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The Inaugural Connaught Cup
The Duke of Connaught, then Governor General of Canada, presented a trophy to the Dominion of Canada Football Association in 1913 to be presented to the national champions. The Connaught Cup was won by the Norwood Wanderers from Winnipeg, Manitoba. This series was played in Fort William, Ontario at Arena Park. (Canadian Soccer History, 2023) -
Toronto Argonauts Win Their First Grey Cup
In 1914, the Toronto Argonauts defeated the University of Toronto Varsity Blues 14-2. For the Argonauts it was truly a third time’s a charm story after they came short in the big game in 1911 and 1912. The Argonauts' victory was their third in seven days, after defeating the Hamilton Tigers and Hamilton Rowing Club in playoff games. This caused them to go into the Grey Cup final banged up. (CFL, 2005) -
Karl Keffer Wins 1914 Canadian Open
In 1914, Canadian Karl Keffer won the Canadian Open at the Toronto Golf Club. The win in 1914 was Keffer’s second Canadian Open title after also winning it in 1909. Keffer’s efforts and career on the golf course earned him a spot in the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1986. (Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, 2023) -
Babe Ruth Hits First Career Home Run In Toronto
On September 5, 1914, in Hanlan’s Point in Toronto, Babe Ruth hit his first career home run. Ruth’s team, the Providence Grays, were taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs who existed before the NHL’s Maple Leafs. Up in the 6th inning with 2 out and 2 on, Babe’s massive 42-ounce bat connected with a pitch. (WBUR, 2014) -
The Creation of The National Hockey League
On November 26th, 1917 the National Hockey League (NHL) was formed. Five of six National Hockey Association owners met at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal to break free from the NHA and start a new league. They agreed to start with only four teams: The Montreal Canadians, the Montreal Wanderers, the Ottawa Senators, and the Toronto Arenas. The first official game in the NHL was on December 19, 1917 between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators.
(Canadian Encyclopedia, 2022) (NHL, 2016) -
Canada Wins Gold At First Ever Hockey Olympics
Ice hockey made its Olympic debut at Antwerp 1920. Canada was represented by the Winnipeg Falcons, who had just won the Allan Cup – the national amateur hockey championship. In their first game on April 24, the Falcons defeated Czechoslovakia 15-0 without allowing a single shot on goal. On April 26, Canada defeated Sweden 12-1 to claim the first ever Olympic gold medal in ice hockey. (Canadian Olympic Committee, 2023) -
Earl “Tommy” Thomson Sets World Record in 110 m Hurdles
Earl “Tommy” Thomson set a world record at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium with a time of 14.2. Earl ran the 110m hurdles and came home to finish 1st winning gold for Canada. Thomson was also the first person to run the 120 yard hurdles in under 15 seconds. (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2022) -
First Ever East-West Grey Cup
Before 1921, the Grey Cup always found itself in eastern cities like Toronto and Hamilton. This was until the Edmonton Elks, formerly known as the Eskimos, journey eastward to take on the Toronto Argonauts. This journey proved to be useless as they fell 23-0 against this strong Toronto team but it paved the way for the CFL to hold East-West Grey Cups forever. (Canadian Encyclopedia, 2012) -
Toronto St. Patricks Renamed Maple Leafs
On February 14, 1927 the Toronto St. Patricks were bought by Conn Smythe. Immediately afterwards, he changed the name to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Smythe thought the team should appeal more to their location other than the Irish, which was the initial reasoning for the name, St. Patricks. The origin of the name, Maple Leafs was from a World War I fighting unit, the "Maple Leafs". (Canadian Encyclopedia, 2022)