13 Facts About Stafford Smythe

Conn Stafford Smythe was the son of Conn Smythe and president of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd.

Stafford Smythe played one season with the Varsity Blues men's ice hockey team.

Stafford Smythe enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II.

In March 1957, Stafford Smythe became chairman of a seven-person committee appointed by his father to run hockey operations for the Leafs.

Stafford Smythe had been a critic of assistant general manager Hap Day, who had run the Leafs' hockey operations from 1955 to 1957 while Conn Smythe retained the title of general manager.

Stafford Smythe accused Day of mismanaging younger players, especially those coming up from the Marlboros, and of sticking with an outdated defensive style of hockey.

Stafford Smythe frequently clashed with his father over the next few years.

Conn later claimed that he believed he was only selling the team to his son, but it is not likely that Stafford Smythe would have been able to raise the money on his own.

Stafford Smythe succeeded his father as president of Maple Leaf Gardens and governor of the Maple Leafs.

Stafford Smythe name appears on the Stanley Cup 5 times - 1932,1962,1963,1964,1967 all with Toronto.

In 1932 Stafford Smythe became youngest person engraved on the Stanley Cup at age 11.

The move came just a couple of months after Stafford Smythe had fired Imlach after an unimpressive season from the Leafs.

Ballard would be convicted of tax evasion, but Stafford Smythe died of a bleeding ulcer at age 50 just before his trial was scheduled to begin.