaws supermarket. The original Maple Leaf Gardens name and heritage exterior remain intact.
How many Stanley Cups did the Maple Leafs win at Maple Leaf Gardens?
The Toronto Maple Leafs won 11 Stanley Cup championships while playing at Maple Leaf Gardens, with titles in 1932, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967.
What was Maple Leaf Gardens’ seating capacity?
Capacity grew from about 12,473 seats at its 1931 opening to a peak of roughly 16,316-16,485 by 1968, before settling around 15,726 in its final NHL seasons. Today’s much smaller hockey rink inside the Mattamy Athletic Centre seats roughly 2,500.
Can you still tour Maple Leaf Gardens?
Yes. The Mattamy Athletic Centre is open to walk-in visitors during regular hours and offers a free self-guided tour sheet plus an online virtual tour; check the official Mattamy Athletic Centre website for current hours and any tour restrictions on event days.
Did Muhammad Ali fight at Maple Leaf Gardens?
Yes. Muhammad Ali defended his heavyweight title against Canadian George Chuvalo at Maple Leaf Gardens on March 29, 1966, a bout that drew controversy over Ali’s Vietnam War stance and led Leafs owner Conn Smythe to resign from the board in protest.
Is Maple Leaf Gardens a National Historic Site?
Yes. Maple Leaf Gardens was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1991 and named a National Historic Site of Canada in 2007, recognizing its role as both a hockey landmark and a major concert and event venue.
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