Stafford Smythe Conn Stafford Smythe ( March 15 1921 – October 13 , 1971 ) was the son of Conn Smythe and president of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd . and the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team from 1961 – 1969 and from 1970 until his death . Early years . Born in Toronto , Smythe played hockey for Upper Canada College and Runnymede Collegiate in the 1930s and then went to the University of Toronto where he graduated with an engineering degree . He played one season with the Toronto Varsity Blues . In the 1940 – 41 season , he briefly played with the Toronto Marlboros , managed by Harold Ballard , whom Smythe had known since he was a young boy . Smythe enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II . After the war , he became a partner in his father ' s gravel business . In the late 1940s , he was hired as coach of the Marlboros by Ballard , the team president . Smythe was later promoted to managing director . Managing the Maple Leafs . In March 1957 , Smythe became chairman of a seven - person committee appointed by his father to run hockey operations for the Leafs . He 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 accused Day of mismanaging younger players , especially those coming up from the Marlboros , and of sticking with an outdated defensive style of hockey . Smythe ' s committee became known as the Silver Seven . Initially , all members were in their 30s or early 40s , but before the end of the year , 54 - year - old Ballard was appointed to the committee to fill a vacancy . The committee hired Howie Meeker as general manager , but fired him before the start of the season leaving the Leafs without a general manager for the 1957 – 58 season . In 1958 , they hired Punch Imlach to run the Leafs hockey team while the committee focused on the business side . Stafford frequently clashed with his father over the next few years . However , in November 1961 , along with partners Ballard and John Bassett — both members of the Silver Seven — Stafford Smythe bought control of the Maple Leafs from his father , paying $ 2 . 3 million for 45 , 000 of his father ' s 50 , 000 shares . Conn later claimed that he believed he was only selling the team to his son , but it is not likely that Stafford would have been able to raise the money on his own . Stafford succeeded his father as president of Maple Leaf Gardens and governor of the Maple Leafs . Ballard , who had fronted most of the purchase money , became executive vice - president and alternate governor . Bassett became vice - chairman of the Gardens board of directors . The Leafs , who had gone 11 years without winning a Stanley Cup , won the trophy four times in their first six seasons under the new owners . Profitability was increased through expanded seating capacity at Maple Leaf Gardens and the sale of advertising to sponsors throughout the building . Stafford Smythe name appears on the Stanley Cup 5 time 1932 ( as Mascot ) , 1962 , 1963 , 1964 , 1967 ( as President ) all with Toronto . In 1932 Smythe became youngest person engraved on the Stanley Cup at age 11 . Scandal and arrest . Following a Royal Canadian Mounted Police raid at the Gardens in 1968 , Smythe was charged with income tax evasion and accused , along with Ballard , of illegally taking money from Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd . to pay for renovations of their houses and other personal expenses . Just before the charges were laid , Bassett , who had succeeded Conn Smythe as chairman of the board in 1964 , argued to the board that Smythe and Ballard should be removed from their posts . Following an 8 – 7 vote of the board of directors on June 26 1969 ; Smythe and Ballard were both fired , and Bassett was appointed president of the Gardens . The move came just a couple of months after Smythe had fired Imlach after an unimpressive season from the Leafs . However , Bassett did not force Smythe and Ballard to sell their shares , and both men remained on the board . This proved to be a serious strategic blunder ; Smythe was the largest single shareholder in Maple Leaf Gardens , and he and Ballard controlled almost half the company ' s stock between them . They were thus able to stage a proxy war and regain control of the board in 1970 . Smythe was once again appointed president . Facing an untenable situation , Bassett sold his shares in the Gardens to Smythe and Ballard for $ 6 million in 1971 . Ballard would be convicted of tax evasion , but Smythe died of a bleeding ulcer at the age of only 50 just before his trial was scheduled to begin . Ballard took control of the Leafs in 1972 , winning a battle with members of Smythe ' s family for ownership of Smythe ' s shares . The Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy , awarded annually to the MVP of the Memorial Cup tournament , is named in his honour .