Maple Leaf Gardens

[sahyder1]

So this is a spin off from the Sports Venues thread. A topic was brought up which could take on a life of its own and take over that thread. This is targeted more towards Hockey fans....and Toronto fans to be more precise but sports fans in general can understand this discussion.

Earlier this month was the 10 year anniversary of the last NHL game played at the historic Maple Leaf Gardens. The only one the original 6 arenas still standing the place obviously holds an important place in the hearts of people from Toronto. For years the arena has sat empty and in horrible conditions. MLSE is definitely to blame as they turned down a proposal to let there be junior hockey there because they didn't want the arena competing with them....yes, like a junior team would compete with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Saw a couple of news clips on youtube.....and it's a shame what the inside of the building currently looks like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltkVQb3OkN8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8M-1Q82v7w...feature=related

My proposal? Screw the grocery store. The NHL should step in and invest in the building. The NHL should relocate the Hall of Fame to a renovated Maple Leaf Gardens. Keep the ice and let there be youth hockey and perhaps an annual Maple Leafs vs an Original 6 match up. There are very few historical landmarks of sports left....this is one that definitely needs to be preserved. So, tossing it out to my fellow Maple Leafs fans....and well to the hockey fans of all teams out there. What should they do with the building?

What has happened with other historical sights? The Montreal Forum is a shopping center now...correct? While I believe the rest of the original 6 arenas minus MSG were turned into parking lots for their replacements. In baseball Yankee stadium will see its field preserved for High School baseball but most of the rest of the structure is set to come down. I think Tiger Stadium is still standing in Detroit. What other ones come to mind?

Edited February 27, 2009 by sahyder1

[Clawson]

This is just gonna get me all pissed off at how the ACC is a corporate masoeulm. Words cannot describe how much I fucking miss the Gardens and the shaky cameras and Paul Morris and...I'm gonna go cry myself to sleep.

[Lowerdeck]

I was in Toronto about five years ago, and the hotel I was staying at was nearly next door to Maple Leaf Gardens. Back then, it looked like the place sad vacant since the 80s. Sad, would of been a nice sight to see for historical purposes.

I think if they renovated it for some type of rink - could also double as a historical museum for the Leafs. The site has plenty of potential for something hockey, why not use it?

[METALMAN]

Oh come on...it's just a building and it looks like a total midden. Best to knock it down. You'll get over it.

More football(soccer) discussions please.

[Toe]

Oh come on...it's just a building and it looks like a total midden. Best to knock it down. You'll get over it.

More football(soccer) discussions please.

STFU.

It's not just a building, it's the house that Smythe built, somehow getting the funds together during the Great Depression and then getting it finished in only 5 months. So many great memories...not just for the Leafs, but for Canadians like Game 2 of the 1972 Summit Series.

The idea of renovating and then maintaining the building for use as a Leafs Museum or the Hockey Hall of Fame and as a site for an OHL team would be awesome. In fact, if the ice surface was opened up to minor league hockey, allowing 10 and 11 year old kids to skate there, that would be awesome.

[gunnar hendershow]

I was in Toronto about five years ago, and the hotel I was staying at was nearly next door to Maple Leaf Gardens. Back then, it looked like the place sad vacant since the 80s. Sad, would of been a nice sight to see for historical purposes.

I think if they renovated it for some type of rink - could also double as a historical museum for the Leafs. The site has plenty of potential for something hockey, why not use it?

I stayed at that same hotel a year and a half ago. My dad and I got some pictures of it (He's got them somewhere I believe). It's in a good location and there's a lot they could do with it. For those who have been to the Hockey Hall of Fame, it feels like a department store (in a mall, cold and dark, etc.) I really support moving the HoF to the site of Maple Leaf Gardens. It's got a ton of history in it, and anything would be better than the Hall's current location.

[Lowerdeck]

I was in Toronto about five years ago, and the hotel I was staying at was nearly next door to Maple Leaf Gardens. Back then, it looked like the place sad vacant since the 80s. Sad, would of been a nice sight to see for historical purposes.

I think if they renovated it for some type of rink - could also double as a historical museum for the Leafs. The site has plenty of potential for something hockey, why not use it?

I stayed at that same hotel a year and a half ago. My dad and I got some pictures of it (He's got them somewhere I believe). It's in a good location and there's a lot they could do with it. For those who have been to the Hockey Hall of Fame, it feels like a department store (in a mall, cold and dark, etc.) I really support moving the HoF to the site of Maple Leaf Gardens. It's got a ton of history in it, and anything would be better than the Hall's current location.

Days Hotel on Carlton?

[gunnar hendershow]

I was in Toronto about five years ago, and the hotel I was staying at was nearly next door to Maple Leaf Gardens. Back then, it looked like the place sad vacant since the 80s. Sad, would of been a nice sight to see for historical purposes.

I think if they renovated it for some type of rink - could also double as a historical museum for the Leafs. The site has plenty of potential for something hockey, why not use it?

I stayed at that same hotel a year and a half ago. My dad and I got some pictures of it (He's got them somewhere I believe). It's in a good location and there's a lot they could do with it. For those who have been to the Hockey Hall of Fame, it feels like a department store (in a mall, cold and dark, etc.) I really support moving the HoF to the site of Maple Leaf Gardens. It's got a ton of history in it, and anything would be better than the Hall's current location.

Days Hotel on Carlton?

That's the one.

[Enter Blue Guy]

Yeah, the location of the main entrance to the Hall kinda sucks. It's good because it's easily accessible (at BCE place, right by Union Station, down the street from the ACC, it's very easy for folks to find), but damshow described it like it is, it's at very end of a endless underground concourse full of food courts and retail stores. It's like "there's a Shopper's Drug Mart, there's McDonalds, there's a Mr. Greek, there's a.. wait, the Hockey Hall of Fame?" I love the actual building, though. From outside it's a classic historical building, with that awesome monument with the players jumping over the board at the side of it, can't remember the name of it.

As for the Gardens, if they were going to anything with it, it would have been great if it would have been the home for the St. Mike's Majors like they were trying to do years ago. I'd like to see it renovated nicely and used as some sort of venue, of the arena variety would be preferable, with games and other related events and that's open to public as well. Of course I can't disagree with a nice section of it being dedicated to being the personal museum for the Leafs. If the day comes and it actually gets converted into a supermarket, I'll puke. If you are going to do that, at least give it a proper burial... tear the fucker down and start from scratch.

Edited March 2, 2009 by Enter Blue Guy

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Agreed that the street level entrance to the HHOF is great...it's just that nobody uses that entrance.

[Enter Blue Guy]

I mean you could try going through the front door. It's there, even it's not a usable entrance. It might be locked, but it's worth a shot.

Edited March 2, 2009 by Enter Blue Guy